Mia's POVAlpha Fenrir turned to look at Lycidas with something akin to humour born of unbelief in his eyes. "Gonzalo told me you lost your memories. He didn't tell me you also lost your dignity, boy," he said. Lycidas's face showed confusion for a moment, then his face heated as he realized what he just did. "Well, it's not like it was my fault…" he mumbled defensively. "And it fulfills the prophecy, doesn't it?" his voice was bolder now. Alpha Fenrir continued looking at him, but there was curiosity in his face now. "What do you mean it's not your fault?" he asked. Lycidas blushed even more. By the side, Martha sniggered quietly, but stopped when Mabel shot her a glare. The corners of her mouth turned down though, and I noticed she was glaring at Lycidas with disdain. "Well…." Lycidas began. "Everything I know was told to me by Alpha Gonzalo," he said. "I can't remember anything beyond when he found me half dead with a knife in my throat." "Alright," Alpha Fenrir nodded. Ly
Mia's POVWe all walked in the tunnel for a few seconds before I couldn't hold back and had to ask."So…I really have corruption in my blood?" I asked. My heart was beating hard just thinking of it. The words felt like barbed wires as they scratched past my throat into my mouth and past my lips. I felt my eyes burn and my vision swam with tears, but I cleaned them quickly and listened for his reply. Alpha Fenrir took some time to reply. When he did, it was in an oddly amused voice that seemed so out of place with the gravity of the topic, at least to me. "You see," he said, turning back to give me a quick glance before facing forward again. He was the one leading us through the tunnel system. Mabel had told us on the night we escaped to here that it was connected to the underground chamber of the cottage and may other hideouts of the Sulfur Hands branch in Blood Moon pack. I never expected Alpha Fenrir to know said network, but since he was leading us now with Mabel in the far re
Mia's POVI looked at the stretching darkness on my left. Then I turned to look at the one on my right. After that, I looked at the one I had just emerged from. Three different pathways to follow.When Mabel told us that it was easy to get lost in this tunnel system just after we escaped from the invasion, she won the award for the grossest understatement. The real words should have been: in that tunnel system, it's impossible not to get lost. It would have been more correct. There was just no way I could have been lost except it was impossible not to get lost. As far as I could remember, I had only run in a straight line when I left the group. Maybe a turn or two, I had been too broken and my vision too blurry from tears to really pay attention to where I was going. But that shouldn't be the reason for me to get as lost I as I was now. I looked at the three alternatives I had and sighed again. I could go back the way I came and try to find another way, take the left, or take th
Mia's POVMy brain struggled to comprehend what he just said. "But …" I started to say. But he cut me off. "There's no but, dear. Your parents, are they your blood or not?" Alpha Fenrir asked. I nodded. "Of course they are," I said. Even if they are corrupted now, they are still my blood. "Exactly," Alpha Fenrir said, clapping me in the shoulder. "Actually, when we interpreted the prophecy, that was our interpretation of that line," he said. "We never thought the case of Lycidas would be possible. In fact, it never occurred to us," Saying this, he turned and continued walking forward. Lycidas smiled at me, but mercifully held his tongue. Martha scoffed and put some distance between us, but Mabel had a gentle smile on her face.A knowing smile. The two men, who walked a little behind Alpha Fenrir maintained a blank expression as they have since I first saw them. We walked in silence after that, with only the echoes of our footsteps bouncing off the tunnels and walls. As we wa
Mia's POVMy eyes widened as I looked around the chamber. It wasn't just the corrupted one before us. Every one of the corrupted in their glass cages were convulsing terribly. Their eyes glowed redder than I had ever seen it, and they bared their teeth in a snarl. It occured to me it was the first time I had ever seen a corrupted snarl. Their fangs were surprisingly white, glowing in the dim light of the chamber. They snarled and howled and strained against their chains. "The moonstone!" Alpha Fenrir said, his great coming in short gasps. "I need the moonstone now!" The moonstone? I have heard the name before, but I can't for the life of me remember where. Lycidas looked like he knew what it was though. He darted off to a corner of the chamber. But Mabel beat him to it. She darted to a cabinet at the corner of the chamber and picked out a grey stone. All at once, I remembered where I had first heard the word, moonstone. It was the first day I came down here with Mabel. Then, she
Mia's POV"No," Alpha Fenrir said quickly. "Not kill. Just incapacitate them," However, Martha didn't hear it. Before Alpha Fenrir was done speaking, she had already rushed into the tightening circle of corrupted. Sighing, Mabel rushed in after her. And so did Alpha Fenrir almost immediately. Like his shadow, the two men that had been following him rushed in after him too. That left Lycidas and I. We looked at each other. Lycidas smiled. I was fully expecting him to say something mocking about how I can't fight. To my surprise, he didn't. He just smiled slightly, a sincere smile, and said,"You can stay here. I will take care of any one that comes close —" "No, thanks," the words fell out of my mouth before the stun set in. And then it did and my jaws fell open in shock. Was Lycidas sick? That was the only explanation for his recent behaviours. Either that, or Hazel had somehow managed to swap him out with a very advanced corrupted that didn't know how distasteful Lycidas usuall
Lycidas's POV We stood, panting. Twitching and snarling bodies of corrupted wolves littered the ground around us, but they were harmless now. Unless of course, you got too close. They could scratch you or even bite if you're too close. I looked up at the trapdoor through which Mia had disappeared. A whirl of emotions churned in my heart, many of them unidentified. It wasn't the first time I had seen her suddenly powerful, or felt that….would I call it aura, from her. I had seen her like that just earlier in the day after all, when she saved me from the Silver Hand. But why do I feel like she's gotten stronger since then? Could such thing happen? It doesn't make sense. Hell, her wolf hadn't even surfaced fully, and had stayed less than an hour the last time. She couldn't have gotten so used to it that there is a noticeable increase in her strength in such a short time, could she? "Let's go," Alpha Fenrir said, his breath coming out in short gasps, as was Mabel's. Martha though, d
Lycidas's POVIt was a long walk back to the cottage's underground, with me wondering each time I took a turn whether I took a wrong one. My footsteps echoed in the empty tunnels as I walked, which made the experience even worse. But Mia needed a consoling shoulder at the moment, and it was my duty as her mate to provide it, even if we felt ko mate bond yet. Eventually though, I made it back to the chamber. As I stood at the dark corner that led to the tunnel and looked at the scene inside the chamber, I realised that Alpha Fenrir was right when he talked about the quick recovery of the corrupted. Though they were no longer growling and snarling, they weren't lying as still as we left them. Most of them were already crawling, either pushing themselves with the tip of their toes and their jaws, or pulling themselves with their fingers. I couldn't bring myself to pass right through them, even if they looked harmless at the moment. So I walked around the edges of the chamber till I g
Mia's POVA stone struck true, pulverizing the creature's eye with a sickening crunch. With a howl of agony, the wolf collapsed to the ground, its lifeblood staining the earth beneath it. As the last vestiges of life faded from its eyes, I breathed evenly and transformed back. Running up quickly, I jumped and kissed my mate. The flames on his hair were hot but they were not unbearable and they died down as he held me and kissed me back. It took all my willpower to break free from him and let us breath. Strands of sticky saliva trailed our lips as we parted and I was flushed up to my ears, breathless."Mia?" He breathed, looking at me in surprise.I would have grinned at him if I were not too busy being stunned."Xavier?!" I exclaimed. "What in the world?! How? I thought...""You never did see me without my turban," he teased. And he was right come to think of it."So the memory loss...""I did lose my memory," he said, shaking his head. "But I guess could say that an eyeball helped me
Mia's POVHe was no corrupted - he was much worse.In a desperate bid to end the chaos, I shifted into my wolf form, my white fur shimmering in the dim light of the throne room. With a newfound agility, I darted around the monstrous creature, my speed unmatched as I evaded its savage blows.But Hazel was relentless, his attacks coming fast and furious as he sought to overpower me with sheer brute force. With each passing moment, the battle grew more intense, the clash of claw and sinew echoing throughout the chamber.I ducked and weaved, narrowly avoiding each blow as I fought to keep the creature at bay. But despite my best efforts, I could feel my strength waning, the relentless pace of our battle taking its toll on my weary body..The battle raged on, each blow striking home with deadly precision as I fought to bring Hazel to his knees. With a primal snarl, I launched myself at the creature once more, my claws tearing through its flesh with savage ferocity.With one final, decisiv
Mia's POV"Yeah," I grinned at her. "Now please someone tell me what is going on? How did everyone get here?""There is little time for that," Amelia said, a scary amount of hope alight in her eyes. "Alpha King Hazel has gone mad and he is turning people left and right corrupted." I could see that everyone was surprised to hear this. But the forest itself whispered to me that she spoke the truth. "But he also has a way to cure the corruption. It is a wand in beneath his throne."I smiled at her and gazed out at the Sulfur Hands gathered. I did not see Lycidas but that was not a problem. I was certain he was alright."Well guys, it is the night of the blood moon. I have to tell you that I've got a castle to storm so come on out all of you and get away already. You've all done your part for me. Let me do mine for you."I saw them off and turned to face the vague direction of the palace.The eyeball (I could not get its name) had told me; Blood Moon prophecy Layer 5: The Inheritor shall
Mia's POVWith a surge of adrenaline, I plunged the knife into the creature's main body, my hands steady despite the trembling of my limbs. The blade sank deep into its flesh, eliciting a guttural roar of pain as the creature thrashed and writhed beneath me. Each movement was a dance of desperation, a desperate bid for survival against an opponent that seemed unstoppable.But even as I fought with all the strength and skill I could muster, I could feel the tendrils of exhaustion creeping into my limbs, sapping my strength and clouding my thoughts. How many times had I faced this creature? How many times had I died, only to wake and face it once again?The creature's death throes were violent and chaotic, its massive form convulsing with the last vestiges of life as it fought against the inevitable. But I was relentless, my resolve unshakeable as I drove the knife deeper and deeper into its flesh, refusing to let up until the creature lay still and silent beneath me.With a final, ragg
Hazel's POVAs I stand in the dimly lit chamber, the vial of corrupted blood held delicately between my fingers, I can feel the weight of expectation bearing down upon me. Zion's eyes bore into me with a pensive gaze, his expression unreadable as he observes my every move. The air is heavy with anticipation, charged with the possibility of what is to come.With a steady hand, I bring the vial to my lips and drink deeply, allowing the thick, viscous liquid to slide down my throat. The taste is metallic, tinged with a hint of something dark and otherworldly. But as the last drop passes my lips, I feel no surge of power, no sudden transformation. I am not surprised.I never expected the corrupted blood to grant me any sort of supernatural abilities. My purpose in drinking it was not to gain power, but to align myself with the prophecy, to force my way into its narrative. And in that regard, I believe I have succeeded.As I lower the vial, I meet Zion's gaze with a sense of calm resolve.
???'s POV Amidst the vast expanse of the celestial realm, I found myself floating among the stars, my consciousness adrift in a sea of cosmic wonders. Suddenly, a commanding voice reverberated through the void, pulling me from my reverie with its otherworldly resonance."Little thing," the voice called out, its words echoing through the cosmos like the distant rumble of thunder. Startled, I responded tentatively, my voice barely a whisper in the vastness of space. "Who... who's there?"I was ignored as the voice continued to speak. I listened intently as the voice spoke of the troubles that plagued mortals, of the ebb and flow of life, and of the chaos that reigned in the mortal realm. The voice seemed to ramble on for a while, its words swirling around me like a whirlwind of cosmic energy. It spoke of mortals and their endless troubles, of how they always seemed to find new ways to bring chaos and destruction upon themselves. It seemed rather easy to notice that it was the 'eyeball'
???'s POVI opened my mouth to protest, to demand answers to the questions that burned within me, but she cut me off with a dismissive wave of her hand. "I don't want to hear it," she said coldly, her gaze hardening as she turned away from me. "Just go. Leave me alone. Go do whatever you want to. I don't care. My Lycidas is not here. Please, just... Stop. You truly are not Lycidas. I do not know who you are, but you are not my beloved."I stood there in stunned silence, the weight of her words hanging heavy in the air between us. Part of me wanted to press her for answers, to demand to know what she meant by all of this. But another part of me knew that it was futile – that she would not deign to repeat herself. And even though I could not claim to know much else, I knew somehow that she was hundred percent certain that I was not Lycidas. And not in a character or behavioural kind of way. As in, I was fundamentally not Lycidas.With a heavy heart, I turned and walked away, the sound o
Lycidas' POVThe soft glow of moonlight filtered through the curtains, casting a gentle illumination over Mia's room as I sat by her bedside, my fingers intertwined with hers as if holding onto a lifeline. The rhythmic rise and fall of her chest was the only indication of life, her face serene in slumber as she lay unconscious before me.I never realized how much I would miss her until now – the absence of her laughter, her vibrant energy, leaving a gaping hole in my heart that seemed impossible to fill. And yet, here she lay, so close yet so far, trapped in the grasp of an unknown darkness that threatened to consume her whole.I squeezed her hand gently, willing her to wake up, to return to me so that I could see the light in her eyes once more. But no matter how fervently I wished for her recovery, she remained still, her breathing steady but shallow, a silent reminder of the fragility of life.My mind drifted back to that fateful night when the ritual had gone awry, the memory of t
Amelia's POVI sat in the room with Alpha Gonzales and the injured Alpha Fenrir, my mind consumed by a whirlwind of thoughts and worries. The conversation between the two Alphas drifted in and out of my consciousness, the words fading into the background as I struggled to focus on the present moment.My thoughts kept returning to the letter I had received just before setting off with Alpha Gonzales—a missive that had filled me with a sense of foreboding unlike anything I had ever experienced before. The words were etched into my mind, haunting me with their ominous implications.In my mind's eye, I saw the image of the small mouse, my faithful messenger, as it hurried into my room with urgent purpose. Its tiny paws had trembled as it presented me with the letter, a sense of urgency emanating from its very being. With trembling hands, I had broken the seal and unfolded the parchment, my heart sinking as I read the words inscribed upon it.The once cryptic message had become alarmingly