Fate of the Lost Moon

Chapter 5

I was halfway into my pajamas when Dad’s voice boomed through the house, calling everyone into the living room. My heart skipped—whatever he had to say, it had to be important if he was rallying us all at this hour.

Quickly, I threw on a sweater and poked my head into the hall, looking for Cass. But her door was open, and she wasn’t in her room. Figures. She’d snuck out, probably to meet up with Remus or get into some other trouble. I hoped she was downstairs already, I could be wrong after all.

As I hurried to join the rest of the family, I noticed Cass wasn’t around. My stomach twisted as I realized she might still be sneaking back in after her late-night meet-up with Remus.

Just as I was about to take a seat, Viktor glanced around, frowning. “Where’s Cassandra?”

My heart skipped a beat. “She’s probably upstairs,” I said, trying to sound casual. “I’ll go get her.”

He gave a quick nod, his gaze shifting back to the others as he waited. I darted back upstairs, hurrying to Cass’s room and hoping she’d made it back without drawing too much attention.

When I reached her door, I found her inside, breathless, her hair slightly tousled and cheeks still flushed from whatever had happened tonight. “Dad’s calling everyone down,” I whispered, quickly shutting the door behind me. “You need to look like you’ve been here the whole time.”

Cass peeled off her jacket and kicked off her shoes. I tossed her a pair of pajamas from her dresser, and she quickly changed, pulling the oversized shirt over her head. Her hair was still messy, but I did my best to smooth it down, running my fingers through until it looked like she’d just rolled out of bed instead of traipsing around in the woods.

She exhaled, riffing out her hair and smoothing out her clothes. “It wasn’t supposed to go like this,” she muttered, almost to herself. “There were… complications.”

“Complications?” I whispered back, feeling a jolt of fear.

She glanced away, her green eyes shadowed. “Rogues. But I made it back fine. Remus… helped.” She didn’t offer more, and I didn’t ask. There was no time. But the mention of rogues had my heart racing. If our father found out Cass had been near the border during an attack, it would be bad.

Cass nodded, taking a deep breath to calm herself. Cass sat on her bed, ruffling her hair a little herself to finish the look.

“Okay, how do I look?” she asked, throwing in a sleepy yawn for effect.

"Good enough. Let me do the talking, alright?” I said. “Just stick close to me.”

Together, we headed downstairs to the living room, where everyone else was already gathered. Father's gaze shifted to us as we walked in, lingering on Cass a little too long, and I hoped he didn’t see anything amiss.

“Finally,” he muttered, motioning for us to sit. “There was a rogue attack tonight near the eastern border. Not a full raid, but enough of a warning. It’s a reminder that we’re all at risk. I need everyone in this family to stay out of the woods until further notice,” he said, his tone heavy with authority.

Cass and I exchanged a quick, subtle glance, and I could see the relief in her eyes that we’d arrived just in time to avoid suspicion. I took a breath, keeping my expression neutral and focusing on Viktor as if this news was as surprising to me as it was to everyone else.

“Of course, Dad,” I replied, keeping my voice steady. “We’ll stay clear of the borders.”

His gaze softened only slightly, shifting between Cass and me. “Good. We can’t risk anything right now. Not with your birthdays coming up in a few weeks. When you meet your wolf, everything changes.” His eyes lingered on me, a flicker of something unreadable in his gaze, like he could sense my wolf hadn’t emerged yet and wondered if it ever would.

I held his stare, feeling the weight of his expectation. Cass had already met her wolf, Lilith, who had given her this natural confidence and strength. Meanwhile, I was just here… waiting. Part of me feared that, birthday or not, I’d remain wolfless, a secret shame my family had tried to hide by sending me away.

Dad’s voice rang through the living room, drawing everyone’s attention as he paced slightly, his expression serious. “I need to inform you all that there was a rogue attack a few hours ago near the southern border. Fortunately, our pack was safe, but I want you to know that Remus was injured during the confrontation.”

A wave of shock swept through me, and I felt my stomach drop at the mention of Remus. Despite everything, he was family to our pack—my brother Fynn’s closest friend and the alpha heir. The thought of him hurt sent a shiver through me.

“What happened?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Dad shot me a glance, his expression softening just a fraction. “He was out near the border with some friends. They were caught off guard. Rowan went after him, but it wasn’t without risk. I expect him to be in the pack hospital for a few days, but he’ll recover.”

“Is he going to be okay?” I pressed, unable to shake the unease gripping my chest. I’d always looked up to Remus.

“He’ll heal,” Dad assured me, though I could see the worry etched into his features. “Rowan’s looking out for him, as usual. But it’s a reminder that we’re not invincible, especially with rogues becoming more brazen.”

Cassandra squeezed my hand. “I hope he’s alright,” she murmured, her voice laced with concern. Remus was charming and carefree, the sort of person who could lighten any mood. The thought of him hurt made my heart ache.

As I glanced at Cass, I felt a familiar twinge of guilt. I knew she had been sneaking out to see Remus, and now, with him injured, I wondered how she felt about it. She must have been with him when it happened, right? The worry gnawed at me, but I pushed it down, focusing on Dad's words instead.

Dad’s eyes narrowed slightly as he continued, “Rowan took it upon himself to keep Remus safe, but I want to make it clear that we must all be vigilant. No more wandering out alone, especially not at night.”

A wave of guilt washed over me as I exchanged a glance with Cass. We had been out there, in the woods, under the cover of darkness, with our own secrets. I could only hope our little escapade hadn’t drawn any unwanted attention.

Dad’s tone turned more serious as he added, “I want everyone to stay close to home. With the rogue activity increasing, we need to be united. No risks.”

“Of course, Dad,” Fynn replied, his brow furrowing as he processed the information. He had always been the protective older brother, and I could see the concern etched on his face.

With that, the meeting wrapped up, but the unease lingered in the air. I couldn’t shake the thought of Remus lying in the pack hospital, and I felt a deep sense of urgency. We were a pack, a family, and that meant we had to watch each other’s backs, no matter what.

As everyone began to disperse, I caught a glimpse of Fynn’s worried expression as he stepped toward the window. I knew he’d be thinking about his responsibilities, just like I was thinking about mine.

“Are you alright?” Cass asked softly, her eyes searching mine as she pulled me back from my thoughts.

“I don’t know,” I admitted, glancing back at Dad, who was still frowning at the wall. “I just hope Remus will be okay. And we need to figure out what’s going on with these rogue attacks. This isn’t like them.”

Cass nodded, her expression serious as she squeezed my hand again. “We’ll find a way to help. We always do.”

But deep down, I couldn’t shake the feeling that things were about to get a lot more complicated.