Chapter 4
A thick fog enveloped the towering ice fortress, filtering the dim moonlight into a pale blue glow. In the heart of the frozen cold, in a throne room carved from dark stone and adorned with the skulls of prey, Alpha Draven sat upon his throne. A large white wolf pelt lay at his feet, yet no warmth emanated from his presence. His eyes, like sharp shards of ice, scanned the darkness, waiting. The scent of dried blood and pine resin filled the air, the signature aroma of the place.
Before him, a scout knelt, his body trembling not only from the cold air, but from a gripping fear. Ryder, as the scout was named, had ventured far beyond the northern borders, into the territory of the Nightclaw Pack, and brought back news that shook Draven's composure.
“Rise, Ryder,” Draven’s voice thundered, cold and authoritative, yet containing an unspoken threat. “Tell me what you saw. Do not omit a single detail.”
Ryder slowly rose, bowing his head, avoiding his Alpha's piercing gaze. “As you commanded, Alpha. I have returned from the southern territory, from the Nightclaw border.”
“And what did you find?” Draven asked, his tone flat, yet with a nearly imperceptible tremor of anticipation.
“They were attacked, Alpha. A border patrol… attacked by creatures from Blackfen. Unknown entities, fiercer and faster than anything we’ve ever seen. Orion’s forces were nearly overwhelmed.” Ryder paused for a moment, swallowing.
“Continue,” Draven commanded, leaning forward slightly, his interest clearly piqued.
“Then… she appeared,” Ryder continued, his voice trembling slightly. “A woman. Not a known warrior. She emerged from the forest, like a shadow suddenly materialized. Pitch-black hair, eyes that blazed like embers.”
Draven narrowed his eyes. “A woman? On the front lines? Why are you so surprised?”
“No ordinary woman, Alpha,” Ryder asserted, fear beginning to be replaced by clear awe. “She… she annihilated them. Not with teeth or claws, not with conventional weapons. She raised her hand, Alpha, and a wave of energy… those entities crumbled into dust. Simply vanished.”
A thin, predatory smile crossed Draven's lips. “Energy, you say? Not some paltry shaman's magic?”
“No, Alpha. It was older. Purer. A burning silvery light, yet it also felt like ice. Orion’s warriors, even Gamma Lena, were all transfixed. They had never witnessed such power.”
Draven leaned back on his throne, his long fingers tapping against the bone armrest. “Intriguing. This woman… do you know her? Is she from their pack?”
Ryder shook his head. “No, Alpha. At least, not from any known pack. There’s no trace of her in the Nightclaw Pack. But, I overheard whispers from the surviving warriors. They called her… Alena. The Rejected Luna.”
The words silenced Draven, his gaze freezing. “Alena… The Rejected Luna? Orion rejected his own mate years ago. The weak girl he cast out into the wilderness?”
“Apparently so, Alpha. But she is no longer weak. That power… it’s not just for destruction. There’s something else within it. A powerful ancient aura.” Ryder dared to raise his gaze slightly. “She is an anomaly, Alpha. A living weapon.”
“A weapon, you say?” Draven smirked, his smile not reaching his eyes. It was the smile of a predator who had found perfect prey. “Yes, Ryder. A very powerful weapon, it seems. And such power… should not roam without an owner.”
Ryder lowered his gaze again. “What is your plan, Alpha?”
“Plan?” Draven chuckled, his raspy voice echoing in the hall. “The plan is always the same, Ryder. Power. Absolute power. And Alena, this Rejected Luna with ‘ancient power’… she could be the key to it.” He rose from his throne, his shadow looming tall and menacing on the walls. “How is Nightclaw responding to her?”
“They are confused, Alpha. Orion is containing her. The warriors… some are afraid, some are awestruck, some want to exploit her. Especially Lena. She seems to see potential in her.”
Draven stepped closer to Ryder, his cold aura enveloping the scout. “So Orion, that arrogant Alpha, is now forced to confront a ghost from his own past, who now wields power he cannot comprehend. A sweet irony.”
“Yes, Alpha. It will create a rift among them. Uncertainty.”
“Uncertainty is our best opportunity, Ryder,” Draven retorted. “If that power is what I suspect, the mythical ‘Old Moon Blood’… then I must possess it. Not just to conquer Nightclaw, but to dominate the entire continent. That power is my true destiny.”
Draven turned, his back to Ryder, gazing towards the ice-covered window, as if he could see directly south, into the heart of Orion's territory. His mind raced, formulating strategies. Alena's power, if truly as Ryder described, was the manifestation of a legend Draven had believed to be a lie—a primal energy capable of bending the will of nature itself. He had long sought its traces in ancient artifacts, in faded scrolls, but had never expected to find it in living form, within an exiled Luna.
“This news of the Blackfen beasts… Is there anything strange about their timing?” Draven asked, more to himself than to Ryder.
“No, Alpha. They have always been a threat there. It’s just that this time, their numbers were greater and they were more aggressive,” Ryder replied.
“Or perhaps… Alena’s appearance is what drew them. Ancient powers tend to have a strong resonance with the wild,” Draven mused. He touched his chin, his sharp gaze still fixed outwards. “Ryder, I want you to keep watching her. But do not be discovered. Give me every detail of her movements, every word she speaks, every glance she gives Orion. Especially Orion.”
“Understood, Alpha,” Ryder replied, relieved that his Alpha did not seem angry.
“And spread rumors,” Draven added, his sneer deepening. “Whisper at the borders, among the merchants passing through our territory, into the ears of anyone who will listen. Tell of the ‘Red Luna’ who has risen in Nightclaw, an uncontrolled dark power, a threat to all packs. Let fear spread before I myself come to claim her.”
“Are you going to attack, Alpha?” Ryder asked, his voice trembling slightly at the thought of the impending scale of conflict.
“No rush, Ryder. Alena’s power is still raw. Orion will try to control her, or more likely, destroy her. We will wait,” Draven said, his eyes glinting maliciously. “We will let them destroy each other from within. And when they are most vulnerable… that is when we will claim our prize.”
He turned to face Ryder once more, his cold gaze piercing the scout’s soul. “That woman… Alena… she will be mine. That power will be mine. And then, no one will be able to defy me. Nightclaw will kneel. And Orion… Orion will watch his kingdom crumble before his very eyes, destroyed by the weakness he once cast aside.”
Draven stepped closer to Ryder, touching his shoulder with cold fingers. “You have done your duty well. Now, return to the shadows. Be my ears and my eyes. And never forget… between strength and weakness, only one will endure.”
Ryder bowed deeply, then retreated slowly, vanishing back into the darkness of the hall. Draven stood alone in the center of the cold throne room, gazing north, towards the expanse of eternal ice. His lips formed a cold, calculated smile. His mind was already far ahead, arranging the checkmate he would soon play on the chessboard of fate. Alena, the Rejected Luna, did not know that her return to the Nightclaw Pack was merely the beginning of a much grander game, a game played by Alpha Draven, who now saw her not as a threat, but as the most valuable piece in his plan for absolute dominance. He saw Alena as the key. And he would claim his key, no matter the cost.