Chapter 25 Emergency Pack Meeting
POV: LUNA
The creature retreated at dawn.
Not because it was defeated. Because it chose to. Like it had made its point. Tested the defenses. Found them wanting.
Luna watched from the library window as the massive shadow melted back into the forest. The rogue army following. Coordinated. Disciplined.
Unnatural.
Faculty secured the wards. Reinforced weak points. Pretended everything was under control.
But Luna saw Professor Thorne's face. The worry lines. The way his hand shook slightly when he thought no one was looking.
They weren't ready for another attack. And everyone knew it.
Classes were cancelled. Students confined to dorms. Emergency protocols in effect.
At noon, Luna's phone buzzed. Text from an unknown number.
"Abandoned classroom. Third floor west wing. One hour. Come alone. Ryder."
She showed Nova.
"That's not suspicious at all."
"It's from Ryder."
"You don't know that. Could be a trap."
"Could be important."
Nova sighed. "Fine. But I'm coming with you."
"It says come alone."
"And I say screw that. You're not going anywhere by yourself. Not after last night."
They arrived ten minutes early. The west wing was old. Unused. Perfect for secret meetings.
The classroom door was cracked open. Luna pushed it wider.
Ryder stood by the windows. Marcus sat on a desk. Two seniors Luna recognized but didn't know well. A girl with short red hair. A guy with scars across his neck.
And Darius. Leaning against the far wall. Arms crossed.
"What is he doing here?" Luna demanded.
"Same thing you are," Darius said. "Trying not to die."
"You invited him?" Luna looked at Ryder.
"I invited people who can fight. Who have connections. Who understand what's happening."
"He's been sabotaging me for weeks."
"And now we have bigger problems than your rivalry."
Nova stepped forward. "She has a point though. Why should we trust him?"
"You don't have to trust me," Darius said. "But you need me. My father's pack has been tracking similar attacks. Coordinated rogue movements. Unnatural creature sightings. This isn't isolated to Silverwood."
Luna's stomach dropped. "It's happening elsewhere?"
"Three territories in the last month. All showing the same patterns."
The red-haired senior spoke. "My cousin's pack was hit last week. Lost five wolves. The attackers weren't normal rogues. They were organized. Led by something bigger."
"Something like what attacked us last night," Marcus said quietly.
Ryder moved to the center of the room. "The faculty won't admit it, but we're under coordinated attack. Someone or something is building an army. Testing defenses. Preparing for something bigger."
"And they're not telling us?" Nova asked.
"They're trying not to cause panic. But panic might be appropriate right now."
"So what do we do?" the scarred senior asked. "Wait for faculty to save us?"
"Faculty couldn't hold that thing off last night," Darius said. "The wards barely held. Next time they might not."
"Next time?"
"You think it's done? That was reconnaissance. Probing for weakness. It'll be back. With more."
Luna's mark pulsed. Agreeing. That creature wasn't finished with her.
"We need to organize," Ryder said. "Students who can fight. Who won't freeze when things get bad. An unofficial defense force."
"So like... a secret wolf army?" Nova asked.
The red-haired senior smiled grimly. "More like a survival pack."
"The faculty won't allow it," Marcus said.
"The faculty doesn't need to know. We train separately. Share intelligence. Prepare for what's coming."
"And what exactly is coming?" Luna asked.
"War," Darius said simply. "Whether we're ready or not."
The room fell silent. War. The word hung heavy. Real.
"I'm in," the scarred senior said. "Name's Cole. Fourth year. Combat specialist."
"Aria." The red-haired girl. "Third year. Strategy and tactics."
Marcus nodded. "You know I'm in."
Nova looked at Luna. "Well?"
Luna thought about Miguel. About the texts. About Darius's threats and the mysterious watchers and everything spiraling out of control.
But right now, none of that mattered. Because something ancient and powerful wanted her specifically. And it was bringing an army.
"I'm in."
"Good." Ryder turned to Darius. "What about you?"
"My father's pack reported similar rogue patterns," Darius said. "Someone's organizing them. Herding them toward specific targets. Silverwood isn't random. It's strategic."
"Why are you telling us this?" Luna asked. "Why help?"
Darius looked at her directly. For once, no smirk. No arrogance. "Because if the school falls, we all die. Our rivalry means nothing if we're dead. And that thing last night?" He paused. "I've never seen anything like it. Never felt power like that. If we don't work together, it'll pick us off one by one."
"Glad you're being practical about it," Nova muttered.
"Survival is practical."
Ryder looked at Luna. Held her gaze. "You're stronger than you know. We'll need that strength. That power you showed during the shift. Can you control it?"
"I don't know. Maybe."
"Then we train. All of us. Starting tonight. Separately from official classes. We learn to work as a unit. To cover each other's weaknesses."
"Where?" Aria asked.
"The old training grounds. East side. Abandoned after the last war. Faculty never goes there."
"When?" Cole.
"Midnight. Every night until this is over."
"And if we get caught?" Nova.
"We won't. But if we do, we claim insomnia. Extra practice. Whatever sounds believable."
Footsteps echoed in the hallway. Heavy. Multiple people.
"Scatter," Ryder hissed.
Everyone moved at once. Marcus out the window. Aria and Cole through a side door. Nova toward the main exit.
"Wait," Darius grabbed Luna's arm. "Faculty sweeps go counterclockwise. That exit's blocked."
More footsteps. Closer.
Ryder pulled open a supply closet. "In. Now."
Luna didn't have time to argue. She ducked inside. Ryder followed. Pulled the door shut.
The space was tiny. Barely three feet deep. Shelves of old supplies on both sides.
Luna pressed against the back wall. Ryder's body blocked the door. His chest against hers. His breath on her neck.
She could feel his heartbeat. Fast. Matching hers.
"Don't move," he whispered. "Don't breathe loud."
The footsteps entered the classroom. Two voices. Professor Thorne and someone Luna didn't recognize.
"Someone was here recently," Thorne said. "Smell is fresh."
"Students?"
"Multiple. But they're gone now."
Luna's mark pulsed. Warning. If Thorne tracked their scent to this closet, they were done.
Ryder's hand found hers in the darkness. Squeezed. Steadying.
His other hand pressed against the door. Ready to fight if necessary.
"Check the windows," the other voice said.
Footsteps moved away. Toward where Marcus had escaped.
Luna barely breathed. Ryder's body was warm against hers. Solid. Protective.
She became very aware of how close they were. How his breath stirred her hair. How his fingers were still laced with hers.
"Clear," Thorne said. "Must have been earlier. Before lockdown."
"Should we report it?"
"No point. Nothing disturbed. Probably just students looking for somewhere quiet."
The footsteps retreated. Voices fading down the hall.
They waited. One minute. Two.
Finally, Ryder eased the door open. Checked the classroom. Empty.
He looked back at Luna. They were still close. Still touching.
"You okay?"
Luna nodded. Her voice wouldn't work properly.
"Good." But he didn't move. Didn't step back.
His eyes dropped to her mouth. Just for a second. Then back up.
"We should go. Separately. Five minute intervals."
"Right."
He pulled away. Created distance. Professional again.
But Luna's heart was still racing. And not from the near miss with faculty.
"Tonight. Midnight. Old training grounds."
"I'll be there."
Ryder left first. Luna counted to five minutes. Exactly.
When she emerged, the hallway was empty. But her skin still felt warm where Ryder had pressed against her.
She shook her head. Focus. They had bigger problems than whatever that moment was.
War was coming. And Luna needed to be ready.
Even if part of her was still thinking about the way Ryder had looked at her in the darkness.