Chapter 64: Prophecy of Doom
Connor’s POV
The woman stood before me, cloaked in the shadows of the dimly lit corridor, her presence an eerie stillness in the chaos unraveling within me. My wolf, Zik, surged forward with a growl, protective and on edge as I approached her. There was something unnatural about her—something that made my instincts scream in warning.
“You again,” I growled, eyes narrowing. “What the hell are you doing in my pack’s territory?”
She tilted her head, her smile unnervingly serene. “I came to warn you, Alpha Connor.”
I clenched my fists, barely holding back my rage. “Warn me about what exactly?”
She took a step closer, and the air around us seemed to shift, growing colder. “Ivy’s wolf is waking,” she whispered, her tone laced with something almost sacred. “And if it awakens fully, it will bring doom upon us all.”
A snarl ripped from my throat. “Hold on—let me get this straight. Ivy has never shifted in her entire life, and now that there's finally a chance, you're hitting me with some vague prophecy of doom? And you actually expect me to believe that?”
She simply smiled. “Believe whatever you want. But there is a ritual—one that can silence her wolf before it’s too late. Before it awakens something far darker, something that could bring the entire kingdom to ruin.”
My hands curled into tight fists. Zik roared inside me, demanding that I tear this woman apart for even suggesting such a thing. Suppress Ivy’s wolf? The very idea made my blood boil.
“No,” I snarled, my voice sharp as a blade. “You will not touch her. I’d sooner watch this entire kingdom burn than let anyone lay a hand on her. Ever.”
She taunted, her voice dripping with mockery. “Remind me—what did your father teach you about being a good Alpha? About putting your pack first?”
I scoffed, meeting her gaze with ice-cold defiance. “I’d rather be a good mate than a so-called good Alpha. Besides, a true Alpha knows that being a good mate comes first.”
Her expression remained unreadable, but the subtle curl of her lips held something dark, something dangerous. “You’re making a mistake, Alpha. Ignore my warning, and you will pay the price—with your life.”
I met her gaze without flinching. “Then so be it,” I spat. “I’ll pay if it comes to that.”
A chilling laugh spilled from her lips, one that made the hair on the back of my neck stand. It was a sound that didn’t belong to this world.
I turned to Ethan, my voice ice-cold. “Escort her out of my pack. Make sure she never sets foot here again.”
The woman’s laughter died down, but the amusement remained in her dark eyes. “You can try to deny fate, Connor. But it always finds its way.”
She turned on her heel, vanishing into the night like a wraith, with Ethan trailing closely behind. I stood there, my breath uneven, the air thick with something I couldn’t quite name. A lingering unease clawed at my chest, sharp and insistent. It wasn’t just her words that unsettled me—it was her presence, the way she had appeared out of nowhere, her warning wrapping around me like a noose.
Then it hit me.
How did she find me? How did she know my pack?
A chill ran down my spine, ice-cold and suffocating. My pulse hammered against my ribs as dread took root, twisting deep. Every instinct screamed at me, a primal warning I had been too slow to recognize.
Panic surged through me. I spun on my heel, my movements frantic, my breath coming in short, ragged gasps. I tore through the dimly lit corridor, my feet pounding against the floor as I neared my room.
I shoved the door open—hard.
The room was silent. Too silent.
The sheets on the bed were rumpled, the scent of her still fresh in the air. But she wasn’t there.
Ivy was gone.
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Lila’s POV
I pressed myself against the cold stone pillar in the courtyard, my breath shallow as I listened intently to their conversation. I didn’t know who she was, but I didn’t need a deity to tell me she had no real concern for Ivy’s well-being. There was something calculating in her tone, something ruthless.
And I could use someone like that.
An ally with no loyalties, no hesitation—just purpose.
Who knows? She might help me get my revenge far sooner than I ever planned.
The woman moved through the trees like a specter, her steps soundless against the damp earth.
I trailed behind, careful, measured, keeping my distance as I watched her weave effortlessly through the dense forest.
Then, without warning, she stopped.
Her back remained to me, but her voice sliced through the silence like a blade.
“You’ve been following me, child.”
Her voice sent a shiver down my spine. Slowly, she turned, a wicked grin stretching across her face as her eyes settled on me.
How did she know that I have been trailing behind her?
“I like your rage,” she mused, tilting her head. “I can feel it simmering beneath your skin.”
I narrowed my eyes, circling her carefully. “Who are you? What do you know about my sister?”
She chuckled. “I am someone who can help you fulfill your greatest desires.”
My wolf stirred. There was something about her—something dark, something powerful. And that was exactly what I needed.
I extended my hand. “Then help me.”
The woman didn’t take it. Instead, her lips curled in amusement. “Careful now, child. You can’t expect to live after shaking the devil, now, do you?”
Her voice was a haunting calm, sending a strange thrill through me. My wolf howled in anticipation. Maybe, just maybe, this woman was the missing piece in my plan to destroy Aria for good.
I inhaled sharply. “How do I find you again?”
Her grin widened. “I will come to you when the time is right.”
Before I could ask more, she was gone—vanished into thin air like she had never been there at all.
A sorceress? Witch? That’s even better!
The woman disappeared, but her presence lingered like a whisper in the wind. My wolf paced restlessly within me, clawing at my insides as I stood frozen in the darkness.
She would come to me when the time was right.
The thought both thrilled and unsettled me. I had no reason to trust her, yet I knew deep down—she held something I needed. Power.
A rustling sound snapped me back to reality. My head whipped around. I wasn’t alone.
Low growls echoed from the trees, the unmistakable sound of wolves closing in.
I flexed my fingers, letting my claws extend, my body coiled and ready to strike. “Show yourselves.”
A hulking figure stepped into view first, his golden eyes glinting under the moonlight. Jaxson. He was one of Connor’s most loyal enforcers—and one of the last people I wanted to deal with right now.
“Lila,” he said, his voice edged with caution. “What the hell are you doing out here so late?”
I smirked, crossing my arms. “Taking a walk. Since when do I need permission?”
Jaxon’s jaw tightened. “Since you’ve been sneaking around like a damn rogue. And now, of all nights, when Aria—”
“Aria, Aria, Aria,” I cut him off, rolling my eyes in anger. “Always her.” My wolf bristled, fury simmering just beneath the surface. “You all act like she’s the only one who matters.”
Jaxon’s eyes darkened, but before he could respond, another voice cut through the night.
“She’s hiding something.”
I turned just in time to see Leah emerge from the shadows, her expression unreadable but her gaze locked onto me like a predator sizing up its prey.
“Following people into the woods in the dead of night? Sounds a little desperate, don’t you think?” I sneered.
Leah’s lip curled. “Says the one sneaking around like a damn snake.”
They once feared me, their respect unwavering. For years, they worshipped at my feet, hanging onto my every word. But all of that shattered the night Connor announced that I would no longer be his soon-to-be Luna.
Tension crackled between us. My fingers twitched, itching to rip that smug look off Leah’s face. But before I could make a move, a piercing howl shattered the night.
My blood ran cold. That wasn’t a warning howl. It was a cry of alarm.