Chapter 27 #2
Everyone in the Blood Moon Pack grew accustomed to obeying him like slaves. Everything rested beneath his control, and when he died, the entire pack was left wandering like a headless chicken.
“I’ll let you all live under my protection and supervision,” Harlow says firmly. “Long as y’all swear your loyalty to me and Luna Alexa.”
“We swear loyalty to you, Lycan King!”
“All hail the King!”
“All hail the Queen!”
The howls of hundreds of voices shake the air around us, sending chills crawling across my skin.
* * *
“From now on, Mr. Moris will be the Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack,” Harlow explains to Marlon, Julius, Jack, Mr. Moris, and Jo.
Jack lets out a whistle. “Well, I’ll be damned. Y’all really think they’ll go along with that? Especially with Jo as Luna?” His eyes drift toward Jo.
“If anybody’s got objections, they’re more than welcome to head right back to our dungeon. We could use a few more farmers anyway.” Harlow says it without hesitation before tilting his head toward Mr. Moris. “Mr. Moris already agreed, right?”
“Like I had much of a choice.” Mr. Moris snorts.
“What about the Southern Star Club?” I ask.
“Don’t worry.” Jo gives a quick nod. “The bar manager’s already got everything under control.”
“Well then, that’s settled.” Julius flashes a crooked smile and nods toward Jo. “Jo’ll make a whole lot better Luna than those headless minions ever did.”
At Julius’s words, discomfort thuds inside my chest. I shift uneasily in my seat, glancing from one side of the room to the other. They’re all moving forward as if nothing has changed, unaware of what happened to Mythril and me.
My gaze meets Marlon’s. His dark eyes remain fixed on me, studying me as though he’s trying to read every thought passing through my head. He knows.
I slowly turn toward Harlow beside me. His smile is still there, warm and carefree, and I don’t know if I should finally share the truth with everyone. Even now, I still haven’t told Harlow.
I look back at Marlon. He’s still staring at me. My lips part slightly as my breath catches. Without a mind link, I silently ask him if I should say it. He gives me a small nod.
“I... I need to tell y’all something.” I gather my courage.
The room falls silent. Everyone turns toward me, waiting while I steady my breathing. I wet my lips and look at Harlow.
“I...” My throat tightens. “I lost Mythril.” I swallow hard. “She’s gone.”
I will never tell them that she sacrificed herself to save Harlow.
She exchanged her existence so his soul could remain tethered to this world instead of returning to the Moon Goddess.
That truth would only crush Harlow beneath unbearable guilt.
Everyone needs him to be a strong king, not a vulnerable man drowning in self-blame.
Silence fills the room. I look at my friends one by one.
“I’m wolfless.”
This time, I make sure to emphasize what those words truly mean. One second. Two seconds. They exchange glances before suddenly letting out long breaths and laughing.
“Huh?” I blink in confusion. “Y’all are... laughing?”
“Lord have mercy,” Jack says between laughs. “I thought you were fixing to announce a pregnancy.”
“Not that fast,” Julius snorts, tilting his head toward Jack.
Marlon covers his mouth with one hand, but the subtle tremor in his shoulders gives him away. He’s enjoying the accidental joke. Mr. Moris smiles while sipping his whiskey and staring into the glass.
“It’s alright, Alexa. We already knew.” Harlow’s thumb strokes my back while a playful smile spreads across his face.
“You knew?” I stare at him in disbelief. “How?”
“That day, I had a dream.” His voice softens. “Mythril came to say goodbye.” He pauses before continuing.
“When I woke up beside you, I couldn’t feel her presence anymore. Then, after you woke up, I tried reaching out through the mind link just to make sure.”
“Oh.” I release a long breath of relief.
My hands rub over my cheeks, trying to erase the nervous tension still lingering there. Harlow’s warm hand wraps around my waist, and my body relaxes beneath his touch.
“As soon as I found out, I told everybody,” Harlow says with a nod.
“And I’ve already found the perfect solution,” Jo says.
* * *
Jo and I hold each other’s hands. We sit cross legged, facing one another in the middle of a magic circle drawn with ritual water.
My eyes are closed, and all I can see is a small silvery light floating in front of me.
Its glow is weak, yet it’s enough to guide anyone who has become lost in the darkness.
In my vision, I walk toward the light faster and faster until I’m running. My hand stretches out toward it while the light itself moves closer to me. It meets me halfway.
The instant my fingertip touches the silver glow, a burst of light explodes outward and shatters every piece of darkness around us.
I gasp and open my eyes. Sweat drips down my temples while heavy breaths escape my lungs faster than I can control them.
Jo is in the same state. Her eyes are unfocused as she stares at me, and her lips part in surprise. Our hands are slick with sweat, and when we release each other’s grip, the familiar pressure of energy returns to my body.
“You think this is really alright?” I ask Jo.
She smiles at me. “Well, she was yours to begin with anyway. You saved my life, so it’s only fair I give her back.”
Jo’s face looks more radiant than before. Her eyes sparkle with a renewed spirit.
“Mythril?” I call inside my head.
I wait for several seconds. Nothing.
“Mythril,” I call again.
Still nothing.
“Did it work?” Jo asks, her brow furrowing. “It should’ve, right?”
I remain silent, searching for the energy I have always known as Mythril. Yes. I can feel it.
The Lycan energy flows through my body as usual, coursing through my blood vessels, my nerves, my sense of smell, and my hearing. It grants me that familiar physical strength I know so well. But Mythril herself is absent. Her presence has no shape.
It’s as though the entity named Mythril no longer exists inside me at all. What’s left is nothing but abstract energy. Nameless. Intangible. Mindless. It feels more like pure magical energy than the spirit of a wolf.
“It’s weak, but it’s there,” I answer, my brows knitting together as I try to understand it all. “She’s inside me... but I’m still alone.”