26

My mother used to say that every decision and every action in our life is the result of a struggle. A battle that takes place in our heads. Going astray between good and bad, pros and cons, right and wrong. Before we do anything, our mind would weigh all the possibilities of how our action could end up.

That's exactly what happened to me. It seemed like Cyrian was running toward me in slow motion.

He would die. He and his wolves if I didn't do something quickly. But what? After all, I was only human. How could I put an end to all this? What was right, what was wrong?

humans against wolves.

A struggle that shaped our generation and many before us.

Should it stay like this forever? A never-ending cycle of war and death? Because neither party was willing to forgive? To take the first step to live together, since since?

Were we really so different that coexistence would be impossible?

As a child I grew up with the humans, then with the wolves.

Thanks to Cyrian I got to know the good side of wolves and now here with my brother the bad side of humans.

None of us were good and none of us were bad. Aren't we actually quite alike? Weren't we all trying to survive and our families to protect our people?

Warmth and a familiar scent snapped me out of my thoughts. Cyrian had come to me and had jumped at me. The burly wolf pushed me protectively to the ground without putting his full weight on me.

For a moment I saw nothing but silver fur. But even though Cyrian sealed me off so well, I could still hear enough.

At first I couldn't place the strange noises until I realized that it was the wolves making these strange sounds.

Goosebumps covered my whole body when I realized they were screams of pain. The screams of dying wolves.

Then, after a short time, human screams mingled with the background noise. I wanted to cover my ears, but Cyrian clamped my arms tightly to my body.

Cyrian didn't appear to be hurt. The wolves of his pack had probably gathered around him to protect their alpha with their lives.

A vibration of the wolf above me announced its growl before it echoed across the meadow.

Desperately, I began to squirm under Cyrian. I wouldn't risk him lying unprotected on the grass just to protect me. We had to get out of here.

In fact, Cyrian rose, giving me room to breathe again. It wasn't until a few seconds later that I realized he hadn't stood up voluntarily. Another wolf attacked him and rolled off me.

I staggered to my feet. In the little time that had passed, the scene had changed completely. Not much was left of the meadow and many places burned. The people shot flaming arrows at the wolves, hoping to set their fur on fire.

All the people of the village and all the wolves seemed to have gathered on this meadow for the grand finale.

I automatically scanned the area for familiar faces. The first thing I recognized was a beauty with black hair. Mytic, one of the leaders, fended off a russet wolf surprisingly effectively with long spears.

Where were Kate and Nero? If I wanted to save anyone, it would be these two. And where was my brother?

A rattling noise made me spin around. A grim man stood right behind me, ready to stab me in the back with his knife.

But he didn't attack. I watched in surprise as his eyes glazed over before he collapsed. A black arrow in his back.

I immediately grab the knife that fell from his hand and look around. But who do I want to attack? People? wolves?

I exhale tensely and lower my hand with the knife. Nobody here is the enemy. The past is the only foe none of us have ever defeated.

" It is enough!" a voice echoes across the plain and sure enough everyone stops and falls silent.

Only now, in the silence, do I realize how loud the noise of the fight was. Wolves and humans all turn in my direction in surprise. Only then do I realize that it was me who spoke. Since when was my voice so loud? so strong?

"It is enough." I repeat again more quietly, without knowing exactly what I want to do now. But all my thoughts of the last few weeks about the humans and wolves and this stupid war pour out of my mouth without a second thought. For too long I've held her back, hiding my thoughts and opinions.

"Don't we have enough of it at some point? The blood, the dead. What for? To avenge someone who has died? We're going in circles. The people almost wiped out the wolves and the wolves then the people. It can't be like that go further.

The world is so big and there are so few of us, of all of us, humans and wolves, left. There is enough food and space. There is nothing there to argue about. We must stop using the past as a reason for our actions. It happened but it's over. We only sow hate again and that's exactly what we will reap. And future generations will pay for it.

We can end this all. Now and here. "My voice sounds surprisingly confident across the meadow, but I'm not so sure, I'm just desperate.

Complete silence falls over the meadow and no one seems to know what to do. They are waiting for an order. The humans to a decision of their leaders and the wolves to the decision of their alpha.

I turn and look straight into Cyrian's eyes. I can see how much he struggles with himself. He wants to kill and take revenge. Also, his wolves are stronger and outnumbered, he would win. He knows that and the people know it too.

"Please, Cyrian, let's go home," I'm almost begging in his direction.

It takes a moment, but suddenly Cyrian's body convulses. At first I think he's injured, but then I realize he's turning back. A few seconds later he is back in his human form in front of me.

He overcomes the few meters that separate us with big strides and pulls me into his arms. I ignore the fact that he is completely undressed because all that matters is the warm feeling in my stomach that I've missed so much.

His deep voice resonates even more powerfully across the square than mine. "You dared to steal the most precious thing in my life. You injured and killed my wolves. You have no mercy from me, nor do you deserve it. But if my mate wants to spare your life, then I will not stand in the way.

Nevertheless, a punishment must prove that I do not simply tolerate such an offense.

You will accompany us and face the Council of Wolves. For those of you who pose no threat to my pack, I will set you free."

That awfully tense silence again.

I push Cyrian away from me so I can see the humans. Uncertainty is reflected in their faces. You don't trust Cyrian, but do you have a better chance of surviving this? no

They seem to know that too, because slowly they begin to lower their weapons. It's Jens and his sons Torben and Collin who are the first to drop their swords on the ground. Then Marko, Finn and Luke. More and more weapons fall to the ground.

The wolves begin to transform back and cautiously approach the humans to capture them.

"I organize buses for the journey home." suddenly a voice next to us speaks up.

Startled, I look into dark green eyes that look familiar to me.

"I'm the beta, Nick, we met briefly in the house once." he explains after he has probably interpreted my look correctly.

Cyrian gives him a quick nod, presumably to sign off on the fines thing. I'm glad Nick talked about going home and didn't emphasize that people are prisoners. The idea of using the buses also sounds friendlier than the truck I was taken away with back then.

Something warm nestles against my cheek. Cyrian's hand.

He's so careful like he's scared of breaking me. How ironic, considering he threw himself at me full force earlier.

"I've missed you so." he breathes with beaming eyes.

"Me too, believe me" I reply. How did I survive without him? Without his warmth, his voice, his whole manner.

"We'll fix it. Together we can fix it all, right?" he murmurs you in my ear.

"Of course. Nothing will ever separate us again" I reply with a breaking voice. "You are mine and I am yours. Forever."

He nods, eyes still sparkling. Then he narrows his eyes in pain.

"Sit down, you must have used up a lot of energy," I say and pull him onto a nearby rock.

Exhausted, he sits down. Startled, I only now notice the arrow in his shoulder.

"Pull him out." asks Cyrian when he, too, notices him.

"Are you crazy? You'll bleed to death if I pull that out now."

"No, I am a wolf that heals." Cyrian assures me. "It's worse when he gets stuck in it"

I carefully grab the arrow and count to 3 in my head, only to pull it out of Cyrian's broad shoulder with a jerk. It's surprisingly easy.

"A weird arrow," I murmur to Cyrian and take a closer look at it. It looks like a normal sharpened stick with a spring. But the tip shines in a bright orange.

My brother's words ring in my head: "The bark of the grom tree makes wolves heal faster, but the leaves are like poison to them. A drop of its orange essence and the wolf has only a few minutes left."

no

no

no

Cyrian's gaze also hangs on the arrow and his eyes show me that he knows exactly what that is.

His cough confirms my suspicion when I notice that he is spitting up blood.

"No no no." I repeat out loud this time. "I have to find Kate, she must know how to cure this. Or one of the doctors. Thomas must also know something. I'll talk to him he'll tell me what to do and if not I'll - "

"Alex" Cyrian's weak voice interrupts me. A few minutes ago he had sounded so strong. "I love you. Never forget that. You were right. With everything you said before. It can't go on like this. Wolves and humans always only at war. But you can change that. You -"

Another fit of coughing interrupts him. Before he starts speaking again. "You can do this. You are the Luna and therefore in command. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Luke will help you. The whole pack will help you. You can do it, okay?"

"But how am I supposed to do all this without you. I can't live without you, Cyrian. I can't survive being separated from you again."

"Yes, because you are strong. They will listen to you because you are Luna. And since I never tagged you, you can manage to live on without me.

You are the best thing that could have happened to the wolves, the best thing that could have happened to me. I just wished I had a little more time with you. I really would have fulfilled your every wish. I would have made you happy."

"I know." I choke out in a choked voice. The last words I ever spoke to him.