Chapter 181: The Dragons' Oath

In the vast clearing of Sacred Moon, where ancient trees formed a near-perfect circle around a weathered stone altar, the group waited.

The seven dragons stood in a formidable line—tall, proud, and silent.

Drake, arms crossed, wore his usual mock-casual expression.

On the opposite side, Malick observed every detail with the seriousness of a general before battle. His eyes shifted between Caleb and the dragons, assessing intentions, postures, and breaths.

The Beta and Gamma were present; their attendance was mandatory for such an oath. In this pack, nothing was left to chance.

The dragons conversed quietly among themselves.

Soraya and Lina had just recounted everything that had happened to Lya since her escape—the rejection by her former kingdom, the support from humans, her rebirth, and most importantly... what she had become here.

"A Queen," murmured Kaelis, eyes shining with admiration.

"And a mother," added Asharyn, placing a hand over her own heart.

Yes, they had told them everything. Lya was expecting a child. With Caleb. A werewolf.

The shock was immediate.

Myrria froze, already analyzing the genetic implications.

Théon bowed his head, a mix of respect and astonishment.

Rhogar, more reserved, looked away, as if to hide the raw emotion that had struck him.

Kaelis, however, smiled. For a long time.

"A new heir of fire and fangs..." he whispered. "The song will be magnificent."

When Caleb, Lya, and Loric finally entered the clearing, all eyes turned to them.

Lya, poised and calm, wore her role like a mantle of light.

Caleb, beside her, commanded respect through his quiet, assured presence.

And Loric, holding his mother's hand, carried a silent pride in his small heart. He looked at the dragons without fear. This was his pack. His family.

They stopped before the group. A respectful silence settled.

Lya spoke first.

"I know why you've come. And I'm so happy to see you here, with me... finally safe. But today, we've built more than a refuge. We have a pack. A home. A dynasty in the making."

She turned to Caleb, then back to the dragons.

"For you to be fully part of it, it's time to take the oath. Not out of obligation, but by choice. Out of loyalty. And respect."

Caleb stepped forward, his voice deepening with an authority that stemmed not from force, but from certainty.

"It is time."

He took a breath.

"Do you swear to always obey your Alpha and your Luna?"

His voice resonated through the clearing, echoing among the trees and hearts.

"To remain faithful to the Sacred Moon pack, to defend it, to serve it, and to never betray the trust bestowed upon you?"

A tense, sacred silence followed.

Then, as one, the seven dragons knelt.

And in a unified, deep, and powerful voice, they responded:

"We swear it. By our name, our fire, and our life, we pledge before Sacred Moon."

The oath etched itself into the air, pure magic vibrating through souls, marking the moment.

Drake, arms still crossed, nodded slowly.

"Well, we're officially the most badass pack in history."

Malick, impassive, simply added:

"Let them come now."

Lya closed her eyes briefly, a shiver running down her spine.

Her people. Her pack. Her future.

All united... under the same sky.

Days now flowed in Sacred Moon with renewed intensity.

The battle against Liguen had left visible scars on the buildings, but not on the hearts. For now, they rebuilt. Together.

Asharyn, upright and methodical, took the lead alongside Caleb and Drake. Together, they redesigned the damaged structures, blending the functional beauty of Art Deco with the land's natural energies. Her knowledge of draconic architectural magic made her invaluable. Caleb was amazed that she could stabilize a wall... just by listening to its vibrations.

"If she ever talks to the Council Hall's foundations," Drake whispered, "they might end up obeying her more than us."

Meanwhile, Rhogar and Théon joined Malick and Viggo, the Gamma's right-hand man. Training sessions took on a whole new dimension. The wolves' rigid and direct style clashed with Théon's spiral strategies and Rhogar's disciplined brutality. The training grounds echoed with new roars, but no warrior complained. On the contrary. They were getting better.

Kaelis surprised everyone.

He joined the pack's modern and comprehensive school system.

Not as a teacher, but as a student.

"There's no shame in learning from scratch," he said. "Knowledge is a form of art. And I still have so much to create."

He also began sculpting small clay dragons for the children... who adored them.

Myrria, on her part, found an immediate connection with Bastien, the hospital director. Accompanied by Soraya, she brought her genetic expertise to an already renowned medical service.

"I don't just heal," she said. "I anticipate. I foresee what bodies don't yet know."

Even Bastien was impressed.

Only Lina, somewhat withdrawn, hadn't yet found her path.

She observed, listened, participated at times, but without a clear anchor.

Too old to be a student, too young to lead.

Too dragon to be wolf. Too wolf to stay distant.

But she was there. And Lya knew that sooner or later... the world would send her a call she couldn't ignore.

Sacred Moon was changing. And soon, nothing could stop them.

A few days later, at the pack's hospital.

The room was bathed in soft, subdued light, with walls adorned with soothing runes carved by Myrria. Modern furniture sat alongside ancient enchanted instruments—a perfect blend of wolf medicine and the dragons' ancestral knowledge.

Lya, lying on the medical bed, kept a hand on her still-flat belly. She said nothing, but her eyes fixed on the screen before her with calm intensity. Caleb, standing beside her, held her hand tightly. His deep blue gaze shifted between the screen and his partner's face. When he saw the first movement appear in the magical mist of the ultrasound, his breath caught.

"There," Bastien murmured, focused. "Look..."

Beneath the thin layer of blurry shadows, a tiny form became discernible, already more defined than the previous month. The heart beat rapidly, steadily. And suddenly, two delicate, translucent wing buds fluttered faintly on either side of the back.

"Oh..." Soraya whispered, hands on her own belly, eyes shining. "You can already see the beginning of the bone structure. Look at the density here... and here. He's growing so fast."

"This isn't standard growth," Myrria observed, eyes fixed on the image. "There's a fascinating balance between lupine and draconic genetics. The skeleton forms through magical impulses but follows a lupine logic. I've never seen anything like it..."

But Caleb no longer heard the analyses.

He stared at the screen, silent.

His child. Their child. A tiny being carrying two powerful legacies. And already… the beginnings of wings.

Lya turned her head toward him, sensing his thoughts, his awe, the love he wasn’t yet putting into words.

“Does it scare you?” she asked softly.

Caleb shook his head, unable to look away from the miracle taking shape on the screen.

“No,” he answered, his voice a little rough. “It’s just… incredible. You can already tell how unique he is. He’s… perfect.”

Lya squeezed his fingers in hers, her own eyes glistening with emotion.

And in that room, bathed in soft murmurs and gentle magical light, a family was weaving itself even tighter.

Bastien smiled quietly.

Soraya discreetly wiped away a tear.

And Myrria, in a near-whisper, began chanting an old and nearly forgotten spell—a protective enchantment for children born of mixed bloodlines.

Because in Sacred Moon, every flutter of newborn wings was a silent vow:

A promise of a new future.