The eastern border had become a nightmare of blood and silver.

Explosions lit up the night sky as Silverfang forces launched another brutal assault. The air reeked of gunpowder, wet earth, and the metallic tang of blood. Howls and screams echoed through the dense forest as wolves clashed in both human and shifted forms. Silver-laced bullets whistled through the trees, cutting down Volkov warriors with terrifying efficiency.

Nikolai Volkov fought at the front line like a man possessed.

His massive black wolf form tore through enemy ranks, claws ripping flesh and jaws crushing bone. Blood matted his dark fur, but none of it was his. His silver-flecked eyes burned with primal fury as he protected his warriors, but his mind kept drifting to one person.

*Elena.*

He had begged her to stay behind. To remain safe at the Voss estate. But when the casualties began mounting and the healers were overwhelmed, she had come anyway.

A desperate message had reached her: *We need the healer.*

And she had answered.

---

Elena Voss moved through the chaos like a beacon of light in hell.

She wore dark tactical gear — black pants, a fitted long-sleeve top, and sturdy boots — her chestnut hair tied back in a practical braid. A small team of Volkov guards flanked her, but she moved ahead of them, fearless. Her hazel-green eyes glowed with golden-amber fire as her healing gift awakened fully.

The first injured wolf she reached was barely conscious, a deep silver blade wound across his abdomen. Elena dropped to her knees in the mud and blood without hesitation.

“Hold on,” she whispered, pressing both hands to the gaping wound.

Golden light exploded from her palms, bright and pure even in the darkness of battle. The warrior gasped as the silver poison began to burn away. Elena’s face tightened with pain as she absorbed the echoes of his agony, but she didn’t stop. Sweat beaded on her forehead. Her breathing grew ragged.

More warriors fell nearby. Explosions rocked the ground.

“Elena!” Nikolai’s roar cut through the noise as he shifted back to human form mid-stride, rushing toward her. “Get back! It’s too dangerous!”

She ignored him.

Another wolf collapsed nearby, lungs punctured by silver shards. Elena moved to him instantly, her hands glowing brighter as she poured more power into saving him. The bond between her and Nikolai flared violently — his fear for her mixing with her determination in a chaotic storm of emotion.

Nikolai reached her just as enemy fire rained down. He shifted again, his massive black wolf form shielding her body with his own as bullets struck the ground around them. The impact vibrated through his powerful frame, but he refused to move.

“Damn it, Elena!” he growled through the mind link only mates could share. “You’re going to get yourself killed!”

“I’m saving your pack,” she shot back, voice strained but steady in his mind. “This is what I do, Nikolai. Let me work.”

Her golden light continued to blaze. Warrior after warrior, she moved across the battlefield like an angel of mercy amidst the carnage. Each healing took more from her. Her hands trembled. Her vision blurred. But she kept going, refusing to let a single Volkov wolf die if she could prevent it.

Nikolai stayed glued to her side, his wolf form a lethal shadow protecting her. Every time an enemy got too close, he tore them apart with savage efficiency. But his focus never left her.

He watched in awe as she knelt beside a dying lieutenant, pouring every last drop of her strength into him. The golden light was blinding now, wrapping around the warrior’s body like a cocoon of pure power. The man’s wounds closed. His breathing stabilized.

Elena swayed dangerously as she pulled back.

Nikolai shifted back to human form instantly, catching her before she could collapse. His strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her against his bloodied, bare chest. The contact sent electricity surging through both of them. The bond roared to life — desperate, hungry, and filled with overwhelming emotion.

“You’re burning yourself out,” he growled against her hair, voice rough with fear and admiration. “Please, Elena. You’ve done enough.”

She looked up at him, face pale and streaked with dirt and sweat, but her eyes still glowed with that beautiful golden fire.

“They need me,” she whispered. “Just like you needed me that night on the road.”

The words hit him like a silver blade to the heart.

In that moment, surrounded by chaos and death, Nikolai saw her true power and courage more clearly than ever. Not just as the graceful heiress or the woman he had wronged, but as a warrior in her own right. A Luna who would stand beside him in war and in peace. Someone willing to risk everything for those she cared about.

His wolf whimpered with devotion and regret.

“I don’t deserve you,” he whispered, holding her tighter as another explosion rocked the battlefield. “But gods, I love you. I love you so much it’s destroying me.”

Elena’s breath hitched. The bond between them pulsed with painful intensity. For one suspended moment amidst the war, it was just the two of them — her golden light mingling with his dark, protective power.

Then reality crashed back.

More wounded were being brought in. Elena pulled away gently but firmly, though her hands lingered on his chest for a second longer than necessary.

“Later,” she said softly. “We finish this first.”

Nikolai nodded, eyes burning with fierce pride and longing as he watched her move toward the next injured warrior.

In the middle of hell, Elena Voss shone brighter than any star.

And Nikolai knew, without a shadow of doubt, that she was the only Luna this pack — and this Alpha — would ever need.