PTE

Her muscles ached, every nerve firing in protest as she sat up, dizziness still clinging to her like mis

tfully or staring at the ceiling, lost in uneasy dreams. Ravenna rubbed her temples, trying to clear the fog, and remembered

n the pack's hierarchy. Something she

the door. Her heart lea

from the other side. Rolf, the pack healer and one

a whispered,

d a damp cloth. His graying eyes were warm with concern. "You pushed you

her hands tremblin

e bruising under her fur. Every nick and cut told the story of her first fight al

fting gaze, Cassidy's glare of contempt, Vale's rare nod of approval. Fen

Beta Vale. He entered briskly,

pped. "The Alpha requests your

nhaled, and nodd

t bravely. But this-" he gestured to the room, the afterma

tle felt ancient; every stone etched with the pack's legacy. Griffins c

with the pack's insignia-a wolf head ag

dow. At the head of a semicircular table sat Alpha Darian, flanked by Cassidy to his right

ore the table and knelt, as tradi

ht, your actions saved this pack from the rogues' slaughter.

h a bittersweet pride. She

you came to shift

ilverfang Pack in a surprise battle, I- I was caught in his ambush. I nearly died. My

ound the table.

idy spat. "A broken Luna howls, and

es," Darian said quietly. "S

t means nothing. Control is ev

soft but firm. "A Luna must serve an

and the Rite of Unity. Complete them, and you'll earn your place as Luna of Ash

. But if she succeeded, she could claim a place she once never d

"And the rogue threat? Wh

the waning moon. Ravenna will stand with

resolve forgin

er back down the corridors. Past corridors, past armories w

e reminded her. "Gather you

no

ainted the world in silver and shadow. She closed her eyes

a soft footfall. S

e courtyard, cloaked in darkne

voice held neither warmth nor sc

d. "Fenrir-tha

't thank me. I only ensure the balanc

. "What doe

ht revealed a thin scar above his b

he murmured. "Betrayal

hivered.

ods. "Darian expects more than shifting. He wants a tr

all this? Just to earn my life back

e melted into the shadows, a

knowing that the first trial awaited at dawn-and that Fen

ruelty and rejection. Now, she had a chan

ke the feeling that someone-some power-watched her f

sure the night

n fury-and Ravenna realized with a jolt that it wasn't the rogue

ge had begun-one she m