“Kill them!” one of the warriors from the Red Moon Pack who was already in his human form cried, getting to his feet. He pointed an accusing finger at the rogue. “They deserve to die. All of them!”Following his lead, a few other Red Moon warriors got up, baying for the rogues’ blood.“Silence!” Lyra thundered through her mind, quickly calming down the rising clamour. “I need all of them alive, for now. Let us look for survivors first.”Wasting no time, she quickly assigned members of her troops to different parts of the pack to look for survivors. While the rogues presented no threat under her wolf's control, she assigned a few of the royal guards to keep an eye on them at the mansion.After arranging everything, Lyra shifted and made her way back inside the servant quarters, remembering the servants who had hidden upstairs.“Lyra!” Beryl called from behind her. Lyra turned and foun
The next day, Lyra's team went all over the Red Moon Pack, doing security checks all over the territory. Lyra stationed warriors in all the strategic areas, ensuring there were enough scouts to raise an alert in case anyone tried a follow-up attack.While Lyra and Zero supervised the security teams, Beryl was busy in the infirmary. When Lyra got back to the Alpha's compound that evening, she went to the infirmary to check on the progress.Coincidentally, Beryl had just completed her round when Lyra got there.“Have you sat down at all today?” Lyra asked, looking at her friend with concern. Beryl was visibly exhausted, and Lyra knew that it was not only because of the physical exertion of tending to so many patients.When healers used their internal powers to heal, it drained them. Given the amount of patients with serious injuries who needed Beryl to use her own power, she must have pushed herself to her limit.“I can now,”
Lyra gathered everyone in the community hall to start discussions on how to go forward with the pack's reconstruction. She emphasised the fact that everybody had a role to play, and that they would all work together to rebuild the pack back to its previous state.She announced that those currently living in the territory of the former Blue Night Pack would be included, and that together they would rebuild a bigger and stronger pack.“How are we going to get that done?” one of the pack members asked. “We don’t even have enough food, let alone building materials to repair the destroyed buildings. It's impossible to work in such conditions.”Those around him agreed, with many complaining that it was impossible to start rebuilding right away when the effects of the attack were still so widespread.“I'm aware of all the shortages we are facing,” Lyra said. “That's why I need all of you to come together so that we
Lyra was standing in a moonlit field when she noticed Julian standing several metres away from her. While she watched, he turned and started walking in the other direction, getting farther from her.“Julian!” she called to him as she started walking towards him. He did not appear to hear her, so she tried again, louder this time. “Julian!”No matter how loud she called him, he did not turn to look at her. And, no matter how fast she walked towards him, she could not seem to get closer to him. Rather, it appeared that he got farther and farther away.Suddenly, someone stepped out of the shadows and stood in front of Julian, blocking his way. The stranger rushed towards Julian, attacking him. As Lyra watched, the two of them started fighting, trading blows and kicks.Lyra started running. This time, she got closer and closer, and she could see the two of them fighting hard. Just as she was getting close enough to interfere, something
Lyra was not happy to leave the pack in the middle of everything, but she could not ignore her instincts. Fortunately, she had established a framework that they could follow in her absence to ensure that everything ran as smoothly as before. If it turned out that nothing was wrong, she would be back soon to keep up with the work there.As soon as it dawned, she summoned Rick and a few select werewolves who were in charge of various sectors. When she told them of her plans to leave, they looked anxious.“We need you here,” Rick told her. “Everything has been going well so far because of your leadership. The pack members are also reassured because you are here with us. If you leave now, I'm afraid our progress will be lost.”“I'm not leaving forever,” Lyra told him. “I think something is wrong in the palace, and I need to go and check. As soon as I've settled any matters there, I'll be back. All of you have been doing a go
As Lyra drove through the city, she did not notice anything out of the ordinary. Everyone was going about their business as usual, and she saw a few patrol guards along the streets.There was no sign that there had been an attack, and she could not sense any suspicious foreigners.Had she been overthinking? Maybe her wolf's capabilities were not fully consistent yet, which explained why she could not reach the others through her mind.It was also possible that Zero, Beryl, and Anna were sent on a mission somewhere else when Zero and Beryl got back to the palace. If they were in remote borderlands, it would explain why they were unreachable.Convincing herself that it was all a coincidence, she felt her worry subsiding a bit. She arrived at the palace gates without incident and waited to be let through.However, instead of being allowed in, one of the guards walked up to her car. When she lowered her window, he asked what she wanted in an aggressive
With only a split second to decide, Lyra turned and rushed around the back of the building. She went around the far corner just as the two guards came around to her previous position.“See?” one of them said. “I told you there was nothing. Our shift is over anyway, we are done here.”“I must have imagined it,” the other one said. “Alright, let's go.”The guards walked away and Lyra waited a while before looking around the building. After confirming that they were gone, she retraced her steps. It was a good thing that they were changing shifts, which would make it easier for her to slip past the most heavily guarded areas without notice.It took her a while to get to the building that housed the dungeons. The place was more deserted than usual, which made it easier for her to sneak into the lower levels. The deserted hallways made the gloomy atmosphere even more noticeable, making her apprehensive of what she
Lyra left her hiding spot and rushed towards the cell. The door was not locked, so she pushed it aside and hurried inside right away.“Julian!” she shouted his name, taking his attention away from Anna. As soon as he turned from Anna and to her, she stomped towards him. “What the hell do you think you are doing?”Lyra thought he would engage her, but to her surprise, he lurched forward to attack her. She had not expected such a reaction from him–first, maybe surprise that she was there. Why would he attack her?Because he caught her in surprise, Lyra did not react in time, and he was able to punch her, sending her reeling backwards and crashing into the cell's metal bars.Lyra touched her jaw and looked at him with unbelieving eyes. “What's wrong with you?” she demanded.“Lyra!” Zero shouted her name. “You should leave!”Leave? No. She would not leave until she saved the two o
โWhy arenโt you back yet?โ Julianโs worried voice came across the phone when Lyra received his call.โIโm on my way,โ Lyra told him. โIโll be back soon.โโIf you run into any problem, tell me,โ he told her. โI know how Alpha Lucian can be. If he is giving you a hard time, Iโll teach him a lesson.โโDonโt worry, I can handle Lucian by myself,โ she told him. โIโve settled everything and Iโll be at the palace soon.โโOkay, Iโm waiting for you,โ he told her.Lyra hung up with a smile. Earlier, she had left on a trip to the Luminous Pack for the grand opening of a werewolf academy that would welcome students from all over the kingdom.Julian had been worried that Alpha Lucian would give her a hard time and wanted to go with her, but he had other official duties to attend to. Even though no werewolf in the kingdom could stand up to her, his first instinct was to protect her, whether from mortal danger or rude Alphas.โHe really has no idea, does he?โ Anna asked.Lyra shook her head. โNope.โ
Many days later, Lyra woke up in the palace. Julian was lying next to her, sleeping peacefully. She smiled as she looked at him, a warm feeling blooming in her chest. She fought the urge to touch his face, afraid to wake him.However, when she turned to leave the bed, his arm shot out and hooked around her waist. โDonโt go,โ he murmured sleepily.Lyraโs smile widened in amusement as she looked back at him. โYou are awake?โHe shook his head, his eyes still closed. โNo.โShe laughed and tapped his hand. โGet up, Your Majesty,โ she teased. โWe have a kingdom to run.โHe tightened his hold around her, pulling her to him. โThey can survive a few hours without us. Itโs not like an evil witch is going to fly in and blast us all to hell.โโHaha,โ Lyra laughed dryly. โIโm glad you can joke about that.โJulian opened his eyes and smiled. โMe too.โThey both burst laughing, with Lyra falling back to his side. Julian reached for her face and kissed her. Lyra kissed him back, getting lost in the
Deciding to attack together, Julian and Lyra ran towards the altar. While they were midway, Valeria waved her hand, sending a wave of energy their way.They braced themselves, but it turned out to be nothing like the attacks they had faced from the other witches. The energy was so forceful that it knocked them off their feet and sent them flying backwards before they crashed into the floor.As they collected themselves from the floor, Valeriaโs laugh filled the room. โDid you think you could come here and do whatever you wanted? Prepare for your death!โJust when they had gotten back on their feet, she hit them with another blast of energy. This time, they both crashed into the wall before falling to the ground.โHow is she so strong?โ Lyra asked Julian through their mindlink. It was impressive that she could knock both of them around like that at the same time.โShe is too powerful,โ Julian replied. โWe canโt let her wear us out. Iโll go all in, and when she is distracted with me, yo
Following Julianโs scent, Lyra found the basement a few minutes later. It was a dank round room solely illuminated by candles.As soon as Lyra walked into the room, she was welcomed by the sound of clapping. Looking up, she saw Valeria standing on a raised altar in the middle of the room. She was the one clapping, a huge smirk on her lips.โWe are all here,โ Valeria said. โPerfect.โAfter having her plans thwarted so many times, Valeria had been scrambling to find a way to get rid of the Lycan King and the Luna Queen.She had not expected that the Rogue King would be such a useless ally. Even after she had helped him steal the Lycan Kingโs identity and made him powerful talismans, he had failed.As if that wasnโt bad enough, all her latest experiments failed. After finding out that the Lycan Kingdom had made significant steps in finding a weapon that could easily eliminate corrupted wolves, she had tried to make them stronger.She had succeeded in making stronger, faster, and more res
Using the tip of her dagger, Lyra pricked her fingertip. When blood pooled at the tip, she pressed it to the barrier. During her research while making the serums, Beryl had read somewhere that the Wolf Motherโs blood could be used to break magical barriers.It turned out to be true as the barrier between them and the beasts dissipated the moment Lyra touched it with her blood. As soon as the barrier was down, the beasts rushed towards them.There were all sorts of beasts, from winged creatures that were as big as horses and serpents with multiple heads. Among the beasts were also corrupted wolves.The division of the troop that had been assigned archery roles released a multitude of arrows, raining them down on the beasts. The arrows were created with special magical metal tips doused in poison, allowing them to deal critical damage to magical creatures with a single hit.The second division of the troop shifted into their wolf forms and met the beasts head on. When it was no longer p
The southern jungle covered hundreds of thousands of hectares, providing a good hiding place for rogues. However, even rogues did not venture into the deepest parts of the forest, since they were considered too dangerous.The forest was rumoured to not only be the witchesโ hideout, but to also contain all sorts of magical beasts. While some of the southern packs had led expeditions into the jungle while dealing with rogues, they did not have enough information that could be used to accurately map out the witchโs lair.After hours of walking in the jungle, Lyra finally sensed magical power. Leading the way, she guided the troops deeper into the forest. The farther they got, the more ominous it became. The magical power also got stronger, and everybody could feel it.After close to an hour, they spied a castle through the trees. It was big and old, its walls almost entirely covered by vines.โThis is it,โ Lyra informed everybody through mindlink. โIโve felt Valeriaโs energy before, and
As soon as Julian and Lyra got back to the palace, Beryl and Spencer took the flower and started making the antidote.They had been gone less than an hour, but Zeroโs condition had worsened. Even with Beryl and Spencerโs help, he would not have been able to hold on much longer without the antidote.As for Anna, she was still unconscious, but there were no signs that she was in danger. There also hadnโt been any other incidents in the palace.When Beryl administered the antidote to Zero, his condition started improving right away. As soon as he woke up, he looked around for Anna. When he did not see her, fear washed over him. Before losing consciousness, he had heard people calling for her execution.โWhere is Anna?โ he asked Beryl, getting down from the hospital bed. โIs she okay? It was not her fault. She is not working for the witches.โโWe know,โ Beryl told him. โThe witch possessed her and made her do it. She is fine now, but she passed out and is in recovery. Donโt worry, she is
The snake had appeared out of nowhere and wrapped itself around Lyra so fast that Julian did not get a chance to warn her. It was long and thick, and its body was coiled around Lyraโs upper body and neck, its head poised to strike.Julianโs heart froze in fear as the gravity of the situation registered. Both of them could not use their magic or werewolf abilities. From the size and appearance of the snake, he could tell it was not a normal one. It must be a magical beast.Magical beasts normally had their own territories and attacked anyone who trespassed. However, Julian had never heard that the Deadly Swamp was territory to any magical beast.The snake had only appeared after Lyra plucked out the flower, so it was more likely that the beast was guarding the flower, not the swamp.โThrow away the flower,โ he yelled at Lyra. โItโs guarding the flower. As long as you have it, it wonโt let you go.โLyra did not want to let go of the flower, but she was aware that she could not afford to
After leaving the infirmary, Julian and Lyra instructed staff around the palace to ensure all the guests were catered to, leaving Asher in supervision.They also ensured that security was beefed up around the palace and the capital city in case the witches attempted another attack.Lyra was worried that it might be too late by the time they got to the swamp, found the flower, and brought it back to Beryl and Spencer to make the antidote. The two healers could keep Zero alive with their healing powers, but the poison was powerful and would kill him if not stopped soon.โWe are taking the jet, right?โ Lyra asked Julian as they got ready in the weapon room, grabbing basic items that would come in handy in the swamp.โNo,โ Julian said.โIf we drive, weโll never get back in time,โ she said.โWe are not driving,โ he told her. โCome, Iโll show you something.โMoving to one end of the room, he pressed his palm to a panel on the wall next to a door labelled โRestricted Accessโ. The door opened