Chapter 27

LYSANDRA'S POV

I stride through the stone hallways of the Nyxhowl den, my fingertips brushing against the cold walls. The smell hits me first—fear mixed with blind loyalty. Wolves lower their eyes as I pass, their heads bowing in perfect submission. Not out of respect. Out of terror.

Perfect.

My robes—deep purple, the color of power—sweep across the floor behind me. The sound echoes through the silence, announcing my arrival before I even reach the chamber doors.

The Council chamber used to be Thalion's war room. Now it serves a different purpose. I push the heavy doors open without knocking. I don't need to anymore.

Seven pairs of eyes turn to me. The Council Elders sit around the massive oak table, their faces long and drawn. Beaten. And at the far end, separated from the rest, sits Thalion. My mate. My husband. The look in his eyes makes something inside me twist.

Irritating.

"The hunt failed," Elder Morwen says, her voice cracking with age. "They escaped."

I keep my face blank as I take my seat at the head of the table. "Obviously."

"The silver light," Elder Caris whispers, his weathered hands shaking slightly. "It's growing stronger."

"Yes," I say, letting a small smile curve my lips. "Isn't it beautiful?"

"Beautiful?" Thalion's voice cuts through the room like a blade. "Our daughter is being hunted like an animal, and you think this is beautiful?"

I turn to him, studying the way his jaw clenches. The gray in his temples seems more pronounced now. "She was always meant for this."

"Being hunted?"

"Being powerful."

An uncomfortable silence fills the room. I can hear their heartbeats—seven old, fearful hearts and one burning with betrayal.

Elder Morwen clears her throat. "The Order has contacted us. They're... displeased with our progress."

The name sends an unwelcome chill down my spine. Even after all these years, after everything I've done for them, the Order still holds that power over me.

"Let them be displeased," I say, though my fingers automatically reach for the pendant hidden beneath my robes. The obsidian feels cold against my skin.

"You don't understand," Caris says. "They're sending someone to oversee the operation personally."

This is unexpected. The Order rarely involves themselves directly. "Who?"

"A.H."

The two letters hang in the air like smoke. Nobody moves. Nobody breathes.

Thalion looks between us, confusion and anger warring on his face. "Who the hell is A.H.?"

"Nobody you need concern yourself with," I say, my mind racing. Why would A.H. come personally? Unless...

"Enough of this," Thalion growls, standing so suddenly his chair topples backward. "You've lied to me for twenty-two years. You used our daughter for—for what? Some prophecy? Some order? Tell me what's happening, Lysandra!"

I study him, this man I've shared a life with. Strong jaw. Honest eyes. Too honest. That was always his weakness.

"You wouldn't understand," I say.

"Try me."

The others shift uncomfortably. This is no longer Council business. This is mate business.

"Leave us," I command, not taking my eyes off Thalion.

The Elders practically trip over themselves to obey, filing out with bowed heads and averted eyes. When the door closes behind them, silence stretches between us like a living thing.

"Why?" Thalion asks, his voice softer now. Hurt.

I sigh. "Sometimes destiny requires sacrifice."

"Our daughter is not a sacrifice!" he roars, slamming his fist on the table. The wood cracks under the force.

"She's more than our daughter," I say calmly. "She's the Moon's Daughter. The one the prophecy speaks of."

"What prophecy? What are you talking about?"

I rise, walking to the window. Outside, wolves are gathering—another hunting party forming. "When the Moon's Daughter and the Storm's Heir unite, the world will change."

"So you forced her into marriage with Kael because of some ancient words? And now you're hunting them both? This makes no sense, Lysandra!"

I turn to him, studying the lines of his face—once so familiar, now almost like a stranger's. "The marriage was meant to control the change. To direct it. But Kael proved... problematic."

"Problematic how?"

"He genuinely cares for her." I shrug. "It complicates things."

Thalion's eyes narrow. "And genuine feelings weren't part of the plan?"

"No." I turn back to the window. "They were meant to unite under our terms. Under the Order's terms."

"And what are those terms exactly?"

A knock at the door interrupts us. I welcome the distraction. "Enter."

A young warrior steps in, head bowed. "Alpha Lysandra," he says, the new title still awkward on his tongue. "We've found a trail. Heading toward the Whispering Woods."

"Prepare a hunting party," I command. "I'll lead it myself."

He nods and disappears.

"Alpha Lysandra?" Thalion's voice is dangerously quiet. "You've taken my title too?"

I don't answer. There's no point explaining what he'll never accept.

"Our daughter is out there," he says. "Hurt. Scared. Running. And you're the one she's running from."

"She was always meant for more than this pack."

"More than her family?" He steps closer, and for a moment I see the Alpha he used to be—proud, strong, unflinching. "Did you ever love her at all? Did you ever love me?"

The question catches me off guard. Did I? I remember holding Raven for the first time, the small, warm weight of her in my arms. I remember the way Thalion looked at me on our mating day, like I hung the moon in the sky.

"It doesn't matter now," I say finally.

"It's the only thing that matters!" His hand catches my arm, turning me to face him. "Whatever this Order is, whatever they promised you, it's not worth this. It's not worth our family."

For a moment—just a moment—I waver. But then my hand finds the pendant around my neck, and I remember the day they gave it to me. The day they showed me what power really looked like.

I step back from Thalion. "You always were too sentimental. It's why you were never meant to lead the packs into the new age."

"And you are?" He laughs, but there's no humor in it. "Look at what you've done, Lysandra. You've torn apart two packs. Betrayed your mate. Hunted your own child. What kind of leader does that make you?"

"A strong one." I move toward the door. "One who understands that sometimes sacrifices must be made."

"What exactly are you sacrificing?" he asks. "Because from where I'm standing, it seems like everyone else is paying the price for your ambition."

The words hit harder than they should. "You don't understand what's at stake."

"Then tell me!"

I pause at the door, my hand on the handle. For a moment—just a moment—I consider it. Telling him everything. About the Order's plan. About what the silver light really means. About the role our daughter was bred to play.

Instead, I turn back and touch his cheek gently. "When this is over, perhaps you'll understand."

His eyes—gold-flecked amber that once looked at me with such love—harden. "If you do this, if you hurt our daughter, we're done. Do you understand me? Mate bond or not."

The threat shouldn't bother me. It's meaningless in the grand scheme of things. But something in my chest tightens all the same.

"I've made my choice," I say.

"So have I." His voice is cold now. "I'm going to find her first."

I raise an eyebrow. "How? You're surrounded by wolves loyal to me."

A slow, dangerous smile spreads across his face. "You've forgotten something important about me, Lysandra."

"And what's that?"

"I'm still an Alpha. And no matter what title you've stolen, these are still my wolves." His eyes gleam with challenge. "You may have the Council wrapped around your finger, but the pack? They remember who protected them all these years. Who bled for them."

For the first time, a sliver of doubt creeps in. Could he be right? I look out the window again, at the wolves gathering for the hunt. Are they truly mine?

I straighten my spine, pushing the doubt away. "We'll see."

Outside, the hunting party awaits. Forty strong wolves, armed and ready. I descend the steps of the den, feeling the weight of their gazes. Behind me, I know Thalion watches from the window.

"We hunt," I announce, my voice carrying across the clearing. "Find my daughter and her companions. Bring Raven to me alive." I pause. "Kill the others if you must."

A murmur passes through the crowd. Hesitation.

"What are you waiting for?" I snap.

"Alpha," one brave soul steps forward, a hunter I've known for years. "We've served the Nyxhowl Pack loyally. But this... hunting our own Luna's daughter? Killing the Obsidian Alpha? This isn't our way."

Anger flares hot under my skin. "You dare question me?"

"We question the order," another says. "Not you, Alpha Lysandra."

I see it now—the doubt in their eyes. The uncertainty. Thalion's words echo in my head. These are still my wolves.

My hand finds the obsidian pendant once more, fingers wrapping around it like a lifeline. The Order will not tolerate failure. A.H. is coming personally to ensure success.

I cannot fail.

"You will obey," I say, letting my power flare, my eyes glowing violet in the gathering darkness. "Or you will be treated as traitors."

Slowly, reluctantly, they bow their heads. But I see what I missed before—their loyalty is a fragile thing. One push, and it will shatter like glass.

As we move out into the forest, I feel the familiar weight of the pendant against my chest. Too late for second thoughts. I've chosen my path.

Even if it costs me my daughter's love.

Even if it costs me everything.

The forest swallows us whole, shadows stretching long as the sun begins to set. And somewhere in the distance, a wolf howls—a sound of defiance, of challenge.

Thalion.

I quicken my pace, silently cursing the doubt that now gnaws at my resolve. The Order will have what they want. They always do.

But as darkness falls completely, I can't shake the feeling that for the first time in twenty-two years, I may have miscalculated.

Because the wolf's howl is answered—not by one voice, but by many.

And they're not calling to me.