"This is exactly why we need the alliance," Kaelen snarled. "Werewolves, witches, vampires—we've been locked in this endless cycle of hatred for centuries. The world is evolving around us, and we're still howling over ancient grudges."
Riven stepped closer, speaking carefully. "You're not wrong, but the council… they're watching. Closely. You voice this too loudly, they'll question your loyalty. Question your bloodline. You know how the elders are with anything that even smells of diplomacy."
Kaelen exhaled harshly, pacing. "I'm the Alpha King, yet I can't even speak my truth in my own court. If I declare my support for peace, for unity, I'll be branded weak. A sympathizer. They'll rally the old packs against me."
He stopped before a tall portrait—his father, the former Alpha King, dressed in ceremonial armor, eyes as cold as the mountain wind.
"My father ruled with dominance and fear. He believed power was purity, and anything that diluted it—any love that crossed borders—was corruption. I swore I'd be different."
Riven watched him quietly. "And you are. But change this big doesn't begin in the open. It starts here—in secret. In strategy."
Kaelen turned to him, weariness tugging at the corners of his eyes.
"I believed if I waited… if I proved my strength first, I could guide them toward something better. But all I've done is wait while blood is spilled—while good wolves die for choosing peace."
There was a long pause. Then Kaelen's voice dropped to a whisper.
"I supported that mating, Riven. I knew about them. I kept it quiet, but I believed in it. And now he's dead, and she—" he swallowed hard. "The witch he loved vanished. Probably hunted. Or hiding."
Riven laid a hand on his Alpha's shoulder. "Then let this be your line in the sand. We build the alliance—quietly. Carefully. We find the others who want the same future. And when the time comes…"
Kaelen nodded slowly, the firelight reflecting in his eyes like a storm barely held at bay.
"When the time comes," he said, voice steeled, "we stop hiding. And we fight for the future we believe in."
Outside, thunder rumbled in the distant mountains.
* * * * * * *
Somewhere Deep in the forest, the moonlight barely filtered through the thick canopy of leaves, casting long, distorted shadows on the forest floor. A chill clung to the air, dense with the scent of damp earth and pine. Ray stood still, half-hidden in the darkness, his sharp eyes trained on the figure trailing him through the underbrush.
The footsteps were soft, cautious—but persistent.
He narrowed his gaze.
Whoever was following him had either courage or death-wish in equal measure. He moved silently, stepping behind a tree, vanishing into the black. As the figure approached, Ray's hand reached to his side. In one smooth motion, he unsheathed his sword, the blade whispering against the leather scabbard as it came free.
He stepped out, steel glinting.
"One more step and you bleed," he warned in a low growl, ready to strike.
"Ray! It's me! It's me!" a voice cried out, panicked and familiar.
Ray froze. The blade halted mid-swing—just inches from her throat.
His eyes widened as recognition set in. "Piper?" he hissed, his voice a mix of shock and disbelief. "What in the name of the Moon are you doing here?" He lowered his sword but did not sheath it. "Don't tell me... Father found me out already?"
Piper raised his hands, still catching his breath. "No! Of course not," he said quickly, his voice hurried and breathless. "If your father had sent me, I wouldn't be alone. He'd have sent the whole damn pack after you."
Ray scowled. "Then why? Why did you follow me?"
Piper looked at him as if the answer was obvious. "Why did I follow you?" he repeated, his voice rising. "Who else is going to take care of you? You may be the prince, but you can't cook a decent meal, can't sew up a wound, and gods know you don't have the patience to bargain for supplies. Someone has to keep you alive." he crossed his arms and added dryly, "Besides, once the king finds out you're gone, it's not just your head he'll want—mine will be the first to roll."
"why do I need to sew up a would when It will heal on its own?"
Ray exhaled and leaned his back against the tree. "what ever" he exhaled deeply "So what now?" he muttered.
Piper studied him, noticing the weariness in his eyes that hadn't been there before he left the castle. "Now?" he asked gently. "What do you plan to do?"
His eyes lifted to the sky, the moon peeking through the treetops. "I've decided," he said with conviction. "I'm going to start a clan. A true clan—one that accepts everyone. Wolves, witches, vampires… everyone who has no place in the kingdoms."
Piper blinked, stunned into silence. "Ray… a clan of misfits and outcasts? You do realize how impossible that sounds, don't you?"
Ray's jaw tensed. "What's impossible is continuing the way we've lived for centuries. Witches hunted for being different. Wolves executed for needing to survive. Even vampires like us… we're prisoners of tradition and bloodlines. That's not a future I can live with."
Piper's voice softened, wary. "You know the vampires are hated not just for being different, Ray. We feed on blood. Werewolves and witches blood. How do you expect them to accept us?"
Ray nodded. "I've thought about that. In the old library, hidden beneath the royal study, I found a forgotten book. Ancient, brittle with age… but filled with strange truths. It spoke of a rare kind of witch—pure-blooded, born under a red moon. These witches can cast a spell that suppresses the thirst for human blood. It… changes something in the vampire's nature. They'd only need animal blood to survive."
Piper tilted his head. "You believe that? That it's real?"
"I have to believe it," Ray said firmly. "If there's even a chance, I'll find that witch. I'll cross every mountain, burn through every spellbook, and fight every beast between here and the end of the world. If it means giving people like us a chance to live freely, I'll do it."
For a moment, silence filled the clearing. The forest seemed to breathe with them. The only sound was the wind rustling the leaves above.
Then Piper gave him a slow, tired smile. "Well," he said, adjusting the straps of his travel pack, "I suppose I should have brought more supplies ."
Ray finally let a hint of a smile slip through. "You're really coming with me?"
"You'd die without me," he said, stepping beside him. "Someone needs to make sure the prince of the realm doesn't trip over his destiny."
Together, they stepped deeper into the forest, leaving behind the path they once knew, heading toward an uncertain future—and perhaps, the beginning of a legend.