Chapter 15: ... Stench of blood

Lyra's POV

Hell was let loose.

But I was ready. I pulled out the dagger I had taken in exchange for the sword; wielding it, I fought hard against the wolves that came my way.

All around me, there were screams and howls of pain. Rogues fought fiercely, trying to defend their territory and their families.

Nothing was going according to plan.

And now, the Rogues were outnumbered. It was more than I had expected. It was almost as if Alpha Idris had called for backup.

I also noticed that Thorne and a few warriors were missing in the war. It had been a planned betrayal to sabotage Caelan’s plans.

My skin crawled at the stench of blood in the air, but I refused to let that stop me as I raced through the field.

My heart clenched as I witnessed the rogues fighting hard. I looked around, head whipping back and forth, searching for Caelan.

I ducked just as a wolf lunged at me.

Still in human form, I swiped my dagger at him; the sharp end of the blade dug into the side of his neck.

Blood oozed out of its mouth before its eyes went dead.

I pulled out my blade, and it fell lifeless to the ground.

Immediately, I continued my search.

“Lyra! Watch out!” A voice shrieked, and I turned just in time to see another large wolf barreling towards me.

However I was too late to defend myself. It knocked me off my feet onto the ground, taking the breath out of me in one sweep.

My dagger fell to the floor, out of my reach, and I struggled against the weight of the wolf.

He snarled at my face, and I turned quickly, avoiding its drool.

Suddenly, a rogue wolf launched from the air and tore into his neck, pushing it off.

With one bite, the rogue ended the wolf's life.

“Finn,” I said softly, recognizing the white eyes.

He gave me a short nod before he vanished into the crowd. I looked around, searching for my dagger.

I found it, the silver blade reflecting the red glow of the moon, which hung above like an unblinking eye.

The battlefield was like a canvas of blood. Everything was bathed in a blood glow.

Suddenly, a painful howl tore through the night sky, and I gasped, feeling pain shoot through me at the sound.

I looked back, and there he was.

A few feet away from where I stood.

Caelan.

He was half-human, half-wolf, just like Alpha Idris, who held him by his neck.

Caelan grasped both hands of the Alpha, struggling against his hold, but it was hopeless.

I turned, legs moving before I even thought.

I flinched the moment Idris hurled Caelan to the ground, throwing his back against the ground, and then picked him up again.

Just as he was about to deliver a more deadly blow at Caelan, something inside me broke.

“No!” I screamed out. I felt a powerful force leave me, and I watched a wave blow across the field, throwing wolves off their feet. But Idris stumbled a little and held his ground.

He growled at me, throwing Caelan to the ground as he charged towards me, teeth bared in a menacing snarl and eyes bloodshot. He looked scary.

I didn't think about my next action; I felt a shift in me. Everything changed. I was warm, too warm, almost as if I was burning from the inside.

Suddenly, a blinding light suddenly poured out of my chest; it was pure and golden. Its glow extended over the battlefield with a force that was greater than the wave.

It threw Idris off, flinging him aside like a piece of rag.

I screamed as I began to feel my skin burn. I felt fur sprout on it.

I was shifting; my wolf was coming out. I howled into the night air, feeling my claws elongate. Then something strange began to happen.

Fire!

It started from my claws, crawling up my skin, until I was covered in it. Then suddenly, it felt like my back was about to tear apart. I screamed, bending down, groaning.

My skin tore as I felt something sprout.

With another loud cry, I raised my face to the sky as wings sprouted out.

Then the pain disappeared.

I gasped, catching my breath. I looked at my hands.

Gasps rang out across the battlefield. Warriors from both sides froze.

I stood between Caelan and Idris, not just as a wolf; I was part flame.

A halo hung over my head, following me. It signified something divine, almost like the powers of the moon goddess herself.

The air stilled as Idris climbed to his feet. His snarl faltered. “What… what are you?”

I had no idea what I was. Half wolf, half—something else.

I felt a strange current charge in me. Like a supernatural force flowing inside.

I stretched out my hand and summoned a ball of fire, throwing it their way.

Idris dodged just in time, but wolves who got caught in it went up in flames.

Idris backed away in fear.

“I promise I will be back.” He swore at me before he cried out to his warriors, “Retreat!”

The wolves fled, leaving the rogues behind, a large number of them injured and shocked.

I turned to Caelan, lying limp, his side drenched in blood, his eyes half-lidded. I was more worried about him than what others thought.

The fire vanished as I dropped to my knees and took his body in my arms.

“Caelan!” I whimpered.

His eyes opened. He gasped, watching me.

“Lyra.” He struggled out.

My heart squeezed at the pain in his voice. He struggled to breathe.

Blood poured out of the wound on his neck, and I cupped it with my hand, trying to stop the bleeding.

“Stay with me,” I begged. “Please.”

He wheezed once more, his eyes closing.

“No! You can't die. Not before you tell me what you are to me.” I kept pleading.

It was useless. Caelan’s eyes closed just as I felt his body go cold in my arms.

He was dead.

A cry wrenched out of me, and I held him tight against me, feeling my grief take over.

Tears slipped out, wave after wave, as I mourned his death.

It felt like I couldn't breathe, like it was all over, and it was.

Because Caelan was dead.