The rain had not stopped.
It followed them through the forest like an omen.
Dominic ran at the front of the group, his massive wolf cutting through the trees with unstoppable speed. Behind him moved Leila and the small Council escort, while two warriors carried the injured Kael between them.
They were heading back to the one place Dominic had built from nothing.
The Cursed Pack.
For years it had been a refuge for wolves who had nowhere else to go—rogues, exiles, outcasts.
Now it was about to become the center of a war.
Leila ran beside Dominic, her silver wolf gliding through the darkness like moonlight slipping between shadows.
Through their bond, she could feel his focus.
Sharp.
Controlled.
But beneath it was something deeper.
Concern.
"Your pack," she said quietly through the mind-link.
"They'll stand with you."
Dominic didn't slow.
"I know."
But this war would test them.
And if the Order of Fracture had truly created hundreds of mutated wolves…
Even the strongest pack could fall.
Hours later, the scent of familiar territory filled the air.
Dominic slowed.
The massive wooden gates of the Cursed Pack appeared through the rain.
Two guards on the wall immediately straightened.
"Alpha!"
The gates swung open instantly.
Dozens of wolves gathered inside the camp, their expressions tense but relieved.
Dominic shifted back to human form as he entered.
His warriors followed.
The moment the pack saw him return, murmurs spread through the crowd.
Some of them stared at Leila with curiosity.
Others with respect.
They had already heard whispers of what had happened at the Council grounds.
The eclipse.
The restored bloodline.
The Luna who carried balance itself.
A large warrior pushed through the crowd toward them.
His dark hair was tied back, and a scar ran across his jaw.
"Dominic."
Dominic clasped his forearm firmly.
"Marcus."
Marcus was his second-in-command.
The wolf who had helped him build the Cursed Pack when no one else believed in it.
Marcus glanced at Leila and gave a respectful nod.
"Luna."
Leila returned the gesture.
Marcus's eyes then fell on the injured Kael.
His brows shot up.
"You brought him here?"
Dominic's voice was calm but firm.
"He's not a prisoner anymore."
Marcus crossed his arms.
"He attacked our Luna's pack."
Kael coughed weakly from where he lay on a stretcher.
"Trust me," he rasped, "I regret that more than anyone."
Marcus looked like he wanted to argue.
But Dominic raised a hand.
"Later."
Marcus sighed and turned toward the warriors.
"Take the wounded to the healers' den."
As they carried Kael away, the pack gathered closer.
They could feel the tension in the air.
Dominic climbed onto the central platform overlooking the courtyard.
The rain soaked his hair and shoulders, but he didn't seem to notice.
When he spoke, his voice carried across the entire camp.
"Listen carefully."
The pack fell silent.
"You've all heard the rumors about my bloodline."
A few wolves shifted uneasily.
"The curse."
"The exile."
"The monster."
Dominic's eyes swept across them.
"Those rumors were lies."
Murmurs spread through the crowd.
Leila stepped beside him.
"The bloodline fracture has been repaired," she said clearly.
"The curse was never real."
One of the younger wolves frowned.
"Then why did they exile you?"
Dominic answered.
"Because some wolves fear power they can't control."
Marcus leaned against a nearby pillar, arms folded.
"Typical politics."
Dominic continued.
"But that isn't the problem anymore."
His expression darkened.
"There is an organization called the Order of Fracture."
Leila felt the tension ripple through the crowd.
"They've been experimenting on wolves for generations," Dominic said.
"Turning them into weapons."
A few gasps escaped the crowd.
One wolf stepped forward.
"You mean rogues?"
"No," Leila said quietly.
"Something worse."
She described the mutated wolf they had fought in the forest.
The unnatural veins.
The twisted energy.
The explosion of dark power.
By the time she finished, the courtyard had gone completely silent.
Marcus ran a hand through his hair.
"So… we're fighting monsters now."
Dominic nodded.
"And there are hundreds of them."
That finally shook the pack.
Even the strongest warriors exchanged uneasy looks.
Marcus broke the silence.
"Where are they?"
"The Iron Mountains," Dominic said.
Marcus whistled softly.
"That's a long march."
Leila stepped forward.
"Not yet."
Dominic looked at her.
"You have another idea?"
She nodded.
"The First Bloodline isn't just reacting to the mutations."
"It's guiding me."
Marcus raised an eyebrow.
"Guiding you where?"
Leila looked toward the distant mountains.
"To their laboratory."
Dominic studied her carefully.
"You can sense it?"
"Yes."
"And?"
Her expression hardened.
"And if we attack them blindly… we'll lose."
Marcus frowned.
"Why?"
Leila's silver eyes darkened slightly.
"Because the Order has something worse than mutated wolves."
Dominic already knew the answer.
"The Alpha Killer."
Marcus blinked.
"I'm sorry—the what?"
Dominic's voice was grim.
"A creature designed to kill alphas."
The courtyard exploded with shocked voices.
Marcus stared at them both.
"You're telling me someone built a weapon specifically to kill you?"
Kael's weak voice suddenly came from the edge of the courtyard.
"Yes."
Everyone turned.
He stood leaning against a support beam, pale but conscious.
"And they already sent it."
The entire pack went silent.
Dominic's eyes narrowed.
"When?"
Kael looked straight at him.
"Three days ago."
Marcus cursed under his breath.
Leila felt the First Bloodline stir violently again.
A warning.
Close.
Too close.
Dominic sensed it too.
His wolf rose instantly beneath the surface.
"Positions," he ordered sharply.
The pack snapped into motion.
Warriors rushed toward the gates.
Scouts climbed the watchtowers.
Marcus shifted beside Dominic.
"You think it's already here?"
Dominic didn't answer.
He was staring at the dark forest beyond the walls.
Something moved between the trees.
Too large.
Too fast.
Leila stepped beside him.
"I feel it."
The creature stepped into the moonlight.
And every wolf in the camp froze.
It looked like a wolf.
But bigger.
Much bigger.
Its fur was black as night.
Its eyes burned silver.
And unlike normal wolves…
It wasn't looking at the pack.
It was looking directly at Dominic.
Then it smiled.