Chapter 133: When Power Answers Blood

The moment the third howl echoed through the cliffs, the safehouse's protective wards flared bright blue—then began to crack.

Selene’s breath caught in her throat as she stood between Elias and Lyra, the air thick with pressure. The runes etched into the stone walls flickered violently, warning them: the shadowborn were here, and they had found a way to weaken ancient magic.

The first attack hit the door like a battering ram. Dust and sparks showered down.

“They’re testing the wards,” Elias growled, shifting halfway into his wolf form. His claws gleamed in the flickering light. “They want to break them slowly—make us panic.”

“They’ll have to do more than growl to scare me,” Lyra spat, gripping her blade tightly.

But Selene felt it—a pull, low and vibrating, from her core to the door. They didn’t just want her. They were summoning her.

She stepped forward instinctively.

“Selene—wait!” Elias called, grabbing her wrist.

A voice slid through the cracks in the stone like oil.

“Come to us, Eclipse-born. The gate hungers for you.”

It wasn’t just a voice—it was a chorus, inhuman and layered with shadow.

Selene’s mark flared painfully bright, echoing with the beat of her child’s heart. Whatever magic was outside…it recognized the bloodline. Not just hers. The unborn heir.

“I’m not letting them take our child,” she said through gritted teeth.

“Then we fight,” Elias replied.

Meanwhile, beneath the Black Spire…

Far from the cliffs, in a darkened chamber beneath the ruins of the Black Spire, Theron stood before a stone basin filled with black flame. Across the room, Lilith paced slowly, her hood drawn back, her silver-white hair falling around a face that looked too calm for the chaos brewing outside.

“She’s stronger than I expected,” Theron said, watching the fire. “The child was unexpected, but not unwelcome.”

Lilith smirked. “Don’t flatter yourself. That child isn’t your concern.”

“She’s mine, Lilith,” he growled. “Fate bound us long before Elias stole her. You may share her blood, but I’ve tasted her magic.”

Lilith’s eyes narrowed. “You want power. I want balance. The gate requires sacrifice, and if Selene dies with that child inside her, the realms fracture.”

“She won’t die,” Theron murmured, lifting a small obsidian shard to the flame. “Not yet.”

The basin flickered, revealing a vision: the safehouse in flames, Selene standing in the doorway, glowing with moonlight and fury.

“She’s already awakening,” Lilith whispered. “The First Wolf stirs.”

Theron smiled coldly. “Then the world will burn—one kingdom at a time.”

Back at Hollow Ridge…

The safehouse door exploded inward, shards of wood and ancient rune-stone flying like blades. Three shadowborn stepped through—tall, humanoid figures cloaked in darkness, their faces hidden behind silver wolf masks.

Elias surged forward with a roar, colliding with the first attacker. Claws met claws, steel met flesh. The scent of ash and blood filled the air.

Lyra moved to intercept the second, her blade flashing in a tight arc. The shadow ducked low, its movements unnaturally fluid. Still weak, Lyra faltered—but didn’t fall.

Selene faced the third shadowborn—who didn’t strike. It simply stood still, mask tilted, as if waiting.

“Do you remember me?” the voice asked. A woman’s voice.

Selene’s blood chilled.

The mask tilted back—just enough for the flicker of familiar eyes to gleam through.

Mira.

Her old pack sister. The one they had buried. The one Theron had resurrected and twisted.

“No…” Selene whispered. “You died.”

“I was reborn,” Mira said, stepping forward. “By his hand. And soon, you’ll kneel beside me. Your child will serve him, Selene. Or you both will burn.”

Something inside Selene snapped.

Light exploded outward, knocking Mira back into the stone wall. Lyra gasped. Even Elias froze mid-fight.

Selene stood at the center of the room, her eyes glowing silver, her hands alight with burning lunar energy.

“You will never touch my child,” she hissed.

Outside, the Blood Moon pulsed violently, responding to her power.

The remaining shadowborn hissed, retreating into the night like mist. The battle wasn’t over—but Selene had just drawn a line in blood and starlight.

Later That Night…

Lyra sat by the fire, clutching a steaming mug, her hands trembling.

“Are you okay?” Selene asked gently.

Lyra stared into the flames. “When I was taken… they showed me things. Visions. Truths buried by the Elders.”

“Like what?”

Lyra looked up, eyes shadowed.

“The First Wolf wasn’t buried,” she whispered. “He was bound… by your ancestor. A female Alpha who carried a child under the Blood Moon, just like you.”

Selene’s heart thudded.

“You’re not just the Eclipse,” Lyra said. “You’re the mirror—of her. The cycle is repeating. And this time, if the gate opens… it won’t close.”