Chapter 4

Nightmares. bad dreams Fear. Whoever has one had one regardless of the name. There were times when it would creep into your life like an irresistible urge.

Inevitable. Unauthorized. Unwanted.

It was that lingering, unfavorable idea that would follow you into your dreams from the outside world. Until you realized it was all a lie or a myth, it would gnaw at your hopes and poison everything nice in your life. Sometimes it's joy to be ignorant.

We were surrounded by people who thought we were bad because we were moon children, but we disregarded them. We were unique from birth, and their opinions couldn't make us change. Lupus Deus was at the top of the list of fictional creatures that even monsters feared to venture into their closets or under their beds.

Whatever you want to call it—a haunting, a myth, or a tale. He would constantly be the subject of a story.

Children were warned to watch out for him as he prowled the woods at night.

Women were advised not to approach him.

He is the adversary that men fight.

He is the dreaded shadow that watches over your home.

He is the god who prowls, leaving a trail of horrible creatures and darkness in his wake.

He is the wild man who serves as a warning to keep our wolves under control.

The alpha of all alphas—The wolf god.

While looking at Lily, I had goosebumps on my arms due to an icy sensation that shouldn't have been possible given the number of warm humans crammed inside the bunker. My body went numb, and my chest felt hollow and cold all at once.

Women were clinging to their kids and speaking soothing words into their ears, but their eyes were frightened. Others were bowed down, pleading for mercy and the lives of those inside and outside the structure. Several elderly women were crowded together, looking with hope at the entrance.

While looking at Lily, I had goosebumps on my arms due to an icy sensation that shouldn't have been possible given the number of warm humans crammed inside the bunker. My body went numb, and my chest felt hollow and cold all at once.

Women were clinging to their kids and speaking soothing words into their ears, but their eyes were frightened. Others were bowed down, pleading for mercy and the lives of those inside and outside the structure. Several elderly women were crowded together, looking with hope at the entrance.

The Lupus Deus , I repeated in my head. Despite the fact that my wolf was mute, I could still feel her preparedness.

The Lupus Deus.

The deity of hatred, whose appetite for blood and violence was compared to the need for oxygen in the human body. the deity that the gods above would send once every hundred years as a warning. The god who wasn't born a god, but rather a man dressed in mystery and a threat to everyone—who even at the mere mention of his name, every pack avoided like the plague—he was the law. His presence caused wolves to bow down in submission, instilling in them the belief that no one was above him.

He always waited in the shadows, keeping an eye out for those who violated his orders. Like a phantom, he came and went, ready to kill everyone who was in his way. Anyone who disagreed with him was met with a ruthless beast.

He—who shall not be identified or anything—was compared to Voldemort in Harry Potter. We could only pray that it wasn't him, even though we all knew he was responsible for the attacks. After all, hadn't we managed to convince ourselves that dread was nothing more than the result of our imaginations?

Lily was rocking back and forth when I turned to look at her. Could she be misled and in error? I hope she's mistaken!

I felt relieved at the thought of my cousin acting weird. I was aware that she could have received inaccurate information. Lily didn't even look up because she was so preoccupied with her thoughts. I approached the woman, who appeared to be older and had gray hair and dark brown eyes. She appeared okay and was responsive, despite the fact that she seemed a little disoriented.

"Pardon me?" She jumped in shock when I asked, and I felt bad.

"Oh, yeah?" She mumbled, anxiously tying her hands together.

"Are you aware of what's happening?" In an effort to assuage her anxiety about speaking with a stranger, I gently questioned.

"Oh, that's awful! The alarms started while I was still sitting there watching Supernatural on TV. The bad news is that I believed Alpha Klein when he indicated that we had a month to prepare before an attack."

"What next?" I stepped in.

"Who is  attacking?" I inquired in the most casual way I could.

When she heard the question, she grew pale and inhaled deeply. She made two quick sideward glances before muttering "Lupus Deus" in a low voice.

"Excuse me, but what was that?" I asked while grinding my teeth. Fear was beginning to seep into my veins.

“Lup—” Her eyes widened and her jaw hung open as if she were seeing a ghost. I was perplexed as I stared at her. What did she have on?

My wolf indicated that she is being called through a mind-link. She hated being clueless as much as I did.

She cocked her head to the left and peered at something. I became aware of how quiet it had gotten. Unexpectedly, a door—which wasn't the entrance—opened, letting out a glint of white light in the direction everyone was staring. They all shuffled out the door, indicating that something was going on. Was that it? Were we permitted to depart? Why couldn't we enter via the same door if we were, then?

Lily suddenly appeared, her eyes wide and alert. I started to ask her what was going on when she forcefully shook her head side to side. To silence me, she put her finger to her lips and then tapped her ears. Shushing, a door opening, and gentle departures are all audible.

God, oh God. Something was taking place. Something negative And whatever or whoever was going on was only in the immediate area. Obviously, this is an escape panel. We were taking off.

My face grew pale and I most likely looked like a ghost. Lily took hold of my arm and made me reluctant to stay behind as we made our way to the exit doors. As darkness engulfed us from all sides, we entered a sort of underground corridor with smooth wide walls. My eyes were frantically searching for light; even using my wolf's vision didn't help.

Even though we were making every effort to blend in, we could still be heard walking on the concrete floors, as well as the sound of our hearts racing and the tears of terror rising into the air.

Although I could hardly make out the backs of people's heads, I wanted to push us all the way to the front where the luna was leading us so that we would be the first to escape this pitch-black horror of never-ending curves and walls.

I could sense Lily close by, so I was careful not to lose her. We weren't sure where we were going. In an effort to get away, we were just blindly following the crowd. We finally came to a standstill when a group in front of us stopped going ahead and a woman's strong but silvery voice called out after what felt like an eternity of travel. It had to be the moon based on the tone of her authoritative voice.

" I'll split you up into groups. I'm going to open the door, and when I say to leave, you need to run into the woods as quickly as you can, make a shift, and join the Zauks pack." There were murmurs and looks of surprise on everyone's faces.

She responded, "Yes I know," before exhaling nervously, but I couldn't see her face. "I must remain here. This is an explicit directive from your luna. If you have the chance, leave right away and don't turn around."

At the luna's word, the women and children remained silent. In dire circumstances, her voice was more strong than an alpha's.

I could feel Lily's firm hold on my arm. They all spoke at once, their voices laced with agony, and I held my breath.

They said seriously, "Yes, Luna Emma."

"Be careful. Are you prepared?" Most of us squinted in response to her loud voice echoing through the tunnels, covering our eyes as the light crept in.

I waited until we saw huge groups of women and their children make it to what appeared to be the territory's limits before watching as they were escorted off into the darkness. I wonder whether looking for another pack for protection was part of their backup plan. One could argue that they would face an assault.

Lily and I were in the midst of the group that was pushed forward after the group in front of us reached the edge. Even though we could hardly see where we were going, we were still able to run just as quickly as those

in front of us. The mother standing next to me was holding onto her kids with both hands and it was clear from the expression in her eyes that she would stop at nothing to save them. I was afraid when I caught a peek of the scene waiting outside, but my courageous wolf seized over.