Chapitre 33

"NO!"

The crowd lost their composure and immediately Eros dropped the knife. His eyes widened as he stared at something behind me.

On somebody.

I jerked around to the voice that had spoken with so much hatred it took my breath away. There was only one person in the aisle.

Lucy.

Her back was arched while her red eyes began to glow like lava with anger. They stabbed into my soul while my head tried to understand.

It hit me like a slap.

It wasn't Lucia staring at me. It was a monster.

"You're not going to be Luna, not while I'm alive!" she cried, and the pack members flinched at her ice-cold tone. The black strands hung to the ground, completely wild. With angry steps, she came towards me.

Without hesitation, Eros stepped in front of me as some warriors emerged from the crowd. I couldn't see anything, only a sudden scream shattered the peacefulness. I pushed my head past Ero's huge back.

Dead bodies lay in their path while fresh blood dripped from their hands into the snow. Not a shred of remorse stirred in the dead eyes that were fixed on me.

"Stop!"

Suddenly Julien sprinted out of the crowd. Deep circles under his eyes made him look like a corpse. A shadow darted in his pupils as if he was being followed. He stood protectively in front of his companion, who looked past him in irritation.

"Please don't do anything to her. It's not their fault!" he yelled in desperation. My heart snapped in two as I watched the Beta trying to protect a monster.

"You knew?" Demetrius asked suddenly.

His eyes were dark with guilt, but he allowed Lucia to push him further forward. Further in our direction.

"I- I found the verbena soap," he admitted frankly, turning to face his mate. She looked at him with lifeless eyes as if she didn't know him.

"Out of the way," she said in an ice-cold voice.

"Lucia, you can't do that. Please, I love you."

Julien's voice broke my heart. He was desperately trying to hold on to something that Lucia didn't seem to care about. I put my hand on Ero's shoulder to calm him down. He seemed to be waiting, but what?

Our plan was that I would only start walking when there was imminent danger.

"Julien, get out of the way," said a voice from the frozen crowd.

Then a new figure stirred. Pollux stepped forward and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. Nothing but pure anger was written all over his face.

"I can't," the werewolf whispered, desperately seeking support, but no one was on his side, not even his mate.

Suddenly his eyes fell on me and he begged me with glassy eyes. My thoughts raced but came to no conclusion. The field crackled with tension that would soon explode. What should I do?

"ENOUGH WITH THE HIDE AND DISCOVER."

Lucia's voice took on an inhuman tone at the announcement of the beast that had slumbered inside her all along.

"Quite right," Pollux replied, and without hesitation he leaped at her.

"No!"

Julien threw herself in front of them and the werewolves landed in the snow. So the whole plan was lost. Pure chaos broke out. Pack members were running wild everywhere, but I only had eyes for one person.

Lucy.

Completely unconcerned, she made her way to us. A loud growl escaped Eros. I could hear the betrayal in it and the anger that went with it.

"So you're responsible," he said coldly.

Lucia laughed, loud and dry, while I backed away in fear. She spread her arms.

"Yes, I am the first wolf that ever walked the earth! I am the image of the moon goddess! You should kneel before me and worship me!"

My heart jumped erratically, completely overwhelmed by the situation. No wonder the moon goddess wanted to get rid of this repulsive creature.

"Ephilia," Eros whispered, only half turning his head.

"RUN."

The word was all it took. My muscles relaxed and I started sprinting into the middle of the crowd. The icy wind whipped at me, along with the growls of wolves.

"Take shelter behind the trees! Don't run on the lake!" Gamma Johnson shouted over the shouting while trying to command the families and warriors at the same time.

Completely unconcerned with the situation around them, PPollux and Julien lay in the snow. They dealt punches to each other and each tried to defeat the other.

"Ephilia, leave them both alone! I'll take care of it!" Demetrius called from behind me. I winced at the old man, who had a gun in his hands. He took aim and two precise shots hit the wolves, who otherwise would have torn each other to pieces.

Their movements slowed before they fell stunned into the snow. Frantically I looked back at Eros. My bone marrow trembled as I saw two nocturnal wolves entwined in one another.

Blue vs Red.

To my relief, Eros prevailed. Its sharp teeth bit without hesitation. The joy was short-lived.

A growl shook the earth, and the primal wolf's silver claws flashed in the sunlight.

"No!" I screamed, but it was too late.

They only grazed his flank lightly, but the silver hissed. Eros Wolf fell in the snow and immediately I ran out of the crowd. The primal wolf was completely focused on him and my heart roared furiously in my chest.

"Hey, here! Here I am!"

Attention snapped to me immediately. That wasn't part of the plan, but if what was planned didn't work, you had to improvise. Another missile flew through the air and hit the primeval wolf in the neck where Eros had bitten earlier.

But the only reaction we got was a deafening growl. My eyes flickered to Eros for a moment, who tried to sit up, but the silver paralyzed his body.

"Run," I whispered to Demetrius, who gave the slightest nod. "Help Eros. I'll lure it away."

Before we had any more time to come up with a new plan, the monster leaped at us. I hissed around and sprinted as fast as my legs could carry me. The adrenaline bubbling in my veins drove me on.

The dress blew backwards, but I didn't care. I knew exactly where I wanted to go. I fought my way up the plain and ran to the tree.

The thundering paws sounded behind me.

Immediately upon reaching the trunk, I pulled out the silver bracelet and faced the monster slowing in front of me.

The monster that was once Lucia.

"But how?" I asked barely audibly.

"YOU NAIVE THING," it purred, its deep voice vibrating through my bones. It licked its saber teeth as I took a few steps backwards WERE JUST AN ANNOUNCEMENT NOT WORTH THE AIR THEY BREATHED. THEY COULD MAY HURT ME BUT THEY COULD NEVER KILL ME NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU TRY."

The monster kept coming towards me.

"FOR DEATH IS MY COMPANION."

My whole body trembled at the words as the monster fed on my fear. I gripped the silver tighter, searching for the right moment.

“HERE IN THE NORTH I FINALLY FOUND MY PEACE, EVEN IF IT WAS BORING. I WAS WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO TURN THE LYCAN OFF. AND THEN YOU CAME!"

The red eyes aimed at me with a throbbing wave of hatred.

"YOU DIRTY PERSON SHOULD BECOME LUNA?! I TRYED EVERYTHING TO GET RID OF YOU WITHOUT BETAKING MYSELF. BUT YOU JUST DID NOT WANT TO DIE!"

My eyes widened.

I tried to remember the first day I woke up here. Lucia was the first face I saw growing up. A face behind which a monster had lurked.

After Eros locked me in, she had unlocked the door and brought me fresh sheets, but now I realized it wasn't to help me.

She wanted to watch me fall to my death or flee.

"You were that?"

My voice sounded completely dumbfounded. My windpipe had shrunk, barely letting in fresh oxygen, while my heart was hiding in my stomach. I tried to swallow, but my mouth was bone dry.

"BECAUSE OF YOU I HAD TO REVEAL MY IDENTITY! I TRYED TO STAY THE LOVE LITTLE LUCIA THAT EVERYONE KNEW. MOST OF THE TIME SOMEONE WAS NEAR YOU OR SOMEONE KNEW I WAS WITH YOU. JUST THANKS TO JULIEN AND HIS INDESTRUCTIBLE SLEEP! I WANTED TO BURN YOU, POISON YOU, AND THEN I HAD THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY ON THE VERBENA FIELD!"

New confidence flowed through my veins. It was time to put an end to the spook.

"But you didn't use it. I yelled, pulling the silver out from behind my back. It sparkled like a thousand diamonds in the sun. "You're going to pay for everyone you murdered!"

The primeval wolf seemed completely unimpressed. He kept walking towards me, unconcerned about the silver.

"IT IS TIME YOU DIE, EPHILIA OF THE MOUNTAIN SHADOW PACK. YOU'VE BEEN AMONG THE LIVING MUCH TOO LONG."

My confidence burst into hundreds of sparks of fear as the beast prepared to pounce.

I was wrong.

My head was completely blank.

The whole world seemed to slow down as I realized my mistake. The monster jumped at me. The sharp teeth were aimed at my neck. I staggered back helplessly and landed in the snow.

Then I felt something on my leg.

The dagger.

In a flash, I pulled the weapon out from under my dress and rolled onto my side, blade held out toward the monster. The tearing of skin sounded together with a bloody howl.

The golden dagger wore a red layer. The primeval wolf paused for a moment. Then he turned to me. Not a single drop of blood landed on the snow. The wound had already healed. I gasped fresh fog from my lungs and tried to calm my heart.

Blood dripped from the hand in which I held the dagger. My blood. I opened my palm, which was completely wet with red liquid. I had cut myself.

My gaze jerked back to the monster.

Feverishly, my head sought help. Then why was it afraid?

A world-destroying growl sounded behind us and I could hardly believe my eyes.

Eros.

In human form.

His pupils were completely black.

My stomach clenched at the sight of his blood coursing down his side toward the floor. He hobbled towards us. His eyes rested on me for a moment before settling on the monster that had injured him.

"GET READY TO DIE."