A Secret Alouance

 The Shadow Forest was thick with mist, the air heavy with the scent of damp earth and pine. It was neutral ground—far enough from both the Crescent Pack and the Shadow Pack territories that no patrols would stumble upon them.

Fenrir stood with his arms crossed, his sharp silver eyes scanning the darkness. He had always been a warrior first, an Alpha second. And yet, here he was, forced into hiding, conspiring in the shadows like a rogue.

Footsteps approached.

Thalia emerged from the mist, her dark cloak blending into the night. Her golden hair, a trait shared with her brother, was pulled back tightly, and her expression was unreadable.

"You're late," Fenrir muttered.

Thalia scoffed, stepping closer. "And you're impatient." She pulled her hood back, revealing her striking features, a smirk playing at her lips. "Still bitter about losing your Alpha title?"

Fenrir's jaw clenched. "I didn't lose it. It was stolen."

Thalia's eyes gleamed with amusement. "Stolen… or were you simply too weak to keep it?"

Fenrir's wolf growled at the insult, but he exhaled sharply, reigning in his temper. He wasn't here to fight Thalia. Not yet.

"What do you want?" he demanded. "You didn't summon me just to taunt me."

Thalia's smirk faded, replaced by something colder. "Lucian has chosen a mate."

Fenrir frowned. "I heard rumors. Some high-ranked she-wolf?"

Thalia's expression darkened. "No. Selene."

A sharp silence fell between them.

Fenrir's fists clenched. "That's not possible."

"Oh, it is," Thalia said, her voice laced with venom. "Lucian rejected Adira and sent her back to the omega ranks. Now he parades around with Selene as if she's his destined mate."

Fenrir shook his head. Something was wrong.

Lucian and Selene had a past—a bad one. Fenrir didn't know all the details, but he knew Lucian had despised her. The idea that he would suddenly choose Selene, after everything, made no sense.

"You know Lucian," Fenrir said slowly. "He would never reject a true mate. Especially not for her."

Thalia's expression twisted. "I don't care about his reasons. I care about what comes next."

Fenrir's silver eyes narrowed. "You want war."

"He started the day he took my title from me". Thalia stated as her eyes shifted to sharp green. Anger boiled in her veins as she recalled how her kid brother defeated her and stripped her off her title as the Alpha of the Crescent pack.

Thalia's hands trembled as rage surged through her, hotter than fire. Her claws extended, bones cracking under the force of her fury. The memory of her defeat burned in her mind—the humiliation of being stripped of her title, her own blood robbing her of her birthright.

Her vision blurred with rage. Her wolf pushed forward, demanding retribution. She would have it.

Before she could fully shift, a firm, unyielding touch pressed against the bare skin of her spine.

A sharp breath hitched in her throat.

Fenrir.

His thumb dug lightly into the ridges of her backbone, his warmth cutting through the ice of her fury. A slow, deliberate pressure. Grounding. Calming.

Thalia stiffened, instinctively flinching at the contact. She wasn't used to being touched—especially not like this. Not with purpose. Not with... intent.

Her wolf stilled. The fire in her veins cooled just enough for her to take a breath. Then another.

She hated it.

Hated how the storm inside her had quieted at his touch.

Hated the flicker of awareness that danced along her skin.

What the hell was that?

She forced herself to snap out of it, shoving down the unexpected sensation clawing at the edges of her mind. This wasn't why they were here. She wasn't some foolish pup to be distracted by a moment of contact.

Grinding her teeth, she inhaled sharply and stepped forward, just enough to break the connection between them.

She didn't look at him when she spoke. "Lucian must pay."

There. That was what mattered.

Fenrir's hand fell away, but she still felt the ghost of his touch like a brand against her skin.

"He will," he said, his voice low, unreadable.

Thalia clenched her jaw, forcing her mind back to strategy, to war, to revenge. Not to him.

Not to the way her pulse had quickened under his hand.

This was not the time.

She refused to let it be.

But his mind was elsewhere. On her.

Adira.

Lucian had rejected her. Tossed her aside like she was nothing.

That was a mistake.

Fenrir smirked. "If we're going after Lucian, we should also consider taking Adira."

Thalia raised a brow, folding her arms. "Adira? What do you want with a discarded omega?"

Fenrir's smirk deepened. "She's more than that."

Thalia narrowed her eyes. "You like her." It wasn't a question—it was an accusation.

Fenrir chuckled. "I won't deny she's… intriguing. Stronger than she looks. And let's be honest—Lucian didn't deserve her."

Thalia scoffed. "Please. Don't tell me you're hoping to 'rescue' her like some lovesick pup."

Fenrir's smirk faded, replaced with something darker. He stepped closer, his voice dropping low. "I never said I wanted to save her."

Thalia studied him carefully. "Then what do you want from her?"

Fenrir's silver eyes gleamed with something unreadable. "Adira was Lucian's mate. The bond may be broken, but deep down, she still matters to him." His expression hardened. "And that makes her valuable."

Thalia tilted her head, intrigued. "You think she can be used against him?"

Fenrir nodded. "If we take Adira before Lucian realizes his mistake, we can turn her into our greatest weapon."

Thalia considered his words, then smirked. "You're ruthless."

Fenrir's grin was sharp. "That's why I win."

Thalia stepped closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Lucian is weaker now. His judgment is compromised. If we strike while his pack is still adjusting to Selene as Luna, we can take back what should have been ours."

Fenrir studied her, sensing there was more to her hatred. "This isn't just about power for you, is it?"

Thalia's jaw tightened. "He took my pack from me. I won't stand by and watch him rule what was mine."

Fenrir smirked. "Vengeful little sister. I like it."

Thalia's eyes flashed. "So? Are you in?"

Fenrir hesitated, glancing toward the Crescent Pack's distant borders. His instincts screamed that something was off with Lucian. But did it matter?

A weak Alpha meant an easy victory.

His fingers twitched at the thought.

Finally, he met Thalia's gaze and smirked. "I'm in."

Their alliance was sealed at that moment.

And soon… war would come to the Crescent Pack.

And Adira would be caught in the middle…