Chapter 107 Final question

Chapter 107 Final question
THE DARK FOREST

Twila didn’t inform anyone or the Squad about her plans.

She simply put on a pair of jeans and a hoodie, then walked barefoot out the Academy's doors.

The night air was freezing, the gates were tightly locked, but Twila didn’t care. She released a small amount of her Lunar magic to open the bars just enough to squeeze through.

She stepped into the dark, frightening woods.

"You are incredibly stupid to come out here all by yourself, Queen," a deep, rough voice growled from the shadows of the trees.

Twila stayed composed but she didn’t back away.

Alpha Maddox stepped out of the dark bush. He was huge, covered in scars, and his eyes glared down at her. Dozens of large, angry wolves emerged from the shadows behind him, surrounding her.

"I am not stupid, Maddox," Twila said, her voice calm and quietly menacing. "I came to talk to you face to face. Without Raiden. Without Niles. Just you and me."

Maddox crossed his thick, hairy arms over his chest, looking at her like she was a disappointment.

"We gave you twenty-four hours to pack your bags, Twila," Maddox spat, his voice filled with anger. "If you’re here to plead for more time, you’re wasting your breath. We will kill every single student in that castle if you don’t come with us right now."

Twila locked her gaze on his glowing eyes.

"You aren’t going to kill anyone, Maddox," Twila whispered.

"Are you calling me a liar?" Maddox roared, taking a step toward her.

Twila didn’t flinch. Her eyes instantly shifted to a dazzling, terrifying silver light.

The heavy, ancient power of the Lunar Queen radiated from her. It hit the wolves like a wave of pure dominance.

Several wolves dropped to their knees in the dirt, unable to resist the command of their true leader.

"I am calling you a scared, desperate man," Twila said softly, looking up at the Alpha. "Your packs have been hunted and killed for fifteen years. You have been hiding like stray dogs because you didn’t have a King to protect you."

Maddox clenched his jaw so tightly his teeth ground together. He tried to maintain his stance, but his knees shook under the weight of her magic.

"We need a leader, Twila," Maddox choked, the tough-guy facade crumbling. "We’re dying out here. We need our Queen."

"I am your Queen," Twila replied firmly, not breaking eye contact. "But I am not your hostage, Maddox, you don’t give me orders, I give you orders."

He stared down at her and saw the same terrifying strength her father had.

"What are your orders then, my Queen?" Maddox whispered, his voice rough and weary.

"You are going to take your people back to your territories," Twila commanded smoothly. "You will stop hiding like cowards and I will officially rebuild our packs, and I will ensure the Council never hunts a single wolf again."

Twila stepped closer to him.

"But I’m doing this from inside that castle," Twila warned, pointing at the Academy walls. "I won’t leave my friends. I won’t abandon my home. And if you ever threaten innocent kids again, Maddox, I will rip your throat out."

Maddox gazed into her eyes. He didn’t see a weak girl, he saw a Queen ready to kill him to protect her people.

Maddox lowered his head and dropped to one knee in the mud.

"We accept your terms, Queen Twila," Maddox breathed, submitting to her authority. "We will return to the mountains and we will wait for your call."

"Go," Twila whispered softly, her light fading from her tired eyes. "Get your people somewhere safe."

Maddox stood up and didn’t say another word. He turned around and walked back into the trees.

The hundreds of angry wolves vanished into the shadows behind him, moving fast and quietly into the night.

Twila exhaled a shaky breath, her body felt heavy. She just prevented a bloodbath without using a single punch or destructive spell.

She turned and slowly walked back to the gates of the school.

THE ACADEMY GARDEN

Twila closed the gates and locked them tight. She walked into the garden, rubbing her eyes.

Suddenly, the warm air turned cold.

The moonlight vanished, replaced by a blinding golden light that illuminated the entire garden.

Twila stopped and let out a loud, frustrated groan.

"I just saved the whole school from a wolf attack," Twila complained loudly, dropping her arms. "Can I please have five minutes of peace before the universe tries to ruin my life again?"

The Goddess of Fate emerged from the golden light.

She wore the same liquid gold dress, her skin glowing beautifully. Her endless black eyes regarded Twila with a soft, knowing smile.

"You did well tonight, child," the Goddess whispered, her voice echoing in Twila's mind. "You stopped a massacre and you showed mercy."

"I don’t want your compliments," Twila sighed, sitting heavily on the edge of the fountain. "What do you want from me now? Did I break another magical rule?"

"You didn’t break any rules, Twila," the Goddess glided over the grass, stopping in front of the fountain. "I came to check on your heart."

Twila looked down at her bare hands, she didn’t have the ring on her finger anymore. She took it off to shift into a wolf and never put it back on.

The pull of the mate bond was humming loudly in her chest, urging her to go upstairs and knock on Niles's door.

But her soul was still crying out for Raiden. Her soul wanted the boy who stood outside the bunker, listening to her bones break just to keep her safe.

"My heart is completely messed up if you want to know the truth," Twila said, letting out a sad laugh as tears filled her eyes. "I’m tearing myself apart."

"I warned you, Twila," the Goddess murmured softly, sitting down next to her on the stone. "Unlocking your Lunar magic made the mate bond undeniable. Your wolf nature demands her mate."

"But I love Raiden!" Twila sobbed, covering her face with her shaking hands. "I love him so much it hurts to breathe when he looks at me. But every time Niles touches me, my brain completely shuts down."

"Raiden loves you with passion," the Goddess said quietly. "He would burn the world to keep you safe."

Twila nodded vigorously, wiping her nose. "He gave up a lot for me."

"And the Niles loves you with ancient, immortal devotion," the Goddess continued, her eyes filled with pity. "He absorbed your pain during your shift, he literally bled for you. He’s ready to die if you reject him."

Twila cried harder, her chest heaving.

"I can’t do this," Twila choked out. "I can’t choose. If I pick Raiden, Niles will kill himself, and the bond will break, stopping Raiden's heart. If I choose Niles, I’ll destroy Raiden's soul."

"There are no more monsters hiding in the dark, Twila," the Goddess whispered softly. "Orion is gone. Master Luan is a servant. The death cult is destroyed."

Twila looked up at the glowing woman through her tears.

"The war is over, Twila," the Goddess said gently, standing up from the fountain. "The only war left is the one within your own heart."

The Goddess began to slowly fade away into the air.

"You have to make a choice, Twila," the Goddess whispered as she disappeared. "So who are you going to pick finally?"