ONE MONTH LATERThe cursed full moon was now a memory, and for the first time in what felt like forever, the skies above Lycania were soft and serene. The lunar glow had returned to its natural silver grace, and with it, peace had settled like dew on the kingdom's soul.The courtyard was bathed in golden morning light, a gentle breeze carrying the scent of blooming frost lilies from the royal gardens. It was a perfect day for goodbyes, if such a thing could ever exist.Alpha Daniel and Luna Ariel stood at the grand entrance of the castle. Baby Dante was curled peacefully in his mother's arms, his little chest rising and falling in quiet rhythm, unaware of the momentous farewell unfolding around him."Your Majesties," Daniel said, his voice steady but touched with emotion as he bowed to Jessica and Kanyon. "Thank you... for everything. I'm forever in your debt."Kanyon reached out and shook his hand firmly, clasping his shoulder afterward like a brother. "As soon as the triplets start
The Lycan people slept throughout the rest of the day, tired from the adventurous night they had.The night came again. It was a crescent moon, but oh how brightly it shone. The castle was quiet and peaceful. Jessica stood on the balcony wrapped in a silk robe, the wind tugging at her hair. Below, the castle grounds were tranquil. There were no longer any dead Lycans, nor was there any blood and gore.Jessica could sense that life was returning to normal.Kanyon came up behind her and slid his arms around her waist, pulling her against his chest."You changed the course of fate," he whispered in her ear."I don't know about that," Jessica replied. "All I did was just ask the Moon Goddess for my forgiveness."He chuckled softly. "You didn't just ask. You made her give it to you."She turned in his arms and looked up into his eyes. "I was terrified.""But you still went.""That's what love makes you do," she murmured. "Stupid and impossible things."She leaned in and kissed him. She se
While everyone else was at breakfast, Jessica was walking the grounds, taking in the sight of the horror the night before had brought.She was barefoot, and her white gown clung to her skin, damp from her fresh shower and the morning dew. Her arms bore scratches, her knuckles still raw from clawing at fate itself the night before. But none of that mattered now.She noticed a brown-haired she-lycan stooped over a ripped-up body. Jessica swallowed hard. She remembered his scent and how sweet his blood tasted. He was one of the Lycans who had tried to get inside the castle, and she had ripped into him like he was paper."Moses!" the woman cried. "Please, you can't leave me and our baby!" she sobbed.Bile rose in Jessica's throat. She turned on her feet and ran, but was stopped when she bumped into hard muscles."Jessica!" Kanyon said."I did this!" she said. "I killed our own.""You had no choice, Jessica," Kanyon held her close and kissed her head. "Come on, our babies need their mother
"Look!" Ariel screeched, her voice cracking with emotion as she pressed her palms to the windowpane. "The sun's coming up!"A golden haze began spilling over the treetops. The light spread across the bloodstained courtyard. The cursed full moon was finally retreating. Its once-commanding presence now a frail, dying glow sinking behind the hills like it was ashamed of the havoc it had caused."And they're changing back to human forms!" DJ shouted, squinting through the light. "At least the ones still alive..."The courtyard was littered with the bodies of naked Lycans sprawled like fallen soldiers. Steam rose off their sweat-slick skin as they shifted slowly, painfully. Most were breathing, but some didn't move at all. They were filled with scratches, bruises, blood... it was hard to tell where the violence ended and the healing began."Look! It's the King!" Theo exclaimed. "He's carrying the Queen!"Everyone rushed to the front entrance. Kanyon appeared through the dissipating mist. H
"HEY! You all need to come outside!" Reniece burst into the room, breathless. She had her hand braced against the doorframe and her eyes were wide with horror. Her voice pitched with urgency. Her eyes landed on Daniel. "Alpha Daniel. It's good to see you up and running."Daniel blinked in surprise. "Thank you, Reniece. And you're pregnant! Congrats," he added awkwardly.Reniece offered a quick smile. "Thanks. But seriously... You all need to see this. Outside looks like the beginning of the end of the damn world.""I'm telling you," Falcon said as he skidded in behind her, his brows knitted. "It's not right. Something's happening to the moon."Within seconds, everyone in the castle was making their way out to the courtyard. The night had grown deathly still, the kind of silence that screams louder than noise. The sky was painted in bruised shades of purple and steel gray, but it was the moon that pulled every eye upward.The moon was full, but it seemed so wrong.The moon looked disea
The moon hung unnaturally bright above the castle. The glow was so intense it almost felt like daylight.Inside Daniel's room, the air was thick with tension. The potion gleamed inside the small glass vial Luna Ariel held delicately between her fingers.She stood rooted near Daniel's bedside, her eyes locked on the still form of her husband. His chest rose and fell, slow and shallow. His body remained warm, but lifeless. The room was quiet save for the soft creaks of the old floorboards and the occasional groan of wind against the stone walls.Jessica stood beside Ariel, studying her closely. "What's wrong?" she finally asked, her voice soft, but firm.Ariel's lips trembled. "What if I'm not the one he loves the most?" she whispered. "How can I be, when he doesn't even remember me?""What are you saying?" DJ cut in from the corner, his tone sharp but not cruel. "You're his Luna.""I was," Ariel replied, her voice cracking. "But now? He doesn't know me. Doesn't recognize my scent. What