BLOODLINES UNVEILED
The pack gathered in the council hall the next day, the tension from the messenger's words hanging heavy in the air. Xanthe sat in the Luna's seat, flanked by Lynam and the pack elders. Despite the confidence she'd displayed during the ceremony, her mind churned. The mention of someone claiming her bloodline was unsettling, and the implications threatened to upend her newly solidified rule.
The messenger stood before the council, his wounds tended but his voice still shaky. "The rogues have regrouped in the northern woods. Their new leader... he claims to be the rightful heir to the Redwood name."
Xanthe stiffened. "Impossible. While finding my root, I didn't hear anything about having a wolf siblings. Was i lied to?"
"Not if he didn't know," Lynam interjected, his voice calm but edged with concern. "Bloodlines can carry secrets even the closest families never uncover."
One of the elders, a grizzled wolf named Marlow, leaned forward. "This rogue leader could be lying, but if there's even a shred of truth, it's a threat we can't ignore."
CONFRONTING THE ROGUES
Xanthe decided to meet the rogue leader head-on, accompanied by Lynam, Darius, and a small group of trusted warriors. The journey to the northern woods was tense, the air thick with the scent of danger.
As they approached the rogue camp, Xanthe's sharp eyes caught sight of their leader standing atop a rocky outcrop. He was tall and lean, his features eerily similar to her father's. His piercing green eyes locked onto hers, a smirk playing on his lips.
"So, you're the famous Xanthe Redwood," he called out, his voice carrying an unsettling familiarity. "The so-called Alpha Luna."
Xanthe stepped forward, her tone icy. "And who are you to challenge me?"
The man leaped down gracefully, shifting into his human form as he landed. "Name's Elias. Let's just say we share a father."
Xanthe's blood ran cold. "You're lying."
"Am I?" Elias sneered, his smirk widening. "Your father wasn't as loyal as you think. He had... other arrangements before you were born. I'm the result of one of those."
Lynam's hand tightened around her arm, grounding her as rage and confusion threatened to consume her.