Chapter 340: Chapter 340

AURORA

As I went inside to get dressed, a loud knock shattered the silence of the early morning, urgency in Rowan’s voice reaching

me.

“Luna! Open the door!”

I swung it open to find Rowan, his chest heaving like he had run the length of the packhouse, a crumpled paper in his hand, his face pale.

“What is it?” I asked, grasping his arm to steady him.

“It’s Orion,” Rowan said, words spilling from his mouth. “They’re moving now. It’s happening.”

I snatched the paper from him and read the map and scrawled notes quickly.

This was more than intentions on paper; this was a clear–cut plan of breach for our borders by sunrise.

“Call the council,” I snapped sharply. “Get them ready. We’ll deal with this now.”

Thick air filled the council room. All eyes turned to me, standing at the head of the table, the weight of leadership heavy on my shoulders.

“Orion’s forces are mobilizing,” I began, meeting each gaze. “We don’t have time to waste. If we don’t act now, they’ll breach our borders before dawn.”

Trajan spoke first, his voice measured. “We should intercept them. Lay traps along the main routes they’ll take. We know this. terrain better than they do.” Evelyn leaned forward, her eyes.

ablaze.

“Why not strike first? Hit them hard before they have the chance to regroup.”

“Because they outnumber us,” I said firmly. “If we attack head–on, we’re walking into a massacre.”

Warrick folded his arms across his chest, his tone disbelieving. “And waiting for them to strike is any better?”

I didn’t flinch. “We don’t wait. We prepare. Trajan will oversee the traps. Piper and Warrick, you’ll guard the packhouse and keep our people safe. Nobody gets left alone.”

The air was thick in the room.

“Surviving isn’t about pride,” I said softly. “It’s about being smarter, not just stronger.”

The door creaked open, and suddenly Dane came inside.

His presence commanded the attention of everyone in that room, even in his weakened state. “And what’s survival without strength?”

The room fell dead silent.

“Dane,” I said, still in barely concealed shock. “Where did you go? You should be resting.”

“And you shouldn’t be making decisions without me,” he replied, irritation lacing through his voice.

“We can’t take them directly, we’re too weak,” I replied.

“We have to stage it, somehow, force their backs against a wall where it’s in our favor.” His eyes squinted.

“And if they call your bluff? We can’t always run, Aurora, and the time has come to show them we will not be intimidated.”

“This doesn’t relate to fear!” My voice finally cracked under my emotional load.

“It does mean the protection of the pack.” Trajan stepped in, hist voice level but firm. “Dane, what Aurora is saying does make some sense. The forces of Orion are too great to just go directly into attack. If we can play this smart, we can weaken them without risking it all.”

Dane’s jaw clenched, but he said nothing more. His silence was far louder than his protests.