DARIUS POV
I rested my head on the wall and stared down at Ravenna's sleeping face. She had lost consciousness before those words had even been completed.I had driven us back to the hotel, cleaned her and put her in bed. Despite her body being naked, no desire had sparked in me.The fear I had felt from that clearing still clung to me brutally.I had never known true fear in my life until that moment.At first I didn't know what was happening until I heard her bones snapped and her claws lengthened. The fear had taken root then.Shifting for the first time was brutal, painful. Some didn't come out of it. Some get lost to their wolves and animal instincts take over their humanity.Pups were prepared from birth for their shifting. But I knew there hadn't been any preparation for Ravenna.If I was assuming correctly she was born without a wolf. But that… that wasThe cave was silent except for the faint whimpering of Dalian's weak wolf form and Mia's heartbroken sobs. The light of the Blood Moon was gone now, replaced by the cold light of dawn. The air was still thick with sorrow and defeat.Darius, still holding Dalian's limp body, looked at Mia, his face a mask of grim determination. "Which way?" he asked, his voice low and heavy. "You said you know the path. Where do we go from here—left or right?"Mia looked at the dark, silent cave walls. Everything ranging from the fight to this was too much. It had all been too much for her heart. Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. She tried to remember the path, she tried remembering the paths but nothing was coming at all. And especially not from where she was currently."I... I don't know, Darius," she whispered, her voice cracking. "I... I think I've forgotten."Ravenna, who had just come to stand beside them, shook her head, tears streaming down her face."Mia, it's too late. There'
The cave was now silent. Nyx was gone, and all that was left was a pile of dust where her dark, powerful life had been.But the victory felt empty, like it was the beginning of an agony. Dalian lay motionless, his body was still and pale.Aria lay bleeding, the silver dagger was still stuck in her back, with a growing pool of blood around her.As Nyx's magic vanished, a sound that resembled stone scraping against stone echoed throughout the cave.The ropes that bound Dalian and Ravenna instantly turned to dust. The spells holding them were gone. Ravenna, whose body was bruised from Nyx's attack, pushed herself up, slowly trying to regain consciousness. But that was cut short almost immediately when her eyes caught the brewing tragedy. Her eyes widened with fear as she saw her brother's still form. She scrambled over to him, her hands trembling as she felt for a pulse."Dalian? Dalian, no!" she sobbed, her voice cracking with pain.Bianca, who had just used her magic to defeat the most
With Nyx's magic gone, the air in the cave changed. The heavy, dark feeling had been lifted and replaced by the raw, furious energy of the Alpha.Darius charged forward, his eyes burning with rage. Nyx, her face was filled with disbelief and panic, scrambled back, trying to escape."You old witch, you have done more harm than good," Darius growled, his voice a low and dangerous rumble. "Your game is over, Nyx."Just as Darius was about to grab her, Aria moved. She raised her hands and unleashed a blast of magic that sent Darius flying backward. He hit the wall hard, groaning in pain.Aria’s face was no longer a mask of fear. It was full of twisted, triumphant glee. "You fool! We didn't ask for you. You asked for us, and we are here," she shrieked, her voice high and cruel. "We must take what we need, and you won't stop us!"Mia, seeing Darius fall, was filled with pure animal rage. Her wolf was already taking charge. Mia pushed herself to her feet and, in a flash of shifting bone and
The cave entrance exploded, but Nyx was not afraid. She was furious that Darius and his warriors had dared to interrupt her ritual.“Stop!” Darius commanded. “You will release my people, Nyx. These people have done nothing to you! Release them and you get to walk out of here in one piece.”Nyx burst into wicked, loud laughter that vibrated in the space. “So much bravery, Darius. So much bravery. But these people are going nowhere—and you too.”As Darius and his pack charged in, Nyx raised her hands, her eyes glowing with a dark, flowing power. The symbols carved into the cave walls pulsed with a matching red light from the Blood Moon."You fools!" she shrieked, her voice echoing off the stone walls like thunderclaps. "Did you truly think you could stop me? On this night, in this place, I am the most powerful being alive! Your strength is nothing against me! I am the magic!"She unleashed blasts of pure, dark energy, one after the other, and the spells hit the warriors with a force tha
Mia charged forward, her heart beating frantically against her chest. All she could see was Dalian, tied up and helpless on the cold cave floor. A powerful wave of fear, sadness, and anger washed over her, pushing aside every single thought of caution Bianca had warned her about.She rushed forward, leaving Ravenna and Bianca behind in the shadows of the cave's entrance."Dalian!" she cried, her voice echoing in the empty cave. She fell to her knees beside him, her hands reaching for his tied wrists. His eyes were half-closed, his face was pale and covered in beads of sweat."Dalian? Can you hear me?" she whispered, hot tears already flowing from her eyes. "What did they do to you? Are you okay?"He mumbled something, too soft for her to understand. His body was limp and heavy. He was barely conscious, and he seemed to be in some kind of unnatural sleep caused by Nyx.Just then, a voice cut through the air, smooth and cold like ice."Alright… Look who we have here."Mia spun around. I
Mia, Ravenna, and Bianca didn't waste a single second. The moment Bianca finished telling them about Dalian, they set off. They moved like a storm, swift and silent.Ravenna, being the quick thinker even in the urgency of their situation, didn't forget their Alpha. As they ran, she quickly sent a message through her mind-link to Darius.She told him everything that had just happened: Dalian's sudden capture, Nyx's cruel trick, and exactly where they were headed. Darius's reply was fast and short: he would gather as many warriors as he could and follow them as fast as possible. They were not alone in this desperate race, and if anything went wrong, they would have rescue coming.They ran quickly through the pack lands. The air itself felt thick with urgency, pushing them forward, and making their hearts pound with every step further. As they moved further, Bianca kept whispering something, but it was almost to herself, her voice shaking as if she was about to cry. "I just hope Nyx's pl