"We came not so far to be blindsided now."
Sharp and cutting through the suspense as the pack gathered in the main hall was Kael's voice. At the top of the table, Aria stood with her fight still faintly shining mark.
Ryker gave his swords a hefty thump as he flung them on the table. "whose were those wolves, anyway? They battled as the Goddess herself had chosen, selected.
"They were," Ethan answered, his voice dark. He unfolded a faded map across the table and pointed to a place far into the forest. Called the Sacred Fangs, they are a group committed to defend the will of the Moon Goddess at any means. Their presence formally marks her as declaring war on us.
The room became quiet as Ethan's comments sank over the group. Aria's voice was calm but chilly; her palms curled into fists. "She is terribly mistaken if the Goddess believes she can take what is mine."
Kael bent forward, his face austere. "They'll be returning." And the next time they will not stop at just testing us.
