Zoe’s POV

After our glorious escape from Asheville, we were met by a fuming Alpha—who also happened to be my dad—right at the edge of Diamond Ville.

“Hello, Dad! Did you miss me?” I chirped, planting an innocent kiss on his cheek.

“Virelle called,” he said, ignoring my attempt at charm.

“What about her, Dad?” I asked, feigning cluelessness.

“She’s agreed not to throw you three into the Red Room—if you go back after one week and never pull a stunt like this again,” he said in his best angry-Alpha voice. It was mostly an act. He’d crack soon.

“But Dad, we don’t want to go back to Asheville! This is our home—it only makes sense to learn in the place where we actually belong!” I wailed. “Please don’t send us away.”

“My silly child,” he sighed, pulling me into a long hug, arms wrapping tightly around my waist.

Yeah, he missed me—even if it had just been a few hours.

“Zoe, let’s go inside and talk. Alex, bring the others. I want to tell you all something,” he said, ushering us into his truck.

***

“Zoe! My baby!” Mom cried, enveloping me in her arms the moment I stepped inside our mansion.

“I missed you so much, Mom!” I sobbed into her chest. Her embrace felt like everything I’d been aching for.

“My sweet girl, I missed you too,” she whispered, rubbing my back. Then she pulled away slightly to check us all for injuries. “Did any of you get hurt?”

“Relax, Mom! No one got hurt!” I said, half-laughing.

“I heard about the rogue ambush on your way back,” Dad jumped in. “How could you take such a risky route?”

“Dad, we’ve trained our whole lives. We handled them—it was over before it even started.”

“That’s not the point!” he barked. “They were ex-warriors. One wrong move and—”

He cut himself off, exasperated.

“Dad, we just wanted to come home. Being away from all of you... It crushed us.” I wiped my tears as they began falling again, this time, real.

“George, please,” Mom said, gently pushing Dad and his Beta out the door. “Go back to your pack work. Let me have my girls.”

Once he left, Mom turned back to us with a mischievous grin and arched brow.

We burst into laughter as we spilled everything—our escape, the rogue fight, our wild journey. By the end, our sides ached.

“Well,” Mom smirked, “what matters is that I won the bet with your Alpha and saved your butts!”

“What bet, Luna?” Lyra asked, eyes wide.

“That you’d return before nightfall. Your father had to cave when he lost.”

“What were your conditions?” Seris asked, grinning.

“One: You all stay here for a week. Two: No punishments whatsoever.”

That called for a group hug. We tackled Mom with all the love we had.

Sigh. Mothers really are the best. What would I do without mine?

“Zoooooe! Wake up, dearie! We’re going shopping with Lyra and her mom!” Mom announced at the crack of dawn.

“What about Seris? Isn’t she coming?” I asked groggily, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

“She’s down with a fever. Her father’s got her under care,” Mom replied as I sat up.

***

“Mom... where are we going?” I asked, blinking at the unfamiliar path as we drove past the mall and into thick, shadowy woods.

“You’ll see soon,” Leena—Lyra’s mom—answered. “We’re five minutes out.”

We soon rolled up to a massive stone structure near a serene lake surrounded by rugged cliffs and cherry blossoms.

“This,” Leena announced, “is Peace Land. Have you heard the boys talk about the Red Room? That illusion was modeled after this place. This is where we trained—vamps and wolves alike—when we were your age.”

“Why haven’t we ever been here before?” Lyra asked, wide-eyed.

“But you have,” Mom smiled.

Then it hit me.

That breeze.

That eerie hum in the trees.

“This is the same place!” I gasped. “Just... from the front view!”

“Yes,” Mom nodded. “Your father and I chose the most dangerous stretch of these woods to train the younglings. We wanted you to be more than strong—we wanted you immune to vampire spells and their mind games.”

“So that’s how the boys survived so long in the Red Room…” Lyra said, voice trailing.

She and her brother were uncanny when it came to strategy—calm thinkers, photographic memories, always calculating.

“Do you remember the ‘Drown & Run’ sessions?” Leena suddenly asked.

How could we forget?

Those soul-snatching exams where they’d toss us off the cliff into that colorless lake.

Not just a swim—no.

The waves would twist our bodies painfully. And inside? Sea creatures. Shadows. Mind-bending illusions.

But that wasn’t the worst part.

Once thrown in, we were on our own. No boats. No help. Just one goal: swim across and survive.

As we got older, the trials got harder—until the final test, when all the creatures we’d ever faced came at us at once.

Somehow, we survived. Barely.

Looking at that lake now made me nauseous.

“Come, baby,” Mom said, hugging me close. “I have something to show you.”

She led us into a cave carved behind the structure and handed me a pendant—simple, with a white wolf claw dangling in the center.

“Let me put it on you,” she whispered, clasping it gently.

The moment the claw touched my skin, it vanished.

Lyra received one too. Hers had a red claw.

“Keep this secret. Not even your fathers can know,” Mom warned. “These are made from our own claws—to bypass mindlink blockers.”

“They’re both blessed... and cursed,” Leena added. “They only work when the claw decides it must pass a message.”

“You’ll feel a slight heaviness when that moment comes,” Mom said.

“And no one else can see them—only you. A powerful vampire may sense its presence but can’t trace it,” Leena added.

“So... Virelle could feel it?” Lyra asked.

“She might,” Mom admitted. “But we made these in total secrecy. I doubt she’ll understand their use.”

“What worries me,” Leena said, turning to Mom, “is why she didn’t sense Zoe exiting the gates. That’s... off.”

“What do you mean?” I asked carefully.

“She means,” Mom said, “that something’s not right. And it’s time we told you everything.”

She opened the mindlink.

To all of Shadow Gang.

“They deserve to know everything before the Great War begins,” she said solemnly.

“As you say, Luna,” Leena agreed.

Chapter 9 THE GREAT PROPHECY

Lucy’s POV (Zoe’s Mother)

The firelight flickered softly against the dense forest shadows as I stood before the circle of young pack members gathered in the clearing. The quiet hum of night creatures was punctuated only by the occasional rustle of leaves. I inhaled deeply, my breath steadying as I prepared to speak.

“Kids, I want your full attention,” I said, my voice calm but firm, carrying the weight of my Luna authority. “If anything’s unclear or if doubts creep in, don’t hesitate to ask. Okay?”

“Yes, Ma’am,” the group replied in unison, their minds linked in a seamless bond of loyalty and respect.

Leena’s voice broke through next, tinged with concern. “Boys, where are you now? Are you close to Diamond Ville?”

“Mom, we’re all safe at home with Seris,” Draven replied calmly.

“That’s good,” I said with relief, gesturing for them to settle. “Get comfortable. I’m about to share with you something crucial — the Great Prophecy.”

Kael chuckled, breaking the tension. “Sounds like the opening scene of a dramatic movie!”

Seris nudged him sharply. “Kael, sit down before you shove me off this log.”

“Guys, quiet,” Draven muttered with an edge.

“Yeah, settle down,” Damon added, smirking as he glanced at Seris. I could almost picture her playfully swatting him.

When all were settled and attentive, I closed my eyes for a brief moment. I silently prayed to the Moon Goddess, seeking guidance. The vision of a blooming lotus appeared before my mind’s eye — a sign I was on the right path.

Opening my eyes, I spoke with renewed confidence, “The former Seer of the Diamond Heart Pack once foresaw a time when the five elemental packs would face a shared threat — a turning point that would decide the fate of our entire supernatural world. It’s a warning to stay united, to hold fast to our bonds, because everything that happens... happens for a reason.”

I paused, looking around at their focused faces. Even the forest seemed to hold its breath.

“This may sound simple, but in reality, relationships are fracturing. Pack loyalties are eroding at an alarming rate,” I continued. “The prophecy, nearly a century old, predicts a great war — one that will decide if the supernatural realm continues to exist or if it will be destroyed for its own sake.”

A hush fell over the group.

“An Alpha female,” I said, voice lowering, “gifted with the powers of six wolves and vampire strength, will lead this war. Her opponent: a Rogue Vampire King, half-blood and equally powerful, with the same six wolf spirits and vampiric might. The Rogue King can only claim victory if he kills all of the Alpha female’s mates and shatters the Blue Opal spell.”

At that, a sharp gasp echoed from Damon.

“That’s Lucan’s pearl!” he whispered, eyes wide.

“Yes,” I nodded. “But the full power and purpose of the pearl are unknown, even to many within our own packs. The Diamond Heart Pack closely guards the prophecy, while the pearl remains under the Ocean Spirit Pack’s protection.”

Seris frowned. “If not everyone knows the prophecy, how can the packs prepare for what’s coming?”

“Because the prophecy can only be revealed when the time is right — by someone outside the Diamond Heart Pack,” I explained. “Any pack member who tries to share it prematurely will be turned to stone. The curse will only lift once the Rogue Vampire King is defeated.”

Kael’s eyes narrowed. “Has anyone been cursed like that?”

“No one confirmed,” I said carefully. “But we suspect something happened with the former Luna of the Moon Shine Pack. She originally belonged to the Ocean Spirit Pack, then the Crystal Blood Pack, before joining the Moon Shine. She believed deeply in the mate bond and convinced your fathers to abandon their Playboy ways until they found their mates, which is why they all came to Asheville.”