by Asher North
"The decision has been made," Cynno said as he regarded all of them. "Much to my surprise, Damon was triumphant in the battle. For most of my wolves, that’s enough to win their respect, but some need further convincing. I think it would be wise if we made a statement to them all, to tell them of our plans and what we’re working toward."
"I think that’s a great idea," Rhys agreed. "I’ll deliver the speech, if you’ll allow me."
"I doubt there is any wolf better suited," Cynno said. "What will you say?"
"I’ll speak the truth. I’ll tell them about the new world that we seek to build, a world that includes all wolves, even Packless, such that there will be no more division between us. I’ll tell them that the First Shifter did not believe in division, did not believe in war, and would like to see us all living in harmony as we were intended to be," Rhys said, and a bright smile appeared on Cynno's face, as did one on Damon's.
"Brazen, indeed," Cynno said with a chuckle. "I'm still not sure that it's wise to trust you. You sound like a young fool full of his own idealism."
"Maybe I am a young fool but I believe in what I say, which is more than most can claim," Rhys said.
"I can't argue that," Cynno said. And as sudden as the meeting had begun, it had ended. Cynno trotted away from them, returning to the central location where the battle had taken place the day before, and once more called out to his wolves to summon them. They came less eagerly this time, requiring more encouragement, no doubt afraid of what might come next for them. Rhys slipped his hand into Damon's while he held Jaeno close. He was nervous, which surprised even him. This was the moment he had been working toward for so long, so he shouldn’t have been nervous, but he couldn't help it.
"I love you," Damon whispered in his ear, sending a shiver down Rhys’s spine. It was the only thing he needed to hear to find his courage again. In fact, and perhaps to Rhys’s surprise more than anyone else’s, it was the only thing he ever needed to hear.
"I love you too," Rhys answered as the wolves gathered around them, and with each new addition to the gathering, Rhys felt his confidence grow. He stood before them as a leader, something he now knew he had been born to do, and lead them he would. With Damon at his side and their son between them, he had no doubt that this war was theirs to win. He would storm back the Black Claws and the Silver Fangs who supported them and reclaim the world that was rightfully theirs. When they were completely surrounded, Rhys took a deep breath and readied himself to speak.
"They call you Packless where I'm from," he called, unsure of where he was heading with his words, but trusting that they would come nonetheless. "I call them fools," he said and a cheer of approval came from the gathered wolves. We at least agree on something, Rhys thought with a chuckle. "I will never know the suffering you’ve seen at the hands of the wolves on the mainland. I will never comprehend it fully," Rhys said. "But I know what it is to suffer. I know what it is to lose those you love at the hands of those you once trusted and I seek to make sure that never happens again." His words echoed across the clearing, neither approved of nor challenged by the wolves surrounding him, and he took that to mean they were at least listening and somewhat open to his ideas.
It felt strange to be speaking this way, as if he were their leader, until he thought of them as his own pack. Because they were his pack now as much as Damon and the rest of his friends were. He met eyes with Kaster, who smiled at him, his face full of admiration. Though Eleo’s face was harder, when Rhys turned to him, Eleo gave him the slightest smile and nod of approval. They believe in me, Rhys thought, a realization that made him feel weightless. I must make all the rest do the same.
"We are brothers and sisters now, by choice or by consequence," he continued. "To that end, I will fight to secure your future as much as my own, and I would ask that you do the same for us." His voice echoed across the clearing but no wolf spoke any words of agreement. Rhys had just opened his mouth to continue, to rally them once more, when Cynno stepped forward.
"We will," he said.
"We will," another wolf answered. It was Xeres, the wolf who’d volunteered first to fight against Damon.
“We will,” another voice said, followed by yet another, until a chorus of wolves shouted the words together and Rhys felt himself swell with encouragement and pride. He realized then that these wolves were not all that different from him after all. They wanted the same things, the same rights and opportunities afforded to the wolves on the mainland. They didn’t deserve the life they’d been given and Rhys was determined to make sure that he gave them, and every wolf in Moonvalley, a better one. They deserved it as much as his son did, and all of the wolves who had yet to come. This fight was for them.
"We can’t do that if we’re not united against the threat that looms across the Sea of Suffering," Rhys said, his voice louder and carrying further now, propelled by his passion. "The Black Claws rule by division, and so we must stand together. I know that to some of you I am still an outsider, as are my friends, but in my mind we are one pack, all of us wolves, and I believe we should call ourselves as such,” he said and when he paused he found enthusiastic nods coming from the wolves around him.
“From this moment forward, if you’ll agree to join me, you are no longer Packless. You are part of a new pack, a new world, one that will make sure no wolf ever feels unworthy again. The winds of change are blowing, and appropriately so. We are, together, the Gray Wind pack, and change we will bring," Rhys said and before he’d finished speaking a loud and raucous cheer went up among the wolves. Giving Damon's hand a squeeze, Rhys smiled out at all of the wolves around him, not quite believing it was real.
"We are the Gray Winds!" Rhys bellowed over the commotion.
"Gray Wind! Gray Wind! Gray Wind!" the wolves chanted, until it was all that Rhys could hear, and with those words filling his ears, and Damon's hand in his, he knew that the war was already won.
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Appendix I: Notable Packs, Houses, and Wolves of Moonvalley
The Silver Fang Pack
“The Fair, The True”
House Greyborn, Ruling House
⁃Juno Greyborn - Alpha pack leader; father of Rhys Greyborn; direct descendent of Oberon Mooneye/Greyborn
⁃Rai Greyborn - Omega; husband to Juno; father of Rhys Greyborn; deceased
⁃Rhys Greyborn - Omega; heir to the Silver Fang throne; promised to Kane Northstar
House Northstar
⁃Sayer Northstar - Alpha; head of house; father of Kane and Blaze; married to Einid
⁃Einid Northstar - Omega; father of Kane and Blaze; married to Sayer;
⁃Kane Northstar - Alpha; son of Jago and Sayer; promised to Rhys
⁃Blaze Northstar - Alpha; son of Jago and Sayer
House Bloodvalley
⁃Eleo Bloodvalley - Alpha; head of house; married to Loch; father of Kaster
⁃Loch Bloodvalley - Omega; married to Eleo; father of Kaster; deceased
⁃Kaster Bloodvalley - Omega; son of Eleo and Loch
House Goldmont
⁃Madeus Goldmont; Alpha; head of house; married to Ronin
⁃Ronin Goldmont; Omega; married to Madeus
⁃Mercury Goldmont; son of Madeus and Ronin
The Black Claw Pack
“We Remember”
House Mooneye, Ruling House
⁃Aeton Mooneye - Alpha pack leader; head of house; father of Damon and Thane; married to Onyx; direct descendent of Valen Mooneye
⁃Onyx Mooneye - Omega; married to Aeton; father of Damon and step-father to Thane; deceased
⁃Damon Mooneye - Alpha; son of Aeton and Onyx; heir to the Black Claw throne
⁃Thane Mooneye - Alpha; son of Aeton and Onyx
House Starfyre
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p; ⁃Strav Starfyre - Omega; head of house; head healer in the Healer’s Guild; married to Umber
⁃Umber Starfyre - Alpha; head of the Alpha Order; married to Strav
⁃Pax Starfyre - Omega; son of Strav and Umber; head understudy for Strav at the Healer’s Guild
House Dawnfall
⁃Nero Dawnfall; Alpha; Black Claw elder; married to Vox
⁃Vox Dawnfall; Omega; married to Nero
⁃Zander Dawnfall; Alpha; son of Nero and Vox
⁃Caius Dawnfall; Alpha; son of Nero and Vox
House Greenhill
⁃Seneka Greenhill; Alpha; head of house; married to Leto
⁃Leto Greenhill; Omega; married to Seneka
⁃Kai Greenhill; Omega; son of Seneka and Leto
⁃Ren Greenhill; Alpha; daughter of Seneka and Leto
The Gold Eye Pack
“Life, Death, Balance”
House Lunalis, Ruling House
⁃Knox Lunalis; Alpha; co-head of house; twin of Lux
⁃Lux Lunalis; Omega; co-head of house; twin of Knox
House Silverback
⁃Arie Silverback; Omega; head of house; lead Healer of the Gold Eye pack
⁃Aero Silverback; Omega; wed to Arie; second Healer of the Gold Eye pack
House Blackriver
⁃Valri Blackriver; female Alpha; head of house; lead Assassin of the Silent Shifters
⁃Roth Blackriver; Omega; member of the Silent Shifters
⁃Rea Blackriver; Alpha; daughter of Valri and Roth; deadly young member of the Silent Shifters
The White Tail Pack
“Deeds, Not Words”
House Whitepeak, Ruling House
⁃Oron Whitepeak; Alpha; pack leader; married to Vega
⁃Vega Whitepeak; Omega; married to Oron
⁃Raze Whitepeak; Alpha; child of Oron and Vega; heir to the White Tail pack
⁃Brax Whitepeak; Omega; child of Oron and Vega
⁃Damiron Whitepeak; Omega; child of Oron and Vega
⁃Tyr Whitepeak; Alpha; child of Oron and Vega
⁃Aylo Whitepeak; Omega; child of Oron and Vega
⁃Jael Whitepeak; Alpha; child of Oron and Vega
⁃Fynn Whitepeak; Omega; child of Oron and Vega
⁃Nya Whitepeak; Omega; child of Oron and Vega
⁃Aryana Whitepeak; Omega; child of Oron and Vega
⁃Kora Whitepeak; Alpha; child of Oron and Vega
⁃Kimbr Whitepeak; Alpha; child of Oron and Vega
⁃Kaela Whitepeak; Omega; child of Oron and Vega
House Redrock
⁃Magnus Redrock; Alpha; captain of White Tail Guard
⁃Jacent Redrock; Alpha; head of house; brother to Magnus; married to Tallic
⁃Tallic Redrock; Omega; married to Jacent
⁃Rian Redrock; Omega; son of Jacent and Tallic
⁃Io Redrock; Alpha; daughter of Jacent and Tallic
⁃Kade Redrock; Omega; son of Jacent and Tallic
⁃Callin Redrock; Alpha; son of Jacent and Tallic
House Lichenwood
⁃Ender Lichenwood; Alpha; head of house; married to Davon
⁃Davon Lichenwood; Omega; married to Ender
⁃Sylts Lichenwood; Alpha; son of Ender and Davon
⁃Randis Lichenwood; Omega; son of Ender and Davon
⁃Kyllen Lichenwood; Alpha; daughter of Ender and Davon
BOUND BY HONOR:
WAR OF THE FIVE FANGS 0
War of the Five Fangs, Book 0
Alpha Oberon Mooneye is legendary for his feats on and off the battlefield.
Omega Rohn Greyborn accepts that he’s never going to live up to the massive reputation of his father.
A son brings them closer together—until the threat of war again tears them apart.
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Acknowledgments
Let’s keep things brief, shall we?
Without the help and encouragement of Kellan Larkin, Maisy Archer, Ruthie Luhnow, and several of my other great author friends who served as my personal cheering squad while working on this series, this book wouldn’t exist.
Thanks to all of you!