Chapter 6

Gregor noticed what Ryan was doing, his gaze growing even darker.

"You still have that shard?" he asked.

Ryan nodded.

Gregor closed his eyes. "That's a piece of Silver Edge. It still holds the sealing power. If the Hunter wants to get the whole sword back..."

He trailed off. But everyone got the message.

Sophia's face went pale for a second, but she quickly put on a tough front.

"So what if he's awakened? He's just one guy. Can he really make any waves? The Silvermoon Pack has hundreds of werewolves. Are we supposed to be scared of a lone Hunter?" she said.

Gregor just looked at her, saying nothing.

But his eyes said it all. 'Are you sure about that?'

Irritated by Gregor's stare, Sophia waved him off. "Alright, Elder. Just beef up the border patrols. If he shows up, grab him. A human who turned his back on the pack gets dealt with by the rules."

Gregor stood there for a moment, finally sighed, and turned to leave.

As he reached the door, he paused and said, "Luna, here's my final warning."

Sophia shot him an impatient look.

Gregor said, "Victor of the Nightshade Clan has been lying low for twenty years. And it's not because he's afraid of the Silvermoon Pack."

Gregor pushed the door open. "It's because he's afraid of Silver Edge."

The door closed.

Sophia stood there, her expression uncertain and conflicted.

Ryan came over and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Sophia, don't let that old man get in your head. He's a Wolfless. How much trouble could he really cause?"

Sophia leaned into him, staying silent.

But inside her sleeve, her hand was trembling.

*****

Deep inside the Nightshade Clan's ancient castle. I sat at the far end of a long table, a glass of untouched red wine in front of me.

Across from me, Prince Victor leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the table.

He looked to be in his forties, with black hair and gray eyes, his presence both brooding and refined.

He began, his voice like velvet wrapped around broken glass, "So you want me to send my forces against the Silvermoon Pack?"

I corrected. "Not an all-out assault. Just some pressure."

Victor raised an eyebrow. "What's the difference?"

I said, "An attack means wiping them out. Pressure is just making them realize that without their defenses, the Silvermoon Pack is no match for the Nightshade Clan."

Victor chuckled, clearly amused. "How ironic. You spent three years guarding the Silvermoon Pack's borders, and now you're inviting the enemies into your own house?"

"That's not it," I shot back.

I turned my hand over, letting him see the silver markings etched across my skin.

"We're just getting what we each want," I said.

Victor's pupils contracted as he stared at the silver markings.

"The Hunter's Mark. So you really have awakened," he said.

The vampires behind him all tensed up at once.

An awakened Hunter was every vampire's worst nightmare.

I drew my hand back. "Don't worry. I'm not after the Nightshade Clan."

"Then what's your real target?" Victor asked.

I looked him in the eye. "I want Sophia to understand what she broke wasn't just some broken sword."

Victor was silent for a few seconds, then burst out laughing.

"I like your honesty," he said, standing up and raising his wine glass. "But I need something more concrete. The Nightshade Clan doesn't make deals unless there's something in it for us."

"The terms are simple," I said.

I took my great-grandfather's journal out of my backpack, opened it to a certain page, and slid it over to him.

Victor glanced down, and his smile froze. "This is..."

I said, "A complete map of the Silvermoon Territory's underground mines. Including three unmined blood crystal lodes."

Victor's breath caught for a moment.

To vampires, blood crystals were worth more than gold.

"How did you get your hands on this?" Victor asked.

"I spent three years guarding the border. The underground magic arrays link up the whole territory," I said, leaning back in my chair. "I know exactly what's hidden beneath every inch of this land."

Victor studied the map for a long moment.

Then he looked up, and the greed in his eyes was plain to see.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked.

I replied, "First, on the night of the full moon, send your scouts to test the Silvermoon Pack's borders. No need for a real fight. Make sure they know their defenses are gone."

"And the second?" Victor asked.

"Second, wait for my signal," I replied.

Victor gave me a playful look. "And what's this signal?"

I smiled, keeping my answer to myself.

Victor flashed a sly smile. "Deal."

He raised his glass.

I lifted my glass of red wine and tapped it against his.

The wine shimmered in the glass, reflecting a blood-red glow like blood.

*****

Half a month later. On the night of the full moon, at the eastern border of Silvermoon Territory.At the eastern border of Silvermoon Territory.

Two young werewolf warriors lounged around up in the watchtower, yawning and bored out of their minds.

One of them complained, "Seriously, what's the point of guarding the border? Ever since that Wolfless guy left, it's been dead quiet here. Like we're watching over a graveyard."

The other nodded. "Yeah, Luna just insists on sending us out here. Total waste of time."

Just then, all the sensing stones beneath the watchtower suddenly shattered.

Both of them jumped to their feet. "What the hell?"

From the direction of the Blackpine Forest, countless pairs of blood-red eyes glowed in the darkness.