Chapter 8: The Beast Beneath the Mountain

The ground split beneath my feet.

I couldn’t breathe.

Something was moving beneath the fortress.

Something enormous.

The two red eyes that had appeared in the darkness were larger than my entire body.

My mother screamed.

“ELARA!”

Kael grabbed my arm.

“Move!”

I tried.

I couldn’t.

The ancient symbols around my feet had locked me in place.

Silver flames crawled across the ground.

The Alpha King stood at the edge of the chamber, smiling.

“At last.”

Kael turned toward him.

“What have you done?”

“Nothing.”

The king’s smile widened.

“She did it herself.”

My mother shook her head.

“That’s not possible.”

The king looked at her.

“You knew the prophecy.”

“Not this part.”

“Then you were never as clever as I thought.”

A deep growl came from beneath the floor.

The fortress shook.

Dust fell from the ceiling.

Then a voice entered my mind.

Black Moon.

I froze.

It wasn’t a normal voice.

It felt ancient.

Cold.

Hungry.

You carry what was stolen from me.

I clutched my head.

“Get out!”

Kael rushed toward me.

“Elara!”

Give it back.

The voice became louder.

My vision blurred.

I saw a woman standing beneath a blood-red moon.

She wore a crown.

Silver hair.

Silver eyes.

The first Black Moon Queen.

Opposite her stood a massive black wolf.

The Shadow Wolf.

The Queen raised her hand.

“Your darkness cannot rule our world.”

The wolf attacked.

The vision changed.

The Queen fell.

Her blood spilled across a stone gate.

The Shadow Wolf entered the gate.

And then—

A man appeared.

The first Alpha King.

He opened the gate.

The Shadow Wolf entered his body.

I gasped.

I understood.

The Alpha King wasn’t the first vessel.

He was only the latest.

The Shadow Wolf had been possessing Alpha Kings for centuries.

And now…

It wanted me.

My vision returned.

Kael was holding my face.

“Elara!”

I looked at him.

His eyes were terrified.

“Come back.”

I grabbed his wrist.

“It’s inside him.”

“Who?”

“The Shadow Wolf.”

Kael looked toward the Alpha King.

The king smiled.

“You finally understand.”

His eyes suddenly turned completely black.

My mother stepped backward.

“No…”

The king’s body twisted.

His bones cracked.

Dark smoke poured from his mouth.

Kael shifted instantly.

The king transformed.

He was no longer a man.

A gigantic black wolf stood before us.

Its body seemed to absorb the light around it.

Its eyes were red.

Its claws were longer than swords.

The Shadow Wolf had finally taken control.

Kael attacked.

The two wolves collided.

The impact destroyed part of the chamber wall.

I pulled against the magical barrier.

Nothing.

“Mother!”

She looked at me.

“The mark!”

“What?”

“The mark is the key.”

I stared at my wrist.

The black crescent was glowing.

“What do I do?”

“Don’t fight the power.”

“Then what?”

“Accept it.”

I closed my eyes.

My wolf rose.

Trust me.

For the first time, I stopped trying to control her.

I let her take over.

Silver flames exploded from my body.

The barrier shattered.

I fell forward.

Kael and the Shadow Wolf separated.

The creature looked at me.

Its red eyes widened.

“You.”

I stood.

Silver fire surrounded my body.

“You wanted the Black Moon.”

The creature growled.

“I want what belongs to me.”

I raised my hand.

“You lost it centuries ago.”

The Shadow Wolf attacked.

I didn’t move.

At the last second, I raised my palm.

A wall of silver flame appeared.

The creature crashed into it.

Kael attacked from behind.

His claws struck its back.

The Shadow Wolf roared.

It disappeared into the darkness.

But before leaving, it whispered:

I will take you.

Then the chamber went silent.

My mother rushed toward me.

She grabbed my face.

“You’re alive.”

I stared at her.

“So are you.”

Tears filled her eyes.

“I am sorry.”

I wanted to be angry.

I wanted to scream.

But all I could do was hug her.

For twelve years, I had imagined this moment.

I thought it would feel perfect.

It didn’t.

It felt broken.

But it was real.

Kael approached us.

“We have to leave.”

My mother looked at him.

“No.”

Kael frowned.

“What?”

“The Shadow Wolf didn’t retreat.”

She looked toward the floor.

“It went deeper.”

A terrible realization crossed Kael’s face.

“To the temple.”

My mother nodded.

“And if it reaches the Moon Gate…”

She looked at me.

“It will become impossible to stop.”

I swallowed.

“Then we go there first.”

Kael looked at me.

“You don’t know what you’re asking.”

I met his eyes.

“I know exactly what I’m asking.”

I looked toward the darkness beneath the fortress.

“Let’s end this.”

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