CHAPTER 05 - WHISPER OF THE GODDESS

POV: AARON

I laughed darkly, plunging my hands into his abdomen and tearing through his entrails. Driven by sheer hatred, the wretched wolf crawled toward the injured creature on the ground, gripping her shoulders and blaming her for all his curses. A true coward.

I stopped behind him, predatory, my eyes locking onto the wolves, who I now realized were blind. The rumors were true—this wolf was despicable and revolting. Pulling my claws from his stomach, I drove them through his chest, ripping out his still-beating heart. I squeezed it tighter and tighter until its rhythm slowed and the organ burst in my hands. Hunter collapsed, his body sliding off the fragile wolves and crumbling at her feet.

The image, though blurred, took shape in the darkness. My mind returned to the present, and I found myself staring in surprise at the wolves I had supported in my lupine arms.

“What was that?” I whispered, astonished, realizing there was more to this creature than her apparent weakness and blindness. “God, what are you planning with all of this? These wolves are useless.”

I growled irritably, clenching my fists as my wolf stirred within me, driven by an instinct to protect her. Swirls of leaves danced around our bodies, carried by the wind. I raised my snout toward the city, where the acrid scent of burning flesh filled the air.

With one free claw, I grabbed the Lycan king's body and decapitated him, his head rolling to the ground. I noticed the wolves recoiling in fear, trembling, and struggling to move. Yet, despite the overwhelming pressure of my power and the severity of her injuries, she refused to yield, positioning herself defensively.

She was, indeed, the daughter of Alpha Hunter. I carefully examined her frail body: her ribs jutted sharply under her skin, her hind legs were broken, and the stench of male wolf urine was nauseating. I sniffed closer, detecting internal bleeding and several broken ribs, likely the cause of her punctured lung.

I stepped closer, holding the Alpha’s severed head as a trophy, intending to display it on a stake at the city’s entrance. Countless questions swirled in my mind. Vengeance was inevitable, but why had the goddess guided me to these blind wolves? How had the scene of my battle with Hunter played out in both of our minds? That connection... Her fears, her pain, her darkness consuming me. What was all of this?

I growled in frustration, causing the delicate wolves to shrink back even further.

POV: CALLIE

Stunned by the scenes and his words, I dragged myself backward, staying on the defensive and growling.

“How dare you threaten our Alpha?” the Beta snarled, stomping toward me from a direction I couldn’t pinpoint.

“Get out of my way, Jaxon,” the Alpha thundered, his reprimand sharp. The scent of fear thickened in the air. This wolf was so powerful that even his pack feared him.

I shrank further into the ground, fully aware that if he attacked me, I wouldn’t have the strength to defend myself.

“If you’re going to kill me, make it quick... I’ve suffered enough!” I growled at the wolf before me, unable to see him.

His hands moved in my direction, and I sharpened my hearing, rolling to the side and pushing off with my front paws to evade his touch. The ground trembled with each step the Lycan king took, and I realized he was closing in, trying to corner me. I rolled to the other side again, but a wave of pain shot through my hind legs as they scraped the ground. Trembling violently, I growled in agony—my legs were broken, and even the smallest movement sent excruciating pain through my body.

“Your instincts are sharp. Interesting, blind wolf... If you survive this night, I’ll give you a chance to integrate into my pack!” he growled menacingly. Without effort, the wolf lifted me off the ground and slung me over what felt like his shoulders. I bit him, trying to break free.

“Stop struggling. You’re too injured and far too weak to fight or escape,” he said firmly.

“Why are you doing this? I’m nothing,” I growled in frustration. “Just end my life already!”

“And miss the chance to find out why the goddess led me to you? Not a chance,” the Alpha said, his voice laced with irony.

“The Goddess?” I mumbled, confused, turning my head to try to pick up where we were using my ears and nose. The strong smell of alcohol filled the air. “Are we at a hospital? That fast?”

I was placed on what felt like a gurney.

“Treat the wolf as one of us. She is the priority. If she survives the night, notify me,” he ordered impatiently.

Despite the Alpha’s words, my legs were yanked downward with force, producing a loud crack. I wanted to scream, but my dislocated jaw made it impossible. I sensed someone approaching; by the smell, it seemed to be a human doctor, likely hired by a stronger pack in exchange for protection against other creatures.

“This is the hospital. Let’s sedate her so we can treat her,” a male voice said.

“This wolf is blind and useless to our pack. She’s not a priority; wasting resources on this dead weight is pointless,” a high-pitched female voice retorted. I didn’t recognize her scent—she seemed to be a new wolf.

“Kemilly, these are direct orders from our Alpha. He said this wolf’s care is a priority. I serve Aaron, and I’ll follow his commands!” the man snapped harshly at the wolf.

“Fine, but in her condition, she won’t survive the night,” Kemilly laughed, and I sensed her stepping away.

“I’m sorry for what they’ve done to you. What happened?” the doctor sighed, his hand reaching toward me. I whimpered, curling into myself even more and letting out a hostile growl.

“I know it hurts. I’m sorry, but I’m not here to harm you. You’ll be okay. You’re a strong wolf.”

“Who are you?” I whispered weakly, feeling a prick in my flesh as drowsiness began to take over. My mind drifted away, but not before I heard him say: