A Decision with a consequence

Maeve's POV

The night air was cool and crisp, a stark contrast to the warmth and comfort I had left behind. I didn’t know where I was headed; I only knew that I couldn’t bear to stay in Hexon any longer.

Hours passed, and exhaustion began to weigh me down. I found myself in an unfamiliar forest, far from the territory I had grown up in. The moon above was my only companion, its silver glow casting long shadows that danced among the trees. I had never felt so lost and alone.

As the night deepened, I settled beneath a towering oak tree, its branches providing a semblance of shelter. The events of the evening replayed in my mind like a tormenting loop, and I cried until there were no tears left to shed. I was an outcast, condemned by my own actions and the unforgiving rules of my world.

That night, as I lay beneath the tree, the forest seemed to whisper secrets to me. It was as if the ancient spirits of the woods were trying to tell me something, to guide me in a new direction. But I was too distraught to listen, too consumed by my own despair.

Then, in the darkest hours before dawn, a man appeared before me. He emerged from the shadows, his presence eerie yet strangely comforting. His eyes held a glint of otherworldly knowledge, and he regarded me with a mixture of sympathy and curiosity.

I tensed, my instincts warning me of the dangers of the unknown. But the man spoke softly, his voice a gentle murmur in the stillness of the forest. “ What is your name?” he asked.

“ Maeve,” I muttered.

“ You have been wronged, cast aside by those who fear the unknown. But I can offer you a new path, a chance for revenge and redemption.” His words sent a shiver down my spine.

Revenge? It was a dangerous proposition, one that would only deepen the divide between me and the Lycan kings. But I was desperate, with nowhere to turn and no one to confide in.

“What do you mean?” I asked, my voice shaky.

The man’s lips curved into a mysterious smile. “I can help you gain the power and knowledge you need to make the kings regret their actions. Together, we can forge a path that will leave them no choice but to recognize your worth.”

I hesitated, torn between the need for vengeance and the fear of what lay ahead. But there was a fire in my heart, a burning desire to prove that I was more than just an anomaly. With no other choice, I made a decision that would change the course of my life.

“Okay,” I whispered, a tremor of determination in my voice. “ But what is your name?”

“ I am Lohki,” he said with a smile before he extended his hand, and I took it, sealing our unspoken pact.

Erik’s POV

It has been two years since the recent tragic events. Leon, Caden, and I gathered to confront the dire circumstances we found ourselves in. Hexon was plagued by tragedy: the Lycans were perishing, and the Alphas who served us were growing increasingly frail. The birth of Lycan and werewolf pups had become a rarity, and a shadow of despair loomed over the land.

The cause of this affliction remained a mystery, and it was whispered that such evil could only be wrought by the rejection of a Lycan Luna, but that could not be true. The girl I had rejected two years ago was not a Lycan, she was an Omega. So what could have caused this?

When I arrived at Hexon Court, I kept thinking about it but, somehow deep in my heart, I think I knew the answer. It was bizarre, but it was the only sensible reason for this to happen.

As I entered, the Lycan chiefs arose and bowed to me. Caden stood too to greet me even though he was a Lycan King. He knew I held the greatest power among us three. But Leon remained seated. He had no regard for rules or customs and this was one of the reasons he despised me. I always upheld the rules and our sacred tradition.

As I sat down at the round table, I avoided Leon’s burning glare. He never liked me nor did I like him, but since I rejected that woman, his dislike for me became so glaring, but I couldn’t care less. She was not deserving and he knew it.

Yola, our chief priestess, stepped forward with a sense of urgency and solemnity. Her voice trembled as she addressed us,“ Well…” she started. “ I never thought we would have to converge like this again, but given the sudden tragic events, I have come to discover that there is a way to restore the balance, to heal our land and our people.”

We all turned to look at her, giving her our full attention and she smiled. “ Tell us what is it, woman!” Jared, the Alpha of Evergreen pack said. He was under my rule, but he was quite ill-tempered and rude to women.

“ Do not speak to her like that, Jared. She’s lived a longer life than you could ever dream of, you should respect her wise words,” Caden said, taking the words right out of my mouth.

He muttered an apology and looked away from Caden, but when he caught my burning glare, he shuddered and apologized properly to Yola.

“So what exactly is this solution you speak of,” Leon said. The whole time his eyes had not left me.

“ We must find the girl you all rejected two years ago,” Yola said, and we all turned sharply at her, stunned that she could even suggest such a thing.

The suggestion was met with resistance from both Caden and I. But Leon’s face turned bright with a smile as he said,“ Well, isn’t that good news? I never rejected her anyway, it was Erik who rejected her and banished her. We had no hand in this.”

I scoffed at his statement. What does he know about responsibility? All he had was practically handed down to him. Someone like him would not have the balls to do what I did – and what I did had to be done!

I voiced my objections first, “The girl was no Lycan Yola, she was not suitable.”

“ So that night when you saw her, you felt nothing? Is that what you’re trying to say?” Leon said, his eyes seething with contempt as he awaited my answer.

I looked away, knowing the answer but reluctant to publicly admit it. She was indeed a beauty and what I felt for her that night was…indescribable. I was consumed by her scent and those beautiful brown eyes of hers. I almost lost myself in them, but I would’ve been a fool to give in.

“ Erik, she is the key to this. I know she isn’t a Lycan, but she was your mate regardless. You shouldn’t have made that decision. Everything became worse the very night you banished her.”

I respected Yola, but her words cut me like a knife. So she means to say that I should’ve defied our law for a pretty face?

“ Well, at least someone else said it,” Leon sneered.

“ If you wanted her so badly, why didn’t you counter my words? You are very much as guilty as I was.” I said, looking him cold in the eye.

“ Shut up,” he muttered while I smirked. Knowing he couldn’t deny it too. Our attraction to her was intense, but something about it was not right.

“ It’s alright Yola. I will send my men to look for the girl. You two should do the same. I need to head back, I have other business to run,” Caden said. He bowed to me before he left, while Leon just rolled his eyes and left soon after.

Months passed, and more deaths were recorded. Things were getting out of hand. I even joined the search for the girl but all to no avail. Soon, we set up another meeting, hoping to find another way this time around, but the meeting had barely begun when a messenger arrived at Hexon bearing a message from Lycan King Lohki, the demon king.