As Luna Aruna turned the corner of the dim hallway lined with cells, lit only by flickering torches and echoing with the sound of dripping water, she spotted an arm jutting out from the last cell, confirming she had found the hidden men.
The very men her son had tried to hide right under her nose, in her own prison.
She was more curious than ever about what trouble he had gotten into on his last trip away from the pack.
Last she knew, Titan wasn't supposed to be going anywhere near the Moonlight Shifters, yet their men still ended up following him home.
His mission was to gather information on the legendary cursed wolf, Ayla, and to search for his fated mate during his time away.
He should have been headed in the complete opposite direction.
He had struck that deal with her to keep them from joining the other packs in hunting her, and now she was ready for answers.
Now, standing just out of sight of the cell, she was ready to toy a bit with her captives.
"Not the part of the pack you were hoping to explore, I'm guessing," she whispered, keeping her voice low to mask her identity.
"Who are you?" asked one of the men.
"Show yourself," another person demanded.
"So, you're hiding like a coward. Nothing new for this pack. What do you want from us?" she heard someone else say.
She let out a quiet snicker before whispering again, "I can help you, but I don't want to get hurt. How do I know you're not here to hurt me? What brought you here?"
The four men remained quiet longer than the Luna preferred.
"I know you're trying to talk to each other. You can't, or have you figured that out? Your mind links don't work down here, so no one is coming for you. Tell me what brought you here, or I'll leave you to the guards," she whispered.
"Show yourself first," the biggest of the four said.
"No," she whispered, pretending to run away.
"Wait!" one of the men yelled.
'That didn't take long.'
"Why are you here? Are you planning to harm my pack?" she demanded, her tone leaving no room for evasion.
"We were just out hunting and accidentally ran over the edge of the territory. The guards overreacted. Let us go, and we promise we won't come back or even get close to the borders again."
It was a new voice.
The fourth man was finally speaking for the first time.
Luna Aruna let his words linger in her mind for a moment before she stepped out from the shadows.
The other Lunas were stunning, but her beauty stood apart from the rest.
There was a certain glow about her, with hair nearly white and skin that reflected the light of the moon.
When she stepped out of the shadows, all four men instantly knew exactly who she was.
"So, that's the version you're all going with? A hunting accident? I'd suggest you think it over before saying another word. Think carefully."
This was exactly the kind of situation their Luna had warned them to steer clear of, and whatever they did next would affect several wolves, not just themselves.
"How about you take some time to think about how you want to answer my question, and give me your response when I get back. You don't have long."
Luna Aruna stepped away, her footsteps clearly leaving the mountain's wing they had been confined to, though she had no intention of going far.
As if she had no feet at all, she slipped back to her hiding place beside their cell without making a sound.
"Quiet, not a word. Stick to the story that I told her. They won't suspect a thing, now shut up," she heard the last man whisper.
"We're dead either way for getting caught in the first place, so what does it matter?"
"What if this is our way out? Maybe we should hear her out."
That was her chance.
"Exactly. You tell me why you're really here, and I'll decide whether or not to send you back to Alina," she said calmly.
The one who had lied to her growled fiercely, "Never. She is our Luna, and you will give her the respect she deserves."
"Well then, I'm sure she'll be thrilled when your head is delivered back to her. After all, by our laws, it's my right," she said, stepping toward him with a renewed snarl.
The other three men in the cage sank to their knees, as though powerless to resist.
Realizing the control she held over them, they surrendered and tilted their heads, exposing their necks to her.
"We were sent to find out if Titan came here with a group that fled our custody..."
Before he could finish, the lone defiant wolf sank his teeth into the confessing wolf's throat and ripped out his esophagus.
With traces of blood and bits of skin caught in his teeth and dripping down his chin, he warned the others, "Speak, and you die."
Their friend lay motionless on the ground before them, blood still seeping from the deep wound in his throat.
"Guard," she called, without hesitation.
As they showed up, within seconds, she nodded to the man who had just interrupted her interrogation.
"Put his head on a pike by the border where his pack enters. I want them to see just how loyal he was to their Luna. But first, take out his fangs and claws. I can't stand it when other packs trespass on my territory or go after my son."
With a simple nod, they headed for the cage door, while the two who had surrendered backed away as fast as they could, fear gripping them over what Luna Aruna might command next.
The guards were more than willing to follow their Luna's orders, having wanted to since the moment they saw the men cross the border.
"One less Moonlight Shifter, coming up," the lead guard said as he grabbed the loyal soldier and pulled him down the hallway, nearly dragging him to his punishment.
"Now, you two. As your friend was saying, why are you really here?" she asked, her tone sharper and more serious than it had been since stepping into the dungeons.
They were prepared to tell her almost everything, just to escape the cell with their friend sprawled on the floor, and to hang on to their fangs and claws.
The one thing they figured was best to keep to themselves was Ayla's identity, something they might trade later depending on how things played out.
She knew the Moonlight Shifters had stolen a wolf from her hometown and lured others into their pack to boost their numbers.
Somehow, Titan had joined them and then helped them escape, so now they were searching for all of them to get their wolves back.
It was close enough to the truth, and more often than not, lies and deceit are wrapped in layers of it.
Satisfied enough to continue her search alone, she rewarded the prisoners for their honesty.
She couldn't let them go, suspecting they were trying to trick her, so until she could confirm their story and make sure her son was safe, she moved them to a cell where they wouldn't have to face their dead friend.
Now, she wanted to look into the people in her home while they waited for lunchtime, starting with the couple, so she went back to find her gossiping maids.
Meanwhile, things weren't going so smoothly for Luna Alina in the Moonlight Shifters pack.
Orion had been trying to contact his special team members for hours, but all he got in return was static.
They were either too far away, or something just wasn't right.
Deep down, he had a feeling that Alexander had set them up.
He must have known more than he was letting on about the escapees.
Sitting at the breakfast table with just the three of them, Luna Alina, Orion, and Shaw, he saw it as his chance to share his concerns after a long night spent reflecting on the events of the previous evening.
"Mother, Shaw, and I all had run-ins with my brother in Scarlet Crest, and he's not as innocent as you think. I'm telling you, he's involved somehow. How do you know he didn't injure himself just to cover for them? Titan's probably not even with them. What if Titan bailed when he found out who Alexander was, and now your precious son just wants us to believe he's still a part of it? This whole thing reeks, I'm telling you."
"Why would he do that? He has no reason to go that far. The boy doesn't even know Titan or any wolves, for that matter. The whole group is just finding out who they really are. Are you just jealous now that we've found him?"
"He told us exactly why, mother. You just weren't listening. Titan took Ayla from him. Isn't that reason enough to send us after his pack?"
"No, I'm not buying it, Orion. I saw how Titan was with her myself. There wasn't the slightest hint of jealousy in that boy. You're wrong. Just accept that he's back with us now. There might be a way to check your theory, though. There are whispers, soaring through our pack. The torches were lit last night, the witches' torches in Titan's pack."
Orion glanced at Shaw, and they exchanged a brief look of disdain.
"What does that have to do with us? They would never let us into their pack."
"Maybe before. This is different. They seem to have a true mate match. Everyone who is anyone will be trying to see who is worthy enough to have the witches gather to bless such a match. There hasn't been one since the curse."
"With us not being able to contact our men, that might give us a way in to see what's going on with them, then? By now, they should have either caught the escapees or returned from the Crescent pack, but all we're getting is static."
The Luna stayed quiet, unsure how to respond, sensing her son and his friend drawing near.
She didn't want them to overhear the conversation, especially if Orion was right about him helping the prized cursed wolf and her team slip past her.
She sat pondering her reply, as Alexander and Stella strolled over to the breakfast table.
"Good morning, everyone! I hope you all slept well," Stella said, sounding more cheerful than ever.
Shaw shot her a grimace, while Orion offered a gentle nod paired with a warm smile.
"Looks like you did. Good morning to you as well."
"It's like a dream. I never realized how amazing it would feel to be home. Somehow, deep down, I always knew this was where I was meant to be. I just feel free and completely at peace."
Luna knew this was her opportunity to try to get some information.
"I wish your friends had felt the same way, especially the one who was supposed to join our pack with you. It seemed like they just vanished without saying a word to anyone last night. Such a shame."
"Oh, I know. Crazy, right? One minute, I was supposed to meet them at the celebration, and the next, Alexander showed up with a swollen face, and they're gone. What happened when you went to get them? Did you make her mad again by trying to tell her what to do?"
"Funny," Alexander murmured under his breath.
"I'm curious, too, Alexander, what did you do to get the one and only Titan to hit you? That's a major reaction from him," Shaw said, stirring the pot intentionally.
Alexander hadn't thought that part through, whether he would actually do something like that.
"We had some issues along the way about who was leading the group, and it eventually came to a head. Makes sense now, knowing who I really am. I guess he doesn't like being told what to do either."
That was starting to make the Luna think more about what Orion was saying, though, and maybe there really was some merit to it.
"Well, that's done with now. Let's change the subject. Tell me all about Scarlet Crest. I've never been. What's it like, son?"
At that point, the two new pack members took over the conversation, sharing with Luna Alina stories about where they grew up and how human they were.
Alexander, however, deliberately left out mention of the little haven they had in the apartment building, just in case he needed it.
He had a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that he just couldn't shake, a sense that something wasn't quite right.
While they chatted over a late breakfast, Luna Alina quietly eavesdropped on Shaw and Orion's private conversation about not trusting his younger brother and their suspicions regarding the mission men.
She knew they were about to set out to see what they could discover about the men who had gone toward the Crescent Moon pack in search of Titan and the others.
Just as they were about to excuse themselves, she popped into their minds.
"Do let me know what you find out about the team that went to Titan's Pack. That was risky in itself. Now, with you two sneaking off there, well, that's war for sure."
"Stop listening to our private conversations, mother."
She scoffed on accident, making Alexander look at her.
"Sorry, I was just thinking about memories I might have had with you, if you were never taken. The ones we can have now."
'Do let them know why you are really trying to get into their borders. It's bad enough that the others were probably already caught. All I need right now is to play hostage negotiations for you. You are only traveling there on rumors of a fated mating, so tell them that, if true, I plan to attend the ceremony. If you're caught, use that as your excuse to be there.'
Orion gave a subtle nod, careful not to draw Alexander or Stella's attention, unaware that she was already watching him from the corner of her eye, determined to keep every one of her friends safe, including Alexander.
"Well, if you'll excuse Shaw and me, we've got a few things to take care of. Pack matters. You'll get to it soon. Enjoy your free time while it lasts, little brother."
With the others gone, Alexander and Stella took the chance to slip away and explore the area, getting to know their new home.
Luna Alina was more worried than ever about her son wandering the woods near the other pack, especially with her foot soldiers missing in action and out of contact.
She'd only just gotten one son back, and the last thing she wanted was to lose another.
He and Shaw weren't the only wolves roaming the woods at that time.
Dominic had been trekking through the woods for hours with his new team, all making their way toward the same pack.
He was set on reaching his son and Raphael as fast as possible, but he couldn't ignore the four orphaned wolves running alongside him.
They were doing a great job keeping up with him, but they weren't accustomed to the harsh conditions the old wolf thrived in, and their stamina was quickly wearing down.
He needed to find a spot where they could take a breather before they burned out entirely and became vulnerable.
If he could find them a spot to recover before they collapsed, it might be close to everything they needed: food, water, shelter, and could possibly be tucked away in seclusion.
Seeing as he was traveling with four baby wolves, that was his only option.
The old wolf knew he had already passed the area where the Skin Walker Pack roamed freely, hunting in the woods, so he wanted to find shelter before reaching the Red Wolf Pack's hunting grounds.
With his eyes alert as they moved ahead and his nose lifted to catch any unwanted scents, he finally came upon a spot near the thicket that seemed to hold exactly what he'd been looking for.
There was water nearby, and the outskirts of the Forbidden Thicket would offer them shelter, as he knew all wolves instinctively kept their distance from it.
Knowing it was his best chance to stay hidden from anyone wandering through the woods, he carried his pack to a small clearing near the entrance by a quiet pond.
Once the crew was settled, he set out to track down any wild game unfortunate enough to cross his path, hoping to feed the hungry pack of wolves.
Just as he managed to track and harvest a decent-sized deer making its way to the pond, the fresh scent of evergreen trees reached him.
Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw a blur of something scurry far off in the distance, but without knowing for sure, he was ready to get back to the others.
It wasn't intense, but it was enough to make him pick up the pace in his endeavor.
He hadn't traveled far enough toward Julius to catch the scent of evergreen in his nostrils, but was it possible for a Red Wolf Pack member to be hunting this far out?
As he neared the rest of his team, he caught the faint scent of snow and okame trees, laced with a hint of sweetness.
Instantly, his instincts told him that something wasn't right as he sent his thoughts ahead to Lucas.
'Move everyone to the Thicket now. Cover your tracks if you can. Don't waste any time. I'll be there when I can.'
As soon as his thoughts were complete, his eyes closed as he heard footsteps approaching him from behind.
"Well, well, Old Red. You were right back there. Looks like you really did spot a rogue wolf hunting in the woods."