Chapter 245

Chris

The morning after Olivia’s fated phone call, I had called for an impromptu council meeting in the Packhouse. I had announced my intent to hand the pack over to the Elders, who needed to be kept in the dark for the time being.

As much as it pained me to see the shocked expressions on their faces, it had to be done.

“You cannot be serious, Alpha,” Elder Claire gasped, her hand clutching her chest. Her normally composed demeanor had crumbled as soon as I had made my announcement.

“So soon after your decision to stay!” Elder Fatima practically barked. “Forgive me, Alpha, but have you gone mad?”

“I’m sorry, Elders,” I said. “But it’s the only way to ensure peace and the return of the moonstone. I’m only doing this to protect the pack.”

Elder Bradley shook his head vigorously, running his fingers through what little red hair he had left. “But... but what about the prophecy? You must stay, Alpha! And Ava! You are the True Luna!”

Ava, sitting beside me, swallowed hard and rose from her chair.

“Perhaps I am this so-called ‘True Luna’,” she said calmly, evenly. “And if that is the case, then I believe it is even more my duty to ensure the safety of Moonstone; and if giving Olivia what she wants, letting her take over and thus return the artifact, will be the only thing to protect our people from a blight that has already taken one life, then I will do it.”

The room was so silent you could hear a pin drop. The mention of Leonard had all the Elders bowing their heads, even Elise—who, I assumed, was still oblivious. And she would remain that way until the last moment, if the Moon Goddess was kind.

“Olivia has agreed to let me, Ava, and Ophelia leave peacefully,” I explained, watching the Elders’ reactions carefully. “The rest of you will remain here, under her leadership. She has promised to lead Moonstone with the same dedication I have. I trust that she will make a fine leader, with your guidance.”

The room erupted into chaos, Elders talking over each other, some on the verge of tears. Elder Fatima slumped in her chair, while Elder Paul paced the room, muttering to himself. All except for Elise, who sat calmly, her eyes fixed on me with an unnerving steadiness.

When the commotion died down, I turned to her.

“Elder Elise?” I asked, carefully gauging her expression for anything, any hint of something that could help us further. “What are your thoughts?”

“Perhaps this is for the best, Alpha. I wish you luck on your future endeavors.”

And that was all she said.

Ava and I exchanged a subtle glance. Elise’s calm acceptance of the situation only confirmed our suspicions about her involvement with Olivia. I struggled to keep my face neutral as I thanked her for her kind words, fighting the urge to confront her then and there.

“Very well. I need you all to prepare for Olivia’s welcoming party,” I instructed after that. “It will be held on the night of the full moon next week. I want it to be a celebration worthy of a returning Alpha. I wish I could be here to celebrate along with you, but…”

Elder Claire wiped her eyes, her voice shaky. “A party…”

“How can we celebrate at a time like this?” Bradley murmured.

“First Degas, then Leonard, and now Chris,” Fatima added quietly.

“I know it’s difficult, but it’s important to show a united front,” I urged them. “We need to make this transition as smooth as possible for the pack’s sake. Please—all I ask is for you to throw a party that will be remembered for years.”

As the Elders filed out, still in shock, Ava let out a small sigh of relief. We had successfully laid the groundwork for our trap.

There would be no party. Just a web waiting to catch some flies.

…

The next day, Ava and I surveyed another battleground not far from Moonstone’s border. The scent of blood hung heavy in the air, and I could see the toll it was taking on her as we strode across the field. The once peaceful clearing was now scarred with signs of battle—broken trees, churned earth, and most of all…

Bodies.

There weren’t many—only three—but there were enough. We had been so successful so far in avoiding fatalities, and now…

Ava’s face was pale as she crouched beside one of the bodies, pulling back the makeshift shroud to reveal a face that was far too young. She cringed and quickly covered him again, rising and turning to me. “I’ll contact their families personally. They deserve to hear it from me.”

“Are you sure? I can do it if—”

She cut me off with a shake of her head, her voice firm despite the pain in her eyes. “No, it’s my responsibility as Luna. I’ll handle it. They need to know that their loved ones didn’t die in vain. And besides, this is all my fault anyway.”

“Ava, it’s not—”

But she was already gone.

I sighed, turning back to survey the damage. I wasn’t standing there for long, however, when one of my scouts tasked with checking the border of the battlefield approached.

“Alpha,” he said, his voice trembling slightly. “There’s something you need to see. It’s... it’s not good.”

I followed the scout into the woods, and the first thing I noticed was that the forest seemed unnaturally quiet. As we pushed through a thick patch of undergrowth, I froze at the sight that was waiting for me.

A moondeer’s head had been impaled on a spike, its magnificent antlers sawed off and nowhere to be found. Blood still dripped from the neck, the tongue lolling out of the side of its mouth. But what most struck me were the eyes.

They seemed to stare right through me, accusing and… familiar. Too familiar.

And suddenly, I was seven years old again, waking up from a nightmare that I had completely forgotten.

Blood… So much blood…

“Alpha?” The scout’s voice snapped me back to the present. “What should we do? Is this... is this a message from New Moon?”

I stared dumbly at the gruesome display, my mind reeling. This wasn’t just a message. This was a threat—and somehow, I had seen it before, in a dream I had long forgotten. I didn’t know how, or why, but I had.

“Remove it,” I managed to say, my voice hoarse. “Bury the head and whatever other parts of the body you can find with the utmost respect. Don’t let anyone else see this. Understand?”

The scout nodded, his face pale. “Yes, Alpha. Right away.” He hesitated, then added, “Should I inform Luna Ava?”

I shook my head quickly. ”No. Not yet.” I wanted to tell her myself. These moondeer were incredibly precious to her; it would break her.

As the scout moved to carry out my orders, I stood rooted to the spot, my eyes fixed on the moondeer’s lifeless eyes. The dream—no, the vision—from my childhood played over and over in my mind.

Goddess, how could I have forgotten? And more importantly, what did it all mean?

The urge to shift overwhelmed me, the need to run, to escape the weight of all of this, if only for a moment. Without another word to anyone, I let the change take over. In seconds, I was on four paws, my white fur ruffled by the wind.

With a powerful leap, I bounded into the forest.