A Wish Cast in Fire

VANESSA

The Bondfire ceremony had always been my favorite part of the Moonbinding Festival when I was a child. Standing here now, watching my mother step forward to address the gathering, I felt that same childlike wonder stir within me again.

My mother, the Luna of Moonstone Pack, stood tall and regal before the unlit pyre. The earlier tension from Wesley's accusations had faded somewhat, but I could still feel its echo in the wary glances exchanged between pack members.

"Tonight, we honor an ancient tradition," my mother's voice rang clear across the courtyard. "The Bondfire represents our unity, our shared dreams, and our promise to the next generation." She gestured toward the children gathered nearby. "Would our scavenger hunt winners please step forward?"