132

Chapter 134

One moonless night, a scream tore through the pack. Callen rushed toward the eastern cliffs, where a patrol had vanished.

He arrived to find one of the warriors kneeling, dazed, eyes completely black.

“What happened?” Callen shouted.

“They showed me,” the warrior whispered. “They showed me the truth. The Goddess has blinded us. There’s more. So much more.”

Behind him, Valchren emerged from the trees. His hands were bloodstained—but the look in his eyes was calm, controlled.

“The veil has begun to lift,” he said to no one and everyone.

Callen drew his sword, ready to strike. But Soran stepped forward and stopped him.

“Let him speak,” the beta said, eyes hollow.

“He already has,” Callen hissed. “Can’t you see what’s happening? He’s infecting us!”

But it was too late.

By the next dawn, Valchren stood before the pack and was introduced not as a guest, but as a spiritual advisor. He bowed deeply.

“I only wish to serve,” he said.

Valchren stood atop the altar in Crescent Fang's sacred grove—an area once blessed by the Moon Goddess herself. Now, it was soaked in the ash of extinguished flames and echoing with a new, twisted energy.

The pack had gathered. Their elder, once a devout speaker of the Goddess's will, now stood silent beside Valchren, eyes dim and spirit broken.

“You’ve been lied to,” Valchren declared, his voice silken and venomous. “All your lives, you’ve prayed to a goddess who never answered. You fought for her, bled for her… and for what? So your warriors could die in foreign battles? So your children could be taken in the night?”

Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Doubt took root in hearts that were already shaken by war.

Valchren stepped forward. “The Moon Goddess abandoned you long ago. She chose favorites. Chose her ‘champions’—wolves like your Alpha, and the Lycan’s daughter—while you suffered in silence. You are not her children… you are her pawns.”

One brave pack member spoke out, “But the rituals… the blessings…”

Valchren’s eyes glinted. “Illusions. Mere parlor tricks to keep you obedient. What has she given you that I cannot give tenfold?”

He raised his hand, releasing a pulse of dark energy. The ground trembled, the air thick with power. One of the warriors stepped forward, touched by the darkness—and did not scream. He stood taller, more powerful, shadows coiling beneath his skin.

Gasps turned into awe.

Valchren smiled, serpentine and slow. “Worship who you choose—but know this. The Moon never protected you. But I will.”

And the first of many dropped to one knee.

***

Meanwhile, not so far away in Baron's pack, Nancy couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong. She sat beside Bavanda's bed, her eyes locked on her face—once beautified with life and energy—now pale and empty.

A heave escaped her lips. “Bavanda, darling, please wake up soon." She mumbled, reaching for her almost lifeless hand. “I'm sorry I won't be here when you do, but please wake up soon."

She stopped again, running a hand through her hair. “Your parents are really worried about you, and so is that Loco guy. Girl, I think you bagged a real man, you know. I'm jealous, I lost my real man before I even realized he was real." A bitter chuckle escaped her lips as she lowered her head.

There was a long silence, which was eventually broken by Nancy exhaling heavily. “I have to return to my pack. It's the last thing he left behind, I can't let anything happen. But I promise you I'll return, and when I do, please be awake." She rose to her feet almost immediately, squeezing Bavanda's hand before she walked out of the room.

The morning sky was painted in soft amber, the scent of dew still clinging to the earth. Nancy stood at the edge of the pack’s main gate, her cloak fastened, and her satchel strapped tightly over her shoulder. A gentle breeze tugged at her braid, as if trying to hold her back one last time.

Avynna approached first, eyes gleaming with a mixture of pride and concern. “Are you sure about this?” she asked quietly, her hand reaching to rest briefly on Nancy’s arm.

“I have to go back,” Nancy replied, voice steady but thick. “Something’s wrong, I can feel it in my bones. Crescent Fang is my home. I can’t leave it like this.”

Baron joined them, his usual stoic presence softening for a moment. “You don’t have to do this alone. Say the word, and we’ll come with you.”

Nancy smiled faintly. “No. If I show up with an army, they’ll never listen. I need to see what’s happening with my own eyes first.”

Rayna and Gina stood behind them, watching with concern. Rayna handed her a leather pouch. “Dried herbs and some healing powder. Just in case.”

Gina gave her a one-armed hug. “Don’t be a hero unless you have to. Come back to us.”

Loco stepped forward last, gripping her shoulder firmly. “You saved Bavanda’s life. Whatever you need, whenever—just howl.”

Nancy’s throat tightened. “Thank you. All of you. I’ll be back soon… with answers.”

Avynna heaved, the sadness visibly spreading in her eyes. These past few days had been a lot, yet she kept pushing. “Thomas will be so proud of you, I'm over a hundred percent sure." She mumbled.

Nancy smiled sadly. The mention of Thomas made her heart squeeze, yet she smiled. “Thank you."

She turned and began walking down the path, her figure slowly swallowed by the trees. Avynna stood long after she disappeared from view, whispering a prayer to the Moon Goddess under her breath.

Her journey was uneventful, rather too smooth. By dusk, she had arrived.

The wind howled softly as Nancy stood at the edge of Crescent Fang territory, her boots sinking into familiar soil. The pine-sweet scent of the forest should have comforted her, but it didn’t. Something was wrong. Her wolf paced anxiously within, ears flicked back, nose twitching at scents that didn’t quite belong.

She hadn’t sent word ahead. Something in her spirit—an ache, a gut feeling—had told her not to.

As she stepped into the heart of the pack, the first thing she noticed was silence. Warriors moved through the village square, but their faces were grim, their eyes distant. Children who once ran to greet her with laughter now glanced at her, then quickly looked away.

Nancy’s brow furrowed. “What the hell happened here?”

The buildings were pristine, the patrols organized. But it was too perfect. The Crescent Fang she remembered had been a family—chaotic, loud, spirited. This… this felt like a military camp.

Her heart twisted.

She approached the council hall, pushing the doors open to find her beta, Soran, speaking to a group of warriors. His silver hair was tied neatly back, his posture rigid. He looked over as she entered—and smiled.

But it wasn’t the warm, cheeky smile she was used to. It was… polite. He didn't bow either, that felt wrong.

“Alpha,” he said, walking toward her. “You should’ve sent word.”

“I needed to come. Something felt wrong.”

Soran raised a brow. “Wrong? We’re thriving. Valchren has brought order, strength. The Crescent Fang has never been more united.”

Her stomach dropped.

“Valchren?” she echoed. “Who’s Valchren?”

Soran fumbled briefly, but he quickly covered it up. "He showed up few weeks back, while you were away. We resisted at first, but he promised guidance, and he has ever since kept to his word.”

Nancy could hear the accusation in his voice, but her anger overshadowed the guilt. “You mean a stranger appeared out of nowhere, promising guidance and you let him into our pack?”

“He's not a stranger anymore. He’s opened our eyes.” Soran gestured to the warriors. “You’ll see. The Moon Goddess kept us in chains. He showed us the truth.”

Nancy’s blood ran cold. “What truth?” she whispered.

“That the goddess abandoned us long ago. That her promises were just stories to keep us docile. Valchren brought power. Real power.”

Shocked was quite an understatement to explain how she felt at that moment. She didn't need to hear any further to know that this was bad.

Who was this man speaking to her, because it definitely wasn't the Soran she knew and trusted?

And what had happened to her pack? Her family.

Stay calm, she told herself. Don't fret, this matter needed to be handled with caution.

Swallowing down the lump that formed in her throat, Nancy said, “Let me see him.”