The attack came just before dawn.
Lyra stood on the battlements of the fortress, watching as the shadows of the rogue army stretched across the horizon. The Silverclaw wolves were among them—her former pack, the wolves who had rejected her, now united with the rogues in a single purpose. And at their head, she recognized Darius, his amber eyes as sharp and cold as she remembered.
"They're testing us," Kaelen said beside her, his voice steady but laced with tension. "They want to see how far they can push before we break."
Lyra's heart pounded, but she forced herself to stay calm. She had spent years running from her past, but now it was here, staring her down, and she couldn't afford to falter.
"Let them try," she said, her voice firm. "We won't break."
Kaelen glanced at her, a flicker of pride in his silver eyes. "You've changed," he said softly. "The Lyra I met in the forest wouldn't have said that."
"The Lyra you met didn't know who she was," she replied. "But I do now."
As the enemy forces approached, the Midnight Crown warriors rallied, their formations precise and unyielding. Kaelen stood at the front, his presence a steadying force as he barked commands. Lyra stayed close, her hands glowing faintly as she prepared to do what only she could.
The first clash was brutal. Wolves shifted into their forms, claws meeting steel as the rogues and Silverclaw warriors charged. Lyra moved through the chaos, her gift flowing from her fingertips as she healed the injured and countered the effects of the enemy's traps. But this time, she did more than that. She led.
"Hold the line!" she shouted, her voice carrying over the roar of the battle. "Don't let them break through!"
Her words rallied the warriors around her, their movements more focused and determined. Lyra's presence was a beacon, her gift a force that turned the tide in their favor. But the enemy was relentless, their numbers overwhelming as they pushed closer to the fortress gates.
Darius found her in the chaos, his amber eyes locking onto hers as he approached. "You should have stayed gone, Lyra," he said, his voice cold. "This doesn't have to end with you."
Lyra's wolf growled, her power surging as she stepped forward. "You made your choice, Darius. And I've made mine."
Their clash was fierce, their shared history fueling every strike. Darius was strong, but Lyra was stronger—her power guided by the bond she had forged with the moon and the pack that had become her family.
Kaelen joined the fight, his blade cutting through the enemy as he stood beside her. Together, they were unstoppable, their movements perfectly in sync as the bond between them strengthened with each passing moment.
But the enemy had one final weapon—a trap designed to neutralize Lyra's gift. She felt it too late, the runes activating as she stepped into the circle. The energy drained from her, and she stumbled, her vision blurring.
"Lyra!" Kaelen's voice was distant, his silver eyes wide with fear as he fought to reach her.
But Lyra wasn't finished. She closed her eyes, reaching deep within herself, to the connection she now understood was as much a part of her as her heartbeat. The bond between her and the moon pulsed strongly, a light that pushed back the darkness threatening to consume her.
When she opened her eyes, the trap shattered, its power overwhelmed by the force of her gift. The light spread across the battlefield, driving the enemy back and reigniting the spirits of her packmates.
The rogues and Silverclaw forces began to retreat, their lines breaking as the Midnight Crown warriors pressed forward. The battle was won—but not without cost.
Lyra stood at the center of the battlefield, her chest heaving as the glow faded from her hands. Kaelen was at her side in an instant, his silver eyes filled with relief and something she couldn't quite name.
"You did it," he said, his voice quiet but full of emotion. "You saved us."
Lyra met his gaze, her heart pounding as the bond between them pulsed softly. "We did it," she replied. "Together."
And as the sun rose over the battlefield, casting its light on the weary but victorious pack, Lyra knew she had finally embraced her place in the world—not as a healer, not as a survivor, but as a leader and a wolf who would never again be cast aside.