ELIJAH I can’t believe this. Dad? “How?” I ask, my voice betraying the composure I try to keep in front of him. He was dead. He died in an accident involving rogues when I was fifteen. Dad walks towards me and I take a step back, afraid that he isn’t real. Is this a part of my hallucination too? Am I sick? “It's been a long time. You’ve grown and taken over the throne,” Dad’s voice grounds me back to reality. “You–you are not real.” I hiss, narrowing my eyes at him. “You were dead.” “I’m as real as you are. No need to doubt it,” He says, his stoic face bringing back memories of childhood. “Then how the fuck are you here?! You were dead! Or did someone dig your grave and revive you?” I spat, worried that my assumption might be true. With how things have been, Rena finding out her supposed dead mother is alive, Nixie and Theon alive, anything can be possible. People are just dying and coming back to life, making a joke out of death. “I never died,” He replies nonchalantly, as i
ELIJAHWhatever nonsense he just spat makes my head hurt. Green Moon? I yank his hand away but he doesn't seem surprised by my action. “You think I’ll believe this shit? You pop out of nowhere and feed me some lame story? If I was born for whatever the fuck you said, why didn’t you tell me when you were with us. Why come out and reveal this to me now? This doesn't sound like something that’s simple.” He sighs. “Everything has a time of its own. It's the Lord who decides when things are meant to happen. Your powers needed their time to come to the surface. Now they are and I know you can feel it inside you.” His voice drops, sending a chill down my spine. “A power that you know is way greater than anyone else’s. One that makes you superior to the rest.” “All I feel is a headache from your fucking words!” I spat, a strange kind of rage bubbling inside me. I don’t know why I feel this angry. Is it because of the bad memories that I have tried to push behind? The ones this man gave me.
ELIJAHI shake my head. “I remember mom dying. But I didn’t…I can’t do it.” My voice is shaky. Am I doubting myself? Did I really do it? His facial muscles contort in a sharp expression. “You will have to accept your true nature. Your hands are painted with blood. Blood of your mother. You are a killer and the guardian of the Ashwalkers. Accept it!” “No!” I roar, and the earth shakes beneath my feet. Dad looks around. “You sense it?” He asks me, his eyes lit up with amusement as he watches the trees shake. “This is your potential. You have no idea how strong you are. What you are capable of. Accept your destiny and Lord Umbra will bless you with everything you want.” I scoff. “Do you take me for a fool? I see it now. You are spitting all these lies to make me believe I’m something that I’m not. I know what I’m capable of. Killing my mother isn’t one of them.” “Is that what you think?” He looks down at the ground before he sighs. “Then I have no choice. If you don't follow Lord Um
ELIJAH I rush over to him and check his pulse. It's not there. My face turns pale. He’s dead? The realization hits me like a cold wave. I look down at my father, his body limp and lifeless. A surge of horror and guilt washes over me. I killed him. I didn’t mean to kill him. I was so enraged at his words, that I lost control. Am I really a killer just like he said? Did I really kill my mom?I drop to the ground, resting my arms on my knees as I stare at what I have done. The weight of my action presses down on me, a crushing burden. I have killed my father. What kind of monster am I? I run my palm over my face. This is not how I imagined my day to begin with. I mind-link Josh. “Yes, what’s up?” “Find me in the forest.” I order him. “Okay. You alright?” “Just come!” I growl, the guilt and fear inside me making it hard to breathe. “Okay. Give me a few minutes.” I rest my head between my arms and close my eyes. How will I stand before Rena after what I did? Will she look at me
ELIJAH“I don’t get it.” I sigh and explain everything to him through the mind-link. What dad told me about my destiny, the hallucinations, me being a Shadow wolf. His face turns pale and he scowls. “It's all rubbish, man. He’s spewing lies.” I step closer to him and stare at him in the eye. “Is it? Josh, you were there the day we hijacked the castle and I captured Cyrus. You saw what happened. Be honest with me. Doesn't it all make sense?” I ask him and he looks away. Minutes pass and he seems to have trouble giving me an answer. He sensed it too. The day I lost control over Cyrus and Irene had to snap me out of it. The day those Ashwalker wolves walked away just because I growled at them, as if they were obeying me. “This is a fucking mess!” He exhales sharply and runs his hand through his hair. I look ahead and stare at the packhouse. “I know. If what dad said is true, then I am the one Rena needs to stay away from. Even the kids.” My heart clenches so painfully, I find it har
VERENA After I shower with Elijah, I get dressed and head over to the kids' room to wake them up. Much to my surprise, Ezra and Venus are sleeping peacefully in their beds. Venus not waking up and not crying is the most surprising because she always did that in the Moonlight Pack. Is it because she’s in her home pack?No matter where Venus was born, she has the blood of the Iron Claw Pack running through her veins. Maybe she feels more comfortable here because of the presence and scent of Elijah. It's the gap only a father can fill.I gently wake her up first, and the noise she makes causes Ezra to wake up.“Ugh, stop, Veenie. I’m sleeping.” He groans, flipping over to the other side of the bed.“Wake up, Ezzie. It's eight already,” I tell him, and he groans in response.“I want to sleep some more,” he whines, and I narrow my eyes at him while I pick Venus up.“No, wake up. You have to go to school.” I scold him, and he looks over his shoulder while lying down.“Mommy, I don’t have a
VERENAIrene makes a sound with her mouth before she gulps and answers. “No, because of how we had a lot of wars going on, I decided to focus my time here, training the female warriors and guiding them. The border military has another commander who’s my replacement, and he’s doing his job well. I take reports from him every week and visit the place once in a while to make sure everything is running smoothly.”I nod. “Training the female warriors is crucial. I have the same law in the Moonlight Pack.”“Mhmm. We should spar someday. It’s been a long time since we had a good fight.” She winks, and I grin.“I’m looking forward to it,” I mutter, and realize I have started making coffee for Elijah. When did I begin? I don’t even remember.“Looks like Luna does not need my help to guide her,” Nona gives me a warm smile.Irene smirks and grabs another banana. “Old habits die hard. You still remember where everything is kept.” She rests her arm on the counter, a thoughtful look on her face. “E
VERENA“Yeah, why do you ask?” He looks at me, and I’m not sure if I’m seeing things, but I notice concern in his eyes.I shake my head. “Nothing.” He gives me a small smile that doesn’t reach his eyes and walks away.I can’t be wrong. Something was off.“I sensed it too. He’s hiding something,” Serena mutters in my head, having woken up from her slumber. Throughout this year, I’ve learned to trust my intuition, just like Maria advised, and I also believe in Serena’s strength. Her wisdom is growing, and she seems to know more as each month passes. It’s as if she’s remembering everything.I settle in Elijah’s chair, taking a deep sniff of his scent on it. It instantly calms me, and I stare out of the window. What Elijah told me in the shower keeps revolving in my head. Regef and Nixie could be working together. But why? What problem does Nixie have with me? I had never met her before.I try to remember if there was any instance where I had met her, but nothing comes to mind.Then a str