"I'm hoping it would be a boy," Luna whispered, squeezing their hands. "But I'm sure he'll be strong and brave, no matter what." The den grew closer, the air heavy with anticipation and tension. They could hear murmurs of conversation and the clattering of dishes as the pack prepared for the day's hunt. But for them, the true battle was about to begin.

"we haven't had a war between three packs in 200 moon." Phoenix remarked as they made their way to the entrance of the den. "This is going to be intense."

Jace nodded, his gaze flickering to the entrance of the den. "And that's why we need to be careful. Every member of our pack, including us, has a target on their back. We can't afford to make any mistakes." He paused, taking a deep breath to steady his nerves. "But we also can't let Solar intimidate us. We have to face him head-on and show him that we're not afraid."

"I wanna make a bet." Phoenix offered, his voice low. "whoever dies first in the coming battle, they don't get to come back as a ghost and haunt the living shit out of us." The others chuckled softly, but it was clear that none of them truly found it funny. They all knew what was at stake.

"we can't make promises for that. Artemis would send us to the island of bless anyway." Luna teased. The others chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. But it was clear that they were all thinking about the same thing. They knew that this confrontation could very well be the end of them.

"so we're dying together?' Phoenix promised, trying to lighten the mood. "I guess we are." Jace responded with a small smile, returning the attempt at humor. Even Luna couldn't help but chuckle softly. "what the hell, you two. This isn't a joke." She scolded them, trying to remind them of the gravity of the situation.

Jett let out a lighthearted laugh, a laugh hasn't done since the banishment. "You two are something else, you know that?" He placed a hand on each of their shoulders, a gesture of his pack mate, before he turned serious again. "Let's just get this over with. We've got a pack to protect and a fight to win." He took a deep breath, steadying himself for the confrontation that was to come. "Luna, you should stay back with the other females and pups. You're safer there."

Luna shrugged her shoulders, she never been much of a fighter but she felt safer with them. "I'll stay if you want me to, but I'm not afraid to fight either." She glanced at Jett, her expression serious. "you're my beta, and I trust you with my life." She took a deep breath, steeling herself for the battle to come. "But I'll do as you say, and stay with the others if it'll keep them safe."

"atta girl." Jett said, ruffling her hair affectionately. He glanced at Phoenix and Jace, their expressions serious. "Let's go face the music." They stepped out of the den, blinking in the sunlight. The rest of the pack was already gathered at the edge of the forest, ready to begin the day's hunt. But they knew that something was wrong. The air was thick with tension, and every wolf seemed to be on edge.

"why he haven't come yet?"Jett glanced over his shoulder at Luna. "He will. He's just taking his time." He hoped that Solar didn't have any surprises waiting for them. They had prepared as best they could, but they knew they were still outmatched. The other two packs had combined their forces, making them an even more formidable enemy.

"Solar's just stalling." Phoenix growled. "we know he loves to take his precious time." Jace added. The others nodded in agreement. They formed a circle, standing shoulder to shoulder, facing the other packs. Their fur bristled, and their eyes were fixed on the approaching Solar pack. They knew that this was it. This was the moment they had been preparing for, and the moment they would find out if all their efforts would be enough.

"I don't need a wolf form to fight." Luna growled lowly as she crouched low, her tail low and her ears flattened against her head. "I'll fight them all, even without it." Her amber eyes darted from side to side, taking in the other wolves. She knew that she was the weakest link in their circle, but she refused to be the one to let them down.

"Luna, you're pregnant. you shouldn't be fighting." Jace said softly. "We'll protect you. you just stay back and guard the young ones." She nodded, but she knew that if it came down to it, she wouldn't hesitate to join the battle. Her only thought was the safety of her pack, and she would fight until her dying breath to protect them.