Chapter 20: A STRANGE VISITOR.

AUREN'S POV

"Everyone, take cover!" Maelis screamed, her voice sliced through the courtyard, panic exploded.

Mothers grabbed their children, hunters pulled the elderly behind them, the peaceful gathering scattered in every direction.

My legs were too weak to carry mee off the ground where I stood, the warrior's black eyes stayed locked on me.

His Monsterous smile stretched wider, his eyes had turned red.

"Hold him down, do not let him get away!" Ronan barked.

Four warriors rushed forward, the possessed man threw one aside as if he weighed nothing, another crashed into a wooden cart.

The cart crashed beneath him. "Don't kill him!" Ronan shouted.

"He is still one of ours!"

The warrior let out a heavy growl, it shook the ground. The hair on my arms stood up, my heart raced.

He lunged forward, a spear slammed across his chest, he caught it with one hand.

The thick wooden shaft cracked like dry twigs. Gasps spread through the courtyard.

"Look up…the moon as appeared..." someone whispered.

"That isn't possible. How?"

My birthmark burned, I clutched my collarbone.

The heat spread beneath my skin until I couldn't tell if it was pain or fire.

"Auren!" Maelis grabbed my arm.

"Stay behind me."

"I..."

My voice shook. "Wh…What is happening?"

"I don't know." Maelis eyes stayed on the mark, the fear in her eyes told me she knew far more than she wanted to say.

The warrior stopped struggling, everything became strangely quiet.

Even the birds had stopped singing, He slowly turned toward me.

Every step he took ignored the warriors surrounding him.

One raised his sword.

"Alpha—"

"I said don't kill him!" Ronan roared.

The sword lowered, the warrior kept walking straight toward me.

"No...no,no"

I staggered backwards and almost hit the ground.

"Auren."

Ronan's screamed, his voice reached me from his distance.

"Back away."

I tried, My legs wouldn't move.

The burning beneath my skin grew hotter, the warrior tilted his head.

"You..." His voice scraped against my ears. It sounded like several voices speaking at once.

"...you smell like..." He inhaled deeply, the black veins on his neck pulsed "you smell like...moonlight."

The courtyard fell silent. Maelis stepped in front of me.

"You won't touch her."

The warrior laughed, his eyes never left mine.

"She is mine, step away”His lips curled. “I already–” he stumbled, his body jerked violently, cutting him off.

One of the warriors seized the opening, he wrapped heavy chains around the man's arms. Another grabbed his legs.

"Now!" Five more warriors piled onto him, the ground shook beneath the struggle, the possessed man screamed.

The sound ripped through my chest.

"You cannot..." His head snapped toward me again. "Take her away from me"

The chains strained, metal groaned, a loud crack echoed across the courtyard.

One chain broke.

"No!" Maelis cried.The warrior exploded upward, men were thrown aside, one landed at my feet with blood running from his forehead.

Ronan moved so fast I barely saw him, he stepped between us. The possessed warrior slammed into him.

Both of them crashed across the stone ground, the crowd screamed.

Ronan rolled first. He caught the man's wrist before the claws reached his throat.

The muscles in his arms tightened.

Neither of them gave an inch.

"Please Finn, wake up." Ronan's voice stayed calm.

"This isn't you." The warrior snarled, dark saliva dripped from his mouth.

"Leave my warrior alone..." Ronan pushed harder.

The possessed man laughed again.

"Your warrior is gone." His smile widened.

Ronan's jaw tightened.

"No!!"

For a second, I saw something in his eyes–Hope.

He still believed his warrior could return. The possessed man suddenly stopped fighting.

Everything became still, his head slowly turned toward me, his black eyes widened.

His cracked lips parted. "You are the last daughter...You finally woke up."

My breathing stopped. Maelis stiffened beside me, her hand slipped from my arm.

"It found her," she whispered.

Before anyone could move forward, The warrior's body arched backward, a horrible crack echoed through the square.

He collapsed, convulsing, foam spilled from his mouth.

The black veins spread across his face like ink beneath his skin.

"Get the healer!" someone shouted.

Three healers rushed forward, one pressed glowing herbs against his chest, another checked his pulse.

The oldest slowly looked up.

"He is still alive." Relief swept through several warriors, only for a moment.

A deep rumble rolled beneath our feet, the ground trembled so hard it stole everyone's balance.

The horses screamed, several reared onto their hind legs, birds burst from the forest all at once, hundreds of them.

Dark wings filled the sky, every wolf in the courtyard froze, even the children stopped crying.

Far beyond Emberfall...A roar echoed through the mountains. Ronan slowly lifted his head toward the eastern forest.

Every warrior followed his gaze, my birthmark burned hotter than ever. I pressed both hands against it.

Then… I heard a weak female broken voice inside my head.

It was so faint I almost thought I imagined it. "Help... me..."

My heart slammed against my ribs, I looked around wildly, no one else reacted, like it was meant for just me.

The voice came again, closer this time, barely a whisper.

"Auren…”

My knees nearly gave way. I grabbed my collarbone, my fingers digging into the burning skin beneath my shirt.

The voice was real, it didn't come from the crowd. My breathing turned shallow.

"What is it?" Maelis caught my arm before I stumbled. "Auren, look at me."

"I..." My lips trembled. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

Before I could answer, a horn blasted through the courtyard, the sharp sound cut through the silence like a blade.

Everyone turned toward the main gate.

A horse burst through the entrance, foam dripping from its mouth. Its sides heaved with every desperate breath.

The rider barely waited for it to stop.

He jumped down, stumbled forward, then dropped onto one knee before Ronan.

"Alpha."

His voice came out rough, his chest rising and falling as he struggled for air.

"I am a royal messenger from Thornridge."

I lifted up my eyes immediately and covered my face with my scarf. Thornridge?, have they found where I am?, no, it can't be.

The murmur from the crowd snapped me away from my thoughts.Ronan stepped forward.

"What happened?"

The messenger reached inside his cloak with shaking hands and pulled out a tightly sealed scroll.

The silver crest of Thornridge gleamed in the afternoon light.

He lifted it with both hands.

"By order of Alpha Melvin..."

His eyes swept over the gathered warriors.

"...every neighboring Alpha, every elder, and every Moon Seer is summoned to Thornridge immediately."

He swallowed hard. "Attendance is mandatory."

The courtyard fell silent, even the wind seemed to disappear.