Chapter 4

Following the instructions, I unlocked the barrier, and in the next moment, Silent Peak finally appeared before me in its true form.

From the outside, the mountain had always looked mystical, with mists surrounding the cliffs like something out of a dream. However, now that I stood before it, I saw the truth. The entire peak was shrouded in death—dark, heavy, and suffocating.

The trail wound upward, covered in brittle leaves and shattered stones. No creatures wandered the slopes, not even a flicker of life or a whisper of wind. Only an unnatural silence spread.

“There’s no sunlight at all, so how is it getting hotter?”

I muttered under my breath as I wiped the sweat from my forehead. The elders always said Silent Peak brimmed with primal life energy, a sacred place where a werewolf’s power could grow. However, this was nothing but decay.

Finding that Lycan could wait. Right now, if I didn’t find water soon, I was going to die of thirst.

The moment I entered the mountain, my body started burning up, and my head grew foggy. A creeping dread that something bad might happen tightened in my chest. Thankfully, after a while, I heard the faint sound of running water. I followed it, only to find a serene pool tucked between the rocks.

At that point, danger didn’t matter anymore. My body felt like it was on fire, my thoughts too blurred to process anything. I shifted straight into my wolf form and leapt into the water. However, the coolness barely soothed me. The heat deep inside refused to fade, and a burning ache twisted low in my body.

Perfect. Of course, my heat cycle decided to show up now.

I gathered my strength, trying to calm myself down, but it barely helped. Even as a Silvermoon Alpha, nothing could rewrite that biological instinct. That was why our kind sought mates once we reached maturity. Without one, some werewolves really would suffer to death.

If only there were a male werewolf around.

Annoyed, I glanced around and paused. There was a cave hidden deep within the pool, where its entrance faintly glowed gold.

Could that be Moonshine Heart? And inside was…

Holding my breath, I swam inside where, atop a stone pillar, curled a Golden Lycan far larger and more impressive than any I’d ever seen—a perfect specimen of our race. However, his eyes were closed.

I didn’t dare make a sound. I landed beside him carefully, my body trembling as I pulled out the moonpetal pollen and placed it near his nose. Unfortunately, standing so close only worsened the heat tearing through me.

Soon, the Lycan’s eyes snapped open. In one explosive movement, he leapt down from the pillar. The entire structure cracked and collapsed behind him.

Startled, I stumbled back, but the werewolf lunged toward me, his gaze sharp enough to pierce straight through bone. Did the moonpetal pollen not work?

I tried to run, but my legs had already given out. I collapsed onto the ground, helpless.

The Lycan roared, brushing past me before launching himself out of the cave. The pool outside erupted as his power churned the water violently. Then, he returned, charging back inside.

Just as I thought he was going to tear me apart, he spoke, “I’ve been waiting for you.”

The Lycan began circling me, over and over, before nudging me upright with his massive body. His skin was just as hot and fevered as mine. Our breaths grew heavy and uneven. When our eyes met, the hunger in them was unmistakable.

He lifted a claw, but instead of striking, he pulled me gently into his arms. His hold tightened, wrapping around me until I could barely think at all. My vision blurred as I looked down at our entwined bodies.

“Oh god. That… that size is unreal.”

The symbol of his power pulsed with heat and intent. My heart seized, and I swallowed hard, instinctively wanting to flee. However, my body—lost to the frenzy of heat—refused to move. All I could do was surrender to the Lycan’s touch.

He knew exactly what he was doing. Every brush of his claws sent waves of pleasure rolling through me. I couldn’t even tell whether the moonpetal pollen had affected him.

“Do you like it?”

His voice was low and rough. This was only the second thing he’d said.

Then, his body pressed against mine again, pulling me deeper, stealing the final remnants of my sanity.