The Wolf Moon: Friends to Lovers Wolf Shifter Romance

Chapter 27

The King Alpha is setting up the main army to meet here,” Cate explained, raising her hand over the surface of the water to make her own map similar to the one Roman kept in his King’s Corner. Within the center of three of the human villages was a large opening where the six packs he had mentioned before would converge before spreading out to take out the human villages, including my own. “The packs will be Trinity of course, along with the Red Moon, Midnight, Polaris, Moonstone, and Crescent packs.”

“

What’s our plan, then?” I asked uncertainly. I glanced at my hand as though not convinced I had actually transformed into a wolf not long before this discussion.

“Our primary plan is for you to get to the King Alpha, but we’ll also need to protect the villages. He’ll send waves and it will start at any time. We may be running late as it is,” Cynthia proceeded to explain with her own frown. “There are more wolves joining us now; Oracles from other areas and Rogues beyond that. Because we will be greatly outnumbered, I’ll gift them with temporary intuition. They’ll be able to foresee attacks and use this to their advantage.”

“I don’t want anyone to be hurt on either side,” I stated quickly, a concern growing within me. Was there really going to be a battle, not just between wolves and humans but also between the wolves themselves?

“This is a war. It’s inevitable,” Cate answered with a shrug. “We’ll push forward with our group. Selene and I will be with you to protect you. If there’s no resistance, no order for attack, then we’ll just stroll right in to see the King Alpha. But you can see how this won’t seem likely…”

“They’ll be guarding Roman?” I was looking at the image of the packs on the surface of the water thoughtfully. Roman wouldn’t be in any danger, being that he was immortal, but maybe not everyone knew this.

“They won’t allow you through because of what you are. His mate,” Cynthia confirmed solemnly, “You’ve changed his mind once already. They won’t want it to happen again. It’ll be the Alphas and Lunas you’ll have to watch for once we get through the actual packs. They have already shown an unwillingness to follow you as Queen Luna. You may have to force their hands.”

I was silent for a moment, thinking. Six packs would be there. We had fifteen wolves, probably more once the other Oracles and Rogues showed, but I knew it would be nothing to the packs waiting to attack. On the Wolf Moon, there had been hundreds of wolves there, all immersed in their hatred of humankind. Even if half of those would show within the other packs, it was possibly over a thousand wolves along with a handful of powerful leaders. I had strained just to stop the Trinity pack from harming me… what could I do with six packs?

“We’ll be with you,” Cate repeated when she seemed to notice my hesitation. “We may be outnumbered in bodies, but they’ll be outpowered. You just focus on reaching the King Alpha and doing what you must to stop this war in its tracks, alright?”

I sighed. Even now, I wasn’t sure what they expected of me. Even if I reach Roman, how was I supposed to stop any of this? Would I really be able to kill him, if the time came?

“Time’s passing. We must go,” Cynthia said, reaching to place her hand on my shoulder. “The wolves are gathered just outside the cave. You must address them as Queen Luna, give them direction, and then lead.” My mouth opened immediately in surprise before I groaned.

“Why can’t you just speak to them? You’re the Mother,” I complained unhappily. Cynthia only smiled gently. I turned to glare at Cate who had already reached for her lance easily. She paused when spotting me looking at her intently.

“Ew, I don’t speak to mortals. It’s all you, Arty,” Cate waved her hand dismissively. I sighed loudly. Right, they only would use their voice around Oracles. With Rogues around, Cate would become her typical mysterious self and… I looked to Cynthia… I supposed I’ve never even seen her around other living beings besides the Oracles, so who knew how she’d behave herself.

The three of us stepped out of the cave to address a crowd of wolves that stood in some human and other wolf forms. They had been whispering to one another with intensity, but upon seeing Cynthia, Cate, and I step into view, they all became silent expectantly.

I hesitated, but then cleared my throat.

“We are all gathered here today…” Ridiculous, I hissed to myself. “I’ve called you all here to ask for your help. I know… all of you have no affiliations with any pack. Many of you have been banished or have left due to your status. I’m sure there are several other reasons. But now, I ask all of you to stand together as wolf kind, rather than a pack. Stand by request of our makers, the ones who watch over us; the Trinity.”

There were sudden howls and hoots of an agreeable nature. I could feel the intensity growing within the crowd as they mentally prepared themselves for the coming battle.

“We will have to fight our own people,” I interrupted the howls firmly. “We may be hurt ourselves. The Mother has granted us temporary intuition.” The wolves all became deadly silent.

“This means two things: you will be able to foresee attacks shortly before they come and be able to avoid or counter them, and we have been blessed by the Mother. So while we may be well outmanned,” I turned to glance at Cate before turning back, “They are outpowered!” More muted howls responded excitedly to my words.

“Our goal is to protect the human villages. Don’t let the packs get through.” As the words left my lips, a sharp and loud howl sounded through the trees deafeningly. My body thrilled with the sound, recognizing my mate immediately. I waited until the sound quieted before addressing my wolves in an even tone. “Protect the humans. Leave the King Alpha to me.”

And with that, I stepped forward, allowing my form to mold into that of a wolf. I hesitated unfamiliarly, but then took another step before lifting my head and howling ferociously into the night. I could feel my howl reaching over the wolves shifting before me, clawing through the trees, startling the wealth of wolves in the far distance, and finally sparking through Roman’s commanding form. He immediately aimed to reach for me through our bond and I blocked him. Only in person would I open myself to him completely.

Cynthia stepped next to me, her silver fur glowing in the night like the moon itself. Cate remained in human form, turning to face the direction where the wolves were already beginning to advance towards the humans.

With something of devious delight in her features, Cate lifted her lance in her hand. She spun it once in one direction then again in another, tossed it from one hand to the other, and then tensed her body. With power I’d never witnessed before, she took a step back, pulled her arm back as well, and then launched the lance into the sky. It disappeared from sight and as though given a signal, the wolves howled around us before lurching forward ferociously.

I began to follow, but Cynthia stepped in front of me firmly.

“Let them have a chance to create a path for you,” Cynthia said to me softly. After all the wolves disappeared into the trees, Cate pranced beside me in her own wolf form.

“Time to play,” Cate bit at my neck teasingly before running into the trees with powerful and eager strides. Cynthia followed after her and I almost fell over myself to run after the both of them.

Running through the trees as a wolf was unlike anything I’d ever felt before. I moved far quicker that I could as a human. I felt powerful and dangerous; wild and free. Somehow, despite my speed, I could see everything within my path. I could feel the wind in my fur as I ran. I was in something of a euphoric state.

It was short lived.

As we ran, the sound of ferocious growls, yelps, and howls echoed in the air. The smell of blood flooded my senses. Our path was blocked by an entire wave of wolves; all intending on passing us to destroy the humans. Just based on the amount of wolves present, I knew it was only the first wave, but even this was almost too much. Yet, our wolves were avoiding attacks with ease and making lethal moves of their own perfectly. Cynthia went forward to attack any wolves that were coming towards us.

“I’ll clear a path,” Cate snarled from in front of me. Surprisingly, she ran forward, twisting to avoid a wolf before stepping into her human form. In one second, she was before us. The next, she disappeared and appeared in the far distance as though she had teleported.

As I watched where she teleported to, I saw she had a hand wrapped around her lance. With amazing strength, she gripped the lance and lifted it, spinning it around furiously. A burst of black aura exploded from the weapon and the wolves that were intent on attacking Cate were left lifeless around her. I felt sick at the sight, but also amazed.

In my amazement, I forgot I was in a battle; one in which I was in an unfamiliar form. While I watched Cate, another wolf slipped from the side and collided into me. I yelped with surprise, reaching to snap at the wolf, but they were far more train than me. The wolf aimed for my neck and I began to reach with my power to stop them when suddenly a second, more familiar wolf bit into the neck of the one above me.

The silver and black wolf ripped the unknown wolf from my form furiously, biting down until a snap echoed around the attacks and cries around us. I stood with surprise, smaller than the towering wolf, and yet he bent his head forward to the side to reveal his own neck.

“Logan,” I said with shock.

“You’ve finally shifted, Queen Luna,” Logan answered simply before standing at attention, watching for any more attackers. “Don’t look so surprised. I am your Sol. I have pledged my life to you and I will follow you in battle.”

“Even against your own King Alpha?” I asked in surprise.

“The King Alpha is immortal. He’ll be fine,” Logan stated, only continuing to surprise me further.

Cate suddenly landed in front of us with a look of frustration in her wolf form; no doubt having thrown the lance further away to obtain later.

“Path. Cleared. Go. Now.” Cate said with frustration.

“Holy shit, she speaks,” Logan responded. Cate ignored him and immediately bolted to keep the path cleared. Cynthia ran next to me, nipping at my fur, before running forward. I didn’t hesitate further.

My heart pounded as I followed Cate and Cynthia through the warring wolves with Logan close behind me. Once we got past the first wave, I was sincerely concerned about there being a second wave. However, Roman must have halted any further commands to attack after hearing my own howl of battle. Did he know I was coming for him?

We ran until we were nearly at the clearing where the packs would be converged. As we arrived, our path led us four onto the edge of a high cliff. I stepped forward when I saw Cate and Cynthia standing unmoving on the edge. I stepped carefully next to Cynthia with Cate on her other side.

Below us were more than just a thousand wolves. It was thousands. It took my breath away to see and a sense of terror struck through me. All of them were in wolf form and as we stepped into view, all of them faced us as though preparing to attack on command. I could feel Roman’s presence in the far distance, hidden from my view beyond the army of wolves.

“There’s too many,” I said to myself.

“They’re no match for us,” Cate answered, unbothered.

I shook my head. “There’s too many,” I was beginning to panic.

“They’re no match for you,” Cynthia said to me, both her and Cate obviously delusional.

“You know what makes a wolf not a wolf?” Cate asked, a devilish tone entering her words as she looked at me.

“When a wolf can’t shift into a wolf,” Cynthia entertained Cate with an answer, looking to me as well.

“No way. There’s too many,” Logan suddenly piped in with disbelief.

“Who invited this pup?” Cate growled at Logan threateningly and he stepped back obediently.

I understood what it was they wanted, but I was inclined to believe Logan. There were too many. However… if I were to believe I was Artemis… what limits would a Moon Goddess like her have? Could I ever reach such limits without having her memories?

I shifted back into my human form, stepping closer to the edge of the cliff. At first, I looked at the wolves before us, but then I took a deep breath and looked at the horizon before closing my eyes. So many times I’d called out to the creatures of the world, asking them to do my bidding, but never had I attempted such a thing on so many at once.

I took another breath. And then another. My heart pounded loudly in my chest at first, but then began to slow down calmly.

Artemis. I was Artemis. Even if I couldn’t remember it, she was me. Her power was my own power. It was sitting within me, waiting to be tapped into.

I lifted my hand before me and I felt Cate and Cynthia move closer to me. A power was rising within me; the same power I used to control the wildlife around me. I didn’t reach out as I usually did. Instead, I kept pulling it from me, more and more, as though trying to envelope it around me.

“Holy Goddesses,” I heard Logan whisper from behind me, but I continued to focus.

When I was ready, I thought only one thing and then pushed the command forward: shift. The command was small, but the meaning was in depth. It commanded every wolf to shift human and to be unable to shift back to wolf.

The command reached over the thousands of wolves before me, expanding over each of them as easy as breathing. Wolves were shifting into humans fluidly and the command didn’t stop with just the thousands of wolves. The command spread over the trees, reaching all the wolves that were fighting prior. It expanded further than this, all the way to packs beyond the nearby land. I pushed the command further and further, reaching the edges of Moirai until every last werewolf in the land had been left stuck in human form.

When there was no werewolf remaining to reach, I released the power and my breath came back to me in a sharp gasp as though I had been suffocating. I stumbled back, pulling my trembling hand to my chest. Cate caught me in her arms with a look of pure pride.

“I knew you could do it. Stopping wars are meager tasks for us,” Cate said to me, brushing a hand over my head fondly. I blinked at her as though dazed.

“I made all of them shift,” I said, not sure of the statement myself.

“You can’t stop now. We have a King Alpha to deal with,” Cate told me, turning her head towards where Roman had stationed hidden behind trees in the far distance. I shook my head in order to get a hold of my sanity and then nodded firmly.

“Let’s go,” I said with determination.

We all walked down the side of the cliff, climbing down into the crowd of quiet wolves stuck in human form. They all stood stunned and as I approached, they began to step out of the way obediently. After all, they had all just watched me force thousands of wolves into human form with powers equivalent of a Goddess.

Cate was the first to stop following me the closer I got to approaching Roman. As the trees came closer before me, Cynthia also stepped aside for me to continue before her. Logan was the only one who seemed determined to follow me to the end, but I didn’t quite want to allow him to know my secrets. I paused as the group of Alphas and Lunas that guarded where Roman stayed were before us and turned to Logan.

“Stay here, Sol,” I ordered him softly, “And thank you.”

Logan nodded reluctantly. I turned to step towards the Alphas and Lunas. They all stepped aside, equally as obedient. I stepped through the trees and my heart was racing violently in my chest. I was so nervous to see him, especially knowing why I was here to see him, but I pushed myself forward until the trees cleared into a small opening.

Roman stood in the clearing looking down at a silver blade in his grasp. It was the same blade Greg had used on Diana… the same blade Roman had gifted to me. He watched it with an unknown expression on his features. I stood silently watching him at first. My eyes looked over this man before me.

Had I truly been in love with him for centuries? I couldn’t remember it, but something in my heart throbbed at the idea as though confirming it for me. What was it about Roman that had caught a Goddess’ eyes?

Whatever it was, it still remained to this very moment. My heart pulsed with a love irrational; a love unconditional. I wouldn’t be able to kill Roman. Not today. Not now. Not ever. I clenched my jaw in determination, knowing this meant I would possibly be the one to die tonight.

“Is that blade for me?” I finally spoke in the silence. Roman didn’t respond. He only tightened his grip on the hilt of the blade and continued to observe it determinedly. I looked from his form to the blade as well. “What happens when you kill your own mate?”

“A normal wolf would die from it,” Roman finally answer, his voice angry. He lifted his head to look at me as though intending to yell at me, but his words were lost on his tongue. A look of pain struck his features and he turned away.

I lifted my hand to my face to feel the wet of tears on my cheek. I hadn’t realized I was crying. It was very unlike me. I wiped away my tears quickly, trying to force myself to be braver.

“It’s lucky you’re not a normal wolf, then,” I said softly. If Roman killed me, the wolves would be doomed, but I wasn’t sure how to convince him of doing something else at this point. I wouldn’t kill him. If he kills me, the curses would return and all the wolves would become extinct…

“Would you spare me?” I asked innocently. Roman abruptly began to walk towards me and I tensed as though he would stab me with the blade right then. Instead, he paused before me to stare at me determinedly.

“You’ve made it clear you’re on the humans’ side. In just one night you enlisted wolves to support you. Wolves fighting wolves to protect humans.” He said the words as though they left a bad taste in his mouth. “It was my worst scenario.”

“If you also protect the humans, no wolves would have to fight each other,” I said to him, a heat of anger slipping into my tone.

“There you are, Mila,” Roman responded quickly, lifting his hand to touch my face. I tensed at the touch, but something about it made my heart sing and so I held still.

“I… I have something to tell you,” I struggled to speak the words. I’m Artemis. Would the words make him instantly kill me? Knowing I am a reincarnation of the Moon Goddess he hates so much…

“You shifted, I know,” He guessed with a frown. “Newborn shifter… even this feels wrong sometimes.” I was confused by the comment. Did he mean the age difference? A strangled laugh came from my lips. If I were truly Artemis, and I’d proven already I was, then I was an ancient being; far more so than a cursed werewolf.

“I found out why I can control wolves and why I can shift even though I’m human,” I braved to tell Roman, my heart now pounding in my throat. “Give up on the fight against humans. Please. You’ve done it once.”

“I won’t,” Roman growled lowly. “For Diana. And for the countless wolves who suffered under them before Diana. I won’t. How about you give up on the humans?”

“No!” I cried out desperately. My family… I couldn’t give up on my family.

“That’s a shame,” Roman released his touch on my face; his eyes cold.

“I’m Artemis,” I blurted, afraid he would impulsively hurt me before I could get the words out. Roman hesitated, but then only frowned.

“You’re what?” He asked incredulously.

“The Mother and the Crone… they came to me and they said I am Artemis. They said I fell in love with you centuries ago and I came here to be with you; to break your curse,” I said the words as quickly as I could. “That’s why I can control wolves like I do. I just… I just controlled all of them. And I can shift even though I was born human. It’s because I’m-”

“Enough,” Roman snapped with irritation.

“It’s true, I swear it,” I continued despite his command.

“Oh, I believe it,” Roman hissed angrily. “So even you were one of their tricks.”

“No! No, it’s not a trick. I didn’t have my memories. I still don’t have my memories,” I responded quickly, my body trembling from fear as to what his reaction might be. “I just want to break your curse.”

“How?” The distrust in Roman’s voice was thick as he spoke to me.

I bit my lip for a moment, wondering how to word my next statement.

“Be… with me,” I said, a blush suddenly rising on my skin.

Roman was unresponsive and I was afraid to look at him. I looked at the blade twisting in his hand instead and hoped I would be able to see it coming for me.

“You’re not telling me everything,” Roman suddenly stated coolly. I suppose centuries of life would make things like this easy to notice in conversations. “Open up to me.” I had been keeping a wall around me determinedly, not wanting to let Roman get any hint that I could finally give him his wish and kill him. I shook my head determinedly.

He abruptly stepped forward and grabbed me by the back of the neck, pulling me to him with an air of complete danger. I was afraid, both for my own life and afraid he would find out and try to force me to kill him instead. I would pick me. Sanity be damned, if one of us dies, I would want it to be me.

I reached to clasp my hands over his grip on my neck, lifting my chin with a whimper in his grasp. Another look of pain crossed Roman’s face, but he tried hard to conceal it.

“There’s something that would save your life and you don’t want to say it. How great it must be to be a Goddess. You die and you’ll still be a Goddess. I’m done with your games. I’ll admit it, you made me love you. Congratulations, Artemis,” As he spoke, Roman’s words became more and more emotionless. An air of danger was rising above him.

I gasped for air, closing my eyes with a wince, and then opened the wall between us. I put all my love for Roman into the bond, allowing it to tear over him. His grip tightened, but he staggered where he stood as though stunned.

“You can kill me if you want,” I whimpered fearfully with tears falling down my cheeks, “But I won’t kill you. I love you. If I’m Artemis, I’ve loved you since the beginning. And when I die, I’ll love you still.”

The sound of metal hitting rock echoed at our feet. Before I could try to see what the source of the sound was, Roman released his grip on my neck. Instead, he grasped at my lower back, pulling me to him, and pressed hot lips to my own. My heart sang at his kiss and my body throbbed in his grasp eagerly.

Just when I was running out of air, Roman released his lips and said, “You win.”

Then he claimed my lips as his once again.