275 The Storm Gathers
Mara
We stayed in the office for a while, quietly preparing ourselves, until word came that the women had gathered at the second base.
Martha and I headed there together.
The moment we stepped into the open yard, I felt it, raw energy in the air. The women were excited, brimming with adrenaline and anticipation. This was no training drill. No simulation. This would be their first real mission. Their first battle. And they were ready for it.
Some were tightening gear. Others stood in small groups, murmuring quietly. All of them looked to us as
we approached.
“Good afternoon, ladies!” Martha called out, raising her voice with confidence.
A cheer erupted from the crowd.
Their team leads stepped forward to stand with us, proud and fierce.
“It’s an honor to be with you today,” Martha said. “I know we’re all eager for something more than drills, so I’ll hand it over to our young Luna, Mara Thornridge Nighthorn.”
She turned toward me with a smile and stepped aside. I took her place and faced the women.
They erupted into cheers before I even spoke.
I held up a hand. Silence fell fast. Their eyes burned with focus.
“Thank you all for answering the call,” I began. “Thank you for standing here, not just as warriors, but as sisters. As survivors. As defenders of what matters most.”
Another cheer rose, but this time it was tight, restrained. They were listening.
“You all know who we’re up against now. He’s finally stepped into the light, and now, so will we.”
The energy shifted. Faces hardened. I could feel the rage boiling beneath the surface. These weren’t just fighters, they were women Alaric had tried to break. And they were done being broken.
“I know he’s hurt many of you. Used you. Discarded you. Lied to you. Some of you were almost killed by him. Some of you lost sisters, daughters, friends.”
No one cheered now.
I paused, letting that truth settle in.
“He built his empire on the backs of women. And today, today we tear it down.”
I took a breath, my voice rising with conviction.
* 275 The Storm Gathers
“Our Alpha, our Beta, Gamma, and Delta left for Neev to honor a duel. A one-on-one combat, Vander versus Alaric. But we all know Alaric. He doesn’t fight fair. He never has.”
I looked over the sea of faces. Hardened. Brave. Unafraid.
“My husband told me to stay behind. To ‘hold the city.’ But we are soldiers, not ornaments to be left on a shelf while our men go to war. We bleed too. We fight too. And we win.”
That was it.
The crowd exploded with cheers, fists raised high, voices echoing across the base like a battle cry.
Martha leaned in close and whispered, grinning, “They’re ready.”
I smiled. “So are we.”
“We’re going to Neev,” I declared, my voice carrying over the gathered crowd. “And if Alaric tries to be
clever, if he tries to twist the rules, we’ll be there to cut him down.”
The base shook with cheers.
“I don’t want a quick death for him,” I continued, voice hard as steel. “I want him to feel pain. Every ounce
of agony he inflicted on others for years, he deserves it back tenfold. Slowly. Brutally. Until his last breath
is nothing but regret.”
The women roared, their fury alive and sharp in the air.
“You’ve fought underground for years, hiding your strength. Now is the time to show them who you are.
You are not ornaments. You are not just pretty faces for a man’s pleasure. You are warriors. Survivors.
Champions.”
The energy surged, pulsing like fire in their veins.
“We’ll march into Neev not as shadows, but as a storm. Let Mooncrest see what they’ve denied for so
long, let them feel the power of women they tried to keep out of the ranks. We will show them what true
strength looks like.”
Their voices rose again, wild and electric.
I raised a hand, steadying them. “We leave tomorrow morning. The duel is in two days. We travel disguised, scatter ourselves across Neev, and wait. When the time comes, we’ll be close enough to act. Today, you choose your weapons. Find what feels right in your hands, that will be your blade, your shield, your voice in the fight.”
A hand shot up from the crowd. “Luna, will you fight with us?”
I rubbed my bump, my smile soft but fierce. “I’ll wear a vest. I may not shift fully, but I’ll fight, with weapons in my hands and fire in my heart.”
The women erupted, chanting my name.
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275 The Storm Gathers
“Mara! Mara! Mara!”
Their voices rolled like thunder, and even Martha joined, her face lit with pride.
I looked at them, three hundred and eleven strong. Every one of them carried fire in their eyes, vengeance
in their hearts.
If Alaric dared twist fate, we would be waiting.
And if Mistwood pulled their support after receiving my proof, then Alaric would be standing on a battlefield with fewer allies than he’d ever imagined.
His empire was already cracking.
We were going to make sure it collapsed.
