Embers In The North

After Reyna finished her long soak, she slipped into a soft purple night robe and wrapped her damp hair in a matching towel. As she entered her living quarters, Tharja, Nadine, and Keena were already waiting. They were Reyna’s trusted Gammas, chosen by her personally back when she was just a Commander.

“Shall I fetch your breakfast, Prime?” Tharja asked, ever efficient.

Reyna blinked, surprised to see them here. She had assumed they would be busy with the solstice festivities. Having them in her living quarters, ready to serve, was out of the ordinary.

“It’s a tad early for that, don’t you think?” she replied, glancing between them. “What brings you back?”

Normally, they’d be celebrating well into the morning, with sunrise still a few hours away.

Keena stepped forward, her expression earnest. “We thought we should help you get ready for the Warmaster’s feast with the Redfalls and Highthaws at dawn, especially since you’re the only one invited, Prime.”

Reyna’s brows shot up in surprise. “Why am I just hearing about this?”

“The Warmaster’s messenger only brought the message a few minutes ago, Prime,” Nadine explained, defensive.

“By Odin’s beard! I have no interest in getting caught in their drama. Tharja, let Bandos know I won’t be able to make it.”

The last thing she wanted was to find herself in the company of Roth and Decker, especially with tensions already so high.

With a brisk nod, Tharja hurried off to convey Reyna’s regrets. As the door clicked shut, Reyna’s mind raced. What was her father thinking? Did he honestly believe that a simple meal could mend the deep-rooted animosity between Roth and Decker? It seemed more likely to add fuel to the fire.

The solstice was already on the edge of chaos, and they couldn’t afford any missteps. They had to navigate the day’s festivities without a hitch. The urgency to whisk both Roth and Decker far from Egranox, even beyond the Northern Territory, before their inevitable clash became a reality, couldn’t be emphasized enough.

Reyna paced before her Gammas. “Those two here in Egranox could spark a war, and we’d be forced to choose sides!”

“Did you see the Alpha during the parade, Prime?” Keena’s voice cut through Reyna’s thoughts, surprising her.

“I wasn’t there,” Reyna replied with a scowl.

“Prime Reyna, you really should join in the festivities today,” Nadine chimed in. “The Alpha is quite a sight, and who knows? A striking Alpha and a stunning Prime, you’d make quite a pair.” She wiggled her brows, teasing.

“That’s enough,” Reyna hissed, her patience wearing thin.

“Odin’s virtue, Prime, he’s a vision! If you set eyes on him, you’d be swept off your feet,” Keena added with a giggle, the sound ringing in her ears.

Reyna studied her Gammas, a small frown creasing her brow. Why did they think she hadn’t seen Roth? Had they forgotten that she was the Prime and had personally welcomed him? And why, amid her concerns about the impending chaos, were they fixated on Roth’s appearance? Their narrow focus on trivial matters grated on her nerves. Right now, their conversation was a source of frustration. Reyna simply didn’t have the patience for idle banter.

“Fetch me when Tharja returns,” she commanded before going back to her bedroom.

With a heavy sigh, Reyna unravelled the towel from her damp hair, her fingers gliding through the locks. She tossed the towel into the hamper by her bathroom door. If her Gammas thought Roth was irresistible, they had no idea what they were in for when they saw Decker. His striking red hair and those piercing blue eyes held a magnetism all their own. A low, heartfelt sigh escaped her lips, and she quickly swallowed, forcing her mind back to the pressing matters at hand.

Maybe, just maybe, attending this private feast was the right move. Bandos was bound to the Alpha’s every wish, and she knew he’d side with Roth even if it defied reason. She was the only one in this citadel exempt from the Alpha’s direct command, a privilege granted by her Luna heritage.

With swift, purposeful movements, she donned her sleek black uniform, fingers smoothing the fabric as she moved. Her boots were fastened securely, every gesture deliberate. A final look in the mirror brought a self-disapproving shake of her head. Here she was, fretting about her appearance for Roth… and Decker. She grabbed her comb, running it through her hair a few times before securing it in a ponytail with her cords.

Returning to her living quarters, Tharja re-entered.

“Prime, the Warmaster is seething and right on my heels,” Tharja whispered, quickly joining the other two Gammas.

“That’s alright, I’ve decided to join them after all,” Reyna replied, a smile playing on her lips.

“In that?” Keena exclaimed. “Prime Reyna, it’s a meal with the Alpha and the Warmaster of the West. You can’t wear a Fang suit to that.”

“We’ve prepared something more fitting,” Nadine chimed in, and the three Gamma women hurried down the hallways of her expansive four-bedroom chamber.

Reyna observed them with quiet fascination. While she had no intention of conforming to conventional attire, their enthusiasm amazed her. When Bandos knocked on her door, she opened it to let him in.

“What’s this I hear about you declining my invitation?” he asked, striding past her into her living quarters.

“That’s not the only thing I’ve rejected today,” Reyna murmured as she closed the door.

Bandos turned to her, his brow furrowed. “You rejected the Alpha?”

“How did you find out?” Reyna asked, looking at her father with suspicion.

“He told me,” Bandos admitted, clearing his throat. “Why refuse? Not everyone can boast of being asked to mate with the Alpha.”

Reyna glanced down the hall, making sure her Gammas were still absorbed in their task of finding her a suitable outfit.“Shall we head out? There’s something I need to discuss with you.”

“Of course.”

Bandos led the way out, and Reyna followed beside him, signalling his guards to keep a respectful distance. They headed toward the west tower, deep within her wing.

“If this is about the Alpha’s request for you as an Omega, I know you know,” Bandos began. “But you must understand, my intention has always been to protect you. The Krelon Omegas are rough and have no regard for females. You would have despised it.”

Hesitantly, Reyna asked, “Why are you discussing me with Roth?”

“It wasn’t my intention. I suppose he thought it was right to inform me of his proposal after learning you’re a Moltenroar.”

While that explanation held weight, Reyna was determined to bring the conversation back to her father’s actions. “I understand your need to protect me. But you should have respected me enough to include me in this decision. Knowing about these requests would have helped me make sense of things. Regardless of your intentions, you’ve made a grave mistake in not trusting me with this.”

“And for that—”

“I don’t want an apology. What I need is for you to realize that finding out from Roth, rather than from you, feels like a betrayal. No amount of apologies can heal that wound. You need to do better, Bandos, as my father.”

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes. Then as they neared the stairway, he stopped and turned to face her.

“You have to understand that all I’ve done is to keep you safe.”

Reyna stood beside him, her steps faltering as she listened. For the first time, she saw a different side of Bandos, one that wasn’t the imposing figure she’d always known. He looked genuinely troubled, and it piqued her curiosity.

“From what? All you’ve ever done since I was a child is train me to fight. I don’t get it. You’d think you’d trust me to handle those rotbrains!”

“It was your mother’s dying wish to keep you in Frostcall, away from the other territories. She was one of the few who survived the massacre of her line, you know this. Even though you didn’t bear the Lunas’ markings, that bloodline poses a threat to the Alpha Houses, and I needed to shield you from that.”

Reyna had always known the full story of her mother’s lineage; the books, journals, and stories were cherished fragments of the mother she’d lost too soon. Even though she’d passed before Reyna truly experienced her love, she’d done enough to ensure she knew her heritage.

Now, Bandos’ words burdened her conscience. She’d kept an enormous secret from him too. Her powers had surfaced on her sixteenth birthday, and she had chosen to hide her status as a Luna, uncertain of how he would react.

But she understood her father’s fears now. If he was worried about the implications of her wise women lineage, he would be utterly shattered when he learned the truth about her being a Luna.

Her heart ached, and she fought back the lump in her throat. “I understand, Father. Truly, I do. I get why you felt the need to protect me, but it doesn’t excuse the fact that you neglected your role as a parent. I lost my mother, and you deliberately let me grow up without experiencing the love of one. No matter how compelling your reasons are, there’s no excuse for that. You let me down.”

Reyna could see the impact of her words on Bandos. His once proud posture sagged, and his eyes, usually brimming with authority, now held a mournful glimmer.

Yet, she couldn’t forget the years of solitude, the nights she cried herself to sleep, the isolation she endured as a female Fang. She had grown resilient, forged in the crucible of her own grit, but the wounds were still there, buried deep within her.

“Reyna,” he began, but she cut him off.

“No, Bandos,” she said quietly. “I have nothing else to say to you.”

As she descended the stairs, a bittersweet mix of relief and lingering sadness washed over Reyna. She had finally voiced her heartache, but the wounds would forever be etched in her. She took a moment to steady herself upon reaching the bottom.

“Reyna?” Lance’s voice gently broke through her thoughts. “Are you alright?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” she asked, mustering a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Why are you here?”

Lance shook his head, his gaze flickering around nervously. “Well, the Fleet’s waiting on word from you about the recent turn of events. I take it we are no longer escorting the Alpha to Reslax.”

“I don’t believe we are. I will have confirmation of that shortly. I am meeting with Roth and Decker.”

Lance gasped, his voice dropping to a near-whisper. “Odin’s beard, Reyna! You know you cannot say their names.”

“Of course,” she said sourly. “Rules and whatnot,” she added with a frustrated sigh.

“All right, what’s bothering you? Don’t hide behind that icy façade. Out with it.” Lance gestured to a quiet corner of the hallway, leaning against the cold stone wall, waiting for her to open up.

Reyna rolled her eyes. She knew that if she didn’t share what was bothering her, Lance would keep pressing until she did.

“It’s just… family matters,” she admitted. “Bandos and I got into it.”

Lance arched an eyebrow. “That’s unusual. You usually keep your resentment for the Warmaster under wraps. It rarely escalates into a full-blown fight.”

“I know,” she sighed. “But I couldn’t bear it any longer. I had to let him know how I felt.”

“Well, whatever it is, you know I’m here for you. And if you ever need to talk, I’m just a howl away.”

A faint smile graced Reyna’s lips. “I appreciate that.”

He nodded and started toward the grand hall. “So, what’s the plan with the Alpha and the Warmaster?”

“I need to convene with them and figure out how to keep this solstice from turning into a battlefield.”

Reyna suspected that Decker’s sudden appearance at the solstice was no mere chance. The Alpha’s presence was like a beacon, a signal that drew him here. None from the other territories had graced Frostcall’s solstice in decades; the timing was too deliberate to be coincidence. There was a gnawing worry inside her, a worry about why the Alpha was really here.

Lance offered a wry chuckle. “Aye, perhaps the much-awaited pissing contest will be the highlight of the solstice, although if that happens, it may spiral into all-out war.”

“We risk being caught in the middle if it does,” Reyna reminded him.

“Speaking of being caught in the middle…” Lance’s voice lowered as they approached the grand hall of the Obelisk. “Warmaster Decker inquired about your… situation.”

Reyna’s brows furrowed. “What do you mean by my situation?”

“He wanted to know if you had a mate,” Lance told her, and her brow arched. “It stirred tension with the Alpha and roused curiosity among the other commanders.”

“You’re prying.”

“Maybe, but I cannot shake the feeling that I am not amiss, Reyna. You deserve a fate grander than Frostcall’s bounds. Others are beginning to see that as well.” He offered a shrug, his eyes glowing with candour. “Should your path lead you to one of these Alphas, the gods might yet be benevolent.”

Reyna laughed, gratitude shimmering in her eyes. Before she could respond, the Frostcall Warmasters emerged from the north end, commanding attention. She exchanged a knowing glance with Lance, and together, they walked forward to meet them in front of the grand hall.

“Prime, gather your gear and lead the other commanders on border patrol. We can’t afford to be caught off guard by more unannounced guests,” Warmaster Ranael of the Caderia pack ordered.

“The Prime has private matters to attend to.” Bandos’ voice boomed as he joined them at the threshold. “Ranael, lead the patrol. Reyna, with me.”

With a heavy creak, the imposing doors swung open and Bandos marched in. Reyna, with a final nod to Lance, followed him inside. The doors closed behind her with a muted thud, and the sight that greeted her was as stark as the divide between day and night. Decker and Roth, stalwart like sentinels, locked their gazes on her.

“Reyna, we don’t have all day,” Bandos’ commanding voice boomed from the heart of the chamber, drawing her focus back to him.

“What is this about?” she asked.

“There is something you need to understand, Reyna. Descendants of the Alpha line possess the ability to recognize a Luna on sight,” he explained.

Her heart raced in her chest, each beat echoing in the tense silence as her gaze shifted to Roth. By Odin! Had he known all along? Now she remembered the way he looked at her in Silver Oak, as if he knew something the others didn’t.

“At the risk of offending the Alpha and Warmaster Decker, is there any truth to this claim?” Bandos asked urgently and she turned back to his accusatory stare.

Unable to bear the disappointment in his eyes, she looked away, her heart heavy with guilt.