Chapter 33 THE WARNING FROM THE NORTH

Chapter 33 THE WARNING FROM THE NORTH
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

The pain hit Anna so suddenly that her knees nearly gave out. One second she was standing beside Steve outside the cabin, and the next, a wave of shock crashed through the mate bond hard enough to steal the air from her lungs.

She grabbed the railing. Her vision blurred. Something was terribly wrong, she could feel it.

"Anna!"

Steve caught her before she fell. The concern in his voice sounded distant. As though she were hearing him from underwater.

"What happened?"

Anna pressed a trembling hand against her chest. The emotions flooding through the bond weren't hers. They belonged to Chris.

Her heart began hammering. "Chris."

Steve immediately straightened. "What about him?"

Anna didn't answer. She was already running. The bond pulled her forward like an invisible thread. She ran past the cabins. Past the training grounds, toward the council hall. Steve followed her close behind.

By the time they reached the building, wolves had already begun gathering outside. Whispers spread through the crowd.

Their faces looked pale, confused and worried.
The moment Anna entered the hall, she saw Chris, her stomach dropped.

He stood completely motionless near the council table. A single piece of parchment rested in his hands.

The room was silent. Not even the elders or warriors spoke. Everyone simply stared. Anna crossed the room immediately.

"Chris." She called out softly but no response. She stepped closer.

His face pale and jaw clenched so tightly she thought it might crack.

The parchment trembled slightly in his grip. "Chris?"

Slowly, his eyes lifted to hers. The pain in them stole her breath.

She had never seen him look like that before. Not after Eli's death or even during the darkest moments of the war.

Whatever was written on that paper was worse.

"What happened?" she whispered.

For a moment, Chris didn't answer. Then silently he handed her the letter.

Anna took it carefully. Her eyes scanned the page.

The handwriting was rushed and messy. Written by someone clearly desperate.

The message was short but every word felt like a punch.



To Alpha Chris Whitmore of Blood Moon Pack,

If this letter reaches you, then I am likely already dead.

Draven is moving south faster than anyone anticipated. Gray Ridge has fallen so has Silver Hollow, Ash Valley is under siege at the moment.

He isn't just conquering territory. He's searching for something. Someone to be precise.

A woman connected to the ancient Luna bloodline.

He believes she carries the key to a power older than the Alphas themselves.

We discovered references in the archives shortly before the attack.

A bloodline thought extinct. The Moonborn Line.

If your Luna bears this blood, she is in terrible danger. Protect her by all means possible.

Whatever happens, do not let Draven take her alive.



The letter slipped slightly in Anna's hands. The room suddenly felt too small.

"Moonborn?" she whispered.

No one answered because no one knew.

Chris looked away. His expression darkened further.

The elderly Beta, Victor, finally spoke. "I've heard the name before."

Every head turned toward him.

Victor rarely spoke during meetings but when he did, wolves listened. The old warrior's face looked troubled.

"Not since I was a pup."

"What is it about?" Steve asked.

Victor exhaled slowly. "It's a legend."

The word sent unease through the room. "We were told stories about them."

Chris frowned. "What stories?"

Victor hesitated as though debating whether he should continue, then finally spoke.

"The Moonborn Lunas were said to be blessed directly by the Moon Goddess."

Silence settled across the room.

"They possessed abilities beyond normal mates."

Anna's stomach tightened. Her visions, the strong emotional bond suddenly, nothing felt coincidental anymore.

Victor continued.

"They could strengthen entire packs. Heal bonds and unite territories."

Steve folded his arms. "And Draven wants that power."

"Apparently." The old warrior's gaze shifted toward Anna. "Assuming the stories are true."

Anna suddenly felt very uncomfortable being the center of attention. Chris noticed immediately.

His expression hardened. "Enough."

The room instantly fell silent. "Nobody jumps to conclusions because of an old legend."

"But the letter…" one elder began.

"I said enough." The authority in his voice ended the discussion.

At least temporarily.

Still Anna noticed the curiousity in the people's faces. The questions people were too afraid to ask aloud. Could she really be connected to this bloodline?

And if she was… What did it mean?

The meeting continued for another hour. Patrol reports. Border updates and supply concerns were brought up, but Anna struggled to focus.

Her mind kept returning to the letter, to Draven. To the phrase that refused to leave her thoughts.

Do not let Draven take her alive.

Eventually the council was dismissed. One by one, wolves filtered out of the hall leaving only Chris, Anna, and Steve behind.

For several moments nobody spoke. Then Steve broke the silence.

"You don't believe it's a coincidence, do you?"

Chris rubbed both hands across his face. "No, I don't."

Anna's heart sank.

Steve leaned against the table. "The visions."

Chris nodded. "The timing." Another nod.

"The fact Draven knew about her before stepping into our territory."

Silence settled across the hall because every piece fit together a little too well.

Anna looked down. "I didn't ask for any of this."

The words came out quieter than she intended. Both men looked at her immediately.

Chris crossed the room without hesitation. His hands settled gently on her shoulders.

"I know."

His voice softened. "None of this changes anything."

Anna tried to smile but fear continued twisting inside her chest.

Deep down… everything had changed.

Outside, darkness had fully settled over Blood Moon territory. The campfires burned brighter than usual.

Patrol wolves moved constantly between the borders. The entire pack remained on the edge for good reason.

Draven was coming, the only question was when.

Later that night, Anna found herself unable to sleep. The cabin felt too quiet.

Chris had eventually drifted off beside her after nearly three sleepless days.

For once, she didn't have the heart to wake him, he needed rest. Carefully slipping from the bed, Anna wrapped a blanket around her shoulders and stepped outside.

The night air was cool, for a brief moment, she simply breathed.

Trying to clear her thoughts, trying not to think about prophecies and bloodlines and rogue Alphas.

The moon hung high above the mountains beautifully.

"Can't sleep either?" Anna jumped, then relaxed slightly.

Steve stood near the edge of the clearing. A mug of coffee in one hand. Dark circles formed beneath his eyes.

"You really need to stop sneaking up on people."

A faint smile touched his face. "You really need to stop wandering around alone."

Anna joined him. For a while they simply stood in silence. The tension from the vision still lingered. Not as sharp as before but present.

Finally, Anna sighed. "I hate this."

Steve glanced sideways. "The war?"

"The vision." Anna said almost a whisper.

His expression softened. "You know what the worst part is?"

Anna looked at him.

Steve stared out toward the forest. "For a second..." he admitted quietly, "...I wondered if Chris believed it."

The honesty surprised her. Anna looked down. "I'm sorry."

Steve shrugged. "It is what it is."

"No." She shook her head. "It isn't."

Steve smiled faintly. "I know you didn't mean it."

Relief loosened something inside her chest.

A sharp howl split through the night. It sounded urgent.

Both of them froze.

Another howl followed immediately. It was a signal from the borders. Anna's pulse spiked.

Steve was already moving away from her.

"Stay here." He said glancing back. She gave him a ‘Sorry, Luna here’ look

Steve groaned. "Right. Forgot who I was talking to."

Together they ran toward the northern perimeter. By the time they arrived, dozens of warriors had already gathered.

Chris stood at the front, fully alert. The exhaustion from earlier was gone and replaced by pure Alpha focus.

Anna's stomach dropped the moment she saw what everyone was staring at. It was a wolf's body barely alive. Several healers knelt beside him.

Blood covered nearly every inch of his clothing. Deep claw wounds tore across his chest. His breathing was ragged and painful. The scent of blood filled the air.

Chris crouched beside him immediately. "Who did this?"

The wolf struggled to focus. His eyes found Chris then Anna.

Recognition flashed briefly across his face. "Alpha..."

His voice was barely audible. Chris leaned closer.

"I'm here."

The wolf coughed violently, blood splattered across the ground.

Then with obvious effort, he forced out three words. Words that instantly silenced the entire border.

"He's coming south."

The wounded scout gasped painfully then continued.

"Draven."

Chris's expression hardened. "How far is he?"

The scout's eyes filled with fear. The kind that came from seeing something no one should witness.

"Three days."

Anna felt her blood run cold. Three days? Not weeks.

The scout's gaze shifted toward her, what he said next made her heart stop.

"He asked about the Luna."

The night seemed to grow colder. "He knows her name." He coughed sharply.

Anna couldn't breathe. She stared at the bleeding scout on the forest floor gasping for air.

The scout swallowed painfully, then whispered. "He's bringing an army."

Silence fell heavily amongst them.