The great hall of the Eastern Claw fortress was built of blackened stone and heavy timber, its ceiling lost in shadows. Torches flickered along the walls, casting dancing light over the assembled warriors and elders. It smelled of iron, leather, and old magic—an ancient place where decisions were made in blood as often as words.
Elara stood at the center of the hall, flanked by Kael and Ravynn. Her heart beat steadily, but her palms were slick with sweat. She could feel hundreds of eyes upon her, weighing her worth.
At the far end of the hall sat the Council—seven elders of the Eastern Claw, their faces carved from stone and experience. Alpha Dorian sat among them, his arms crossed.
"Speak," the eldest among them commanded, a woman with silver hair braided down her back. "Why have you come to us, Elara Moonborn?"
Elara stepped forward, lifting the Moonblade so its glow bathed the room.
"I come because a storm is coming," she said, her voice carrying through the hall. "Vael, the fallen Alpha, has risen from shadow. He seeks to destroy the bond between mates—to break the sacred thread that ties us to the Moon herself."
A low murmur ran through the crowd.
"If he succeeds," Elara continued, "our kind will be lost. No more Alphas blessed by the moon. No more soulmates. Only bloodshed. Emptiness. Ruin."
The elder woman leaned forward. "And what would you have us do?"
"Stand with me," Elara said. "Join the Bloodborn and the others who will rally. We must fight not as scattered packs, but as one."
Another councilman scoffed. "And if this is a trap? If you're just another pawn in a greater game?"
Elara's jaw tightened. She drove the tip of the Moonblade into the stone floor with a ringing clang.
"I would risk my life to protect what we are. I have faced the Trial of Ash. I have walked through fire. I will not kneel to fear—and neither should you."
Silence reigned.
Then, slowly, Alpha Dorian rose to his feet.
"Too long have we clung to isolation," he said. "The old ways served us in their time—but the world is changing."
He looked to Elara, a rare spark of respect in his eyes.
"The Eastern Claw stands with the Moonborn."
A roar of approval echoed through the hall. Warriors slammed fists against shields, howling in unity.
Kael grinned at Elara, pride shining in his eyes.
Step by step, she was forging a force strong enough to challenge even the darkest of fates.