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Chapter one: A DEAL WITH SHADOWS
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2025-01-01 20:08:58The cold evening sky of Crimson City was filled with heavy clouds, blocking out the stars with the moon partly covered.
The city’s streets filled with grime, due to a heavy downpour of rain, and shadows with whispers from those living in the streets adding a little life to it.
Lycia Carter, crouched on the rooftop of an abandoned warehouse. Her breath fogged in the frosty air struggling with the cold. Her arms wrapped around her body and her eyes stretched out, leading toward the glittering mansions of the wealthy.
Lycia spent her life living with the forgotten, the unseen and the unworthy. The kind of people who scraped by on luck and grit to survive.
But tonight was different. Something different was going to happen. Tonight, she was on a mission that could change everything, not just for herself but for Jack too.
Jack’s voice echoed in her thoughts, very weak and rasping, as he held her hands that morning.
“..listen kid… don't do anything foolish. I’ll get better, I promise” his words punctuated by a weak uneven breath, the sound of his voice betraying the false bravado he was trying to project.
“Sure you will”, Lycia lied, with a smile on her face as thin as the bread in her hand they both shared.
Her chest tightened with a deep but silenced breath at the thought of Jack wasting away while she stood there. She adjusted the strap of her crossbody bag and shifted her gaze to what appeared to be a window, taking a long look at the Deveraux Estate looming against the twilight sky.
She’s been hired to steal something very specific, a map. The details were quite murky, but her contractor had promised her an obscene amount of money in exchange to get the map. More than enough to save Jack, and enough to leave this cursed city.
She slipped through the shadows, navigating the darkened spaces of the Deveraux Estate alongside Raven with practiced ease, silent and with precise movements.
The mansion’s maingate was just ahead, guarded by men who appeared more bored than alert. They knew better, they couldn’t underestimate them. Crimson City’s elite didn’t hire amateurs to protect their treasures.
After what felt like forever, Lycia and Raven found themselves scaling the side of what seems to be the largest mansion of the Deveraux Estate. The mansion was grand, its architecture a blend of ancient gothic spires and modern glasswork. To Lycia, it was just another target, one she couldn’t afford to fail.
“Lycia”, Raven called.
“Are you sure about doing this”, Raven’s voice cracked through the small earpiece Lycia wore, laced with skepticism and with a hint of amusement. “This is not your usual gig you know right?”
“I don’t know, I don’t have a choice”, Lycia whispered, her breath visible in the cold night air. Further tightening her grasp around the grappling hook in her hand.
“Jack’s running out of time. If this job goes well and if they pay what they promised, I can get him the treatment he needs to get better”.
“Desperate times, I seeee”, Raven drawled, with a visible smirk on her face. “Fine. Just don’t screw it up, you hear? I’ll be right behind you and as backup if anything goes south”.
Lycia ignored the remark, she preferred getting herself steady. Her eyes were locked on the fourth floor balcony. It was the only entry point without any patrol guards. She didn’t hesitate.
Her fingers aching as she gripped the ivy covered lattice, adding complexity to her climbing. She reached the fourth floor balcony, hauling herself into the balcony. Sliding inside. The room was dimly lit, the air heavy with the scent of old books and polished wood.
A study, she thought.
Her eyes scanned the shelves and furniture, looking for anything that might resemble the map she’d been hired to steal.
Her contractor had given her barely enough information about this place to talk more of where the map is and how it looked.
“The map has got to be here”, Raven said.
Lycia’s moves were swift. Her footsteps silent on the immaculately preserved vintage plush carpet.
Something caught her eyes. A desk. A desk with a false bottom in one of the drawers. She leans in, crouched, pulling open drawers and feeling along their edges.
“There”, Raven said
“Could it be it?”, Lycia asked with skepticism
“Second drawer. Bottom panel should slide”, Raven replied with certainty, almost like she knew the map would be there.
Lycia’s pulse quickened as her fingers brushed the drawer Raven had described. She pressed and slid the panel aside. A faint click broke the silence, and the drawer slid open. There it was, a rolled parchment tied with Crimson String. Relief flooded her.
“Got it”, Raven breathed, tucking the map into the inner pocket of her cloak.
Her legs had barely stretched as she stood when the hairs on her neck stood on end. An instinctive sense of awareness creeping through her. It wasn’t the usual eerie silence of the room, it was something more. A presence loomed behind her, dark and predatory.
“Thought you could steal from me?”….
Bab terkait
The Alpha’s Luna and the Bloodmoon Amulet Chapter two: THE ALPHA’S GRIP
A chill ran down her spine. They were not alone. The voice was low, smooth, and laced with a subdued menace that made Lycia’s blood run cold. Her hands were still hovering over the desk, her every instinct screaming at her to turn around, to run, to fight. But she stayed still, her breath shallow, her mind racing. This wasn’t part of the plan. But then again, plans in Crimson City rarely survived the night.Before she could react, a pair of strong arms grabbed her from behind, pinning her against the wall. She barely had a chance to scream, before air was knocked out of her lungs, and she struggled, but the grip around her wrists was unyielding and too strong. His presence was overwhelming, the heat of his body pressing against her back. Her breath came in ragged gasps as his hand slid down her arm, pulling the small dagger she had in crossbody bag from her effortlessly. His fingers lingered on her skin, a dangerous mix of possessiveness and raw power.Lycia struggled, trying to c
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-01-03The Alpha’s Luna and the Bloodmoon Amulet Chapter three: A CAGE OF COMFORT
Lycia stirred from the haze of unconsciousness, the remnants of restless dreams clawing at her mind. The feeling of weightlessness from her escape attempt and the crushing certainty of Cove’s grip, all replaying in flashes in her mind. Her eyes fluttered open, and for a moment, the soft, golden light around her felt odd and disorienting. The world around her was calm, in fact too calm, and it took her a few seconds to remember where she was. Her heart sank as her surroundings came into focus. She was lying in a massive bed, draped in blankets so soft and luxurious that they felt almost otherworldly against her skin. The mattress beneath her was plush, the kind that swallowed you whole. She ran her fingers along the surface of the blankets, feeling silk and fur, yet it felt wrong, alien and somewhat mocking. The room itself was quite imposing. The polished wooden floors reflected the soft light spilling from a chandelier that hung like a humongous spider from the ceiling. Floor-to-
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-01-03The Alpha’s Luna and the Bloodmoon Amulet Chapter four: AWAKENING SHADOWS
It was night time. The silence in the room was oppressive. Lycia laid on the edge of the bed. She tossed and turned around on her bed, her mind plagued with Cove’s words. Trying to understand what he meant when he said“For surviving”. What did he mean? Was he going to hurt her?Different thoughts ran through her mind, but none had answers to them. As the hours dragged on, sleep remained elusive. Slipping just out of reach each time her eyelids grew heavy. But when it finally came, it swept her away like a tide. It brought with it strange, and vivid dreams. Lycia stood in a forest. It was vast, bathed in eerie silvery light and the trees seemed impossibly tall, with branches reaching towards the sky as if they were grasping for the glowing moon overhead. Each leaf shimmered as though dusted with frost. The air was sharp, alive with the scent of damp earth and pine, carrying whispers she couldn’t understand but felt compelled to follow. As she walked, barefoot and unarmed, the gro
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-01-03The Alpha’s Luna and the Bloodmoon Amulet Chapter 5: GATHERING AMONGST LYCANS
The vast, dimly lit hall of the Lycan Council chamber stretched endlessly, its high vaulted ceilings lost in shadows. Pale moonlight filtered through the ancient stained glass windows, casting jagged patterns across the stone floor. It echoed with the sound of muted footsteps as Cove paced at the head of the long, scarred table. His dark gaze was cold, unwavering, yet his body pulsed with a barely contained fury. The air felt thick with tension, the flickering torches casting long, jagged shadows on the stone walls, as if the very room was holding its breath. Cove stood at the head of the long, weathered oak table, his posture rigid and his expression hard. The lycan heads , the pack’s elite leaders, gathered around him, their unease palpable. They watched him in uneasy silence. Their faces, marked with scars and hardened by battle. This was no ordinary meeting. Oric, the largest of the Lycan heads, and the head of sentinels of the pack. His presence, a mountain of strength and autho
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-01-08The Alpha’s Luna and the Bloodmoon Amulet Chapter 6: WEB OF DECEPTION
The moon hung low in the sky, its pale glow illuminating the thick dark forest. A shadow darting in between the forest trees, the figure silent as a predator; steps precise, before pausing near a hidden entrance, carved into the side of a cliff. She glanced over her shoulder for a moment, carefully scanning the dark forest to see if anyone had followed her. Every rustling leaf and distant shadow keeping her on edge.Raven’s chest heaved; she was exhausted as she pushed open the heavy wooden door; the cold damp air, inside what looked like a hideout, sending shivers down her spine. She stepped into the dimly lit hideout, her movements purposeful, despite the exhaustion that weighed on her limbs. The sounds of muffled voices echoed through the stone walls, leading her deeper into the lair. Conan was waiting for her arrival. He stood at the center of the cavern, his broad shoulders stiff with tension. His piercing eyes, dark and unreadable, locked onto Raven the moment she entered, with
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-01-19The Alpha’s Luna and the Bloodmoon Amulet Chapter 7: SECRETS WITHIN THE STONE
The air in the cavern, Conan’s hideout; was heavy with the scent of damp stone and burning torches. Raven sat at the end of the war table alone, her fingers brushing the edges of the map laid out before her. The symbols seemed to dance under the flickering light, their meanings almost close yet frustratingly difficult to grasp.Her mind replaying Conan’s annoying words: “You’d better hope you do. Because if you don’t, Raven; you’ll wish I’d abandoned you instead.”Raven stared at the ancient map in her hands, frustration bubbling up inside her. The wornout lines and strange symbols on the map seemed to mock her as if daring her to uncover their secrets. She hated riddles with a passion, and this one felt particularly cruel. Every twist and turn of the map carried the weight of life and death, one wrong move, and everything could fall apart. Her heart pounded as she realized the stakes. This wasn’t just a game or a puzzle; it was a test, and failure wasn’t an option. Her instincts told
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-01-22The Alpha’s Luna and the Bloodmoon Amulet Chapter 8: MIND GAMES AND MISTRUST
The only sound in her chamber now was the faint crackling of the dying fire, and the silence was oppressive. Lycia sat slowly on the bed's edge, her mind churning with many ideas. As a reminder that she had once again been made to do something she didn't want to do, the food in her stomach churned awkwardly. She detested him for manipulating her will and giving the impression that she didn't own herself, unlike him. She detested the fear that was tearing at her chest more than anything else. The door creaked open once more, but this time it wasn’t the sound of a servant or a guard coming to give her food; it was him. This time, there was no food tray or any attempt to act polite. This time, things were going to be different. He wasn’t here to play along with her rules, tiptoe around the issue, or leave her wondering what he meant. He was here to take control and make everything crystal clear. His intentions were clear in the sharpness of his movements, as he walked in to the room, wi
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-01-23The Alpha’s Luna and the Bloodmoon Amulet Chapter 9: UNWELCOMED CONFRONTATION
With Cove's icy rejection still fresh in Morrigana’s memory, Morrigana was furious as she exited the big hall. She was angry because Cove was becoming more and more fixated with the so called thief, Lycia. His sudden obsession with the thief, Lycia, was growing by the day, and it made her more infuriated. She couldn’t understand what made this girl so special or why Cove seemed to be so reluctant to deal with her as he would any other intruder. She was baffled by the girl’s ability to stir something in Cove, something that made him hesitant, something that Morrigana had never seen before. It wasn’t just Lycia’s skill or her audacity; there was something about Lycia that had thrown Cove off balance, and Morrigana hated it. To her, Lycia was nothing but a distraction to her plans, a frightened thief. Yet somehow, she had managed to wedge herself into a place no one else had dared to occupy, one she has been trying to occupy for years.As she stalked through the dark hallways, her boots
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-01-24
Bab terbaru
The Alpha’s Luna and the Bloodmoon Amulet Chapter 39: The Line We Draw
The air was still thick with tension.Lycia’s breaths came fast and sharp, her body still burning from the brutal fight she just had with Morrigana. She had dirt clinging to her skin, mixing with sweat and she was clearly too exhausted to care about her looks. The training grounds had fallen into stunned silence, all eyes locked onto her and him.Cove.The Alpha.Cove stood tall before her, his silver eyes looking into hers, unreadable and unwavering. He extended his hand to help her stand up; a help Lycia thought to be a silent command and unspoken order.Lycia didn’t move.Her fingers curled into fists at her sides, jaw tight. Every muscle in her body screamed for rest, but she refused to show weakness. When she finally spoke, her voice was like steel.“I don’t need your help.”Cove’s thoughts didn’t change, but the look on his face showed he clearly was not up for games. For a moment, he simply watched her, as if weighing whether she was worth the patience.Then he exhaled, slow an
The Alpha’s Luna and the Bloodmoon Amulet Chapter 38: Clash of Beasts
The warriors' cheers echo through the training grounds, their roars of excitement vibrate through the earth, a clash of approval and bloodlust that fuels the battle unfolding before them. The sound is deafening, howls growing louder with every second, yet beneath it all, a different kind of weight settles over the onlookers.Lycia’s chest rose and fell, the heat still pulsing through her veins, but something deeper; was stirring inside her.The training ground was no longer just a battlefield. It had become an altar, and she was standing at its center, something sacred and cursed in the same breath. The whispers of the Lycans had died out, replaced by stunned silence, their bodies tense, and their instincts screaming at them to recognize the shift in power.Then Morrigana moved.With a wild snarl, Morrigana charged. No tricks, no games; just pure rage.Lycia barely had time to react before they crashed into each ot
The Alpha’s Luna and the Bloodmoon Amulet Chapter 37: The Unleashing
Lycia felt the shift in the moment she walked into the training ground. The air was thick with unspoken tension, pressing down on her like a weight. Conversations quieted as she entered, but the stares remained; lingering, calculating.Raven’s presence still clung to her like a ghost, her touch, her voice, the unsettling promises she had whispered. She could hear the hushed whispers, see the way people turned to each other, speaking just low enough that she couldn’t catch the words. But she didn’t need to. The cautious glances, the wariness in their eyes, told her everything.Raven’s words had already spread like wildfire, poisoning the air around her. Lycia forced herself to move forward, head high, steps steady. She had survived Raven’s games. Now, she had to survive this.“She doesn’t belong here.” The words slithered through the air, hushed yet sharp, spoken by a woman with narrowed eyes and lips pressed into a thin, disapproving line. Her fingers curled around the edge of her cloa
The Alpha’s Luna and the Bloodmoon Amulet Chapter 36: A Dangerous Bargain
A few weeks had gone by, yet the memory of what she had experienced with Maya still lingered in Lycia’s mind. It wasn’t just a warning; it was a certainty, and she was sure of it. Something was coming, something far greater than she could comprehend. And if she wasn’t ready, if she couldn’t control the storm brewing inside her, the consequences would be disastrous.But she couldn’t share it. Not with anyone, as of that moment she couldn’t trust anyone.The weight of it pressed down on her, a secret she had to bear alone. No one would understand, not truly. And even if they did, what could they do? This was her fight, her burden as Maya had said.She found herself walking through the vast estate, wandering into the forest. It was much more silent, all she could hear was the rustling of leaves beneath her boots. The moon’s light filtered through the flora canopy, casting silver streaks across the clearing where she trained alone. Every night, she came here, pushing herself, trying to co
The Alpha’s Luna and the Bloodmoon Amulet Chapter 35: The Prophecy of the Bloodmoon Amulet II
Lycia stiffened. “A prophecy? I think you have me mistaken. You see, I am only but a prisoner here. I don’t think I’m the one.”Maya’s gaze darkened, the weight of centuries pressing into her voice. She reached out, gripping Lycia’s shoulders with a quiet urgency that sent a shiver down her spine. “Listen to me, child,” she whispered, her tone raw with unshaken certainty. “You are more than you know; more than what they have told you, more than the blood that runs through your veins. You are destiny woven into flesh, a force the world has tried to silence, but it cannot. It will not.”Her fingers tightened, her eyes burning with an intensity that sent Lycia’s heart pounding. “You were never meant to be ordinary. You were never meant to bow. They will come for you, they will try to break you, but you….” Maya’s voice trembled with a fierce tenderness. “You will rise, child. You will burn brighter than the night they have tried to drown you in.”Lycia swallowed hard, her breath unsteady.
The Alpha’s Luna and the Bloodmoon Amulet Chapter 34: The Prophecy of the Bloodmoon Amulet
The whispers began before sleep had fully claimed her.Soft. Insidious. A voice neither of this world nor the next.Lycia stirred, but her body was no longer her own. Her feet moved, silent as the shadows, drawn to the unseen call.After what seemed like a long discussion with Cove, she finally retired to what used to be her prison. Sleep pulled her under like an unseen tide, dragging her into darkness.But this was no ordinary slumber.A whisper floated through the air; soft, ethereal, curling around her ears like a lover’s breath. A chill ran down her spine. Then another, layered upon the first, overlapping and weaving together like ghostly fingers brushing against her skin.She shuddered.Lycia’s breath hitched. Something felt wrong. The room seemed colder than before, the silence too absolute. Was she dreaming? Or awake?Then, the whisper changed.More insistent. More urgent.“Move!.” It whispered.Her fingers twitched. Her heart pounded. The air around her felt thick, heavy, char
The Alpha’s Luna and the Bloodmoon Amulet Chapter 33: A BARGAIN WITH THE ALPHA
Taking a shaky breath, she decided to tell him the truth; at least part of it."I needed the money," she admitted, her voice quieter now. "I didn’t care about the map or what it meant. I only took the job because Raven said it would pay well. I was desperate."Cove’s expression remained unreadable, but he didn’t interrupt, so she continued."I wanted to get out of Crimson City. I’ve spent my whole life scraping by, running from one bad situation to another. And I had someone to take care of; Jack. He’s sick, dying. I needed the money to help him too."That statement shocked Cove, but it was gone before she could place it."So you risked everything for a man who’s dying?" he asked, his voice lacking its usual sharpness.Lycia nodded. "I couldn’t just leave him to suffer. He’s the only family I have left. I never knew anything about the Bloodmoon Amulet, or why the map was so important. I just needed enough to disappear, to take Jack somewhere safe before it was too late."She met Cove’
The Alpha’s Luna and the Bloodmoon Amulet Chapter 32: THE PRICE OF SECRETS
Lycia’s breath was shallow as she pressed against the cold stone walls of her prison, her mind racing. Cove stood before her, the dim torchlight flickering across his sharp features, casting shadows that made him look even more menacing. He was too close—too still. And his silence was far worse than any words.Her heartbeat pounded in her ears as she forced herself to hold his gaze. "What do you want from me?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.Cove tilted his head slightly, studying her like a puzzle he was slowly piecing together. Then, in one fluid motion, he closed the distance between them, his hand pressing against the wall beside her head. The air shifted, charged, and for a moment, it wasn’t just fear that made her breath hitch."You tell me, thief," he murmured, his voice smooth, dangerous. "Why would someone like you risk everything for a map you claim to know nothing about?"She swallowed hard, her body betraying her with a shiver. "I… I didn’t know its worth. It
The Alpha’s Luna and the Bloodmoon Amulet Chapter 31: RUN, LYCIA, RUN
Her lungs burned as she pushed forward, every instinct screaming at her to run faster. But she could hear them behind her. The snarls, the pounding of paws against the earth. Panic shot through her veins like fire. Her lungs burned as she sprinted through the trees, her legs screaming in protest. She had no plan, just blind, desperate instinct gushing through her."Run, Lycia! Just run!" she choked out, her voice breaking with desperation.Behind her, the heavy pounding of boots and paws tore through the ground. They were closing in. They were faster. Stronger. They would catch her.No. No, she couldn’t let them.Lycia’s foot caught on an exposed root, twisting violently beneath her. A sharp burst of pain shot up her leg as she crashed to the ground, her palms scraping against the rough earth. The impact knocked the breath from her lungs, leaving her gasping, her body trembling from exhaustion and fear.She forced herself up, her vision blurring as she stumbled forward. But it was to
