Chapter 22

When Ethan stood at the edge of the Moonlit Meadow, where his fate had once been broken, his heart beat like a native drum. The moon was low in the sky and gave the area a surreal glow. Its golden light wove through the old trees. 

Amelia moved closer, and her eyes sparkled like stars. "Ethan, are you really sure about this?"

He didn't change his mind and just nodded. "I have to face him to end this once and for all."

Amelia's hand went to his, and their fingers intertwined in a quiet show of support. Together, they moved toward the middle of the field, where the pack had gathered. It was an evening of taking stock.

Gabriel stood at the other end, with his loyal pack members on either side. His eyes were filled with sadness. He had lost his alpha attitude and was now so humble it was strange.

As Ethan and Gabriel looked at each other, a storm of feelings raged between them, making the air feel tense. 

"You came," Gabriel said with regret in his voice. "I thought that you'd never forgive me."

Even though Ethan's jaw was clenched, his voice was steady. "Gabriel, forgiveness doesn't get rid of the past. But it can make a different world possible."

Gabriel nodded, his eyes showing a bit of hope. "I see what I did wrong. You were always the one I was supposed to be with."

When Ethan looked at Amelia, he felt torn. But her nod gave him confidence that he'd made the right decision. He looked at Gabriel again. "Gabriel, it's too late. I've met someone who loves me for who I am."

Even though the words hurt, Gabriel took them with ease. "Then, I hope you find the happiness you deserve."

As Ethan and Amelia turned to leave, the moonlight seemed to grow stronger and wrap them in its warm glow. At that moment, it felt like the Moon Goddess was giving her blessing to their new love.

But just as they got to the edge of the field, a sudden howl cut through the night. A member of the pack ran forward, his eyes wide with fear. "Alpha, there's something out in the woods!"

The alarm went off in Ethan's mind. He turned to Gabriel, and for a moment, their differences from the past were forgotten. "We need to keep the group safe."

Together, they led the pack into the dark woods, where an old evil was waiting to risk not only their love, but also the survival of the whole pack.

The pack moved quickly through the thick underbrush without making much noise. The moonlight got through the tall trees and made shapes that looked like they were dancing with bad intentions. Ethan, Gabriel, and Amelia shared a nervous look. They were all together because they had to be.

A noise in the woods ahead meant that there was danger. They stopped, and their bodies and senses tightened up. A group of werewolves came out of the darkness, their eyes shining with an unnaturally evil light. These weren't just any pack members; dark magic was affecting them.

Ethan knew what was going on. "Bloodmoon Ritual," he growled in a low, anxious voice.

Gabriel gave a grim nod. The Bloodmoon Ritual was against the law. It was a form of dark magic that made werewolves obey whoever did it. It was said that it would give you a lot of power, but at a terrible price. Now, it threatened not only their pack, but also the shaky peace between Ethan, Gabriel, and Amelia.

The cursed wolves charged forward with their teeth bared. The fight that followed was a whirlwind of teeth, claws, and frantic growls. The Moonlit Meadow, which was bathed in the strange light of the moon, had become a battlefield.

Amelia fought with Ethan and Gabriel, and the moon's energy made her stronger. Their actions were like a dance to stay alive. The Bloodmoon Ritual had to be stopped before it ate up the whole pack.

Ethan's eyes went straight to the figure in the middle of the doomed pack. It was a scary magician with a bad smile. He ran at the wizard quickly and grabbed the amulet off his neck. The cursed werewolves fell to the ground gasping for air when the spell broke.

But the wizard hadn't been stopped yet. With a frantic spell, he called up dark magic tentacles that caught Ethan and Gabriel. The brothers writhed in pain as magic held them together.

Amelia's heart was full of determination, so she used the energy of the moon to create a strong burst of light that broke the sorcerer's hold. The dark magic turned around and ate the person who cast it. He let out one last scream and then disappeared into a wisp of dark smoke.

The war had ended. Now that they were free of the evil, the pack members were tired but still living. When Ethan and Gabriel looked into each other's eyes, they had a better idea of what the other was thinking.

As soon as the moon went down below the horizon, the Moonlit Meadow went back to being calm. But the scars from the night's fight would remind them of how hard things were.

The rest of the pack started to move away, leaving the three of them alone in the Moonlit Meadow. The night had been hard, but it had also brought people together and renewed old friendships.

Ethan and Gabriel gave each other a knowing look, a silent nod to the fact that they had a past together and that their feelings were complicated. There was a lot to talk about and a lot to fix. But they had already made the first steps toward making up.

Amelia felt a chill go down her spine as she stared at the moon as it went down. The shadows under the old trees seemed to move and whisper secrets that have yet to be discovered.

"I don't think this is over," she said in a shaky voice.

Ethan and Gabriel's senses were on high alert as they looked into the darkness. The night kept its secrets close, but one thing was clear: a new part of their linked lives was about to start, and it would test how far their love could go and how strong their pack could be.

As the first rays of dawn broke through the woods, a frightening howl could be heard in the distance. It was a haunting warning that darkness still lurked on the edges o

f their world, ready to threaten everything they held dear.