Lily Carter POV
A rock broke the nursery window and glass flew all over the place. As the shards fell around us, I threw myself over little Emma to protect her.
"Everyone under the tables!" My heart was pounding so hard that I screamed.
The dogs hid under some wooden tables while I looked at Emma's scared face for cuts. I rushed her to safety with the others when I couldn't find any.
Outside, people were getting more angry.
"The omega witch can't have our pups!"
"Send her back to the lowest dens where she belongs!"
I looked in through the broken window. At least twenty wolves stood in the open, faces twisted with anger. Some held rocks, others waved sticks. My stomach turned to ice.
Yesterday's theft had terrified the pack. All twelve missing pups had been found shivering in a cave three miles from our area, abandoned by the masked dogs who'd taken them. The pups were safe but scared, remembering only bone-faced wolves who'd whispered about "the Triple Moon child."
Now everyone blamed me.
"Stay here," I told the five pups who'd been brave enough to return to the nursery today. "Don't move until I come back."
I stepped outside, closed the door firmly behind me. The crowd grew quiet as I faced them alone.
"Go home," I said, trying to sound stronger than I felt. "These pups need peace after what happened."
A burly beta man stepped forward. "They need safety from you! The masked dogs came for you, not them!"
"Yeah!" yelled another. "My son still has nightmares about those bone faces."
More angry shouts followed. I stood my ground even as my legs shook.
"I would die before letting any pup come to harm," I said, loud enough for all to hear. "I've looked for your children since they were born. You know me."
"We thought we did," said a woman whose twins had been taken. "Before that mark appeared."
She pointed at my wrist where the Triple Moon sign glowed softly. I couldn't hide it anymore - the more I tried to cover it, the brighter it shone.
The crowd moved closer. Fear climbed up my throat, but I refused to back away from the nursery door. They'd have to go through me to reach the pups inside.
A deep voice cut through the stress. "That's enough."
The crowd split as Caleb walked forward. Unlike his brothers, he didn't need to shout to demand attention. His quiet power made people listen.
"These pups have been through enough," he said, standing beside me. "Go home to your families. The Alpha Council will address your worries this evening."
For a moment, no one moved. Then slowly, grumbling under their breaths, the crowd began to move away.
When the last wolf vanished, my legs finally gave out. Caleb caught me before I hit the ground.
"Are you okay?" he asked, steadying me.
I nodded, though I wasn't sure if it was true. "Thank you."
"I should have been here sooner. After what happened with the pups..."
"You can't be everywhere," I said, pulling away to stand on my own. "And they have a point. The masked dogs came because of me."
Caleb frowned. "They came because of what your mark represents - change. Some wolves fear change more than anything."
Inside the nursery, the pups peeked out from under tables. When they saw Caleb, their eyes went wide.
"Is that the Alpha's son?" whispered Emma.
"One of them," I said, trying a smile. "This is Caleb. He's come to help us today."
The pups stared in wonder as Caleb knelt to their level. Alpha family rarely visited the nursery.
"I heard you all had a scary night," he said gently. "Want to help me fix this window so you'll feel safer?"
The pups nodded eagerly. Soon, Caleb had them collecting broken glass (carefully, in thick gloves) while he measured the window for a temporary cover. I watched in wonder as he worked quickly, hammering a wooden board over the broken space.
"I didn't know you were good at fixing things," I said.
Caleb shrugged. "There's a lot we don't know about each other."
When the window was safe, I gathered the pups for story time. To my surprise, Caleb didn't leave.
"Do you mind if I stay?" he asked, almost shy. "I used to come here sometimes, before..."
"Before what?"
"Before I was told Alpha sons had more important things to do."
I nodded for him to join us. The pups made space in their circle, excited to have such an important guest.
As I opened our favorite tale, Caleb spoke softly. "I used to read to the lost pups, you know. Late at night when no one was watching. They needed someone, and I..." He trailed off.
"You needed them too," I finished, knowing perfectly.
He met my eyes with surprise, as if I'd seen something in him no one else noticed.
I began reading about brave wolves who went beyond the mountains. The pups listened, wide-eyed, occasionally looking at Caleb as if they couldn't believe he was really there.
Halfway through the story, I stopped to help Timmy with his bandage. When I returned, I found Caleb reading in my place, different sounds for each character making the pups giggle.
"You're good at this," I said when he finished.
"So are you," he responded. "They love you."
"Miss Lily is the best!" Emma declared. "She's going to be our Luna someday!"
The nursery went quiet. Luna was the title for the Alpha's mate - the female pack leader. Though the Triple Moon mark meant I might mate with one of the brothers, hearing it spoken aloud made my face burn.
"Sorry," Emma whispered, feeling she'd said something wrong.
"It's okay," I told her, though my heart raced. "Time for lunch, everyone."
While the pups ate sandwiches, Caleb helped me clean up scattered toys.
"They trust you completely," he said. "That's rare."
"Children see things adults miss," I responded. "They don't care about ranks or marks."
"Is that why you came back here? After everything that's happened?"
I nodded. "The nursery is the only place I've ever belonged. Besides, these pups need someone who isn't afraid of them after what happened."
"Afraid of them?" Caleb asked, confused.
"The masked dogs spoke to them," I explained. "Some parents worry their children might be... changed somehow. Touched by whatever dark magic those bone-faced dogs use."
Caleb looked worried. "That's ridiculous."
"Is it? We still don't know why they took the pups instead of coming after me directly."
Before Caleb could answer, the nursery door burst open. Elder Iris stood there, breathing hard.
"You need to come quickly," she gasped. "Both of you."
"What's wrong?" I asked, fear squeezing my chest.
"They found something in the forest," she said. "Where the pups were taken. Symbols cut into the trees. Ancient signs that haven't been seen in generations."
"What kind of symbols?" Caleb asked.
Elder Iris looked straight at me. "Triple Moons. Dozens of them. And a message written in blood: 'The Bearer must choose or the children will pay.'"
My blood turned cold. "Choose what?"
"That's not all," Elder Iris continued. "The masked dogs left something else. A box with three locks. The note says only the Triple Moon Bearer can open it."
"Where is it now?" Caleb demanded.
"Your father has it. He's calling a pack meeting." Elder Iris grabbed my arm. "But Lily, there's something you should know first. Two pups are missing again."
"What? Who?" I cried.
"Emma and Timmy. They vanished during the confusion at lunch. And this was left in their place."
She gave me a small wooden token carved with a bone face. On the back, three words were burned into the wood: "Time to choose."
My mark burned like fire against my skin as I clutched the piece. The pups I loved most in the world were gone, taken because of me.
And I had no idea what choice I was supposed to make to save them.