LOGINShare
143. Stop
Last Updated:
2024-11-21 23:00:27
Related chapters
Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 144. Learned
Callista.I can't believe what I'm hearing."Really?" I ask, confused.I don't think I'm as good as she is as a fighter yet. Maybe her tiredness was making her see things that aren't necessarily true. Also, this whole thing just lands out of nowhere.Just yesterday she told me that I need to adjust my form a bit more because I was a little wobbly on my right leg still."Because I don't feel like I'm that good yet.""Trust me, you are," Valencia replies in an offhanded way. "Besides, you must have more important things to do than waste the morning with me. I mean, you should be close to finishing with your GED now. You should pay more attention to those."I notice that her voice becomes sharper as she spits out the last part, and the expression on her face is strange. It looks almost like she is angry about something.Just as I open my mouth to ask Valencia what was really troubling her, Theon walks up to us, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his overcoat."I heard some of your dis
Last Updated : 2024-11-21Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 145. Kill
Theon.Barely concealing my mounting anger, I follow Valencia.I didn't know why she was so snappish at Callista before, but I'd chalked that up to her having her own issues to deal with. Perhaps she got a troubling message from her pack. Perhaps her father was calling her back to the Galdine pack to carry on with her duties.The only reason I asked for a sparring session was to show her that she had a lot to teach Callista still. Callista absolutely obliterating her in the duel was something I did not expect. I knew Callista had a natural talent for swordsmanship, but the way she moved today was similar to that of a pro. She defeated Valencia in record time, and she did that while using a real sword for the first time. That was almost unheard of, and I still wonder how she did that without even injuring herself.I saw the way Valencia fought with Callista, and I noticed how towards the end Valencia aimed at her gut.I watched with fear as the sharp sword tip neared my mate's abdomen
Last Updated : 2024-11-21Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 146. Punish
TheonRuelle's same exact words come into my mind as Valencia says that. Hell, even my own does, accompanied by a lot of shame and self-loathing. I feel my self-control waning.I already let one woman talk to my mate like that, and I would be damned if I let another degrade Callista in the same way.Time to put a stop to this before it goes too far."Okay, this has gone far enough!" I snap, bristling. "First, remember who you're talking to, Valencia. I am the Alpha of the Rexellen pack, the Alpha King, and you are a guest here. Callista is one of my pack mates, whether you like it or not. So, talk to her with respect.""I-"I raise my hand in a ‘shut the hell up now’ gesture and she does, pursing her lips. "Secondly, I will do whatever the hell I want with whoever the hell I want. My mate is dead, so I'm not cheating on anyone. I like Callista, and Callista likes me. What we do with each other is nobody's business but ours.""But what about me?!" she pleads, tears shining in her eyes
Last Updated : 2024-12-29Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 147. Saint
TheonA knock comes on my office door near the evening, and Kellin's voice follows. "Alpha, may I come in? I’ve received some news.""Yeah," offhandedly, I say, scratching at my head and my eyes stay glued to the documents in front of me.I am reviewing some project reports regarding a new community center we wish to build in the Rexellen pack. So far, it's coming along relatively smoothly, but that doesn't mean there weren't any hiccups. The door opens and Kellin enters."How's the project going so far?"I shrug. "Smoothly, I suppose. They've passed the plans for the tennis courts, and they seem to be okay so far. I have to pass it through a third-party architectural committee, though. What news do you have to say?""Just that Elias is lucid again," Kellin announces, and I sit up straight, feeling happiness blossom from within my chest. My brother was back!"How is he?" I ask, getting up from the chair. "How are his wounds?"Elias had been too far gone into his bloodlust in the last
Last Updated : 2024-12-29Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 148. Skull
TheonI tell Elias everything that happened since the last time he was out of his episode. I tell him about Callista running away, the problem with the Brekett pack, the Chamber of Despair, the Mental violation, the Witches Guild, and everything else. I even tell him about the accidents that have happened since Callista's return to the Rexellen pack.At the end of my rant-like narration, Elias gapes at me."Oh, wow," he says. "That sounds like a fever dream. An awful fever dream in which you were acting with only half a brain cell rattling around in that skull of yours-which we are going to have a long talk about- but a fever dream nonetheless.""Yet it all happened," I sigh. "And it's still happening. I don't know the identity of the person who is attacking Callista. We just accepted each other after she forgave me and now this happens.""Perhaps you should publicly start looking for the culprit," Elias suggests. "It will weed them out faster.""But I don't know who else to trust tha
Last Updated : 2024-12-29Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 149. Kill
ValenciaI eavesdrop on the conversation between Elias and Theon, disguised as a guard. No one suspected me when I casually walked up the tower with a mask and a uniform on. The guard who was already stationed there was nodding off, and upon seeing me he just gave a nod and went back to his sleep. I nodded back and walked up to the door, standing beside it.I can hear everything clearly from here.I don't know what made me follow Theon up the tower as soon as I saw him. Perhaps I wanted to see how Elias was. Regardless of what Theon thought, I didn't want to kill Elias for my own personal gain. I tried to do that because of kindness. Theon told me how Elias had asked him to kill the wolf before he went rogue, and Theon confessed to me that even though he knew it was his duty as his Alpha to grant him his wish he couldn't do it. The request devastated Theon, and I didn't want to see him like that.I tried to kill Elias to take the decision off his hands. I tried to kill Elias to spare
Last Updated : 2024-12-29Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 150. Save
ValenciaMy eyes widen upon hearing that. I never thought Theon would agree to that. Elias was the only remaining family he had, if I were him, I would never do that.But Theon isn't me. He is the Alpha King, and he is far nobler than I ever will be. He would put his brother's needs before himself when it matters the most, regardless of how painful it is.My love for him soars in my chest. A good man like Theon should never be corrupted by the likes of the stealer. This is why I have to save him from Callista. Suddenly, I hear Theon say, "I have to go now. I will come to visit you next morning. Try to get some sleep, please.""I will," Elias promises. "And thank you, Theon." Upon hearing that, I leave the tower so they wouldn't catch me spying on them.As soon as I enter my room and throw away the guard costume I had stolen, a knock comes on my door."Valencia," Theon's voice comes. "Can we talk? I have something important to tell you." I change my voice to sound less breathy from
Last Updated : 2024-12-29Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 151. Date
Callista.Some days after my big sword-fighting drama with Valencia, and the subsequent end of our tentative friendship, one morning, I get an email.After Valencia told Theon that the friendship between me and her was over, due to the fact that she was still in love with Theon and I was his true mate, I cried. I don't have a reason to lie about this, I brawled my eyes out. I really thought Valencia was a good friend so when she basically told me to go get screwed, it hurt.But I didn’t have the luxury of wallowing. I had online classes to attend, and during the one I had right after the debacle, my teacher told us that finals were coming up.That meant I had to push every sorrow to the very rear of my mind and start studying the hell off.Nothing can distract you from ex-friends than the looming threat of exams.So, I cooped myself inside my room, barred Theon from entering for an undetermined time for the foreseeable future, towed my ass to the study desk, and got into studying.I w
Last Updated : 2024-12-30
Latest chapter
Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 322. Epilogue
CallistaTen years later.I stand in front of Lily Lane Pup Daycare after ending my workday at Rexellen University, holding a stack of books in my arms trying to shove them into the backpack I’ve taken with me.It’s three in the evening, and the kids should be out in a few minutes.It’s summer again, the weather is pleasantly warm, and everything brims with life. There are bees flying everywhere, suckling nectar out of the numerous fully blossomed Leanderrs.The Rexellen pack town is as busy as ever, with people bustling around after clocking off from work, going on their errands, and their outings.Everyone seems happy, and they’re open and very friendly.Upon noticing me, everyone who passes greets me with a simple.“Good evening, Luna!”“Good evening to you too!” I always greet back.Some parents stop by near the daycare to collect their children, and we start pleasantly conversing with each other.I’ve been the Luna Queen of the Rexellen pack for ten years now, and honestly, those
Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 321. Ceremony
CallistaFour weeks later.I walk down the shoveled path with a single lily flower in my hand, a smile on my lips, and my heart overflowing with joy.I’m dressed in an ankle-length, heavy-set gown that accentuates my form as if it had been sewn with me in my mind.It’s a silverish white in color in accordance with tradition, and a million tiny rhinestones create spiraling patterns all over the skirt. The long sleeves and the woolen cloak that accompany them give me warmth on the cold winter night.On my neck, there is a white gold necklace with a diamond as the pendant, the only piece of jewelry I wear, which is a gift from the witches who'd arrived a day before to celebrate the ceremony.The mating ceremony for Theon and me.In the background, a string quartet, comprised of two maids of the Rexellen pack castle and two guards, plays a tune that I can't quite name but can’t help but think is so apt for the situation.On either side of me, my closest friends whom I consider my family s
Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 320. Gift, not Curse
CallistaA week later.Valencia Everhart was sentenced to life in prison by the Supernatural Council for assisting the devil in his criminal endeavors such as kidnapping and harboring a werewolf, orchestrating a pack takeover on the orders of the devil, attempted killing of two pack members of the Rexellen pack and the biggest crime of them all, assisting the devil in massacring the entire Galdine pack.I thought the last one was a bit harsh because Valencia never really did know about that charge, but as Valencia had confessed in the court, she’d given the devil the location and information regarding her pack.She had been under the impression the devil was going to protect the Galdine pack from Theon’s retaliation against the pack takeover, but she’d been lied to.We attended the court on the same day as Valencia did, and I’m sure that the cries that ravaged her as she learned the horrible fate that befell her pack would never stop haunting my nightmares.I felt sorry for her, and a
Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 319. Afterlife
CallistaQaetanya and Xaveraq reached the afterlife together.One was willing, the other was not. One sacrificed herself, while the other, well, I had to kill the other.Xaveraq’s soulless body lays in the circular chamber, and I don’t look at it again as we exit the room, both of us still in wolf forms.I feel numb as we stumble out of the temple as soon as possible after I release the devil’s and the deviless’s souls into the gateway.None of us speak, although I could feel everyone except Theon patiently waiting for the right moment. They look stunned as we walk through the doorway. For a moment I’d been afraid the doorway wouldn’t be present because of it being only shown with the blessing of a devil and all, but fortunately, it stands.As soon as we all exit the temple doorway, it starts to shudder. And then the most bizarre thing happens.Numerous high-pitched screams ring through the air, and greyish white mist starts to shoot from all directions towards the doorway, getting su
Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 318. Defeat
TheonI can’t process half the things that are happening as I stand outside the little circular room, trying and failing to get in.One moment, Callista is being choked by the devil, and the next moment, in the place of Callista, stands a majestic white wolf! The wolf shimmers as if she were the Moon Goddess herself in wolf form, stepping down from the moon to aid us in our time of need.But when the wolf looks at me for the briefest moment and howls in ecstasy, I realize that this wolf is no Goddess.That’s my mate!After months, no, years, of agonizing, Callista has finally found her wolf.But then she turns towards Xaveraq and leaps towards him with no hesitation.My scream deafens my own ears, wondering what the hell she was doing. I witness the whole scene as if it’s unfolding in slow motion.As Callista nears the devil, whose shadows are closing in on her to consume her, a flash of blinding white light erupts from her, filling the room with a glow akin to the sun.I shield my e
Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 317. Amazed
QaetanyaHer wolf is beautiful, reminiscent of the first wolfwoman I met in the forests of Gaul all those years ago.She is larger than most wolves, were-creature or otherwise, and when she stands, she cuts a majestic figure, even in the confines of the squat, circular room. Her coat is a silverish white, and it glistens as if it was created by moonlight, as if the Goddess molded the wolf herself.Her emerald eyes shine as she stares at Xaveraq in confusion, and amazement, stunned to her very core.She can’t still process that after years of hope and dream, she’d finally transformed into her secondary form.I had watched her wolf grow from a pup to an adult within her as I was trapped in her mind ever since she was born. Throughout the three thousand years I’ve been with Callista’s bloodline, I’ve witnessed hundreds of pups being born within the babies, but never have I seen a wolf as beautiful as this one.Even I was in awe when she first appeared, sleeping soundly, growing along wit
Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 316. Shift
CallistaThe very first time I witnessed a werewolf’s first shift I was just five years old.It was at a birthday party, and of course, it was for Ruelle.Naturally, almost everyone from my adoptive parents’ families was invited. I liked my relatives because they didn’t favor Ruelle over me to the extent my parents did. At this time, all I had were Ruelle’s hand-me-downs. Her clothes, her toys, her books…The only thing I had for myself was a pair of shoes because Ruelle’s feet had always been smaller than mine, and there was no way my feet could fit in her shoes.I loved those shoes so much.That didn’t mean I never got gifts. My parents’ relatives would always give me presents of my own when they came to visit. It didn’t matter if it was Ruelle’s birthday or mine.It didn’t matter if it was a special day, a holiday, or even a plain, random visit to see how we were doing: clothes, shoes, toys, and new books; everything a little girl could want.Granted these things would be taken awa
Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 315. Goodbye
Callista“My, my, Qaetanya, you’re actually stronger than I thought. Here I thought that you wasted it all by giving that werewolf a special scent,” the devil taunts the deviless as he circles us, his eyes set on us as if he’s a predator.“I was blessed by the Goddess,” arrogantly, Qaetanya declares, flexing her digits so the electric sparks flicker around them. “Such a power cannot be hindered by anything, least of all you!”“All except the summer solstice,” Xaveraq grins before hurtling another wave of shadows towards her.Qaetanya ducks them swiftly, and the shadows hit the wall behind us, getting absorbed into the stone. Using her momentum, Qaetanya attacks Xaveraq with a light wave of her own, which Xaveraq detracts by a shield of shadows.“I told you that information because I trusted you,” Qaetanya replies to the jab. “Because I believed the man I loved wouldn’t even think of hurting me with that information. But you did exactly that. You might preach about me manipulating you
Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 314. Monsters
TheonA pillar monster falls right in front of me, nearly crushing me, but I jump away just in time. The sheer force of the fall breaks its stone arm in two, and the eerie silverish glow in its eyes subsides. The pillar monster stops moving.“I think he died,” I tell Haden, who is panting on the other side of the fallen monster.This is the only one that we managed to fall, and by the looks of it, kill.“Holy shit, did that actually work?” Kiran screeches.He was the propellent of bringing the monster down. Now, he jumps back to the ground from the shield he’s been standing on and jogs closer to the pillar monster.Tentatively, he reaches out and touches its cracked shoulder, where some of the previously seen symbols are visible. I remember them running all around the pillars before the monsters came into being, glowing.I look at him and nod, trying to confer my thoughts via body movements.Yes, I think it actually worked.“Guys, we managed to bring a monster down!” Kiran yells back
