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290. Habit
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2025-03-04 01:29:57
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Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 291. Trouble
TheonAnd of course, something happens in the middle of the night. At first, I think I'm dreaming of it.But then I realized, in my sub consciousness that my dream was all about walking down the beach with Callista. Callista had never seen the ocean before, so we've gone on a mini vacation to the beachside.She's happy here, I'm happy here.We hold hands as we let our toes sink into the soft, warm sand, and she smiles at me, the wind blowing her long dark hair across her face, and her green eyes shine like the brightest emeralds...And then I hear screaming. I wake up from my slumber, blinking at the suddenness of it. I look around the room using my wolf senses, and I see that Haden, Leita, and Hunter are awake as well. “What's going on?” I ask, as the screaming registers in my sleep mind more and more.It sounds like a group of people are outside, screaming in Romanian. “I'm not quite sure,” Hunter says before getting up from her sleeping bag to peer out of the window.“Oh, crap!
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-04Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 292. Alpha King
Theon“Please, don't shoot!” Mihai says as he goes out of the house, his hands held above his head. He looks nothing like he did when he was screaming at us, just a scared, pleading, cowering man over fifty years of age. “Please, we are innocent.”His wife and son follow behind him, wearing equally terrified expressions and holding their hands above their heads.The witches, Haden, and I stand flanking the front door within the house, ready to go out at a moment's notice. Haden and I are poised to transform, and Master Tsertinand holds a rather wicked-looking sword, with his magical disc hooked to his belt, buzzing orange with magic.Ophelia has all the plants in the garden at her command. Kiran and Hunter, both protectors, have an arsenal of protective spells and their own aspects.Leita folds a crossbow, made by Master Tsertinand, a lethal thing that is pure black in color, and the arrowheads capable of piercing through iron. “This is my weapon of choice,” she'd said before pulling
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-04Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 293. Identity
Theon“Well, that was disappointing,” Master Tsertinand mutters, wiping off blood from his sword. “Didn’t even put up a good fight.”Near his feet, a stabbed hunter lies, his open, eyes staring up at the sky, frozen in fear and death.The whole mob of hunters lay on the ground, massacred. Their blood stains the snow red. Half of them have vines wrapped around them, shot to death with Leita’s crossbow.The rest are stabbed or cut with Master Tsertinand’s magical disc. Haden, and I did not transform as there wasn’t really a need for it.The witches took care of the hunters in mere minutes. Many of them didn’t even get to fire their guns because they’d only expected werewolves. The witches caught them completely off guard.Hunter and Kiran drop the shield they’d erected around me and the Costin family, who looks extremely alarmed at the violence. Haden and the witches come closer, panting from the effort. Ophelia makes the vines go back to the earth and to wherever she summoned them f
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-04Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 294. Gape
TheonMihai looked every bit the aging gentleman who’d lived a pretty laborious life, with greying black hair and plenty of wrinkles. He wore circular spectacles, and his watery blue eyes blinked behind them. He was not very tall, and a bit hunched over.However, he was in good shape for a man his age. We thought that was because of him being a farmer.Doina was a woman who was the same age, but her hair was graying blond, and her eyes were pale green. She was taller than Mihai and had a very kind smile.Despite the wrinkles, they were a very handsome, older couple, and their son looked exactly like a mix of them with his blond hair and blue eyes, handsome, tall and visibly strong. Nobody seeing them for the first or the hundredth time would ever guess that those images were fake. We yelp as Mihai's skin starts to disintegrate, wondering what the hell was happening. Mihai blurs as if he was made from mist and fog, and his features start to change. The temperature in the room goes do
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-04Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 295. Vampires
Theon“After that, we lived in the city for quite some time. We moved from here and there to avoid suspicion as we didn't grow old, and we changed names. About four or five years after Alin was born Doina's estranged parents passed away,” Mihai continues the story, and Doina looks sad.She talks to us in Romanian, and Hunter translates.“Doina didn't have a good relationship with her parents. They were very abusive towards her and wanted to marry her off to a man in the village rather than let her go to university,” Hunter explains.“They weren't on speaking terms after that. They didn't even know she was married and had a kid because of that. She was actually surprised that her parents left her the farm.”“We all were,” Mihai restarts the story after Doina falls silent, hugging her to his side. “Initially, we didn't want to move. But Alin was growing more and more into his vampire self, so we wanted to give him the freedom to be his authentic self that was rather restrained in the ci
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-04Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 296. Story
Theon“Her name’s Callista Leander, and she’s, my mate. That’s who we’re looking for,” I confess.“Oh, no!” Alin grimaces. “Your mate? Why? Was it a rival of yours?”“I wish it was that simple. No, Callista…let’s say that she’s quite a peculiar werewolf,” I try to explain. “She was kidnapped by this being who is called a devil, who is apparently the last of his kind, and from what we learned from his lackeys, he took her to Romania.”“Why?” Mihai asks as Alin translates to Doina. “I am very sorry for what happened to your mate, that is unbelievable. But why would he do that?”“Also, how is Callista peculiar?” Alin asks. “Does she have an issue?”“Well, this is going to take a while,” Haden states as I get myself ready to tell them the full story. “Brace yourselves.”I tell the Costin family about her being a stealer and a werewolf who cannot transform. I tell them about her special abilities, and how she was different from all of us.I tell them about why the devil wants her, and who
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-04Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 297. Pawn
Callista“This is useless,” I mutter. Once again in my dreams and once again in the rose garden at the side of the Rexellen pack castle.This time I sit on the lush grass with my back to a wall. “Come on, don't think like that,” the deviless says, sitting next to me. “We need to think harder. You're the one who told me that we cannot give up.”“Well, you're the one who gave me all that crap about saving the world,” I snap back, feeling annoyed. “And I don't know if you've noticed, I'm just a werewolf who'd had some bad luck in love. You're the three-thousand-year-old deviless who was blessed by the Goddess. You should know better than I do!”Do I sound petulant? Yes, I absolutely do.But at this point I'm too far gone to care about being polite. Being used as a pawn since she was born apperently does that to a person. “Wit is not directly proportional to age, Callista, if so Xaveraq would not be doing what he's currently plotting.”I gawk at her.“Did you just call yourself stupid?”
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-04Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 298. Circle
Theon“What in the fresh hell is this?” Master Tsertinand mutters as we stare at the result of jotting down our trails on the paper map. By now dawn had come. The sun had risen, but it was hidden behind the thick winter clouds that seemed to be a specialty in Romania. The sky was grey, showing signs of snowing.Mihai told us that the shops in the nearby town will be opening in a couple of hours, and Doina had gone to whip up some breakfast for us. When we offered help, she'd brushed us off with some playful words. “You would only slow her down, she says,” Alin translated with a chuckle. “Mother doesn't need our help in her kitchen. Yesterday she only asked me to hang around just to keep up appearances. She could whip up a meal in minutes, really. The only time it takes is for the food to cook.”“Ah, right. Vampire speed,” Kiran had muttered, visibly in awe. “Very impressive.”Mihai walks over to us, and peeks over Master Tsertinand's shoulder. His shapely eyebrows furrow.“Are you s
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-04
Bab terbaru
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
