Michael POV - It was strange how stepping foot back onto Silver Moon territory gave him a strange calm, as if Michael was arriving home. Each time he had done so before, he had been wracked with anxiety, seeing every foreign warrior he came across as a threat and always looking for the best way to enact his plan and survive. Michael supposed it was different now. Not only had Silver Moon accepted his and his pack’s history, and had renewed the alliance between them, but they were now his wolves too. Unless Madeline decided to reject him, he was to take over as Alpha of the pack. With the way she gripped his hand tight in hers, he knew she would never reject him, like he wouldn’t her. Michael breathed in the cold sea air and sighed. It was a weighted sound, full of the trials he had faced in the past week and the fears of the ones to come. Madeline looked up at him, eyes round and full of worry. With just one glance, he couldn’t help but feel his confidence to face each one head o

Maddie POV - A sea of congratulations swarmed around Maddie as Michael swept her into the grand hall. Wolves filled the large room and spilled out into the ground floor of the packhouse and outside. Every Silver Night wolf was there to celebrate their union and the combining of two great packs. She even saw some of the previous Dark Night wolves interacting with some of the previous Silver Moon wolves. It made her giddy to see and she marked the moment as the first of many connections to come. With the music, the dancing, the alcohol, the food, the party was in full swing, cutting through any remaining tension and filling her with an ease that pulled an immovable grin across her lips. She talked, she laughed, she danced. Maddie hadn’t felt that relaxed in ages. They had only made it twice around the hall, when Michael suddenly yanked her out the door. He threaded through the crowd, pulling her along and hooked them both around the nearest quiet corner. He caught her giggle on hi

Nala POV - Nala prided herself on her ability to stay calm in stressful situations. At Mountain Forest, the women who tried to join the warriors were often tested in stupid ways to see if they could keep their emotions in check. Those who screamed or cried during these ‘tests' were called out and deemed unfit by their comrades. Though they couldn’t have their warrior titles removed, the women often left that career due to the bullying the ensued. The senior warriors saw the treatment and turned a blind eye. They wanted it to happen. In their minds, it culled the unfit who never should've been allowed to join in the first place. It was a cruel and unnecessary tactic for the arseholes to get a feeling of superiority. As if having their weakness flop between their legs gave them some sense of entitlement to treat those without like shit. Nala had her own way of dealing with it. She’d beat the shit out of anyone who dared to try and test her, and turned their own judgement on them whe

Connor POV - Even leaving Silver Night at first light, it took Connor and Nala all day to get to the Grey Stone pack. Neither of them had been there before, but both had been to Red Dawn. As Inga had told them during their negotiations, their territories were close, less than a twenty-minute drive between them. It was odd for packs to be that close, and it made sense for them to be allies; both could come to the other’s aid in a heartbeat. However, it would also be a good base to launch an attack on Red Dawn if the alliance between Silver Night and Grey Stone could be secured. Nala sat very still in the passenger seat. At first glance, there wasn't a single trace of nerves around her, but Connor could see the whitening grip of her knuckle as her hands clenched together in her lap. Her gaze was fixed out of the window, but her stare was far from vacant. It was critical, searching, gathering information. They were the eyes of a warrior headed into enemy territory and that’s exactl

Nala POV - What the fuck. Nala paced the small room. Back and forth, like each step would subdue a piece of her frustration. What she wanted to do was charge out of the room and demand answers. She wanted to grab the heir and show him just how strong she was and how fit she was to be in any position of leadership. Not only was the act itself not Luna-like, but it would make her situation even rockier. With her need to form the alliance much more desperate than Grey Stone’s, she had to be careful. She couldn’t jeopardise her position. Without knowing the full situation, storming from the room would be a one-way ticket to being kicked off the territory and thrust into war. It was possible that it was a performance, a way to test her. She was a stranger in their pack, someone chosen by the enemy to bridge the gap between their packs and form their alliance. However, even with Maddie’s tips, it was clear Nala wasn’t a natural Luna. She was a warrior through and through. Could that