Chapter 1: The Howl in the Dark

The forest was silent—too silent.

Celestia Ace stood at the edge of the Saints Moon Pack's territory, her sharp golden eyes scanning the dense treeline. The usual chorus of nocturnal creatures had vanished, leaving only the whisper of the wind through the towering pines. Her breath came in slow, measured exhales, her fingers tightening around the dagger she always carried at her hip.

The night had always been her sanctuary, but tonight, something felt… wrong.

She pulled her dark cloak tighter around her shoulders, suppressing a shiver. The moons—both full and brilliant—bathed the land in an ethereal glow, casting long shadows across the clearing. She should have felt at ease beneath their light. Instead, a sense of foreboding curled in her gut.

A rustle in the underbrush had her body tensing.

"Who's there?" Celestia called, her voice calm but firm.

A low growl rumbled through the trees. Then, a figure emerged—Darius Ace Saints, Alpha of the Saints Moon Pack. His midnight-black hair was tousled by the wind, and his piercing silver eyes gleamed under the moonlight. The power radiating from him was undeniable, a force both commanding and unshakable.

"You shouldn't be out here alone," Darius said, his tone bordering on reprimanding.

Celestia narrowed her eyes. "I can handle myself."

A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, but it was fleeting. "I don't doubt that, Luna. But something is coming."

The air grew heavier at his words. Celestia had felt it too.

"The Lycans?" she asked, barely above a whisper.

Darius hesitated for only a second before nodding. "Scouts have reported movement near the eastern border. They're testing us. Seeing if we'll react."

Celestia clenched her fists. The Lycans had been growing bolder in their attempts to extend their dominance over all werewolf packs. The Saints Moon Pack, though feared by many, had remained hidden for generations. But secrets never stayed buried forever.

"They won't stop until they find what they're looking for," she murmured, gaze lifting to the twin moons above.

Darius stepped closer, his presence both grounding and unsettling. "Then we make sure they never do."

His words were a promise, but Celestia wasn't sure it was one they could keep.

---

*The Alpha's Burden

The walk back to the pack's stronghold was quiet, but tension simmered in the air. The towering stone walls of their hidden sanctuary came into view, nestled deep within the mountain ranges. Guards stood at their posts, their eyes keen and weapons ready.

Inside, the grand hall flickered with torchlight, the scent of burning cedar mixing with the crisp night air. The council was already gathered—Elder Magnus, with his ever-watchful gaze; Elder Selene, her wisdom reflected in her aged but kind eyes; and Elias Voss, Darius's Beta, his expression unreadable as always.

"The Lycans are restless," Darius announced, striding toward the large wooden table in the center of the room. "They're scouting our lands."

Magnus stroked his graying beard. "Then it's only a matter of time before they act. We must be prepared."

"We are prepared," Elias countered, arms crossed. "But it's not just our warriors they're after, is it?" His eyes flickered toward Celestia.

A silence fell over the room.

Celestia met his gaze, unflinching. "The prophecy," she said. "They know."

Selene exhaled slowly, as if she had been dreading this moment. "The signs have begun. The moons grow brighter, the air shifts. The power within you, Celestia, will not remain dormant for long."

Celestia looked down at her hands. Ever since she was a child, she had felt different. Stronger. More attuned to the moons than anyone else. But what terrified her most was not the power within her—it was the prophecy itself.

A legend as old as time, foretelling the rise of a Luna who would bring either salvation or destruction.

"You need to start training," Darius said, breaking through her thoughts. His expression was unreadable, but his voice was resolute. "If the Lycans come for you, they won't find you unprepared."

Celestia hesitated. "And if I become what they fear?"

Darius stepped closer, lowering his voice so only she could hear. "Then let them fear you."

---

That night, Celestia lay awake in her chamber, staring at the stone ceiling. Darius's words echoed in her mind, but so did the whispers of something far older, something buried deep within her.

She rose from her bed, wrapping herself in a cloak before slipping out into the courtyard. The air was cool, the night calm once more. But the unease in her chest refused to fade.

As she wandered the stone paths leading to the training grounds, she caught movement in the shadows.

A figure. Watching.

Her breath hitched. "Who's there?"

A moment of silence. Then, a low chuckle. "Still so quick to challenge danger, Luna?"

From the darkness stepped Cassian Vale—a rogue, a ghost of the past. His dark hair was longer than she remembered, his rugged features sharper.

"Cassian?" she whispered, barely believing it.

He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Miss me?"

Celestia clenched her fists. The last time she had seen Cassian, he had vanished into the rogue lands, leaving behind nothing but unanswered questions.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded.

Cassian's gaze flickered to the twin moons above, then back to her. "Would you believe me if I said I came to warn you?"

She stiffened.

"The Lycans are coming, Celestia," he continued, his voice serious now. "And you're at the center of it all."

The wind howled through the trees, but Celestia barely noticed. The weight of his words settled heavily upon her.

The war wasn't coming.

It had already begun.

---

End of Chapter 1.