"My daughter, you're back. The oracle said a paranormal phenomenon occurred in the forest. Is that true?"
Leona shrugged off her jacket and plopped down on the sofa in her father's office. "'Paranormal' is a normal way of putting it, Dad. It was crazy."
"Hmm." Davion Nightshade leaned away from his computer and rested in his chair. "Did it have anything to do with the Bloodclaws?"
"Yes… and no."
Davion raised a bushy eyebrow. "You'll have to settle for one answer, Leona. Tell me what happened."
"We found the Bloodclaws on neutral ground," she narrated. "But they still wanted a fight, and we were not about to back down. Then a witch materialized from nowhere, dropped a weird prophecy, and disappeared as quickly as she appeared. So, like I said, crazy."
"Hmm. A witch, you say?
"Yeah. Seems like she was the oracle of Bloodclaws."
Davion frowned. "Was?"
Leona nodded. "She's the reason they were here. They were hunting her down under the order of their alpha. Claimed she was a traitor of sorts."
"Maximus and his foolish excesses," Davion muttered with a shake of his head. "He should know better than to send his men into my territory for any reason whatsoever. That alone could start a war he can't win."
Leona leaned forward. "That's the thing, Dad. I don't think he sent them here."
Davion raised another eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"The witch lured them here, knowing we'd respond by showing up. She admitted it herself. She wanted us, both Moonshadows and Bloodclaws, present to listen to what she had to say."
"Hmm. I see. Why didn't she just tell her alpha? Why go through all this trouble?"
Leona shrugged. "I think she already did. From the looks of things, he didn't appreciate her words and she didn't want to stick around any longer. Hence, her branding as a traitor."
Davion shook his head again. "A lot of things have changed over many years. Centuries, even. But I've never seen or heard of an oracle abandoning their alpha. They're sworn to guide and serve them until the next one is chosen, and it's a cycle that can continue for as long as possible. It must've taken her enormous courage to do so. Or, perhaps, Maximus is just an asshole no one can deal with."
"Or, maybe, she felt that her words were not taken seriously enough."
Davion turned to his daughter, who had a faraway look in her light-brown eyes. Outside, the sun was beginning to set, illuminating the room with scattered rays of golden sunlight.
"You look troubled, Leona. Are you thinking about the prophecy?"
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't," she replied with a weak chuckle. "You taught me to always consider the words of an oracle to be as important as air, or water. So hearing one say our home is about to get attacked by creatures of the night is quite unsettling. But that's not even the point."
Davion adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose. "Then what is, Leona?"
She sighed and turned to her father with heaviness in her eyes. "The witch also mentioned that the only way to defeat this enemy is to cast aside our differences and form an alliance. Moonshadows and Bloodclaws."
Davion remained quiet for a full minute. Then he rose from his chair, made his way around his large desk, and sat next to Leona on the sofa. After a few more moments of silence, he finally spoke.
"We're no strangers to adversity, Leona. Time and time again, we've had to protect our home and its people from threats looking to wipe us out. Not only did we end up victorious, but we also came out stronger. Whatever the enemy is, this time will be no different. I promise you."
Leona nodded, though she didn't look particularly convinced. "You're right. I'm just bugging. I worry too much sometimes."
Davion smiled softly. "Just like your mother."
"Yeah," Leona chuckled. "Just like Mom. I wonder what she would've said about the whole prophecy thing. She would've probably run her own analysis and come up with at least fifty ways to fortify our defenses. I miss her, Dad."
"As do I," he replied, taking his daughter's hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. "Regarding what she'd say, she'd probably tell you to be more worried about your training than a mythical future."
Leona's eyes widened with realization. "Ah, shit. I totally forgot."
"There we go." Davion tapped her knee and swiftly got to his feet. "You'd be too busy honing your skills and abilities to worry about something that hasn't happened yet. That should keep you occupied in the coming weeks."
"Sure. When do I begin?"
"As soon as possible. The next full moon is in three weeks. You'd need to complete the first phase of your preparation by then. Have you spoken to Alora?"
"Yeah, I have," Leona confirmed. "She agreed to handle my combat training. I also spoke to Denise for—"
"Denise?" Davion was heading back to his grand chair behind the desk. But the mention of his old friend's name suddenly had him glued to his feet.
"Yeah, Denise," Leona repeated, not catching on. "You remember her, right?"
"Of course, I do. I'm just a little surprised that you reached out to her without informing me first."
Leona frowned. "I'm sorry. I thought she'd be able to help me control my transformation better. She's been in this pack longer than most. And she's a good friend of yours."
Davion's lips drew up in a small smile. "Of course. You're not wrong. Denise can definitely help in that department."
"Great." Leona got to her feet with a smile. "I should probably head home, Dorian's probably still waiting for me outside. I'll make sure Regina has your dinner ready before you return."
"Thank you, Leona. Tell Dorian I said hello."
"I will."
For several minutes after she left, Davion stood still, weighing and contemplating everything he'd heard. Then he sank into his chair and reached for his phone, tapping away at the screen as he dialed a number. He brought the device close to his ear, wasting no time to speak as soon as the line connected.
"Maxim
us. It's Davion. We need to talk immediately."