Chapter 23

Ethan's heart was beating fast as he stood at the edge of the Moonlit Meadow. The soft light of the moon made the grass shine like silver. He could feel the pressure of his choice, and he knew he couldn't put it off any longer. Amelia had become an important part of his life, so he had to talk to her about the lies she was keeping.

Amelia came out of the darkness, her eyes going straight to his. She looked just as confused as he did, and her feelings were swirling just under the surface. 

"Ethan," she said, slightly shaking her voice, "there's something I need to tell you."

He nodded and took a step toward her. "Yes, Amelia, I know. There are things we need to talk about together."

She let out a breath, and the cool night air showed her breath. "I'll start. But that's not all. My real name is Amelia Blackwood. I'm related to great witches."

In surprise, Ethan's eyebrows shot up. "What about witches? Are you saying that you can do magic?"

Amelia gave a serious nod. "Yes, that's a secret, but it's not the only one. I came here on a mission that could make all the difference for our kind."

Ethan's mind was going fast as he tried to figure out what was going on. "What kind of a mission?"

Amelia inhaled deeply. "I was told to find the Moonlit Talisman, which is a powerful object that can make a werewolf stronger. It is said to be hidden somewhere in this field, and I thought that finding it would make my family look good."

Ethan started to feel uneasy. The charm was known as a source of great power among werewolves. But it was also said to be protected by old spells, and people who tried to find it often met with bad luck.

"And what now?" Ethan asked, barely making a sound.

Amelia's eyes got all wet. "I've come to understand that my goal was wrong. You should never use the symbol to get money or power for yourself. I've seen how good it can be and how it can help heal. I want to keep it safe, not use it."

Ethan's feelings were all over the place. On the one hand, he now knew what Amelia wanted, but he couldn't ignore the risk the symbol offered.

"Amelia, we need to find it first, before anyone else does," he told her firmly.

She agreed by nodding. "I have some ideas and I've moved forward. Ethan, I can't do it by myself. Please help me."

Ethan reached out to her, and his fingers lightly touched hers. "It's yours, Amelia. We'll find it together, but we won't use it. We'll keep it safe."

As soon as their hands touched, a surge of energy went through them, tying their fates together even more. They had a moment together when they realized that their love was stronger than any secret or item.

But just as they were about to step further into the Moonlit Meadow, a noise in the nearby trees surprised them both. When they turned around, they saw a dark figure coming out of the woods. Ethan's senses went into high gear.

A voice that was cold and scary cut through the night. "Well, what have we got here? A romantic couple looking for the Moonlit Talisman?"

Ethan and Amelia gave each other a tense look as they realized that their quest just got a lot more dangerous. No one was alone in the dark, and their secrets were no longer safe.

The invader took a step forward and showed himself to be a tall, intimidating man. His silver hair sparkled in the moonlight, and his eyes were like shards of ice as they looked at Ethan and Amelia. He was dressed in the clear clothes of an enemy werewolf pack.

Ethan's muscles tightened up, and he put himself between Amelia and the stranger without thinking. "Who are you? What are you after?"

The person who broke in made a cold smile with his lips. "It doesn't matter what you call me, but Alpha Drake is fine. And what I want is pretty easy to explain. I want the Moonlit Talisman right away."

Amelia's grip on Ethan's hand got tighter, and she looked at him with a determined look in her eyes. "Drake, you won't be able to get it. The symbol is meant to keep people safe, not to be used to get power."

Drake's laugh could be heard all over the field, and it made Ethan shiver. "You like to dream, don't you? I'm not here to argue, though. I'm here for the symbol, and I won't leave until I get it."

Drake leapt forward without notice, moving as fast as a lightning bolt. Ethan hardly had time to respond before they bumped into each other and fell to the ground. As they fought for control, they hit each other hard and snarled at each other.

Amelia didn't want to be left out, so she muttered a spell under her breath and made a tornado of leaves and sticks that surrounded Drake. But he showed that he was more than a match when he broke free with a wild rage.

Ethan knew they couldn't win. Drake was a tough opponent, so they had to come up with a plan fast. With one last burst of strength, he was able to pin Drake to the ground and close his fingers around the throat of the other alpha.

"Listen to me, Drake," Ethan said in a loud, urgent voice. "We can find the charm together and make sure it's used for good. But if you keep going in this direction, it will lead to death, not to power."

Drake's eyes were red with anger, but for a split second, they showed a flash of uncertainty. Enough was done. He grudgingly agreed.

Ethan let go of their hands, and they both fell to the ground. Amelia took a step forward and looked straight ahead. "We will find the charm, but it needs to be safe. Drake, promise me."

Drake nodded again. He had lost, but he still had some pride. "I make a promise."

As the stress in the field slowly went away, Ethan, Amelia, and Drake came together in a strange way. They knew that their task was getting even more dangerous, but they also knew how important it was. The Moonlit Talisman had a lot of p

ower, and it was up to them to decide what would happen to it.