Peace never lasted long in the world of wolves.
Just a week after the wedding, Nyla and Damon were adjusting to life as Luna and Alpha. The pack was rebuilding—morale high, wounds healing, and hope finally blooming like wildflowers after a storm. But peace, as always, was fleeting.
The messenger came at dusk—bloody, limping, and barely conscious. Damon and his Beta, caught him just before he collapsed at the pack's border.
"They're coming… Karl... Alpha Karl of the Bloodfangs," the messenger croaked, eyes wide with fear.
Damon's expression hardened. "He's alive?"
Nyla, who had followed Damon to the edge of the woods, looked between them. "Who is Karl?"
Damon exhaled, jaw clenched. "A ghost I hoped would stay buried."
Karl had once been a powerful Alpha from the east, driven by ambition and brutal strength. Years ago, he challenged Damon for territory and power. Damon had defeated him—barely—and the Bloodfang pack was forced into hiding. But Karl had not forgiven, nor forgotten.
And now, with Damon rising in status, marrying a Luna with a rare bloodline, and gaining allies, Karl had returned to reclaim what he thought was his.
Jace spoke with a growl in his voice, "We can't afford a war right now, Alpha. The pack just recovered."
"We won't back down," Damon replied coldly. "Karl wants to make a move, we meet him head-on."
Later that night, Nyla sat with her hands folded, the weight of her new title settling in her bones. She knew this wasn't just Damon's fight. As Luna, she'd have to stand beside him—not just as a partner, but as a protector.
Somewhere in the distant trees, eyes watched from the shadows. And Alpha Karl… was smiling.
The games had just begun.