The first scream tore through the night like a blade.
Maria stood upright in bed, heart pounding as the scent of smoke and blood flooded the air.
Before she could move, the clash of steel rang out, followed by howls of pain and fury.
Something was terribly wrong.
She rushed into the corridor, Moonlight already gathering beneath her skin.
The stronghold,her home was in chaos.
Flames flowed from the stone walls, shadows dancing wildly as wolves fought one another in the courtyard below.
"Stand down!" Maria shouted, her voice amplified by lunar power.
The fighting slowed, then stopped completely as Moonlight surged from her body, forcing every wolf to their knees.
Smoke,all through the air, thick and choking. The scent of betrayal was unmistakable.
Her gaze locked onto a familiar figure standing near the opened gates.
Captain Roran.
Her chest tightened.
"You opened the gates," she said quietly.
Roran turned toward her, his face pale, eyes wild.
"My Luna, I had no choice."
"No choice?" Maria stepped closer, each footstep echoing with authority.
"You were sworn to protect this pack."
His voice broke.
"The Ashen King came to me in my dreams.
He showed me the future our defeat, our extinction.
He promised safety. Power. Survival."
Murmurs rippled through the gathered wolves.
Fear.
That was what had broken him.
Maria's silver eyes hardened, though pain flickered beneath the surface.
"Survival built on betrayal is not survival.
It is damnation."
Roran fell to his knees. "Please, I was afraid."
For a second,hesitated.
Not because she doubted her decision,but because she felt the weight of leadership press into her bones.
Mercy could save one wolf. Justice would save the pack.
She raised her hand.
Chains of Moonlight erupted from the ground, wrapping tightly around Roran's body. He gasped as lunar energy bound him, sealing his power.
"Captain Roran," she said, her voice steady and cold, "you are stripped of rank and title.
You are exiled beyond the borders at dawn."
His eyes widened.
"Exile is a death sentence."
"You chose that fate the moment you opened those gates," she replied.
She turned to the pack, her voice carrying through the smoke-filled courtyard. "Fear will come again. The enemy will whisper promises. Remember this night and remember who we are.
As the gates were sealed once more, Maria felt the bitter truth settle into her heart.
The Ashen King hadn't just attacked their walls.
He had poisoned their trust.