him to one side. They spoke quietly, but the look of admiration in her eyes as she spoke was unmistakable.
“You were amazing out there,” she told him, her voice warm
with emotion. “You proved to them and to yourself what you’re capable of.
Rowan’s expression softened. “I couldn’t have done it without you. Your support means more than you know.”
Their bond deepened in that moment, and as I watched them, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness.
While I was proud of Rowan, the weight of Dane’s condition bore down on me. His time was running out, and the emptiness beside me felt sharper than ever.
With the pack now disbanded, the weight of what happened during the day weighed down on me.
The packhouse, usually my haven, seemed oppressive with the feel of tension. I walked wearily over to the center table, exhausted, and only noticed an envelope there, a stark contrast to the dark grain of the wood.
“What is this?” I mumbled, not really saying it to anyone else.
The envelope was simple, with no seal or sign to tell where it was coming from. I picked it up, my fingers rubbing the rough paper as a chill shivered down my spine.
“Luna?” Rowan’s voice was behind me. He stepped near me, his eyes tracing the envelope back to my face. “All right?
of unknown paper crept to my nose as I unfolded the letter.
Rowan leaned in closer, his curiosity evident. “What does it say?”
The words, written in a sharp, deliberate hand, were few but carried an ominous weight:
“The choice is yours. The deadline awaits.”
I read it aloud, my voice steady but laced with tension. Silence followed, the gravity of the message sinking in.
“What does it mean?” Rowan asked, his brows knitting together
in concern.
I placed the letter on the table, staring at it as though willing it to reveal more. “It could be from anyone. Orion, Calla, or someone else entirely.”
That prospect made the knot in my stomach twist tighter. I rubbed my fingers to my temples, trying to think straight. “Whoever sent it knows exactly how to rattle us. And it’s working.”
Lila entered the room, her eyes moving between us. “What’s going on?”
Rowan handed her the letter, his face dark. As she read it, her face went white. “This isn’t just a warning. It’s a challenge.”
“What do they want me to do?” I mumbled, more to myself than anyone else.
The room fell silent once more, the air in it almost gnarly. My fists clenched, steely resolve materializing in me.
“They want to have a choice? Fine. I shall give them one. But it will be upon my terms.
As the words left my mouth, a distant howl pierced the night air, sending a chill through all of us.
The message, the howl, the impending decision they were all connected. And time was running out.noveldrama