Chapter 17: That wasn't a Werewolf

Thorne POV

Things didn't go the way I planned

I had no intention to end this war with Caelan’s death, but somehow it did.

Guilt gripped me as I thought about what I had done to go unscathed.

I became a Caelan's traitor.

It was something I had to do, something that needed to be done to get rid of Lyra.

I balled my fingers into a tight fist.

Lyra.

That useless bitch ruined everything. How did she manage to survive the war despite all I had done?

But now, there was something about her that I needed to explore.

What she shifted into.

That wasn't a werewolf. It was some kind of ethereal creature, one I have never seen before. And then the fire she summoned.

That should have been an impossible feat.

A werewolf that has the gift of element? It was unheard of.

As strange as Lyra's creature looked, it didn't feel demonic, yet it was frightful. The power that she harnessed was immeasurable.

When Lyra shifted, I watched from a distance. And when she chased Idris away, I knew it was over.

Lyra possessed a power that needed to be destroyed. She was too much of a threat for Alpha Idris to control.

She needed to be killed.

I was still in my thoughts when a rogue wolf came in.

“Beta.” He called out.

I turned.

It was the leader of the warriors, Sean. He had a stern look on his face as he bowed slightly.

“What is the situation?” I asked.

He sighed. “Many of our men were injured. I fear it will take a long time for us to recover.”

I went silent.

“How many died?” I asked.

Sean closed his eyes. “We lost twenty men.”

I nodded and turned away. “Get a healer, we need to attend to those with severe injuries.”

“None of them are alive. We lost Mira a while back and the other healers died in the war.” Sean announced.

“So what can we do?” I snapped. “Or do you suggest we leave the rest to bleed to their death?”

“Of course not.” Sean shook his head. “Now that the Alpha is gone, I thought you would have a solution.”

I didn't. At least not now.

“I will find someone.” I said.

Sean nodded when he didn't leave immediately I looked at him.

“What else?” I snapped.

“The people want you to burn Lyra. They believe she is cursed. She is a creature that no one has ever seen. She's a demon, a witch. She should be burnt along with Caelan. Maybe her curse was what killed him and caused the war.”

I didn't respond.

Sean bowed and backed away. When he left the room, I became more aware of my environment and suddenly, I felt the atmosphere shift.

I raised my nose into the air and sniffed.

A wolf.

My claws extended and I began to slowly show my wolf before I growled into the empty space.

“Come out now!” I barked out.

It took a few moments before the curtains covering my window shifted and a young wolf stepped out.

I recognized him instantly.

He was one of Idris' men, a messenger.

“What are you doing here?” I asked with a frown. “The war is over.”

“The Alpha sent me to pass on a message to you.”

I frowned.

“I fulfilled my end of the bargain. I took away some men from Caelan’s army and opened the gate for him. What more does he want?”

The boy looked away.

“The Alpha says he wants a peaceful settlement, in exchange for the girl. Lyra.” He said.

I scoffed. “I gave him the opportunity to kill her. He didn't. Your Alpha breached our agreement. He killed Caelan.” I barked out.

“The girl is all he asks for.” The messenger added.

“Tell Idris I will give him a reply after I think about it.” I answered.

The boy nodded and raised his fingers up to me “you have two days.”

With that, he slipped back into the shadows. I believed he used the opened window. That was how he came in before.

Overwhelmed by the guilt I felt, I stepped out of my room, walking towards the dungeon.

I needed to see his body.

The minute I entered the room, my eyes widened in horror.

“She's gone.” I whispered into the air, staring at the silver chains that laid on the floor. “Lyra is gone.” I said again.

The guards who had accompanied rushed into the room. They stared at each other in disbelief as they looked down at the silver chain too.

“How was this possible?” I barked out.

“We have no idea. The dungeon was left unguarded for a few minutes when the guards changed shifts. That must have been when.” He said fearfully.

A desire to snap the guard's neck gripped me, but I swallowed my anger. There was no use taking another life.

“Find her.” I growled. “And kill her if she puts up a fight.”

“Yes Beta.” They answered and left.

When the room was silent, I walked closer to Caelan’s body on the floor.

I knelt beside it. Suddenly, something in me broke. Guilt, pain, whatever it was overpowered my control and tears fell.

“I'm sorry. I was trying to save you.” I whispered. “I betrayed your trust.”

 I touched Caelan’s body and frowned.

It was warm, not cold as I expected it to be. He wasn't breathing, which meant he was dead, yet, he was still warm, almost as if there were still traces of life left in him.

Suddenly I shivered.

The temperature in the room dropped and a smoke like mist filled the air.

I squinted, trying to understand what was going on, and then I saw it.

A figure. In the middle of the mist. As if to confirm my doubts, a voice rang out.

“There is a chance to fix your mistake. A chance to undo what has been done.” The voice said.

“Who are you?” I frowned.

“It doesn't matter who or what I am. What matters is the choice you make. Do you want to fix your mistake?” It asked.

I had no idea what to say. But I knew that I wanted to fix what I had done. I wanted Caelan back. He was the only one who treated me like a brother. I couldn't afford to be the one behind his death.

Determined, I looked up. “What do I need to do?” I asked