Chapter 5: Prophecy

Anastasia's POV

The High Priestess, Claire Aubert, had pronounced that both Noah and I had become husband and wife under the Moon Goddess as she showed the bloodied mattress my husband and I had laid on. With this announcement, no one would dare to attack my loved ones. Oppie, Andreas, and the members who sided with me were safe and sound. 

While it might sound crazy, I had decided to take advantage of my husband's mercy to bring Oppie, Andreas, and the others to go with the Bloody Fangs. After all, I could never predict what would happen to them if I left them here under Constantine. My half-brother lied in order to make himself the Alpha. Surely, he would do more by executing Oppie, Andreas, and the others.

As soon as the High Priestess' declaration, I quickly asked Noah to go to the grassfield behind the castle. It was my favorite spot every time I needed to calm myself. Somehow, I felt that I could trust my husband. He didn't seem to be like what his reputation had portrayed.

"Is there something you want to tell me, Anna?" Noah asked me as he looked at me confusedly.

I nodded my head as I responded, "There actually is, Noah. I’d love to ask for your help, Noah. I wish to take my best friend, Ophelia, my assistant, Andreas, and the people who supported me before I was forcibly removed. I beg you."

After that, I started to kneel without even realizing it. I wished that I could bring Oppie, Andreas, and the others. For a while, my new husband kept quiet. It was as if he was hesitating to answer. Seeing him like that was nerve-wracking. Nevertheless, the man then gazed at me with his dark green eyes.

"Stop kneeling, Anna. You're my wife. It’s fine by me, Anna. But they won't loiter around. They'll help the Bloody Fangs and you," Noah said as he helped me to stand up.

His sentence really caught me off-guard as I responded by asking back, "Me?" 

"Yeah. Unfortunately, your brother had made a terrible mistake. We can't stay here any longer because it can be dangerous for you and your loved ones. So, we must ask the other packs to support you," my husband explained.

The moment I heard Noah, I hugged his body tightly. My husband seemed to be surprised, but he gently returned my hug. As I looked at this man, my tears started to fall from my eyes. 

It had been a long time since someone cared for me like this. From the earliest memory I had, I was taught to be a strong she-wolf. That was my responsibility. People were relying on me. Therefore, I couldn't let anyone know that I was a weak she-wolf. Yet, I also wished that someone could protect me. 

Could it be that Noah was my savior? Could I truly rely on him?

"Thank you," I said my gratitude to my husband sincerely.   

Noah just smiled gently as he rubbed tears falling from my eyes. His smile made me blush, which was embarrassing. But his smile quickly disappeared as he said in a serious matter, "Also, there’s something I want to tell you too. We'll talk later. It's something important. Related to the High Priestess."

The moment my husband mentioned the High Priestess, it reminded me of how the High Priestess had looked at me at my enthronement ceremony. Since the High Priestess' focus was on unworldly matters, she was neutral about my enthronement ceremony, my arrest, and my wedding. It was pretty much expected as the High Priestess wasn't supposed to be involved in worldly matters. 

However, there was one thing. I realized that her eyes had never left me every time I was around her. My guess was it had something to do with my wolf awakening at the age of 12 years old. Both the Varg Pack and the Lupin Pack had heard about it. Not to mention, the other creatures also heard about my wolf awakening as well. After all, it was very unusual.

I could still recall that day. At the time, I had a high fever. The doctors in my pack said that I wasn't able to make it to my 12th birthday. My father was enraged about it because he shifted into his wolf form and scared the doctors. On the other hand, Sophia and Damon looked very pleased with it. As for my half-brother, he was crying sadly because he didn't want something bad to happen to me.

Then, something shocking happened. The full moon was glowing so brightly as if the moon was the sun. It was very weird. Not only did this event happen in the Lupo Continent, the other places also experienced the same extremely bright moonlight. I knew it from my father who told me the Giant King, the Dwarf King, the Mermaid Queen, and the Vampire King had mentioned it.

Not long after that, I woke up. My father quickly hugged me, but I pushed him away as I screamed loudly as if I was about to die. To everyone's shock, it turned out that I shifted into my wolf form. That was the story.

However, I didn't feel any difference other than the fact that I was able to communicate with my wolf. After my early awakening, I had never been able to shift into my wolf form. Not to mention, Daphne rarely talked to me. That was why I thought that I might be able to do it once I reached my 18th birthday.

Both Noah and I were helping Oppie, Andreas, and others to pack our belongings. 

"Where are we going, Noah?" I asked my husband. 

"We'll go to the Lupin Pack first," he told me as he put his clothes in his luggage.

"By the way, we still haven't learned about each other," I told him.

My husband kept quiet as he nodded. The man then gazed softly at me, which I returned by looking at him lovingly. His gaze felt as if there were butterflies in my stomach. 

While our marriage began as something that both of us didn't expect, this was pretty sweet. I also realized that I fell for this man. The man who was known worldwide as the most bloodlust warrior was acting differently with me. I truly wished that he only acted like this for me. 

Eventually, we were ready to leave the Lykos Pack’s area after we had packed our belongings. Constantine, Damon, Sophia, and George wouldn't dare to do anything because of Noah's reputation. When all of us were ready to go out, I could see that Constantine was smiling at me mockingly.

Seeing him like that really pissed me off. It seemed that my husband could see how upset I was as he growled at my half-brother. Immediately, my cowardly little brother whimpered and hid behind his mother. His cowardly actions made me feel sad. What would the Lykos Pack be in the future?

As for Sophia, Damon, and George, they felt victorious because Constantine was the Alpha. I was confident that they would make Constantine as their puppet because my half-brother was easy to manipulate, unlike me. It really saddened me to no end.

'Sorry for failing you, Father,' I told myself as I left the pack's castle.

As I left my pack's territory, my pack members bowed slightly when they saw me. Seeing them like this really made me want to cry. I knew that I had failed them with my naivety and my powerlessness. If only I was a sharper one, I would never be removed as an Alpha. 

Still, I had to keep my head high. Even though I was no longer their Alpha, I had to go with my dignity intact after everything that I had gone through. 

Soon enough, we had left my pack territory. Based on my calculation, we were supposed to reach the Lupin Pack's territory in four days. It was still a long journey as the Lupo Continent was very huge.

By the time we reached a safe place to be turned into our campsite, it was already nighttime. Everyone started to prepare their tents. When I was about to get more firewood to make fire for all of us, I met with the High Priestess. I slightly bowed to show my respect to her as she showed her gentle smile. Again, I noticed that she kept staring at me.

"I believe you realize that you're unusual for werewolves, Anastasia," the High Priestess said.

Frankly, I didn't know how to respond. The only thing I could do was nod my head like an idiot. After that, the High Priestess held my hands tightly. 

"You're part of the prophecy, my dear," she continued, which really confused me.

"I don't think I understand what you mean, High Priestess," I responded.

"We need to talk privately with the Crimson Warrior," the woman said as she led me to her tent. 

"Do you mind telling the Crimson Warrior via mind-link?" she asked me, which made me nod.

It would be the first time I would talk to Noah via mind-link. Since both he and I were now married, we could communicate through mind-link even though we weren't from the same pack. Thinking of this made me feel excited. 

'Noah,' I called my husband through the mind-link.

He responded to me in the mind-link as well, 'Anna?' 

'The High Priestess asks us to meet in her tent,' I told him.

'Oh, yeah. We'll talk about something important related to the High Priestess. I'll come there real quick,' he said.

Not long after that, Noah came to the High Priestess' tent. Ever since we were called to show our bloodied mattress, my husband was still wearing his armor. It made me feel happy because his real face was only mine to be seen.

Immediately, I continued the discussion I had with the High Priestess by saying, "Let’s talk about what you said before, High Priestess. What do you mean by 'I’m part of the prophecy'?"

Claire, the High Priestess, looked at me as she asked me, "Have you read the Book of All Beliefs to All Beings?"

The Book of All Beliefs to All Beings was our holy scripture. Not only for us werewolves, but other creatures as well. That book was a guide to each creature's belief. It was the only one that united us supernatural creatures. However, there were some pages missing in the book when it came to prophecy regarding the Everlasting Winter.

Everlasting Winter was the big calamity told in the Book of All Beliefs to All Beings. It was said that the world would face an endless winter after it was corrupted so much by the evil in the world. Then, there would be someone to stop it. That someone was the Savior. It was said that the Savior was born from the Mother and the Father of the Savior. 

All creatures thought of the story as nothing but legend. That was why it shocked me that the High Priestess truly believed it.

"Yeah, I did read them in the past. Are you talking about the missing pages?" I asked the High Priestess in turn.

She nodded as she continued to talk, "You're special, Anastasia. Your early awakening shows that you're the Mother of the Savior, Anna. The womb you have will bring us the Greatest Warrior to fight the Everlasting Winter."

What the High Priestess just said truly blew my mind. I really found it hard to believe. Honestly, I really thought that she had gone mad. 

As if the High Priestess could read my mind, she got closer to me and said, "I know that you think I'm crazy. But the Everlasting Winter is coming soon. It has shown its signs. Your early wolf awakening was the initial sign of the Everlasting Winter. That's why we need to stop it."

It shocked me to my core. For a while, I was speechless. How could something as big as it fell upon me? When I looked at Noah, the man seemed pretty calm as if he had known. That raised my suspicion. 

"Is this what you want to discuss, Noah?" I asked my husband.

The man was quiet for a while, but he eventually answered gravely, "Yes, Anna." 

"The High Priestess had told the Bloody Fangs, Lupin Pack, and the Varg Pack that you're related to the prophecy. When we told your father, he refused to listen to us. But we can't cover it any longer. You're the part of the prophecy, Anastasia. That’s why we're married so that you can carry the Savior," Noah said in a weak voice as if he felt guilty.

When Noah said that, I felt that there were parts of my heart that felt as if they were shattered. That man only married me out of duty in order to make me pregnant with the Savior. My husband was never in love with me. 

Somehow, I felt numb. All those butterflies I had in my belly suddenly disappeared. The realization had hit me hard.

Noah was looking at me as he said, "Anna, please know that I-"

"Thank you for telling me that, Crimson Warrior, High Priestess," I said as I cut the man off.

The man tried to stop me as he held my hand, but I shook his hand violently as I excused myself.  As soon as I got out of the High Priestess' tent, I ran to a nearby forest to cry my heart out. 

I knew that man was too good to be true for me. Still, I thought that he was my one. It seemed that I was still a huge idiot.