Raven clenched his fists, his voice low and grim,
“Did you get anything out of him? Did he name the one who ordered him?”The warrior shook his head, face lined with helplessness and vigilance.“Alpha, he’s tight-lipped. We’ve used every method within the limits, but he hasn’t said a word. He even tried to bite his tongue and kill himself. Thankfully, we stopped him in time.”He hesitated a bit before continuing,“For now, he’s under heavy guard. Awaiting your orders.”Lyra had remained silent until then. But as soon as she heard about the suicide attempt, her gaze darkened. She stood up slowly, the light cloak slipping along the delicate curve of her figure. Her voice was calm, yet it sent a chill down everyone’s spine,“As long as he’s still alive…”Her eyes shifted to Raven, deep and cold like northern ice.“I have a way to make him tell the truth.”Six days later, under a gloomy sky covered in gray clouds, two groups of warriors conveRaven couldn't believe his ears. His brows furrowed, eyes cold yet filled with shock as he stared at the delirious traitor kneeling on the ground.“Amanda… Dermot…”The name pierced Raven’s heart like a dagger.The aunt he once trusted, once considered family, once respected like his own mother, was the one behind it all?Lyra said nothing, but her eyes were sharp as ice, observing every shattered expression on Raven’s face.Caleb kept murmuring, his voice hoarse like a groan, “She said… Alpha Raven wouldn’t listen…” He hiccupped, his gaze drifting as if seeing a world no one else could. “She wanted someone else… someone more obedient…”Raven clenched his fists until they turned white. The prison chamber was silent, the only sound being the occasional crackle of fire from the torches in the damp air.She had dared gamble with the lives of hundreds in the pack just for the sake of power. It was utterly unforgivable.That very day, under Raven’s di
Raven clenched his fists, his voice low and grim,“Did you get anything out of him? Did he name the one who ordered him?”The warrior shook his head, face lined with helplessness and vigilance.“Alpha, he’s tight-lipped. We’ve used every method within the limits, but he hasn’t said a word. He even tried to bite his tongue and kill himself. Thankfully, we stopped him in time.”He hesitated a bit before continuing,“For now, he’s under heavy guard. Awaiting your orders.”Lyra had remained silent until then. But as soon as she heard about the suicide attempt, her gaze darkened. She stood up slowly, the light cloak slipping along the delicate curve of her figure. Her voice was calm, yet it sent a chill down everyone’s spine,“As long as he’s still alive…”Her eyes shifted to Raven, deep and cold like northern ice.“I have a way to make him tell the truth.”Six days later, under a gloomy sky covered in gray clouds, two groups of warriors conve
Beneath the cold gray stone roof in the western outskirts of Blood Moon, the air felt frozen in place. Thick curtains covered the windows, allowing only slivers of pale light to filter through.In the living room, Evelyn burst in, her face pale as a sheet, eyes wild with panic. Her crimson silk dress flared like a sudden flame amid the drab gray."Mother!" she practically screamed. "Is it true? Did Cara really find a way to detoxify thanorite?"Amanda stood before the fireplace, her hand gripping a porcelain cup so tightly the veins on her arm bulged. The fire’s warmth did little to chase away the chill crawling down her spine."Impossible. Cara can't have the formula. It was lost to the Ivyshade pack fifty years ago. None of them remember Glacialis Herba anymore.""But the Blood Moon warriors already left this morning to retrieve Glacialis Herba."Amanda inhaled deeply, suppressing the rage surging within her. Slowly, she set the cup down on the table, turne
Lyra closed the leather-bound notebook, her eyes gleaming with a sharp glint.“Whoever’s behind this won’t sit still once they learn we’ve found a way to suppress the toxin,” she said, her voice calm but edged with the quiet authority of a true leader. “We can use that to our advantage, turn the tables, lure them out, and capture them.”Raven crossed his arms, his gaze locked on Lyra’s face, deep and unreadable.“So, what do you propose we do?”Without hesitation, Lyra explained,“We simply spread word that we’ve discovered a cure for thanorite poisoning, and that the cure involves Glacialis Herba. The missing pages from Luna Donna’s journal contained this information, so the culprit is likely aware of its properties.”She lifted her chin, her eyes glowing in the darkness.“Have your people spread rumors that Ivyshade still has a small amount of dried Glacialis Herba stored. Not much, but just enough to halt the spread of the outbreak in Blood Moon.”
After breakfast, Lyra's complexion gradually returned to a healthier hue. The dull ache in her chest that had flared with each deep breath had subsided. Though still a little fatigued, her mind was noticeably clearer.With her body no longer a hindrance, she returned to her work - finding a way to neutralize the poison of thanorite.Throughout the long day, she tirelessly repeated the process of channeling her unique ability. At last, she pierced through the thick fog and glimpsed the radiant light of truth.At that moment, three steady knocks sounded on the door.“Luna, Alpha Raven has arrived,” a servant said softly from outside. “He said he’s here to collect the antidote.”Lyra started slightly, only then realizing night had already fallen.She nodded. “Let him in.”Less than a minute later, Raven stepped inside. He wore a simple black wool cloak, its high collar turned up. His hair, tousled by the wind, fell slightly over his forehead, accentuating hi
Lyra lowered her eyes, her voice tinged with frustration:"I didn’t do it to prove anything. And it wasn’t to make anyone worry."She paused, adjusted her breathing, then continued:"At Vinterfall Spring, I discovered a mineral called Thanorite. That’s what’s contaminating the water."Raven frowned. That name was unfamiliar. “Thanorite?”“It’s an extremely rare mineral, but highly toxic with prolonged exposure, especially in humid environments,” Lyra looked him straight in the eye. “It doesn’t kill immediately. Instead, it silently destroys the nervous system, weakens werewolves, and eventually leads to death through sheer exhaustion. It’s the cause of what you call the Black Marrow Blight.”Raven’s eyes darkened. “Are you sure?”Lyra didn’t answer right away. Instead, she quietly stood up and walked toward the corner of the room, where she had turned a desk and shelves into a makeshift laboratory.But just as she rose, a wave of dizziness hit her. He