Chapter 2
"Stay close!" Lucas's voice cut through the pre-dawn mist as his hand gripped Ava's, racing across the treacherous mountain path.
Ava could barely keep up with his pace. This man who had been dying moments ago now moved like wildfire through the wilderness, each step light and powerful, as if gravity were merely a suggestion.
The distant howls grew closer, dripping with murderous intent.
"They're gaining on us!" Ava gasped, her heart hammering like war drums.
Suddenly, a bottomless canyon yawned before them—a black abyss in the moonlight like a demon's maw. Ava's hope shattered. This was a dead end!
But Lucas didn't stop.
He turned, amber eyes blazing gold in the darkness: "Trust me."
The next second, he swept Ava into his arms and launched into the void!
Time froze. Ava felt the terrifying power exploding from Lucas's body as they shot across the night sky like a cannonball. Wind shrieked in her ears, death roared beneath them, but Lucas's embrace was warm as an iron fortress.
CRASH!
They landed solidly on the opposite cliff. Lucas didn't even stumble.
"What the hell are you?" Ava stared at him in shock.
Before Lucas could answer, more intense howls erupted behind them. Their pursuers had reached the canyon's edge, their furious roars shaking heaven and earth.
Lucas's golden eyes blazed like molten lava. He turned toward the pursuers and released a low, primal growl.
In that moment, Ava felt what absolute dominance meant. Lucas's roar thundered across the night sky, carrying the unquestionable authority of a king.
Instantly, all howling ceased.
The entire mountain fell into deathly silence.
"Now's not the time for explanations." Lucas turned back, the golden fire in his eyes slowly dimming. "Trust me. I'll protect you."
At sunrise, they finally reached their destination.
Ava was stunned by the sight before her—hidden in a mystical valley surrounded by ancient trees stood a village that seemed to belong to another world. Stone houses nestled between towering pines, smoke curling from chimneys, and everywhere she looked, people moved with predatory grace.
No. Not people. Werewolves.
"Welcome to Silver Moon territory." Lucas's voice carried a certain pride.
The villagers saw Lucas's figure and immediately stopped their work. One by one, they respectfully dropped to one knee, bowing their heads.
"Alpha, you've finally returned!" A silver-haired elder hurried over. "We've been so worried about your safety!"
Alpha?
Ava's world turned upside down again. She stared at Lucas in shock—this man she'd saved from death's door was their leader?
"This is Ava." Lucas's voice carried unquestionable authority. "She saved my life. You will respect her as you would a pack member."
As he spoke, Lucas quietly grasped Ava's hand. She felt warm power flowing from his palm, seeping into her veins and wrapping around every inch of her skin. The sensation was strange yet comforting, like being embraced by moonlight.
"What are you doing?" Ava whispered.
"Masking your human scent." Lucas murmured in her ear. "My moon essence will protect you."
The elder bowed deeply: "The Alpha's savior is our savior."
But Ava keenly sensed that the other villagers' gazes weren't friendly. Their eyes flickered with suspicion, wariness, even hostility.
She didn't belong here.
"You're their leader?" Ava's voice trembled. "You're the Alpha?"
Lucas's expression was complex: "Yes."
Only now did Ava truly realize what kind of being she had saved.
Inside the council hall, decorated with animal pelts and totems, elders sat around a stone table in solemn atmosphere.
Ava was positioned in a corner, silently observing the power center of this alien world. She could feel the pack's strict hierarchy—everyone's status was evident from their seating, their gazes, even their breathing patterns.
And every single one of them was studying her.
"The Alpha bringing back a human female violates our traditions," one elder murmured.
"Humans shouldn't enter our sacred grounds," another agreed.
"The Alpha's behavior grows increasingly concerning."
Ava's spine chilled. She could understand every word, feel every hostile stare.
Chief Elder Eldred slowly rose, his gaze sharp as an eagle's: "Young Alpha, some traditions cannot be easily broken. The pack's future requires careful consideration."
Lucas's jaw tightened: "Ava saved my life. According to our laws, she deserves respect."
"Laws?" Eldred smiled meaningfully. "Laws also dictate that the Alpha must be responsible for the pack's continuation. Some decisions can no longer be delayed."
Though Ava didn't fully understand their conversation, she could feel the political undercurrents in the air. Lucas was trapped in some kind of predicament, and she was the catalyst.
Deep in the night, Lucas brought Ava to a moonlit meadow at the village's edge. Silver light bathed the grass, gentle breeze stirred, distant mountains loomed like ink.
"This is the real me." Lucas took a deep breath. "Are you afraid?"
Before Ava's eyes, he began to change. His form stretched, muscles rearranged, eyes blazed with golden fire. His half-wolf form was breathtakingly beautiful in the moonlight—powerful yet graceful.
Ava held her breath. She should be terrified, should run, but all she saw was incomparable beauty.
"No." She gently caressed his face. "You're beautiful... magnificent."
Surprise flashed in Lucas's eyes, followed by deep emotion. He kissed her palm softly: "Ava, whatever happens, I will protect you."
In that moment, time stood still. Moonlight bathed them in silver radiance, two hearts finding each other in a dangerous world.
But romance was shattered by distant voices.
"The Alpha must bond with Bella of the ancient bloodline before the next full moon, or war cannot be avoided. The pack will face total annihilation."
Ava's blood turned to ice.
Bella? Political marriage?
She looked at Lucas and saw the pain and helplessness in his eyes.
So their love had been doomed from the start.
In this world where power reigned supreme, what did one human woman's heart matter?
The moonlight remained gentle, but Ava could already feel the chill of an approaching storm.