chapter 26

Chapter 26

"No, no, no, please no!" My voice ripped through the air in an ear piercing screech.

Loud enough to send birds scattering and the woods into turmoil.

"Get me out! GET ME OUT!!!"

The darkness faded, coiling into itself to reveal the morning sunlight against my skin, faintly blinding me as Nathan pulled me halfway upright.

He came behind me, allowing my head to rest against his thighs while he massaged my chest, his other hand combing through my hair.

The moment it registered, I hurriedly put distance between us. I could have sworn I saw hurt flash across his face, but it vanished just as quickly as it came.

"I'm not doing this again. I can't."

"It is the only way."

"It is every shade of torture. No more."

"The dreams are persistent anyway. You have them every night, don't you?" he reasoned.

I looked anywhere else but at him. The land beneath us stretched into an open field, the wild greenery cleared away, leaving behind an almost breathtaking scenery. To the left sat a lake, so still one could mistake it for a mirror. To the right extended the wild forest, leading farther into distant valleys and the unknown.

I finally understood why the other Packs envied SilverFang so deeply. It truly was the stronghold of the werewolf world. Compared to SilverFang's advancement, this place felt centuries behind. Their lands were blessed with architectural brilliance, while here, it almost felt like we had stepped back into the stone age.

Maybe that was an exaggeration, but only slightly.

"You're distracted, Alex."

"I'm tired as hell. If I knew you'd overwork me like this, I would've never agreed to come with you." I redirected the conversation into petty territory.

Nathan squinted at me before asking, "Why do you think I'm doing this?"

"I don't know. To terrorize me?" I shrugged, and he chuckled softly. Briefly.

"Try again."

"I... I don't know. You said if I could walk through the nightmare, there'd be an escape at the end, and before you say it, I know. I've been a failure."

"There. A little closer to the truth," Nathan agreed. "It's a simple task if you'd just cooperate. The nightmares come whether you want them or not, but you can familiarize yourself with them by stepping into them willingly instead of waiting for them to consume you. That's what I'm helping you do."

I countered almost immediately, my voice cutting through his.

"All I want is for these nightmares to stop, so why would I willingly drag myself into them?"

"I am guiding you. Better to become acquainted with the devil than resist it. It's stronger than you. It will poison you."

"Perhaps death would be less grim."

Nathan sighed, rubbing his forehead as though the constant push and pull between us was beginning to wear him down. I pulled myself up and turned toward the lake, letting its beauty distract me.

Twisted vines wrapped around small rocks, forming natural patterns around the lake like a necklace around a throat.

"It's a futile pursuit," Nathan uttered.

"What?" I asked, focusing back on him.

"Your old life. The one you're still chasing." He clarified. "The best way to understand who you are and unlock your powers is by facing what you fear most. Your parents' death."

Nathan was right, and I hated that fact. Still, I would never let him know it. Yet for that voice to lurk in the one place it knew I feared most, then perhaps the truth really did exist there too.

"How did you suddenly become a philosopher, a psychologist, and an adviser anyway?" I crossed my arms and questioned. "How do you know so much? What exactly have you discovered?"

"It's more about what I've been studying." He stopped there, his eyes widening with a new glint in them.

I'd seen that look before. He knew something.

"I got the signal. Come on."

Nathan led the way toward a tower perched atop the forest mountain, built dangerously close to the edge of a cliff. The double handled doors creaked open, carrying the eerie feeling that no one had entered this place in centuries.

"MoonBlade is one of the first Packs, an ancient land that once anchored the history of werewolf division. I learned everything I know from this library."

Nathan's voice carried through the echoes of the silent space, while wind howled from outside through narrow vents carved into the aged brick walls.

Towering bookshelves stretched across every possible corner, but Nathan pointed toward the far southern end.

"See that door?" he asked, and I nodded. "Behind it lies the oldest documented records of those who carried Aetherblood."

"Are you indirectly saying my ancestral history is in there?" I asked, hesitation thick in my tone.

"Yes, Alex. That is exactly what I'm saying," he replied. "But the door cannot be unlocked by anyone except you."

"How?"

"I have no idea, but that's all I know. You can study every book here if you wish, but the real knowledge lies behind those doors." Before Nathan left the room, he patted my shoulder and added, "MoonBlade preserved your history and protected your people's memories against SilverFang's destruction. Why do you think your powers awakened here, alongside the nightmares?"

KAI's POV

Cold air escaped my lips in a harsh huff.

We arrived at MoonBlade a little before midnight. The moon hung halfway in the sky, casting silver light upon the creatures beneath it. Anger radiated from me as I impatiently waited for Frederick.

The moment my senses caught his scent, I stepped out of the tent, ignoring the protests of his guards. None of them dared touch me, knowing exactly whose son I was and what Pack I would soon rule.

"Alpha Kai," Frederick greeted, leaning in for an embrace.

"Drop the facade. I've come for one of my Pack members. Not banished. Stolen by one of your men, who happened to be a rogue from my Pack."

Getting straight to the point seemed to amuse Frederick, but I hadn't come to exchange pleasantries.

Truthfully, we had barely ever shared the same space for long enough to speak. MoonBlade was SilverFang's greatest rival, which made sense considering they claimed to be the oldest Pack and expected worship because of it.

"Where is he?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I can have my men conduct a full search right now. Then we'll see if you're truly telling the truth."

Frederick clasped his hands behind his back, utterly unimpressed. "Funny how we're both standing in the same position. Our fathers left us with responsibility."

More like his father copied mine. MoonBlade had always chased after SilverFang in everything.

He continued, "We're both about to become Alphas. Perhaps we should form an alliance instead. Become better than our fathers, don't you think?"

My fists tightened at my sides. "I said I came for a member of my Pack. If you wish to discuss alliances, you know where to find me."

"Ever so resilient." He turned around. "Then leave, Alpha Kai. You're trespassing. After all, there is no alliance between our Packs yet. Entering another Pack without prior notice is considered a crime, isn't it?"

"Not when that Pack stole an Omega from mine. I won't leave until you hand him over."

"Is that a threat?" Frederick faced me again.

"Yes. What are you going to do about it?" I took another deliberate step forward.

Behind us, our men stirred, tension thickening in the atmosphere as they prepared for any outbreak.

"Looks like we've gotten ourselves into a duel," Frederick muttered, and I scoffed.

"Get me my Omega, or your wish becomes my command." My words burned like wildfire as they struck the ground between us, earning a low snarl from him.

At this point, it truly looked like war was about to break loose.