Chapter 49

Armand:

To unify the pack, I knew I had to explain everything to them. They needed to understand the situation, and see that we were handling things properly. That meant bringing those that betrayed us all before the pack.

I ordered a tribunal and demanded that everyone be present. The entire pack was to be in attendance. We needed there to be no misunderstanding. We needed to show no weakness.

The day of the tribunal, my sons, their mate, and I stood before the pack, the treacherous Amy and my brother at our feet. As I spoke to the pack and told them of their crimes against us, looks and murmurs of shock and disgust ran through the crowd.

As Alpha King, I stood tall, and showed no emotion as I spoke, but deep down, Amy’s betrayal had cut me to the core. I was shaken by my blindness of her actions, and I wasn’t sure how to move forward.

As the sense of doubt almost became overwhelming, I felt a small hand slip into mine. I looked down into my daughter in laws soft eyes. She was smiling up at me with a look of absolute trust and adoration, and it was then that I knew this betrayal didn’t matter.

Beryl:

Standing in front of the pack with my mates and our Alpha King, I could sense his self-doubt, and hoped the others could not.

I felt for him, and all that he had gone through. Hoping to reassure him, and show my support, I took his hand. I hoped that the gesture would show us as a united front.

When he looked down at me, though, my breath caught. I’d never seen him look so sad and vulnerable, but the look vanished and gratitude and love took it’s place. I knew he felt as I did, that together, we could get through anything.

Just then, a dark cloud seemed to creep up from around the pack. I could feel the fear run through the crowd. I took a few steps back, as I saw Amy standing before me.

"You think you can steal everything away from you, you insolent girl?" Amy's voice was venomous, her words dripping with malice. "You'll pay for taking everything away from me!"

I knew she was deranged, because I’d never done anything to her. She’d always been the one to lash out and hurt me. She had chosen deceit and betrayal, and her actions had consequences.

Hers seemed to be that they’d broken her mind. As she lunged towards me in a fit of rage, I braced myself for her attack.

Around me, everything exploded. The black cloud overtook, us and lightening within it seemed to lash out and strike everyone within range.

In the chaos, Amy's hands snatched the moonstone necklace from my neck. Panic surged through me, as I realized the significance of the stolen necklace. It was a connection to the moon goddess, a bond that she had now taken control of.

I had always treasured the moonstone necklace as a gift from my mother, a symbol of her undying love and the sacred connection to the moon goddess. But apparently Amy had been doing research into the magic and myths of the werewolves.

She began conjuring a dark magic around her, pulling the dreadful dark cloud closer around us, using the very moonstone that I held so dear to my heart.

I could feel the evil connection she was creating between us and the moon goddess. Shock and sadness welled within me.

I felt the moon goddesses prescience and the anger within her. She was appalled at what Amy was doing. The darkness seemed to be a barrier for her though, and she couldn’t break through to help us.

Amy’s dark magic had revealed its true potential. She intended to use it against me. With the moonstone in her possession, Amy chanted incantations, tapping into dark forces I had never imagined she possessed.

She must have been planning something like this for awhile now, because she knew exactly what to say and do. The room filled with an eerie glow as she forged a connection between herself, me, and the moon goddess.

"You see, Beryl," she sneered, "I know how to use the power you hold so dear. The moon goddess will grant me the strength to make you suffer."

I felt a tug at my very soul as the dark connection tightened around us. My body felt heavy, and I knew that Amy was trying to use the bond to manipulate me, to make me lose our unborn child.

Pain erupted within me, almost overwhelming all of my other senses. The only thought in my mind was to protect my child. Summoning all my inner strength, I fought back against the dark influence, relying on the love and support of the triplets, my mates, to shield me from the malevolence.

Amy's resolve was relentless, however, and she continued to channel her twisted intentions through the connection. "You can't escape it, Beryl!" she taunted. "Your love won't save you now."

But what Amy failed to understand was that our love was a force far stronger than her deceitful manipulation. As I focused on the love I shared with the triplets, I could feel the moon goddess's presence embracing me, protecting me from the dark energy.

The love I shared with my mates, the love I felt for Armand, and the love I felt for the entire pack was strong enough to help the moon goddess break though the darkness that Amy had created.

With a surge of strength, I pushed back against Amy's malevolence, severing the dark connection she had tried to create. The room trembled with the release of energy, and Amy stumbled back, her plans thwarted.

"You can't control what you don't understand, Amy," I said, my voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through me. "Your darkness will never overcome the light."

Armand, who had been watching in silence, stepped forward, his eyes blazing with anger and disappointment. "You had the chance to be a part of our pack, to share in our love and unity. But you chose betrayal."

Amy's face contorted with rage, but she seemed to realize that her plans had failed. The stolen moonstone necklace slipped from her grasp, rolling across the floor. I scooped it up, feeling the comforting warmth of its magic against my skin.

"You may have tried to harm us, but our bond is unbreakable," I declared. "The love we share is stronger than any darkness you could conjure."

A look came across her face, crazed and malevolent. “You think you can stop me, but you’re wrong. You think love can save you all, but that just makes you stupid and weak!”

She was practically screeching now, like a mad women, bent on distraction. She spoke words that none of us could understand, and the darkness began to dissipate, taking with it the colors in the room.

The ones I loved faded from my sight, and the strange, dark connection I thought was broken between Amy and I, seemed to regain it’s strength.

Everything around me seemed to slow, almost freezing all together. She had taken control of time, and was using it to separate me from my pack.

I stood before her, practically alone, my heart pounding with anxiety and fear. Amy's obsession with destroying me and my unborn child had reached a dangerous peak.

"Give up, Beryl," Amy sneered, her eyes gleaming with malevolence. "You cannot escape the moon goddess's will. Your child will not be born."

My grip tightened on the talisman I held, a precious gift from the moon goddess herself. I prayed for strength as I chanted the ancient incantation the moon goddess had taught me, attempting to protect my child from Amy's dark intentions.

The moon goddess was watching over us, and I felt her warmth around me, for just as Amy's wicked spell was about to strike, a powerful surge of energy engulfed the room, shattering her dark magic. Amy's face contorted with fury and disbelief, and I saw a glimmer of madness in her eyes.

"You think you've won?" Amy's voice echoed in the chamber. "I will not be defeated!"

As the dark connection between Amy and me was truly and finally, severed, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief, but it was short-lived.

The moon goddess's wrath was swift and unforgiving. She cursed Amy, causing her to lose her own child, and the anguish on Amy's face was evident as the curse took its toll.

The strain of the curse, and maintaining such potent sorcery fractured Amy’s sanity even further, and she cackled maniacally as the world around her remained frozen in place.

Amidst that frozen chaos, Nicholas, in fear for mine and our child’s lives, drew upon his sheer force of alpha will to push through the time freeze. He knew he had to save me, for I was trapped in Amy's clutches, unmoving and vulnerable.

With unyielding determination, Nicholas made his way through the suspended insanity until he reached us. He confronted Amy, whose mind was now unhinged from the immense power she wielded. The sight of her crazed expression sent shivers down my spine.

"Let her go, Amy!" Nicholas commanded, his voice unwavering. "Your darkness will consume you if you continue down this path."

But Amy, lost in her madness, refused to release me. Instead, she lashed out with her dark magic, creating a formidable barrier between us and the rest of the world.

Nicholas took a deep breath, centering his resolve, and focused on breaking through the barrier. His alpha will clashed with Amy's dark power, sparks flying in all directions. The ground trembled under the strain of their conflicting forces.

As I watched my mate’s powerful will fighting to save me, I called again on the moon goddess’s help, and felt her presence fill me. I mentally begged her to extend our connection to my mate, and could instantly tell when she did so.

I watched his eyes widen as he felt the surge of power from her, and with a burst of energy, and the added strength of the moon goddess, Nicholas managed to shatter the barrier, freeing me from Amy's grasp. Time resumed its normal flow, and chaos erupted around us.