We lingered for a moment longer, savoring the warmth of our conversation, trying to push aside the weight of responsibility that we both knew would return all too soon. Aiden's hand never left mine, his thumb tracing soothing circles on my skin. When the quiet between us grew, it wasn't heavy with unspoken worries but full of an understanding deeper than words. With a soft kiss, we turned toward our room together, his arm wrapped securely around my waist. As we lay down, his presence beside me was both a comfort and a reminder of everything we were fighting for. Wrapped in his warmth, I closed my eyes, knowing tomorrow would come far too quickly—but at least, for now, I wasn't facing it alone. None of us were.

As sleep overtook us, it felt like the night passed in the blink of an eye, too fleeting for the solace it offered. Aiden's steady breathing beside me was my anchor, grounding me in the present moment. The warmth of his body against mine was both a comfort and a shield, keeping the encroaching dread at bay for just a little longer.

But the dawn was relentless. I woke before the sun fully rose, untangling myself from Aiden's embrace with a quiet sigh. Slipping from the room, I dressed quickly and headed outside, hoping the cool air might clear my thoughts. The sky was just beginning to lighten, casting a pale pink glow over the trees as I stood in the courtyard, my breath visible in the crisp morning air. The world felt so still, so quiet in the pre-dawn hours, as though it were holding its breath, waiting for something to happen. I was getting used to expecting the unexpected and I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or bad.

I glanced around, taking in the scene before me. Lars and Calla, the two fighters Saunders had chosen for this mission, stood at the edge of the courtyard, speaking in low, measured tones. Their expressions were calm, filled with the kind of quiet resolve that only seasoned warriors seemed to carry. Lars, tall and broad-shouldered, exuded a quiet intensity that made him appear larger than life. Calla, though smaller, moved with the fluid grace of someone who knew how to stay light on her feet, her gaze sharp and focused.

I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to shake off the lingering chill of the early morning air. The sky was slowly brightening, but the tension in the air felt thicker than usual.

"You're not planning on leaving without saying goodbye, are you?" A familiar voice broke through my thoughts.

I turned to see Aiden standing there, his hair tousled and his long t-shirt clinging to his body just enough to outline the muscles in his chest and stomach. A small smile tugged at my lips.

"Of course not," I replied softly.

He glanced toward Lars and Calla. "They're up early."

"I don't think the guards ever sleep," I said with a yawn.

"Probably not." He kissed my forehead, the touch brief but warm, before his attention shifted to Marshall standing nearby.

Aiden's posture was as commanding as ever as he approached Marshall, speaking quietly, though I could see the tension in the set of his jaw, the tightness in his shoulders. Letting me go into a dangerous situation wasn't easy for him—I knew that. But he trusted me, and that trust meant everything.

As their conversation ended, Aiden caught my eye. He walked back over, the soft light of dawn casting a warm glow over his features, though his eyes remained sharp, searching mine for any sign of hesitation.

"Are you ready?" he asked, his voice steady but laced with that undercurrent of protectiveness that I had come to expect from him.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I said with a small smile.

He stepped closer, his hand coming up to cup the side of my face. His thumb brushed lightly over my cheek, a gesture so tender it made my chest ache. "Constant updates," he murmured, his eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made it hard to breathe. "I hate that we are apart so much so soon."

"I promise," I said softly, leaning into his touch for just a moment longer. "I hate it too, but it can't last forever, right?"

He let out a long breath, his forehead pressing lightly against mine. "This sucks."

"I know," I whispered.

He pulled back slightly, his expression shifting to something more controlled, more composed—the face of a leader, not just my mate. "Lars and Calla will be with you. Alpha Bryce's scouts will meet you at the border. If anything goes wrong—"

"It won't," I cut him off gently, though I could feel the knot of anxiety tightening in my stomach. "We've planned for everything. It's going to be fine."

He didn't look convinced, but he nodded anyway. "Just come back to me."

I smiled, though it didn't quite reach my eyes. "Always."

Marshall approached then, his posture straight, his face set in that determined expression he always wore before a mission. "They're ready to move out, Majesty."

That is going to take some getting used to.

I turned to Aiden one last time, our eyes meeting in a brief but meaningful exchange. No more words were needed.

We set off just as the first rays of sunlight broke over the horizon, casting a faint glow on the winding forest road ahead. The black SUV hummed steadily as we moved deeper into the trees, the tires crunching against the gravel. Inside, the atmosphere was thick with tension, anticipation hanging in the air. Lars was behind the wheel, eyes fixed on the road, while Calla sat beside him in the front, both of them on high alert. Their gazes flicked between the dense forest outside the windows, scanning for any signs of danger.

Even though I trusted Alpha Bryce and his pack, the unease settling in my chest wouldn't go away. The thought nagged at me—were we driving straight into something far more dangerous than we were prepared for?

The first hour passed in heavy silence, broken only by the low hum of the engine. My thoughts kept drifting to the Moonstone shards—their raw power, the destruction they could bring. If the rogue pack managed to get their hands on them, I didn't even want to imagine the havoc they could unleash. We'd already seen the chaos they could cause, and with the rogues growing more reckless by the day, the stakes had never been higher.

After a few hours of driving, Lars pulled the SUV to a stop near a small stream. The forest around us was eerily quiet, the only sound the gentle trickle of water. I stepped out first, stretching my legs as the cool air bit at my skin. Calla and Lars followed, their eyes still scanning the treeline, ever vigilant.

"Still nothing?" Lars asked, his voice low but edged with concern as he glanced toward me.

I shook my head. "No. I haven't felt anything yet."

Calla frowned, her hand resting near the hilt of her blade. "They won't stay that way for long. Either the rogues are getting closer, or something worse is."

Lars nodded, his jaw tightening as he glanced around. "We should keep moving. Alpha Bryce's scouts are supposed to meet us at the border of Night Fall Runners' territory by dusk."

"How about we stretch our legs first? I'm feeling kind of cramped back here," I said.

Lars took a deep breath and glanced at his watch. Calla nodded her head.

"Alright. Ten minutes?"

"Ten minutes sounds good," I said.

I hurried out of the SUV and walked to the stream. Taking off my shoes, I walked through the clear, cold water a few feet until I felt a strange tingling throughout my entire body.

"Lars! Calla!" I called to them. "I think there might actually be something nearby!"

"Are you sure?" Calla asked.

"Yeah. I'm feeling something. I'm going to go check it out."

"Wait for us," Lars called as I continued walking up stream.

I ignored Lars' warning, my feet moving instinctively as I waded through the stream. The tingling sensation coursing through me grew stronger with each step, like an invisible thread pulling me forward. The cold water lapped at my ankles, but I barely felt it. My senses were laser-focused on the strange energy buzzing in the air, urging me toward something.

The trees thickened around me, their twisted branches blotting out the sunlight and casting long, creeping shadows over the forest floor. Every step heightened the hairs on the back of my neck, but I couldn't stop. My heart hammered in my chest, beating in sync with the rush of water beneath my feet.

And then I saw it.

Just ahead, between the moss-covered rocks at the bottom of the stream, a faint glow flickered. My breath hitched as I knelt, staring at the small, pulsing light—a shard of the Moonstone. It was unmistakable, glowing with an eerie blue hue that brightened with each second.

"Elara!" Lars' voice cut through the silence, but I didn't look back.

With trembling fingers, I reached into the water. The moment I touched the shard, a jolt of raw energy surged through me. I gasped as I pulled it free from the streambed, the shard glowing even brighter in my palm. It was cool to the touch but hummed with an internal heat, a powerful force barely contained within.

"Elara, what is it?" Calla appeared at my side, her gaze locked on the glowing stone in my hand, eyes wide with awe.

"It's a piece of the Moonstone," I whispered, turning the shard over in my hand as the energy coursed through me. "It called to me—I can't explain it, but I felt it."

Lars approached, his face darkening as he looked at the shard. "We need to get back to the SUV. Now."

Nodding, I add the shard to the other pieces I already had. "Agreed."

We climbed back into the SUV, and the farther we drove, the more the forest seemed to close in around us. The trees loomed taller, their branches tangled above like skeletal fingers, letting only slivers of pale sunlight trickle through. The air felt heavier here—older, thick with an energy that hummed beneath the surface.

"We're getting close," Lars muttered, gripping the wheel tighter. "Stay sharp."

I didn't need the reminder—my senses were already on high alert, stretched thin, searching for any sign of more Moonstone shards. But there was only silence, broken occasionally by the rustling of leaves and the low rumble of the engine.

Not long after, a scout from the Night Fall Runners appeared, emerging from the shadows of the trees with fluid grace. He moved like a predator, his sharp eyes sweeping over us before nodding in acknowledgment. He was a large blondish red wolf.

He motioned with his massive head to follow him.

We followed the scout down the road, closer to the main city. The Night Fall Runners had always thrived on the fringes of the Lycan Kingdom, known for their cunning and strength, their ability to survive by being smarter than their enemies and their cunning trade agreements they made with everyone else.

A bonus for them being on the fringes of society was the abundance of resources they had close by that the rest of us did not.

Soon, Alpha Bryce's compound loomed ahead—a fortress of stone and wood hidden deep within the trees, as formidable as it was secluded. It stood strong, a symbol of resilience and strategy, designed to withstand even the most fierce threats.

Alpha Bryce waited for us in the courtyard, arms crossed over his chest, his expression calm but unreadable. There was something in his eyes, though—a flicker of tension that told me things were worse than we could have imagined.

"Elara," he greeted, his deep voice steady. "It's so good to see you again."

I offered a small smile as he approached, and without hesitation, he pulled me into a warm embrace.

"Thank you for having us," I said, stepping back but still holding onto the comfort of his presence. "I know things have been... complicated."

Bryce gave me a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder, his eyes softening. "You know you're always welcome here. The pack is excited to meet the Queen of all Lycans."

I chuckled softly. "It's weird hearing that."

"But business. Have you found any more shards?"

"Funny you should ask. I actually found one on the way here." I pulled the growing Moonstone out of my pocket and held it up for him.

"Incredible," he mused.

"Have you had any issues with the rogue pack?" Lars asked.

"I wouldn't really say an issue per se, but we have caught them scouting our territory a few times."

Calla spoke up, her tone sharp. "Have you tracked them?"

"We've tried," Alpha Bryce said, grim. "They know the terrain too well. They're slippery, and they're smart."

He was mid-sentence when I suddenly caught a scent on the wind—faint but unmistakable. My heart skipped a beat, and I inhaled again, sharper this time. That scent... it was impossible, yet it was there, laced through the crisp morning air.

Morgan.

I took a step back, barely aware of everyone talking around me. My pulse quickened, my mind racing as the scent grew stronger, tugging at something deep inside me. Without a word, I turned and sprinted toward the battlements, my feet moving before I could think.

Reaching the top, I skidded to a halt, my breath coming in shallow gasps as I scanned the landscape before me. The meadow stretched out below, bathed in the soft light of evening, the grass swaying gently in the breeze.

And then I saw it—her. A figure, silhouetted against the horizon, standing perfectly still in the distance. My heart clenched painfully in my chest.

"Morgan," I whispered, my voice barely audible. It couldn't be anyone else. The shape, the way she stood—it was her.

The wind shifted, carrying her scent once more, and I gripped the stone railing, my knuckles white. I wanted to scream her name, to run toward her, but something held me back. Something was wrong.

She remained motionless, her silhouette dark against the lightening sky, as if she was waiting for me.

A shadow passed over the meadow, and in that brief moment, her figure vanished—leaving only the stirring of the grass in her wake.

I stood frozen, my heart thundering in my chest. She had been there. I was sure of it.

"Elara, what's wrong?" a soft voice was behind me now, closer, filled with concern.

I turned to face Calla, my mind still spinning. "It was her," I whispered, my throat tight. "Morgan was here."