Page 10 of The Alpha's Lunar Crown

Everything is in a state of mayhem and disarray. Loud cries from a distance let me know this is not the only side of the attack. The bastards picked the best time to attack. With everyone in a celebratory mood, our guards completely down, and no weapon to defend ourselves, we are vulnerable.

"Lucien!" A voice roars over battle cries and pained wails. I turn to find a naked and bloody Liam wrestling a wolf. "To your left, your father."

That's all he manages to say before shifting and pouncing on the wolf. My head whips to the left to find my father surrounded by three wolves, stalking him like a prey. They have him cornered to the edge of the clearing, almost concealed by the darkness of the woods. I scan the environment, wondering why no one is fighting next to him. Where is Liam's father?

Everyone is deeply involved in their own fight. The Silver Pack wolves outnumber us by a ratio of more than two to one. This is my fight.

Despite being outnumbered, my father maintains a solid stance, baring his canines at them and daring them to come closer.

The wolf in the middle makes the first move, but my father skillfully dodges his claws, driving his into the wolf's hind leg. There's no doubt that he is a wonderful fighter. He was the best in his time, and coming face-to-face with him in battle was akin to death, but that was years ago.

Now he's older, and the sickness has weakened his abilities greatly. I don't wait for the next one to attack before making my way toward them. I enlist every strand of muscle in me, channeling all my attention inside to force a shift. I try till I can feel my muscles almost bulging out of my skin and my head throbbing from how hard I was concentrating, yet my wolf is no show.

Two wolves lunge at him at once. One hops on his back while the other attacks from behind. Soon, the third joins, going straight for his ears. His cry of pain shoots straight into my heart.

I let out a shout of pain, running to him with my weapon in hand. I won't stop trying to shift. My vision is blurry, and I can't see through the rage crowding my vision. All I want to do is lunge at them and tear out their heads with my teeth.

"Liam," I scream when I notice I might not make it in time to save him. The wolf on his back retracts his teeth, looking straight at me before sinking it into his neck and biting harder. My father screams in anguish. This time, a black wolf with white stripes jumps over me, heading to the spot, but we're both too late.

The wolf in front drives its claws into his chest, ripping his heart out in the process and carelessly discarding it on the floor.

A thunderous growl tears through the chaos, its effect causing an immediate pause in the ongoing battle. The sound is pained and torturous, reverberating loudly through my skull and leaving my throat dry.

I am at my father's side, gripping his limp body while his lifeless eyes stare back at me, accusation spelled boldly in them. Pack members begin to gravitate towards the scene, wide-eyed and slacked-jaw, as they take it all in.

Almost as though the aim of the battle has been achieved, the enemy wolves begin to retreat into the woods. I spot the wolf that delivered the final blow to my father, and rage surges through me like molten lava, clouding my vision with smoke and heat.

I reach out to my wolf one more time, injecting the pain and anger coursing through me to force a shift. Nothing would heal me like seeing the head of the pathetic beast rolling at my father's feet. Raining a bloodbath on Silver Pack will be the perfect way to draw the chaotic rush of emotions firing through my nerves, but nothing happens. I shut my eyes, clenching my jaws till my head hurt. I bite my gums till the metallic taste of blood assaults my senses. I command my wolf. I send threats to him, yet nothing. Not even a stir.

"Luc?" Liam's voice cut through the fog of rage and desperation encasing me. His eyes are filled with questions.

I shift my gaze to find the last wolf disappear into the woods, leaving Blackwood a bloody mess of torn limbs and battered bodies. It all happened in my presence. I watched them attack my home and tear us down, and there was nothing I could do, not even for my own father. I failed.

CHAPTER FIVE

Aurora

"Hurry, Ro. You're gonna be late for school!" I call out, loading the dishwasher.

"I can't find my drawing book, Mom," Ronan replies. I can hear him shuffling through the papers in his room and throwing things around.

I roll my eyes, making my way to the living room. We go through this almost every school day. He stalls under the pretense of missing a drawing book, even though he knows I put them in the same spot every night.

Just as I guessed, there's a booklet with shapes and figures on the second shelf of the mini bookcase in the corner of the room. "Found it."

A low groan echoes my victory, and shortly, Ronan's light steps follow. "Where did you find it? I searched everywhere for it."

He gestured towards the toys scattered on the floor as solid proof that he had searched everywhere.

If I wasn't already working with a tight schedule, I might've found the time to indulge his little game of pretense.

"How about you start your search from this spot," I point at the bookcase, "before proceeding to turn the house upside down."

His face split into a wide grin, mischief hiding behind his eyes. "Okay, Mama."

It is scary how much he looks like Lucien when he smiles. They have the same dimple on their right cheek and piercing blue eyes.

When I prayed to the Goddess to rid me of any attachment I had to Lucien, I didn't expect her to answer by putting his miniature clone in me.

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