The Alpha's Luna, A Destiny Divided

Chapter 10

Callum's POV

The first light of dawn was just breaking over the horizon as I stood at the edge of our territory, my senses on high alert. The forest was quiet – too quiet. It set my teeth on edge.

"Anything?" Rafe asked, materializing from the shadows to my right.

I shook my head. "Nothing. But something doesn't feel right."

We'd been increasing our patrols over the past few days, pushing our borders to their limits. The threat of Marcus's expanding influence loomed over us like a storm cloud, dark and ominous.

As if summoned by my thoughts, a howl pierced the air – distant, but unmistakable. A call for help.

Rafe and I exchanged a quick glance before shifting into our wolf forms. We tore through the underbrush, following the sound. As we neared the source, a familiar scent hit me, making my heart race.

Luna.

We burst into a small clearing to find Luna squaring off against two unfamiliar wolves. Her silver fur was bristling, teeth bared in a snarl. Despite the odds, she stood her ground, every line of her body radiating defiance.

Pride and fear warred within me as I launched myself at the nearest attacker. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Rafe engage the other. Luna, seizing the opportunity, darted in to help, her movements fluid and precise.

In a matter of minutes, it was over. The intruders, realizing they were outmatched, retreated into the forest with their tails between their legs.

As the adrenaline of the fight faded, I shifted back to my human form, immediately moving to check on Luna. "Are you hurt?" I asked, my hands gentle as I searched for any signs of injury.

Luna shook her head, still catching her breath. "I'm fine. They caught me by surprise, but..." She trailed off, her eyes widening as she looked at something over my shoulder.

I turned to see Rafe staring at us, an odd expression on his face. It was then that I realized – in the heat of the moment, I hadn't considered how our interaction might look to others. Luna and I, so in sync, so concerned for each other. It was a far cry from the reluctant mates we'd been just a short time ago.

"We should report this to the council," Rafe said, his tone carefully neutral. "It seems Marcus's scouts are getting bolder."

I nodded, forcing myself to focus on the matter at hand. "Agreed. Luna, can you tell us what happened?"

As Luna recounted her encounter, I couldn't help but marvel at how far we'd come. The Luna I'd first met would never have opened up like this, would never have trusted us to have her back.

We made our way back to the pack house, the weight of this latest incursion heavy on our minds. It was clear that time was running out. We needed to act, and soon.

As we approached, I saw Nora waiting for us, her face grim. "Alpha," she called. "We've received word from the Northern Alliance. You're going to want to hear this."

## Nora's POV

I observed asCallum, Luna and Rafe approached, taking in their disheveled appearance and the tension in their stance. Something had happened out there, that much was clear.

But we had bigger problems.

"The Northern Alliance has agreed to meet," I said without preamble. "They're willing to discuss joining our coalition against Marcus, but they have... conditions."

Callum's eyes narrowed. "What kind of conditions?"

I hesitated, my gaze flickering to Luna. This was the part I'd been dreading. "They want proof that our cause is just. That we're not just involving them in a personal vendetta." I took a deep breath. "They want to meet Luna. To hear her story firsthand."

The reaction was immediate. Callum moved closer to Luna, his protective instincts clearly on high alert. Luna herself went rigid, her face a mask of conflicting emotions.

"Absolutely not," Callum growled. "It's too dangerous. We can't risk—"

"I'll do it."

Luna's quiet voice cut through Callum's protests. We all turned to look at her, surprise evident on every face.

"Luna, you don't have to—" Callum began, but Luna shook her head.

"Yes, I do," she said, her voice gaining strength. "This is bigger than me now. If my story can convince them to stand with us against Marcus, then it's worth the risk."

I couldn't help but feel a surge of respect for this wolf who'd come into our lives so unexpectedly. She'd come a long way from the wary, defensive creature we'd first encountered.

Callum looked like he wanted to argue further, but the determination in Luna's eyes was clear. Finally, he nodded. "We'll need to plan this carefully. I won't let you walk into potential danger unprepared."

As the group moved inside to discuss strategy, I hung back, lost in thought. The Luna who stood before us now was a far cry from the reluctant mate we'd first met. She was stepping up, taking on the mantle of leadership that came with being our Alpha's mate.

But as I watched Callum and Luna, heads bent close in discussion, I couldn't shake a nagging feeling of unease. The Northern Alliance was notoriously unpredictable. And with Marcus's forces closing in, we were about to step onto a knife's edge.

One wrong move, and everything we'd built could come crashing down.

I just hoped we were ready for whatever came next.