Chapter 309
AURORA
As I went inside to get dressed, a loud knock shattered the silence of the early morning, urgency in Rowan’s voice reaching
- me.
“Luna! Open the door!”
I swung it open to find Rowan, his chest heaving like he had run the length of the packhouse, a crumpled paper in his hand, his face pale.
“What is it?” I asked, grasping his arm to steady him.
“It’s Orion,” Rowan said, words spilling from his mouth. “They’re moving now. It’s happening.”
I snatched the paper from him and read the map and scrawled notes quickly.
This was more than intentions on paper; this was a clear–cut plan of breach for our borders by sunrise.
“Call the council,” I snapped sharply. “Get them ready. We’ll deal with this now.”
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Thick air filled the council room. All eyes turned to me, standing at the head of the table, the weight of leadership heavy on my shoulders.
“Orion’s forces are mobilizing,” I began, meeting each gaze. “We don’t have time to waste. If we don’t act now, they’ll breach our borders before dawn.”
Trajan spoke first, his voice measured. “We should intercept them. Lay traps along the main routes they’ll take. We know this. terrain better than they do.” Evelyn leaned forward, her eyes.
ablaze.
“Why not strike first? Hit them hard before they have the chance to regroup.”
“Because they outnumber us,” I said firmly. “If we attack head–on, we’re walking into a massacre.”
Warrick folded his arms across his chest, his tone disbelieving. “And waiting for them to strike is any better?”
I didn’t flinch. “We don’t wait. We prepare. Trajan will oversee the traps. Piper and Warrick, you’ll guard the packhouse and keep our people safe. Nobody gets left alone.”
The air was thick in the room.
“Surviving isn’t about pride,” I said softly. “It’s about being smarter, not just stronger.”
The door creaked open, and suddenly Dane came inside.
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His presence commanded the attention of everyone in that room, even in his weakened state. “And what’s survival without strength?”
The room fell dead silent.
“Dane,” I said, still in barely concealed shock. “Where did you go? You should be resting.”
“And you shouldn’t be making decisions without me,” he replied, irritation lacing through his voice.
“We can’t take them directly, we’re too weak,” I replied.
“We have to stage it, somehow, force their backs against a wall where it’s in our favor.” His eyes squinted.
“And if they call your bluff? We can’t always run, Aurora, and the time has come to show them we will not be intimidated.”
“This doesn’t relate to fear!” My voice finally cracked under my emotional load.
“It does mean the protection of the pack.” Trajan stepped in, hist voice level but firm. “Dane, what Aurora is saying does make some sense. The forces of Orion are too great to just go directly into attack. If we can play this smart, we can weaken them without risking it all.”
Dane’s jaw clenched, but he said nothing more. His silence was far louder than his protests.
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By the time the meeting finally started wrapping up, I was practically pacing the perimeter of the packhouse; the cool, crisp morning air did nothing to dispel the storm within my skull.
Dane fell into step beside me, his footsteps unhurried, almost measured.
“You’re taking a big risk,” he said, quieter this time.
“Everything about this is a risk,” I returned, not looking at him. “This way, we can win without losing everything.”
“And what if you’re wrong?”
I turned to him, squaring my feet. “At least I’ll know that I gave everything in me to protect this pack. Protect you.”
He smiled, a flash smile. In that moment, our yoke lightened that fraction.
Without a word, Raven raced forward, face white and heaving. “Luna,” he choked out, thrusting a paper. “A message from Orion.”
It wasn’t until I unfolded it, my eyes fell upon bold strokes: “Your move, Luna. Let’s see if you are as strong as you claim.”
Only then did I hand him the paper, where it was shaken right off from my already tightly clenched fist.
His face had gone black after having read the words; his hands
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trembling to hold the wrath inside.
“He’s playing games now,” Dane breathed quietly, very low indeed.
“This is not a game,” I countered, sharp.
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He met my gaze, frustration bubbling to the surface. “Then stop treating it like one. Fight him. End this.”
“I will,” I said, my voice steady. “But I’ll do it my way.”
Raven shifted on his feet, his look darting away. “There’s more, Luna. Orion’s forces are closing in on the border. They’re baiting us.”
Dane’s eyes flashed with anger. “And you’re still considering playing his game?”
I turned to him, undeterred. “It is not a game, Dane. It’s strategy.”
The tension between us hung in the air, thick as the scout looked at us with an ounce of nervousness. Finally, Dane exhaled, and his shoulders slumped in reluctant acceptance.
“Fine,” he said. “But don’t wait too long. He won’t.”
I clutched the paper tightly as the sun began to rise, casting its light over the packhouse.
“Your move also, Orion,” I whispered to myself. “Let’s see if
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you’re as strong as you claim to be.”
