Chapter 317 - 51: The Warning

Destiny stood by the window of her parents’ quarters, watching her father pace a short, erratic line across the rug.

"We made a mistake coming here," Marcus said, his voice low and jagged. He stopped, staring right at Destiny. "We tried for years to keep you safe, but at least on the road we had a fighting chance. Out in the open, we could move. We knew when danger was coming. Up here? We’re caged in an estate, waiting for the next threat to tear these walls down."

"Father, stop," Destiny said firmly, stepping away from the window. "We didn’t even know we were running back then. Every time trouble found us, we thought it was just bad luck. But it kept escalating. It was just one endless, escalating nightmare until Garron found us."

Marcus’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t interrupt.

"Up until Garron, we didn’t even know what we were up against," Destiny continued, her voice steadying. "Garron was the one who made us realize people were hunting the Heartstone because of a curse—a curse that requires my life. And if not for Dane, we never would have defeated someone like Garron. We would already be dead."

"Dane isn’t invincible, Destiny—"

"No, but we aren’t helpless anymore either," she countered smoothly. "Vance can be reasoned with, or he can be fought. It doesn’t matter what threat comes at us next. We aren’t just three people hiding in the dark anymore. We have a pack. I am Luna now. I have power, and I actually have a fighting chance."

Kalessie walked over, placing a gentle, solid hand on Marcus’s arm.

"She’s right, Marcus. Look at her. We aren’t defenseless wanderers anymore. Destiny has a place here, and Dane stands beside her."

Marcus looked at his wife, then at Destiny. The rigid tension in his shoulders began to thaw, his heavy sigh releasing years of built-up exhaustion. He nodded slowly, just about to speak—

The door crashed open so violently the wood groaned against the stone.

A BloodMoon sentry stumbled into the room, leaning hard against the frame. He was drenched in sweat, his chest heaving as he fought for air, his leather armor splattered with dark mud.

"Luna," the scout gasped, his eyes wide with sheer panic. "You need to hear this. Now."

Marcus’s newfound calm vanished instantly as he stepped in front of Destiny.

"What happened?"

"There is trouble for all of you," the scout rasped, wiping a trembling hand across his mouth. "Two miles past the outer farmland, right near the timber line, four of our werewolves were murdered in cold blood. All four of them had their throats torn open, internal organs stripped clean."

Kalessie let out a muffled cry, clapping both hands over her mouth.

Destiny pushed past her father, her blood going cold.

"Inside our territory?"

"Yes, about two miles past the outer farmland homesteads," the scout choked out. "They pinned a piece of bloody saddle-hide to Eren’s chest with a hunting knife. The message said... it said tell the farm girl to give us back the Heartstone, or they start butchering more of our pack members next."

Before Marcus could even process the scout’s words, heavy boots slammed down the corridor outside.

"Where is she?!" a voice roared.

The sentry barely had time to move before half a dozen furious pack members shoved past him into the parlor. They weren’t soldiers—they were local wolves. Farmers and village elders.

"Where’s the farm girl?!" shouted the voice again.

Marcus reached for an iron fire poker from the hearth, but Destiny stepped directly in front of him.

"I’m right here."

"Four of our boys are lying slaughtered because of you," he yelled, stepping right into her face, his breath hot and ragged. "Eren was my sister’s son! They didn’t die defending our pack—they died because you brought a curse and a target to our land!"

"Get away from my daughter!" Marcus snarled, trying to shove forward, but a younger wolf yanked Marcus back by his collar and slammed him against the stone wall.

"Don’t touch him!" Kalessie screamed.

"Shut up, old man!" the young wolf bellowed, pointing a muddy, shaking finger at Destiny. "Your family brought this slaughter to our doorsteps! The Alpha isn’t even here right now, and we’re supposed to get our children butchered for some farm girl who isn’t even BloodMoon?!"

"Justice for the four!" a woman screamed from the hallway, where a crowd of terrified pack members was rapidly spilling into the corridor, their voices rising into an ugly, chaotic roar.

"Return the stone or get the hell out of our territory!"

"Clear out of this room right now!"

Ramon’s voice tore through the chaos.

He shoved through the crowd in the doorway, grabbing Eren’s nephew by the neck of his vest and violently throwing him back into the hall. Sonia was right behind him, her sharp claws already protruding out of her fingertips.

"You lay a hand on the Luna again, Sorin, and I’ll take your throat!" Ramon growled, his chest heaving, his own eyes burning dominant yellow.

"She’s not our Luna!" Sorin screamed back, pointing wildly down the hall toward the courtyard. "Look outside, Alpha Ramon! There are fifty people in the yard right now demanding what the hell has gotten into your son! Eren’s mother is screaming and crying hard! Never has BloodMoon felt this terrified! Are you going to let them slaughter the entire pack just to protect her? She either solves this problem or hands the stone over!"

The room went dead silent, save for the terrified, furious chants echoing up from the courtyard below.

Ramon stood between the mob and Destiny, his fists clenched, looking at the terrified faces of his own people. He didn’t look like an Alpha in control. He looked like a man watching his pack tear itself apart from the inside out of pure, unadulterated fear.

Destiny met Sorin’s furious gaze over Ramon’s shoulder. The threat outside the estate was real, but as the crowd screamed for her head, she realized she had only one play to make here, and it wasn’t trying to forcefully remove the grieving pack members.