Chapter 41
Chapter 41
The dawn filtered weakly through the windows of the room. The castle remained steeped in silent mourning, but inside Abigail, something began to stir, an unsettling feeling unlike any she had known.
She rose slowly, barely steady on her feet, and approached the full-length mirror. She pushed aside the nightgown covering her neck and collarbone, searching for what her heart both feared and longed for at the same time.
There it was.
The mark.
The bond engraved on her skin since her first union with Kilian.
It no longer glowed. It did not burn like before, nor respond to the touch of her fingers. But neither had it vanished. Instead, it appeared black, dark, as if charred, latent in shadows.
Her breath caught.
—No… —she whispered, bringing a hand to her mouth.
She had heard hundreds of stories. When a destined Alpha died, the mark would fade, erased by nature itself. It was the undeniable proof of the end of a bond. But hers… hers remained, dead yet alive, a scar of something unfinished.
Ross entered the room carrying a tray, intent on insisting she eat something. Seeing her standing before the mirror, she paled.
—What’s wrong, my Luna?
Abigail turned to her, showing the mark. Her red-rimmed eyes shimmered with restrained tears.
—Look, Ross… it’s still here.
The beta set the tray on the table, approaching hesitantly. Seeing the blackened symbol on her queen’s skin, she covered her mouth in astonishment.
—That… that’s not possible.
—And yet it is. —Abigail trembled—. What does it mean? Why is it still here?
A heavy silence fell between them. Ross held her shoulders firmly.
—It means there is still hope.
Abigail broke into sobs, dropping to her knees. Her belly contracted slightly under the pressure of her arms, and Ross hugged her without hesitation.
For the first time in weeks, a spark other than pain shone in the heart of the Luna.
\---
The Descent of Kilian
From another corner of the world, far from the castle walls, the Alpha’s story had unfolded differently.
The moment Jackson sank his claws into his abdomen, Kilian felt the heat of blood and the roar of his pack in his ears. Rage sustained him for a few more seconds, enough to return a deadly strike to his enemy.
When both fell over the cliff, the icy air hit his face. Between the mist and the void, he heard the harrowing howl of his pack, echoing in the distance like an eternal cry.
“No… not yet…”
Pain enveloped him fiercely, and his eyelids felt like lead. For a moment, he believed it was all over.
Darkness claimed him.
Jackson, beside him, did not survive. The impact was brutal. The crunch of his bones was lost in the roar of falling rocks, and his body lay inert, devoured by the abyss.
Kilian, however, survived the initial blow. Barely.
\---
The Voice of Laykan
Inside his mind, a force roared violently.
—Do not you dare give up, human!
It was Laykan, his wolf, emerging with unknown power.
In a burst of energy, he took control. His paws stretched, his body transformed into the lupine form as he fell among the rocks. The wolf tumbled, bleeding, with broken ribs and an open abdomen. But he did not stop.
Laykan’s healing gift burned like fire in his veins. A silver light rose from his fur, closing the gravest wounds, keeping the heart beating with effort.
—You will not leave me alone —he growled, panting—. You will not die yet.
Kilian’s soul was weak, hanging by a thread. It was as if he were on a bridge between two worlds: death called, and life held him back. The dark mark on Abigail’s neck reflected that struggle.
Laykan growled, throwing his body back, howling at the red moon dominating the sky.
Energy coursed through him, wild, uncontrollable.
He was no longer the same. He was no longer just a pack wolf. He was a lone beast, bathed in the fury of the moon, a predator without direction.
He ran toward the forest, leaving a trail of blood and madness. The jungle trembled beneath his steps, animals fled his presence. Laykan recognized neither friend nor foe; only instinct existed.
\---
Days passed without measure. Laykan hunted, slept in the rain, ran until collapse. His fur darkened by dried blood made him even more terrifying.
But amid his frenzy, something was missing. Something gnawed at the depths of his chest.
One night, atop a hill, he lifted his head to the sky. The moon was no longer red, but it still shone brightly.
And then he heard her.
A voice, faint but firm, pierced the haze of his mind.
—Laykan… we must return.
The wolf stopped, ears raised.
—Return? —he repeated, confused, in the guttural voice that only came in dreams.
—Abigail… —Kilian’s voice vibrated inside him.
The wolf blinked, rage subsiding just for a moment. A whisper came from his jaws.
—Kitty…
The name ignited him. He remembered her scent, the warmth of her skin, the shared mark.
—We must return to her —the Alpha’s voice insisted, clearer now.
Laykan panted, torn between the fury that kept him alive and the bond that tied him to his human.
The internal battle was fierce, but love ultimately prevailed.
With a deafening roar, Laykan sprinted north. Each step was a heartbeat, each breath a return.
\---
In the castle, Abigail slept restlessly. Her mark burned again, a dark, heavy heat, but different from the previous pain.
She awoke with a start, bringing her hand to her neck.
—Kilian…
Ross rose, startled.
—What’s wrong, my Luna?
Abigail, tears in her eyes, smiled for the first time in weeks.
—He… is alive.
Ross was speechless.
The mark did not lie.
\---
Deep in the forest, Kilian opened his eyes within the body he had shared with his wolf. He was weak, exhausted, as if he had slept for years.
Laykan panted, also exhausted, but satisfied.
—I brought you back. But I nearly lost myself along the way.
Kilian slowly rose, covered in mud and dried blood.
—I know… thank you.
—Don’t thank me, human. I didn’t do it for you. I did it for her. —Laykan bared his fangs in a half-wild grin—. Kitty awaits us.
Kilian closed his eyes, letting the image of Abigail fill him with strength.
—Then let’s go back together.
The Alpha knew it wouldn’t be easy. He was weak, barely sustained by the moon’s energy and his bond with his Luna. But every step north brought him closer to her.
Jackson was dead. The Cold Bloods had scattered.
As he advanced, a thought burned in his mind.
“Kitty… cry no more. Your Alpha returns.”