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268. Cliff
Last Updated:
2025-02-27 23:39:20
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Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 269. Return
TheonWe walk back to the Teller pack, and it’s a pretty long hike. When I ran through the forest, I had no idea that I was running this far, but it seems that I have traveled half the length of the forest.By the end of the return trip, I am more exhausted than I ever was. The barrier around the pack is gone with the escape of the devil, and anyone could see the campsite and the pack house.Snow is falling on the land yet again, and the bears who hadn’t participated in the battle had come out of hiding, fearfully, looking like the witches cast imprisonment spells on them, one by one after healing their wounds.There are many more witches than there were before, helping with the efforts. “Where did they come from?” I ask curiously from Leita and Ophelia. “Matron Aldar teleported them. We can’t handle all of the bears with just us seven, so we called for help. Besides, can’t let the bears bleed to death, right?” Ophelia shrugs. “Waste of an effort if you ask me,” Haden grumbles dar
Last Updated : 2025-02-27Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 270. Spill
TheonWe take the werebear Alpha inside the house and bind him to the first chair we can find with both a chain we'd found discarded near the staircase, which smelled like Callista.Everyone in the house has been cleared out. The witches had created a brand-new barrier outside to keep humans from accidentally stumbling in, and the Supernatural Council members had given us a call saying that they would descend upon the pack grounds shortly. Haden and I stand right in front of Teller, flanking the Headmistress with the witches at our sides. Even Master Tsertinand, who felt strong enough to walk even though he was heavily limping had joined us to interrogate the Alpha.Now he stands leaning on the railing of the staircase, glowering at the werebear. If looks could kill, Teller would be nothing but ash. “Alpha Teller,” the Headmistress says. “You've assisted the devil in his plans and actions. You lent your home and your loyalty to him and helped him imprison her. Why? What was your pur
Last Updated : 2025-03-01Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 271. Europe
CallistaI don't know how I lost consciousness again.The last thing I remember is glimpsing at Theon running towards me in his wolf form with panicked eyes while Xaveraq held me from my neck.And then, everything just disappeared. My head hurts as I wake up as if I'd hit it somewhere. My whole body feels heavy. Before I even open my eyes, I realize that I am not in the same forest in which the Teller pack was located. It's so damn cold in here, more than it was in the pack before the devil reversed the weather.I feel... off about where I am.Something does not feel right, and it's making me afraid to even open my eyes. There's a whisper in the air, and I feel as if something sinister is watching me. Something that was not the devil. “Callista, Callista, Callista!”Speak of the devil and he shall appear.Xaveraq calls my name through the strange silence that surrounds me, “I know you're awake. Open your eyes now.”“Where am I?” I demand before I follow his command. “Where did you
Last Updated : 2025-03-01Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 272. Origin
Theon“Romania,” I mutter for the millionth time. “He took her to fucking Romania.”I stand in front of the Teller pack, watching as the officials who came from the Supernatural Council, a weretiger elder, and a fae woman, interrogate various members of the pack.I've never seen a faerie before, and I'd had this notion of them all being super beautiful and mischievous. I was surprised to hear the woman with green hair cut in a buzz cut was actually a faerie. Her wings weren't visible, hidden from the world until they were necessary, and she was serious as it could get.The weretiger was a man who looked about sixty years of age but was very physically fit and had the bearing of military personnel. They made quite the duo, and when they landed in the pack land, you could feel the fear exuding from the werebears. They'd listened to our tale, stunned, as we talked about the devil and what led to all of this in the first place. Of course, we still didn't know why he wanted Callista's sou
Last Updated : 2025-03-01Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 273. Hoia Baciu
TheonFinally, the Teller pack was ready to be taken before the supernatural council. Several trucks arrive to transport the members to the Council buildings, which were situated in Nevada.Apparently, there was a road that didn't involve hiking up a mountain and crossing a freezing river. We just didn't see it.Honestly, I can't blame Master Tsertinand for that, because no matter which path we took, he'd brought us here. I was grateful for that, more than I could ever say. I mean, the man got seriously injured trying to fight the devil. He had no reason to even join the attempt to rescue her.None of the witches did. But they all came because they cared for Callista, as we did. And I was positive that we could find her yet again with their assistance, and even get her back. The members of the pack are all led into the trucks, and they sit as quiet as mice, huddled with one another. The Supernatural Council members have lectured them before, telling them they had no reason to be af
Last Updated : 2025-03-01Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 274. Two Souls
Callista“You don't look like you believe me,” the devil says as we walk down the snowy path. “Why?”“I do believe you,” I mutter, feeling quite out of place in the forest.My body tingles as I walk, and my stomach feels upset. The coldness is harsh, and I'm shivering from it. My hands are wrapped around my torso, trying to add a little bit of warmth. I constantly lick my lips to keep them warm as well and hope that my eyelashes won't get frozen.“I just can't wrap my head around the fact that another soul lives within my body.”Apparently, Theon was right when he said that the deviless in the story he heard from the Headmistress was connected to the devil.The soul of the deviless, who was born on the winter solstice all those millennia ago was within my body.She was buried deep within me, and I've never even felt something was off in my body. So how am I to actually believe what Xaveraq says? It cannot be possible. Two souls couldn't live in one body. “You need to tell me the full
Last Updated : 2025-03-02Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 275. Unify
Callista“What happened?” I ask.We were deep into the forest now, and nighttime was approaching. Strangely, the more I spend in the forest, the less scared I feel. The stomach roiling and shivering almost stopped, but the tingling feeling still remained. The spookiness that seemed to be a key character of the Hoia Baciu forest was no more.The place oddly felt... homely.“Qaetanya and I got more and more familiar with one another. Every day after her daily chores such as blessing newborns, magical practices, and healing the sick, she would seek me out, and we would spend the day together,” Xaveraq sighs with a smile.“At first, there were protests from the Clan. They said that I'd corrupt their deity, that I'd hinder her abilities. But Qaetanya turned them down. She had such authority over the Clan that nobody dared to protest her words. She told them that I was her lover, and eventually, she would marry me. After that, the Clan started to treat me differently as well. Suddenly, I wa
Last Updated : 2025-03-02Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 276. Trapped
Callista“Well, that isn’t ominous at all,” I mutter. “Where is it again?”“Follow me, it’s a few more steps away,” the devil snatches my wrist to my surprise and drags me forward as he sweeps past the trees. “Dude, what the hell? I was walking fine!” I protest, but my words die in my throat as soon as I come to the end of the forest. Which is not actually the end?There is a clearing in the middle of the forest, with no trees or bushes whatsoever. It is just empty space filled with snow. I start to feel my skin crawl again, and the feeling of distress that seemed to haunt me at first when I woke up in the forest returns.Something is coming, a part of my mind, a hidden voice that I cannot place, shrieks, run, Callista, run!“What is this place?” I ask. “Why is there a clearing in the middle of the forest? Did you do this?”“Oh, no. This has been there forever,” the devil answers. “Since the humans discovered this forest, after a long, long time since I last saw it, they marveled at
Last Updated : 2025-03-02
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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
