Chapter Eighteen

The Ironclaw village buzzed with new life as we prepared to leave, the once-barren ground now dusted with green, the air clean and sharp with the scent of fresh earth. The pack moved with purpose, their faces brighter, their eyes no longer dulled by the curse. Children laughed, running between the stone houses, their voices a stark contrast to the silence we’d found when we arrived. My hand rested on my stomach, the flutter of my child steady, a quiet strength that mirrored the hope around me. I was Lycan, a mother, a healer, and I’d broken a curse, but the weight of what I’d done—and what still lay ahead—pressed heavy on my heart.

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‎Rex stood beside me, his red eyes scanning the village, his broad frame a steady presence. The bond between us pulsed, warm and sure, tying us together through blood and love. He hadn’t let go of my hand since the circle, since my blood had woken the land, and I felt his strength, his pride, in every glance. But I saw the worry too, the shadow in his eyes, like he knew this wasn’t the end.

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‎Mara, the Ironclaw Alpha, approached, her grey-streaked hair glinting in the sunlight, her storm-cloud eyes soft with gratitude. “You’ve given us a future, Talia,” she said, her voice steady but warm. “The Lycan blood is more than we hoped. Stay, please, just for today.”

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‎I glanced at Rex, his jaw tight, his hand squeezing mine. “We need to get back,” he said, his voice low, protective. “Moonshadow is waiting. And Talia needs rest.”

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‎I shook my head, my voice firm. “One day,” I said, meeting Mara’s gaze. “For them.” I looked at the children, their smiles bright, and felt the flutter in my stomach, my child’s quiet agreement. I wasn’t just fighting for Moonshadow anymore, or for myself. I was fighting for all of them, for a world where no child grew up under a curse.

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‎Rex’s eyes softened, a flicker of pride breaking through his worry. “One day,” he agreed, his voice softer now, his thumb brushing my hand.

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‎The Ironclaw pack welcomed us, their homes open, their tables laden with what little they had—bread, dried meat, fresh water from a newly flowing stream. We sat among them, Moonshadow and Ironclaw together, their voices mingling, their laughter a sound I hadn’t known I needed. A young girl, the one who’d hugged me after the circle, sat close, her thin hands clutching a piece of bread, her eyes bright with questions.

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‎“Are you really a Lycan?” she asked, her voice small but bold. “Like in the stories?”

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‎I smiled, my heart warm. “I am,” I said, my voice steady. “But I’m also just Talia. Like you’re just you.”

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‎She grinned, her face lighting up, and I felt it—the hope I’d given them, the hope they gave me. Rex watched, his red eyes soft, and I saw it again, that love he’d confessed, not just in the bond but in the way he looked at me, like I was his world.

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‎As evening fell, the village gathered around a fire, the flames casting shadows on the stone houses. Mara stood, raising a cup of water, her voice clear. “To Talia,” she said, her eyes on me. “The cursed wolf, who chose salvation. To the Lycan who healed us.”

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‎The packs cheered, their voices rising, a howl that shook the night. I stood, my hand in Rex’s, my other hand on my stomach, and nodded, tears stinging my eyes. “To all of us,” I said, my voice loud, steady. “To the future we’ll build together.”

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‎The fire crackled, the stars bright above, and I felt the warmth in my chest, not just my wolf, not just the bond, but something bigger—love, purpose, home. But as the cheers faded, a chill ran through me, sharp and sudden, like a warning. My wolf stirred, alert, and I glanced at Rex, his eyes narrowing, sensing it too.

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‎A low growl came from the forest, faint but unmistakable. The packs froze, their hands reaching for weapons, their eyes glowing in the firelight. Rex pulled me close, his body a shield, his voice low. “Stay with me,” he said, his red eyes scanning the trees.

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‎Mara stepped forward, her face hard. “It’s not over,” she said, her voice grim. “The curse is broken, but its echoes remain. Those who fed on its power—they won’t let go so easily.”

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‎My heart raced, the warmth in my chest flaring, hot and fierce. I shifted, my silver-grey fur shimmering, my claws digging into the earth. Rex shifted beside me, his black wolf massive, his red eyes blazing. The bond pulsed, tying us together, and I felt the pack behind us, Moonshadow and Ironclaw united, their howls rising as shapes moved in the trees.

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‎They came fast, not rogues this time, but wolves with purpose, their fur dark, their eyes glowing red—not like Rex’s, but cruel, hungry. I didn’t know who they were, but I felt it—their connection to the curse, to the betrayal Mara had spoken of, the ancestors who’d stolen Lycan power. My blood had woken the land, but it had woken them too.

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‎I lunged, my wolf fierce, my claws slashing through the first attacker, blood hot on my fur. Rex was beside me, his snarls echoing, his teeth tearing through flesh. The packs fought as one, their blades flashing, their howls a chorus of defiance. I moved with a strength I was still learning, my Lycan blood alive, not just fighting but healing, pushing back the darkness that clung to these wolves.

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‎One broke through, its eyes locked on me, its jaws wide. I dodged, my claws ripping its side, but it was fast, its teeth grazing my flank, pain searing through me. Rex’s roar shook the air, his wolf tackling it, his claws ending it in a spray of blood. He turned to me, his eyes wild, checking me, and I growled, low and steady, telling him I was fine.

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‎The fight ended as quickly as it began, the dark wolves falling, their bodies still, their red eyes dimming. I shifted back, my breath ragged, my flank stinging but healing, my Lycan blood working fast. Rex was beside me, human again, blood streaking his face, his hand reaching for mine.

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‎“You’re hurt,” he said, his voice rough, his eyes searching mine.

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‎“I’m okay,” I said, my voice steady, my hand pressing to my stomach, the flutter strong, reassuring. “We’re okay.”

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‎He pulled me close, his arms warm, his heart pounding against mine. “I can’t lose you,” he whispered, his voice breaking, and I felt it—his love, his fear, his vow.

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‎“You won’t,” I said, my voice soft but firm, my hands gripping his shirt. “I’m here, Rex. For you, for our child, for all of them.”

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‎The packs gathered, their faces grim but hopeful, their wounds proof of what we’d fought for. Mara approached, her eyes bright with respect. “You’ve done more than break the curse,” she said, her voice steady. “You’ve given us a chance to fight, to live.”

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‎I nodded, tears stinging my eyes, the warmth in my chest steady, not just my wolf, not just the bond, but me—whole, strong, home. The stars shone above, the village alive with new growth, and I knew this wasn’t the end. The prophecy, the enemies, the power in my blood—they’d come again. But I was ready, with Rex, with the pack, with the child I’d protect.

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‎As we turned back to the fire, the packs howling together, I stood taller, my hand in Rex’s, my heart full. I was Talia, Lycan, mother, healer, and I’d face whatever came, with love, with strength, with the family I’d found.