Chapter 23 #2
Tears slide down my cheeks as laughter escapes me at the same time. This feels too good to be real. Yet one message remains, echoing somewhere deep inside my heart.
I’m not alone.
* * *
“Wow, I can’t believe this is real.” Julius’s mouth hangs open like a dead fish. “You really are...” He stammers for a few more seconds before clearing his throat. “Well then, Alpha Harlow, Luna Alexa. Welcome.”
Julius greets us with a hesitant handshake, staring at Harlow’s arm like it might suddenly turn into a tentacle.
“Hey now, buddy. It’s rude as hell to stare at our Alpha like that,” Jack says as he steps between them, shooting Julius a vicious glare.
“It’s alright. Let’s keep things civil, everybody.” Harlow glances at me.
“Yeah. We’re here for something a whole lot more important,” I say with a singsong reminder.
We bring eighty men as troops to the First Light Pack, ready to fight Alastair.
This is the first time rogue fighters have become official soldiers after rejoining a pack.
Most of them are former Omegas from their old packs, but the fire burning inside them makes them seem every bit as formidable as Gammas.
“Julius, meet Beta Jack.” Harlow lets them exchange a quick handshake.
“Alright, got it. Beta Jack. Nice meetin’ you,” Julius says, shaking Jack’s hand with a more understanding expression. Jack nods, though his eyes still carry a silent warning.
Julius then leads us into the pack house. The large mansion hasn’t changed. Grand and white, with a beautifully arranged garden that resembles a palace courtyard. As I walk through the corridors and climb the stairs, memories of that night return like waves crashing through my head.
“Oh, I miss Romero. He was always so sweet to me,” Mythril whimpers.
“I miss him too. But right now, we need to avenge him. There’ll be time to mourn later.”
My thoughts immediately return to our purpose. There is no time left for tears.
Harlow, Julius, Jack, and I enter Romero’s meeting room. While the troops rest and get acquainted with one another, we’re here to discuss how to defeat Alastair. The door closes behind us, and we take our seats around the long table.
“So,” I ask, the only woman in the room, “when do we strike?”
* * *
For days, we train to prepare ourselves physically and mentally.
There’s no denying it. I’m worried about Alastair’s transformation too.
He threatened to attack the First Light Pack after the Silver Moon Pack.
Until now, there hasn’t been any further movement from him.
But waiting for an attack is even worse. It leaves me restless and on edge.
First Light Pack has a massive grassy field for training, with terraced ground and uneven rock formations shaped by the natural landscape of their territory.
They also have dozens of dojo rooms for various forms of combat training.
Not to mention their sophisticated laboratory, where they create all kinds of magical devices such as Riders, enchanted weapons, magical map applications for tablets, and much more.
The largest hospital in the region is under their control as well.
The total number of First Light Pack troops ready for battle is around three hundred men.
Added to that are roughly one hundred soldiers from Crescent Moon Pack.
Another fifty former Silver Moon soldiers have joined our ranks.
Even though we’re still heavily outnumbered by Alastair’s forces, we’re prepared to fight to the last drop of blood.
All so we can destroy the Lord of Darkness.
I sit at the edge of the training field, panting. A red tumbler has become my constant companion lately. I gulp down water until the dryness in my throat finally fades after another brutal training session.
Sweat drips down my temples, but it doesn’t stop me from continuing. After all, I’ve been doing endurance training ever since Mr. Moris started teaching me two years ago.
“How’s trainin’ treatin’ ya, Luna?” Julius asks as he drops down beside me.
“Pretty good. That weapons trainer y’all have is amazing. Kinda feels like they were made for me,” I reply with a smirk as I set my tumbler back on the ground.
“Yeah, that’s kinda our specialty around here.” Julius chuckles. “How ‘bout a quick sparrin’ match?”
He pulls out a wooden training dagger and offers it to me. I glance at it and nod.
“Sure.”
I rise from beneath the shade of the tree. My fingers close around the dagger, but instead of raising it immediately, I tuck it into my waistband to draw later when the moment feels right.
Julius and I walk toward the center of the field where there’s enough room to move freely. At his signal, we charge forward.
His fist swings toward me. I duck low and sweep my leg. The kick clips his leg, but Julius reacts instantly. He rolls over my body and snakes an arm around my neck, locking me in place. I take a breath and keep one hand wrapped around his wrist.
“Harlow’s learnin’ things way too fast lately. What’s going on with him? Feels like he’s gotten a whole lot stronger.”
With a sharp stomp, my heel crushes down onto his foot. His grip loosens. I duck free and spin, throwing him toward the ground.
He lands hard, but before I can capitalize on the advantage, his leg snaps out and hooks mine. My body rolls backward over him. I hit the ground and twist immediately to avoid landing on my neck. Both of us spring back to our feet.
“Didn’t he tell you?” I ask while clenching his fists. “Moon Goddess gave him a special gift. Not just strength. Focus, too.”
“Focus?”
“Yep. He can concentrate his energy and move faster than before.”
Silvery energy gathers around his fist. The glow alone looks dangerous, but I refuse to lose. Energy flows into my own hand, stretching into a sharp blade-like shape. We collide again.
His fist crashes against my glowing hand. Sparks of energy burst outward. Again. And again.
Dodge. Strike. Block. Counter.
The exchange continues until I finally grimace and shove him back to create enough distance to catch my breath.
“So what? Like one of those superheroes that move faster than lightning?” he asks with a smirk.
I push harder, trying to slice through his defense. Realizing he’s at a disadvantage, Julius abandons the clash and pivots. His left leg whips toward my ribs. I hop backward to avoid the kick.
“Something like that,” I say between heavy breaths.
“Unbelievable.” He shakes his head. Julius suddenly falls silent and stares at me.
I lift my chin. “What?”
“You know,” he says, “there ain’t many women who can fight like you. Back then, I figured you were some spoiled little thing. Throwin’ up after ridin’ a Rider, runnin’ off before dawn, always needin’ somebody to save ya.”
A grin spreads across his face. Then he attacks again. I block his punch. Without channeling energy this time, I strike the side of his neck at a pressure point.
He flinches. That brief hesitation is all I need. I go on the offensive. A few punches slam into my side, but my kick cracks hard against his shin. He groans.
I twist his arm, force him to the ground, and drive my knee into his back. The wooden dagger slides from my waistband. I press the blunt tip against his throat. Silence. A second later, Julius lets out a defeated snort and lowers his head.
“I used to be a whole lot weaker,” I say as I release him and step away. “Mr. Moris taught me how to fight and toughen myself up. Except for the Rider part. That’s still my weakness.” I flash him a grin.
“Well, reckon that’s a good problem to have.”
Julius slowly gets back to his feet, trying not to groan. He walks over to a small bag lying nearby. From inside, he pulls out a dagger about the length of my hand, complete with a leather sheath.
I recognize that dagger, the one Romero almost handed to me the day before that tragic day. The yellow stones still gleam at the center of the daisy engravings, calling me with silent seduction.
“Alpha Romero wanted you to have this.” He hands me the family heirloom.
“What?” My brows pull together. “No, I can’t take it. I already rejected—” My head shakes as my hand raises to block the dagger.
“No, please, Alexa. It’s the last thing he told me before…” He cuts me off then gulps down. There’s a moment of silence before he finally speaks again, tears threatening to spill from his eyes.
“He said you’ll be the only Blackmoore woman left to keep it.” He takes a short breath before continuing, “and it’ll help you defeat Alastair.”
My heart clenches in the most hurtful way to remember Romero’s face and see Julius’ face right now. I stare again at the silver dagger, admiring the gold handle.
“That dagger must be magical. I can feel the energy so strong from it. Maybe you can channel your magic to it to defeat Alastair.” Mythril’s voice becomes serious as she states her analysis.
“Will it be really okay if I keep it? Shouldn’t it be in First Light Pack’s hands?” I ask again to confirm it once more.
“Yes, please. It was passed on to Blackmoore women for generations. Harlow is Blackmoore men, and once you marry him, you’ll be the rightful heir to it,” he explains in logical statement, trying so hard to hold on his emotions behind his usual cool demeanor. “Please…” he begs.
“Okay. I’ll keep it safe and use it to strike Alastair,” I say as I nod the agreement.
His face reddens. One hand rises to cover his eyes. He rubs his face several times, trying to push away whatever emotion is threatening to surface. When he finally looks at me again, his eyes glisten. He wets his lips.
“Listen... there’s somethin’ I gotta apologize for.” His voice drops low. “You know Gabriel put a bounty on ya, right?”
Immediately, I remember the night Harlow saved me from Alpha Alastair. The email on the phone. The reward Gabriel offered in exchange for information about my whereabouts. How could I ever forget?
“Yeah,” I mutter. “I saw it.”
Julius squints and stares at the ground.
“I was the one who reported ya to Beta Drake.”