Chapter Twenty-Two
Tyler
As often as I could, I had been glancing back from the battle to check on Seraphina. A flash of silvery fur streaking across the sparring ring behind her caught my eye now. The wolf moved too quickly for any injured member of our pack. Panic unfurled in my chest as I recognized the threat: Linda. While Seraphina’s wards kept out the Black Moons, Linda was technically a Silver Moon.
Adrenaline surged through me as I propelled myself toward the threat. My heart pounded fiercely in my furry chest as I lunged toward the pentagram’s radiant lines, shimmering with Seraphina’s vibrant green magic.
Time flickered into a cruel snapshot, and the world narrowed to a tunnel where only Linda remained, claws gleaming ominously in the flickering torchlight, teeth bared in a lethal snarl. I leaped forward to shield Seraphina, relieved as my body shielded her. Then, raw pain ignited as Linda’s claws raked into my flank. It spread like fire and ice, slicing through my body and shoving the breath from my lungs as I crumpled to the ground, knocking into Seraphina as I fell.
“No!” Seraphina screamed, her voice slicing through the din, her voice laced with terror.
In an instant, a burst of brilliant light erupted around me, and the pressure on my side released. I caught a glimpse of Seraphina, radiant and fierce, her power enveloping me and catapulting Linda’s wolf back.
Nearby, two silver warriors tore past—Logan and Tara, fierce and unstoppable, their teeth flashing like silver daggers as they charged at Linda. They moved with synchronized ferocity, their instincts finely honed from years of fighting together. A savage yelp pierced the air, followed by a chilling silence as Linda crumpled, her treachery finally extinguished.
Shifting back into my human form, I gritted my teeth against the searing pain. I pressed my palm against it, feeling the warmth of blood coat my fingers.
“Tara! Logan!” I hollered. “Stay with Seraphina!” My gaze scanned the fighting lines beyond the circle, anxious that Darius might breach these defenses as Linda had.
Seraphina took in my wound, panic flooding her face. I could feel her magic brushing up against me, wanting to heal me, but that brilliant energy wasn’t meant for me—not now, not when the dark witch Elvira still chipped away at Seraphina’s protective barrier.
I pinned Seraphina with my fiercest look, pushing every ounce of Alpha authority into my voice. “Keep fighting, Seraphina!” I urged, my body vibrating with conviction, every fiber of my being urging her onward.
“Tyler—” she began, fear lacing her voice, but I wouldn’t hear it. Not now.
“Don’t worry about me! You need to finish Elvira!” A fire ignited within my heart, a certainty that together, we could vanquish the Black Moons once and for all.
Seraphina’s expression hardened, fire returning to her jade eyes. Doubt melted away as she straightened, channeling her energy into strengthening the pentagram’s protective force against Elvira’s darkness.
Blood trickled steadily from my wound, slow against the frantic tempo of battle swirling beyond the circle. I returned my focus there, knowing I still needed to lead the pack to victory.
“Keep them out of the circle!” I bellowed back to Tara and Logan, who remained on the edges of the circle.
As I shifted, the wolves around me responded, renewed vigor sparking through their ranks as I ran with them. But unease wormed through my gut. The wound in my side would slow me down. Still, I couldn’t falter.
Our allies—the Shadow Moons, Moonlights, and Blood Moons—had surged into battle alongside us. I didn’t yet know how they’d known the Black Moons were attacking, but they were here. That’s what mattered. Every yellow, red, or gray wolf set my spirit ablaze with renewed hope. With the other packs alongside us, victory was within our grasp. My paws pounded against the snow-dusted earth as I plunged back into combat.
To my left, a massive gray wolf intercepted a charging Black Moon, his size indicating he was an alpha—Kyle, Alpha of the Moonlight Pack. With speed and nimbleness, he collided with our enemy, jaws snapping as he found purchase on the flank of the Black Moon wolf. The combination of their skills exploded in a vivid display of fur and muscle.
But I barely had time to breathe when a Black Moon lunged toward me, camouflaged in the night. Crouching low, I knew I only had brute strength on my side—not speed, not with this agonizing heat in my side.
In that crucial moment, I threw my weight into the attack, smashing into the wolf and sending him crashing to the ground. I sank my teeth into his side, tasting the sweet release of rage as his blood splattered across my tongue.
To my right, a huge yellow streak darted across the white snow, battling against a silver wolf. Recognition surged through me: Elder Darius. The golden Shadow Moon Alpha was fighting the traitor who had framed Seraphina’s parents. Everything that the elder had done suddenly whipped through my mind, fueling my movements. He’d led the Black Moons into our midst. He’d been the cause of the sickness spreading through our pack all because he’d wanted to claim my alphahood.
Darius’s wolf feinted, pivoting to bite into the flank of the Shadow Moon Alpha, but I surged toward him, my heart roaring with fury. I wouldn’t let him live. I launched myself at him, biting deep into his left side. He flinched, a whine escaping him, and from the corner of my eye, I saw Alpha Alexis seize the opportunity, launching his own assault on his other flank.
But Darius’s blood belonged to me. I edged closer, aiming for a lethal strike as Darius raised his neck, exposing the softness of his throat. With every ounce of simmering fury, I drove my fangs deep into his flesh.
Time slowed, blood spraying warmly against my muzzle. Darius thrashed but couldn’t escape; life seeped from him in crimson rivulets. In that moment, justice coursed through my veins.
As his body hit the snow, I exchanged a fierce, knowing look with Alexis. We both felt the weight of justice. For a heartbeat, a rumble of shared satisfaction passed between us, but there was no time to celebrate.
No sooner had I rejoined the battle than a vicious snarl sliced through the tumult. Alpha Marcus—massive and imposing—charged toward me, his great paws pounding the earth. I barely managed to leap out of his path, my heart thundering as he circled, relentless in his pursuit.
Marcus lunged with brutal precision. In one swift motion, he targeted my already injured flank, the very spot where Linda had marked me. His jaws snapped down, teeth sinking deep into the raw flesh, igniting a new wave of blinding pain that radiated through my body before tossing me onto the wintry ground.
Heaving myself up, I felt the air rush past the wound, blood warm and sticky against my fur, and the pain bloomed anew, sharper than before. Desperation clawed at my insides; I wouldn’t let it stop me. Not now.
Marcus prowled, a sinister grin stretching his flews up, teeth glinting in the darkness—a predator thriving upon my suffering.
Yet, a fire remained in my heart—righteous anger anchored me against the rising tide of pain. Fueled by the image of Seraphina on the periphery of my vision, I prowled low, pushing through the blinding agony, my blood mingling with the frosty earth beneath my paws. But Seraphina was the only thought I needed to keep on fighting.
A fierce snarl erupted from my throat as I charged, focused solely on the Alpha, who was the embodiment of all my pack’s suffering. Each pounding heartbeat propelled my muscles forward, igniting a rage that enveloped me, drowning out the pain as I surged toward him.
Marcus lunged, jaws snapping wide. Timing was everything. I ducked beneath his attack, using the momentum to pivot into his side, slamming my body against him.
We collided with thunderous force. The impact jarred us both, but with it came a renewed fire in my belly. I rolled away and twisted, sinking my fangs deep into his shoulder, breaking skin and tearing flesh.
His enraged roar shattered the night, sending shockwaves through me and invigorating the fight with renewed conviction. I felt his power falter, his massive frame stumbling, granting me the opening I sought.
Striking where it counted, I pushed through the haze of pain, drawing upon the last reserves of my spirit. Prowling closer, I channeled every ounce of spirit within me as I launched at his throat. The world held its breath as my fangs bit down, savoring the visceral rush that flooded my senses as I felt life ebb from him.
With one final twist, I brought him into death’s embrace. His mighty form collapsed against the unforgiving ground, lifeless.
As his body fell, the night rippled with triumph. Thrilling energy coursed through the ranks of Silver Moons and our allies. The Black Moon Alpha lay defeated, though scattered remnants of his pack still fought, their desperation giving rise to chaotic snarls and violent clashes. I staggered back, panting heavily, pain reverberating through my body, yet satisfaction seeded deep within me.
In the distance, a surge of light radiated. I turned back to Seraphina, surrounded by a halo of power as she held her ground against Elvira’s fury, luminous and unwavering.
The remaining Black Moons still fought, but they were now scattered and disjointed, the loss of their leader sending shockwaves through their ranks. Nearby, I caught sight of Tara and Logan intercepting a pair of Black Moon warriors, their fierce growls cutting through the din. I felt a renewed surge of hope; our allies could hold their ground against these weakening wolves and give Seraphina the time she needed to finish Elvira.
The glorious illumination of green lit the night, as ethereal as the Aurora Borealis that often graced our Alaskan skies. Yet, for me, the world around me had begun to swirl and fade in and out, dulled by a haze that cloaked my senses, while each heartbeat thudded in my ears like a drum.
Seraphina’s magic surged through the air, pulsing against the heavy weight of Elvira’s darkness. I felt its energy brush against me as if trying to call me back from the void my strength was slowly slipping into.
A blast of verdant energy struck Elvira, making her stumble and then crash to her knees.
Elation ignited the wolves’ howls around her, a cacophony of fury and triumph filling the air as we surged forth. Mixed hues of red, silver, gray, and yellow closed in on the witch, eager to capitalize on the lull in her defenses, the descending fangs and claws proving her just as mortal and vulnerable as the rest of us.
Our victory was sung through the night in a chorus of howls and the last echoes of our enemies crashing to the ground. My heart swelled with joy—a euphoric liberation—but a painful weight buried itself within me, a sense of impending loss sinking ever deeper.
As the dark witch fell, exhaustion washed over me, overwhelming the remnants of adrenaline I had seized. I shifted into my human form, stumbling toward Seraphina, the green light she still radiated guiding me as I weaved my way over the battlefield’s chaos.
But my knees buckled, and the deep, persistent pain I had managed to suppress finally broke free, flooding my chest and consuming me.
“Tyler!” I heard Seraphina’s voice pierce through the chaos, panic threading through it. Her warmth enveloped me, her trembling arms cradling me as I collapsed.
“Seraphina,” I whispered, the words barely escaping my lips as my body succumbed to the weight of my wounds. The pain was overwhelming, but beneath it lay a deep, abiding warmth—the feeling of her presence—the person I had fought so hard to protect.
The biting pain in my lungs told me I didn’t have long. I forced myself to make the most of whatever fleeting moments the Moon goddess allowed me.
There was so much I wanted to tell her. I longed to confess the foolishness of my mistakes—both the ones I’d made over the past few weeks and those from years ago. I longed to tell her that I should have cherished every second with her, both recently and in the past. But the truth was painfully clear: I was out of precious moments. There was only this one.
I thought of her voice, soft and pained, echoing in the supply closet of the infirmary when she had feared my being with her the other night had only been because of Linda’s passion potion. The thought that she could still doubt my love for her was what pressed on me now.
“It was all real,” I struggled to articulate again, my voice straining under the weight of my love, trying to condense everything I felt into these desperate breaths. “Every moment—being with you, kissing you, arguing with you… baking with you,” I added, a smile tugging at my lips as I remembered the years of laughter and warmth she’d gifted me with. “It was all real. Through every heartbeat, I’ve loved you… All I’ve ever wanted… is for you to find the same happiness you’ve given me.”
I paused, the gravity of my choices pressing heavily on my chest. “I’m sorry,” I whispered, each word laced with the urgency of my fading strength. “I’m sorry for the times I pushed you away… I should have fought harder… for you—for us. I let pride stand in the way… I can never take those mistakes back… but… I’m sorry, Seraphina.”
Keeping my gaze locked onto hers became a challenge. Her eyes, vibrant jade orbs, shone with a desperate intensity as if she could bring me back to life through sheer will alone.
Yet even those eyes began to dull, color fading as sound dwindled to a whisper, a numbing calm enveloping me. Love alone anchored me here, a flickering flame in the gathering darkness, as I savored the sensation of Seraphina’s touch. Memories of our laughter, our arguments, and tender moments of quiet understanding washed over me, each buoying me up, keeping me from the abyss. I clung to them, never wanting to let them go. Never wanting to let her go.
But Seraphina’s voice, a soft plea, “Tyler…” was suddenly snatched away. I longed to follow it, but it faded to nothing more than a whisper in the wind.
A cold wind snaked its way inside me, its howl suffocating my lungs, stripping away rational thought and all those cherished memories. The chilling grasp of ice that had settled into my bones began to melt away, leaving only silence in its wake—a silence that echoed with the weight of all I would leave behind.