Chapter 64
A desperate howl cut through the night air just as Marcus’s spy disappeared into the darkness. “Help us!” The voice was raw with fear. “Please, someone help us!” A young woman stumbled into the open, her clothes torn and bloody. She fell at Elara’s feet, gasping for breath. “Who are you?” Kael demanded, instantly on guard. “Sara… Sara Willow from the Pine Creek Pack,” she wheezed. “My Alpha sent me. The pups… they’re dying p>
Elara knelt beside her, silver energy instantly flowing to heal her wounds. “What’s wrong with them?” “We don’t know. They were fine yesterday. Then this morning Sara’s voice broke. “They can’t wake up. All twelve of them. Just… sleeping forever.” “Sleeping curse,” Tobias whispered grimly. “Haven’t seen one in decades.” “Can you help them?” Sara begged, squeezing Elara’s hand. “You’re the Moon Alpha. Everyone says you have healing skills.” “I Elara paused. “I’ve never fixed anyone before. Not really.” “Then learn fast,” Celeste said quickly.
“Because if those pups die, every pack will blame you.” “What do you mean?” “Think about it,” Celeste explained quickly. “The time is too perfect. Marcus needs you to look weak before his army comes. What better way than letting innocent pups die while the ’great’ Moon Alpha does nothing?” Darian stepped forward hesitantly. “She’s right. This feels like another trick.” “Everything feels like a trap now,” Ronan snapped at his brother. “Because of you.” “Stop fighting,” Elara ordered, her power flaring. “Sara, how far is your pack territory?” “Twenty minutes by wolf form.” “Too long,” Alpha Kane said. “Marcus’s forces will be here within the hour.” “Then we split up,” Elara decided. “Some stay here to prepare defenses. Others come with me.” “Absolutely not,” Kael objected. “We’re not separating when enemies are closing in.” “Those pups are innocent,” Elara shot back. “I won’t let them die for politics.” “And I won’t let you walk into an obvious ambush.” “It’s not an ambush,” Sara cried. “I swear on my pack’s honor. The pups are really sick.” “Prove it,” Celeste urged. Sara looked confused. “How?” “Let Elara into your mind.
If you’re lying, she’ll know.” “I… okay. Yes. Do it.” Elara put her hands on Sara’s temples. Silver light flowed between them as she searched the girl’s memories. What she found made her gasp. Twelve small bodies lying totally still. Parents crying over children who wouldn’t wake up. An entire pack falling apart with sadness and terror. But underneath the honest feeling was something else. Something Sara didn’t even know was there. A shadow in her mind. A planted idea. “She’s telling the truth about the pups,” Elara stated. “But someone influenced her to come here. Made sure she’d find us.” “Marcus,” Darian whispered. “Probably. But that doesn’t change the fact that children are dying.” Alpha Kane stepped forward. “I’ll come with you. My pack can handle things here.” “And mine,” Alpha Reed added. Soon half the gathered wolves were volunteering to help. The other half wanted to stay and fight Marcus. “This is exactly what he wants,” Celeste warned. “To divide our forces.” “Then what do you suggest?” Elara asked. “Go. But take only a few wolves. Leave the rest here to face his army.” “That’s suicide,” Ronan argued. “No,” Elara said slowly. “It’s smart. Celeste is right. If I take too many wolves, we’ll be exposed here. If I take too few, I can’t help the pups.” “So what’s the plan?” Kael asked. “I take Sara and two guards. Everyone else stays to fight Marcus.” “I’m going with you,” all three triplets said at once. “No. I need you here, leading the defense.” “Elara—” “That’s an order,” she said strongly, her Luna authority ringing in her voice.
The triplets’ wolves automatically wanted to follow, but their human sides rebelled against letting her go alone. “At least take Celeste,” Darian begged. “You need an advisor.” “Fine. Sara, Celeste, and Elara looked around. “Alpha Kane.” “Deal,” Kane agreed. “But we leave now. Every minute counts.” As they prepared to shift into wolf form, Tobias pulled Elara away. “Be careful,” he whispered. “Sleeping curses aren’t normal. Someone cast this spell.” “Who would curse innocent pups?” “Someone who wanted to lure the Moon Alpha away from her army.” Elara’s blood cooled. “You think it’s connected to Marcus?” “Everything’s connected to Marcus now. Watch your back.” The trip to Pine Creek territory felt like racing through a nightmare. Sara led them through twisted paths and dark valleys, her desperation pushing them faster than safety advised. When they finally reached the pack camp, Elara’s heart nearly stopped. The place felt like a tomb. No children’s laughter. No playful screaming. Just quiet and the sound of parents crying. “This way,” Sara whispered, changing back to human form. She led them to a big cabin where twelve small bodies lay on makeshift beds. Parents sat beside each one, holding tiny hands and muttering prayers. “How long have they been like this?” Elara asked softly. “Since dawn,” Alpha Willow answered. He was a middle-aged man with kind eyes full of tears. “They were playing outside yesterday evening. Perfectly healthy. Then this morning Elara knelt beside the nearest bed. A little girl, maybe five years old, lay perfectly still. Her breathing was so shallow it was barely noticeable. “What happened right before they fell asleep?” Celeste asked. “Nothing unusual. They had dinner, played games, went to bed “What did they eat?” Alpha Kane pressed. “Same as always. Meat, veggies, milk “The milk,” Sara said suddenly. “There was something strange about the milk yesterday p>
“What do you mean?” Elara asked. “It tasted… different. Sweeter. But the pups loved it, so we didn’t think anything of it.” “Where did the milk come from?” “A trader. Said he was from the Eastern Territories. Offered us a great deal on fresh goods.” Elara and Celeste traded looks. “Describe this trader,” Celeste urged. “Tall, dark hair, scar across his left cheek “Marcus,” Alpha Kane growled. “Or one of his people,” Elara agreed. “This whole thing is a setup.” “But the pups are still dying,” Alpha Willow argued. “Setup or not, can you save them?” Elara stared at the unconscious children. Her silver power was already reaching toward them, trying to understand what was wrong. What she found made her sick. “It’s not just a sleeping curse,” she declared grimly. “It’s a soul trap.” “What’s that?” Sara gasped. “Their souls are being slowly pulled away from their bodies. In a few hours, they’ll be gone forever.” “Can you break it?” “I… I don’t know. I’ve never tried anything like this.” “Then learn,” Alpha Willow begged. “Please. They’re all we have.” Elara closed her eyes and let her power flow toward the closest child. Silver light surrounded the little girl’s body, looking for the magical trap. There. A dark thread wrapped around the child’s soul, slowly dragging it into nothingness. Elara grabbed the thread with her energy and pulled. The blackness fought back, burning like acid against her power. Pain shot through her body as she fought to break the curse. “Elara!” Celeste caught her as she stumbled. “It’s fighting me,” Elara gasped. “The curse is alive somehow.” “Then fight harder,” Alpha Kane urged.
Elara poured more power into the fight. Silver fire blazed around the child as she battled with the dark magic. Finally, something snapped. The thread dissolved, and the little girl’s eyes fluttered open. “Mama?” she whispered softly. Her mother burst into tears of joy, pulling her daughter into a strong hug. “One down,” Elara said, wiping blood from her nose. “Eleven to go.” But as she moved to the next bed, she realized the truth. Each curse would be harder to break than the last. The spell was meant to drain her power. By the time she saved the last child, she might be too weak to protect herself. “This is the trap,” she whispered to Celeste. “Not just drawing me away from the army. Weakening me so I can’t fight Marcus.” “What do we do?” “Save the children anyway.” “Even if it kills you?” “Especially if it kills me. That’s what being Luna means.” As Elara moved to the second child, none of them spotted the shadow watching from outside the cabin. Marcus’s spy smiled coldly as he counted the remaining cursed pups. Eleven more soul traps.
Each one would drain more of the Moon Alpha’s power. By the time she finished, she’d be powerless. And Marcus’s army would be ready to finish what the curse started. The first test was already succeeding beyond his wildest dreams. But in the cabin, as Elara began fighting for the second child’s soul, something unexpected happened. Her silver power didn’t lessen. It grew bigger. Each act of selfless healing fed her powers instead of draining them. The spy’s smile faded as he realized Marcus had made a terrible mistake. He wasn’t weakening the Moon Alpha. He was making her invincible. But it was too late to warn his boss. The real fight was about to begin, and neither side was prepared for what the Moon Alpha was becoming. In the distance, howls rang through the night as Marcus’s army closed in on the cave. The war for the future of all werewolves had finally started. And Elara was exactly where she needed to be. Fighting not for power or politics, but for the lives of innocent children. The question was: would that be enough to save everyone she loved?