The False Eclipse

The bells of Blackfang continued to ring.

One after another.

Deep.

Urgent.

Terrifying.

Kael stood frozen on the balcony, staring at the sky.

The moon was disappearing.

Not completely.

A dark shadow had begun swallowing its silver surface, slowly covering it from one side to the other.

An eclipse.

But Lucien had said it wasn't supposed to happen.

Not for another year.

“That's impossible,” Darius said behind them.

Kael turned.

The Beta general had rushed onto the balcony, followed by Rowan and Seraphine.

Darius was already wearing his armor.

“Your Majesty, the eastern watchtower has confirmed movement.”

“How many?”

“Thousands.”

Lucien's expression hardened.

“Which kingdom?”

“We don't know.”

“Then find out.”

Darius hesitated.

“There's something else.”

Lucien looked at him.

“The soldiers aren't carrying any kingdom's banner.”

Kael's stomach tightened.

“No banner?”

Darius shook his head.

“They're marching under a black flag.”

Silence.

Kael remembered the black-cloaked figure watching him in the forest.

The silver pendant.

The golden eyes.

His wolf growled.

Danger.

Lucien turned toward the palace.

“Seal the gates.”

Darius immediately obeyed.

“Activate the inner defenses.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Move the civilians into the lower districts.”

Darius nodded.

“And Darius?”

The Beta stopped.

“Don't engage until we know who they are.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Darius disappeared.

Lucien looked at Rowan.

“Can you identify the army?”

Rowan's face was grim.

“Not from here.”

Then the first horn sounded.

A long, low note rolled across the valley.

The entire city seemed to freeze.

Another horn answered.

Then another.

Kael felt the Moon Seal burn.

He grabbed his chest.

“Kael?”

He closed his eyes.

The world around him faded.

He saw fire.

A city burning.

Wolves running through the streets.

An army surrounding a silver palace.

A woman stood in the middle of it.

Silver hair.

A bloodstained dress.

Kael's breath caught.

“Mother…”

The vision shifted.

The woman looked directly at him.

Her lips moved.

“The eclipse is not the Moon.”

Kael opened his eyes.

He was back on the balcony.

Lucien was holding his shoulders.

“Kael.”

He stared at him.

“The eclipse isn't real.”

Lucien frowned.

“What?”

“My mother.”

Rowan stepped forward.

“What did you see?”

Kael looked at him.

“She said the eclipse isn't the Moon.”

Rowan went pale.

He knew.

Kael immediately noticed.

“You know what that means.”

Rowan looked toward the sky.

“Yes.”

“Tell me.”

“The Eclipse Moon is supposed to be a natural celestial event.”

Kael waited.

“But ancient records mention another phenomenon.”

“What phenomenon?”

“The False Eclipse.”

Lucien's eyes narrowed.

“Explain.”

Rowan took a breath.

“According to the oldest Moonwood records, when the Moon Kingdom fell, its enemies attempted to imitate the Eclipse Moon using forbidden magic.”

Kael stared at him.

“Why?”

“To awaken the Moon Seal.”

His heart stopped.

“So someone is doing this to me.”

“Yes.”

A terrible realization settled over them.

The army wasn't attacking Blackfang randomly.

They were coming for him.

Lucien turned toward the city.

“Then they won't get him.”

Kael looked at him.

“You keep saying that.”

Lucien met his eyes.

“And I mean it.”

Kael's chest tightened.

Then an explosion shook the palace.

The balcony trembled.

Seraphine stumbled.

Lucien immediately pulled Kael away from the railing.

Another explosion followed.

Then another.

Distant screams rose from the city.

“They're inside the outer wall!” someone shouted.

Darius came running back.

“Your Majesty!”

Lucien turned.

“Report.”

“The western gate has been breached.”

“How?”

“We don't know. The soldiers appeared inside the walls.”

Lucien's expression became deadly.

“Impossible.”

Darius looked toward Kael.

“They aren't ordinary soldiers.”

“What are they?”

“Wolves.”

Kael frowned.

“That's normal.”

Darius shook his head.

“No.”

His voice dropped.

“They're dead.”

The palace went silent.

Kael stared at him.

“What?”

“They're walking corpses.”

Rowan's face hardened.

“Necromancers.”

Lucien looked at him.

“You're certain?”

“I've seen this before.”

Kael looked between them.

“What exactly are they?”

Rowan answered.

“Wolves whose bodies are being controlled by another person's magic.”

Kael felt sick.

“Can they be killed?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

“Destroy the silver mark on their chest.”

Kael's Moon Seal burned.

A strange pull passed through his body.

He suddenly knew where the creatures were.

“Three.”

Everyone looked at him.

“There are three groups.”

Darius stared.

“How do you know?”

“I can feel them.”

Lucien stepped closer.

“Where?”

Kael closed his eyes.

“One is near the western wall.”

He opened them.

“One is moving toward the palace.”

“And the third?”

Kael's expression changed.

“Underground.”

Lucien's eyes narrowed.

The chamber.

The ancient Moon Guardian.

The hidden throne.

The Moon Gate.

Someone was trying to reach it.

“Darius,” Lucien ordered, “take the western forces.”

“Yes.”

“Seraphine, get the palace healers to the lower districts.”

She nodded.

“Rowan…”

“I know.”

Rowan looked at Kael.

“You're staying here.”

Kael immediately shook his head.

“No.”

“You don't know what you're facing.”

“I know exactly what I'm facing.”

Rowan's voice hardened.

“Kael.”

“I can feel them.”

“That doesn't mean you should fight them.”

Kael stepped closer.

“For eighteen years you protected me by hiding the truth.”

Rowan went silent.

“I'm not going to spend the rest of my life hiding from it.”

Lucien watched the exchange.

Then he said,

“He comes with me.”

Rowan turned.

“Lucien.”

“I won't put him in the middle of a battle.”

Kael looked at him.

“Then where am I going?”

“The throne room.”

Kael frowned.

“Why?”

“Because if they're trying to reach the chamber beneath the palace, we need to protect the entrance.”

Kael understood.

“You're asking me to help.”

“I'm asking you to choose.”

Kael looked at the burning city.

Then at Lucien.

He nodded.

“I choose to fight.”

Lucien's eyes held his.

“Then fight beside me.”

They moved through the palace.

Guards ran past them.

The sound of battle grew louder.

Kael could smell blood.

Smoke.

Fear.

And something else.

Dark magic.

His wolf snarled.

Wrong.

They reached the throne room.

The enormous doors were already shaking.

Something was attacking them from the other side.

Lucien drew his sword.

Kael shifted his weight.

Rowan stood on his other side.

The doors exploded inward.

Six black wolves rushed into the room.

Their eyes were completely white.

Silver symbols glowed on their chests.

Kael's wolf took control.

His bones shifted.

Fur spread across his skin.

Within seconds, the dark-silver wolf stood beside Lucien.

Lucien shifted too.

A massive black wolf with crimson eyes.

The first undead wolf charged.

Lucien intercepted it.

Kael attacked another.

His claws struck the creature's chest.

The silver mark cracked.

The wolf screamed.

Silver light burst from its body.

It collapsed.

Kael stared.

He had never felt power like that.

The remaining wolves surrounded him.

Then something unexpected happened.

Lucien stepped directly beside him.

Their shoulders touched.

The Moon Bond ignited.

Silver light flowed between them.

Kael's wolf stopped growling.

Lucien's wolf lowered its head.

Together.

Not Alpha and Omega.

Not king and Moon-Chosen.

Two wolves.

Two choices.

One bond.

The remaining undead wolves charged.

Kael and Lucien moved simultaneously.

Their attacks landed together.

Silver energy exploded across the throne room.

Every undead wolf collapsed.

Silence.

Kael shifted back, breathing heavily.

Lucien did the same.

For several seconds, neither spoke.

Then a slow clap echoed through the room.

Kael's blood ran cold.

A figure stepped from the shadows.

Black cloak.

Black gloves.

A silver crescent hanging from their neck.

And golden eyes.

The same eyes from the forest.

Lucien immediately raised his sword.

“Who are you?”

The stranger smiled.

“You still don't understand, King Lucien.”

Their eyes moved toward Kael.

“The Moon-Chosen was never meant to belong to you.”

Kael stepped forward.

“I don't belong to anyone.”

The stranger's smile widened.

“Exactly.”

They lifted one hand.

The floor beneath Kael cracked.

A silver symbol appeared.

The Moon Seal on his chest erupted with light.

The stranger whispered:

“Because you were never born to be an Omega.”

Kael's breath caught.

“You were born to be a king.”

And beneath the palace, the sealed Moon Gate began to open.