Chapter 166: The Dragon’s Attack

As soon as the royal advisor disappeared, Lya turned to Caleb, Drake, and Malick. "We need to get everyone to safety. And fast. As soon as Liguen hears my answer, he will come—and he will be furious."

Caleb nodded, already reaching out to the pack through the mental link. "Listen carefully. Lya has rejected Liguen’s ultimatum, but he won’t take long to show up. We’re initiating the emergency protocol. The young and the elders must be escorted to the secure underground tunnels immediately. All businesses must close now, and every single one of you must take shelter in the bunkers beneath your homes and buildings. No exceptions."

The entire territory sprang into action. Despite the tension, fear remained controlled—every member of the pack knew the evacuation protocols by heart.

Families quickly gathered their loved ones, forming groups that warriors escorted to the tunnels dug beneath Sacred Moon. These fortified passageways, shielded by protective enchantments Lya had reinforced, were designed for situations exactly like this. The elders and young ones were the first to be led underground, guarded by trackers and the medical team.

Meanwhile, shop owners barricaded their businesses, lowering security gates and securing their most valuable supplies. The central square, usually lively and bustling, emptied rapidly as everyone hurried to seek shelter.

Drake and Malick split up to cover more ground. Drake headed toward the town center and the most populated areas, ensuring no one lingered outside and that every family followed orders.

Malick patrolled the borders, making sure no stragglers were left exposed once Liguen arrived. Time was running out.

Back at the pack house, Caleb placed a firm hand on Lya’s shoulder. "You’re my priority, babe, but I need to make sure Loric is safe too."

Lya nodded. She hated the idea of being separated from her son, but she knew he had to be protected above all else. "Elora is the only one I trust enough to watch over him."

Caleb immediately reached out to his mother through the mental link. "Mom, take Loric with you to the manor. Darrien and Elara will join you. Liguen is coming."

A moment later, Elora’s voice echoed in his mind. "I already have him with me, Caleb. We’re heading to the manor now. Be careful, my son."

At the pack house, Loric clung tightly to Elora’s robe, his small hands gripping the fabric as if it could shield him from what was coming. His bright eyes shimmered with worry, but he didn’t say a word. Elora placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, offering a reassuring smile. "Don’t worry, Loric. Mommy is strong. She’s going to protect everyone."

Loric nodded hesitantly, but his gaze remained locked on the distant figure of his father, visible through the window, standing beside Lya. Caleb was a wall of protection around his mother.

The manor was secured quickly. Warriors took up defensive positions around the building. Inside, Elora, Darrien, and Elara stayed close to Loric, who clutched a pillow, his ears tuned to the slightest sound from outside.

Meanwhile, the sky darkened slightly. Lya knew.

Liguen was coming.

The time for battle had arrived.

The eerie silence over Sacred Moon shattered with a piercing whistle—a distant roar that made the very earth tremble. Lya felt a wave of raw magic crash over the territory, an oppressive force that was anything but human.

Liguen was here.

Caleb clenched his fists, standing tall beside Lya, whose eyes burned with a brilliant, incandescent blue as they locked onto the horizon. Inside his mind, Handres growled, his fury boiling like a volcano about to erupt. "If he dares set foot here, I’ll rip his throat out."

A sudden, violent gust of wind howled through the now-empty streets as the massive shadow of a creature stretched across the land.

One beat of wings. Then another.

And then, with an earth-shaking crash, Liguen fell from the sky.

His landing was nothing short of catastrophic.

The ground split beneath his massive weight, sending shockwaves through the streets. Stone and dirt exploded outward, debris raining down like shrapnel. Nearby buildings trembled, some partially collapsing under the sheer force of impact. A market wall crumbled, raising a thick cloud of dust that momentarily obscured the central square.

But Lya and Caleb didn’t flinch.

Liguen was here. In all his arrogant, destructive glory.

His towering draconic form, slightly smaller than Lya’s but radiating sheer brute force, rose to its full height. His black scales, dull and void of reflection, swallowed light, making him look like a void in the fabric of the world itself. His long, curved horns crowned his head like a sinister diadem. And his emerald-green eyes, glowing with toxic intensity, locked onto her—burning with a sick obsession.

With slow, deliberate movements, he folded his wings slightly, his posture exuding dominance. Then, lifting his long neck high, he gazed down at the woman he had come for.

His voice, deep and resonant, spread through Sacred Moon like an omen.

"Lya..."

He spoke her name with an eerie gentleness, a whisper laced with possession.

Caleb’s entire body tensed, trembling with restrained fury. He wanted to attack. He wanted to rip this dragon apart. He wanted to destroy the monster that dared claim what was never his.

Inside his mind, Handres roared. "I WILL KILL HIM WITH MY FANGS."

But Caleb held himself back. He knew this fight was not his to take.

This was Lya’s battle.

Liguen took a slow step forward, his looming shadow stretching over them like a storm. He tilted his head slightly, the gesture mockingly regal. "Have you reconsidered my offer, Lya?"

His voice was both a threat and a deceptive caress, as if he were barely holding back his true nature.

Lya stepped forward, her gaze burning with glacial determination. "It wasn’t an offer. It was an ultimatum. And my answer hasn’t changed."

A beat of silence.

Then, Liguen chuckled—a deep, cruel sound that slithered through the ruined streets. His predatory gaze flickered toward Caleb, his lips curling into a disdainful smirk, as if the Alpha was nothing more than an insignificant nuisance. "So… you chose this pathetic wolf to stand against me?"

Caleb, usually composed in battle, lost his patience. "Underestimate me all you want," he growled. "But you won’t leave this territory alive."

Another silence, colder this time.

Then Liguen laughed. A deep, malevolent laugh that echoed through the ruins he had already left in his wake. "Then prepare yourself, my love."

And with a thunderous beat of his wings, he lunged at Lya.

The moment Liguen launched forward, Lya’s body moved before her mind even processed the attack.

She pivoted, instinctively stepping between Caleb and Liguen, her arms spreading wide as if to create a barrier between her mate and the monster of her past.

But Caleb wasn’t a wolf to be shielded so easily. He growled, ready to strike, but before he could take a step, the very air around them shifted.

A wave of raw energy crashed over Sacred Moon. Powerful. Incandescent. Primal.

Then, everything changed.

In a single motion, Lya unleashed her true self.

Her body stretched. Expanded. Transformed.

And she became something else—something colossal, something terrifying, something magnificent.

Gasps rippled through the minds of every wolf still above ground. Those who had never seen their Luna’s true form—Drake, Malick, the sentinels—stood frozen in awe.

A towering, majestic figure emerged from the explosion of magic.

A dragon.

Not just a dragon.

The Queen of the Night.

Her immense wings unfurled, eclipsing the sky, plunging Sacred Moon into shadow. Her obsidian scales shimmered with silver and sapphire hues, absorbing rather than reflecting light, making her an ethereal nightmare. Her curved horns pulsed with veins of luminescent power, exuding a presence that commanded both fear and reverence.

But it was her eyes that silenced the world.

Two oceans of blue fire, burning with unwavering determination, restrained rage, and an ancient, royal power so profound that even the oldest wolves, hidden in their bunkers, felt a shiver of submission ripple through the mental link.

Drake nearly fell to his knees.

Malick, who was never one to be easily impressed, murmured between his fangs, "By the Goddess… She is…"

"Majestic." A trembling voice finished his sentence—it belonged to a young sentinel standing nearby.

And like wildfire, the realization spread through the minds of the pack.

"Our Luna… she really is a dragon…"

"She’s bigger than him!"

"She’s going to fight!"

"We have a Queen worthy of Caleb!"

Caleb, already aware of his mate’s immense power, stood silent for a moment, mesmerized.

Even Handres, in his mind, had gone completely still.

Not out of fear.

Out of sheer admiration.

Then, a blast of energy exploded around her.

Lya roared.

Not just a sound, but a magical force, a ripple that made the very buildings tremble, cracked the ground, and forced Liguen to step back—something he had never expected.

Caleb straightened.

His gaze met Lya’s.

"Fight, my love. Show him he never owned you."

A chilling silence fell over Sacred Moon. Lya and Liguen stood frozen in time, two titans of ancient power. One sought to possess. The other sought to protect.

Then, without warning—Liguen attacked.

A colossal flap of his wings ripped through the air, stirring a whirlwind of dust and debris as he lunged at Lya with deadly ferocity.

Lya reacted instantly, pivoting with astonishing grace for a creature of her size. Her massive body coiled onto her hind legs, her wings snapping open with a sharp crack, sending a violent gust of wind that shattered the glass windows of the nearby buildings.

The impact was titanic.

Liguen’s steel-like claws slashed toward Lya’s black scales, but she reared up, blocking his attack with crushing force.

The ground beneath them split apart, an earthquake-like tremor rippling across Sacred Moon. The closest buildings shook, some partially collapsing from the sheer force of their clash.

Liguen wasted no time. He leapt back in an impressive aerial maneuver, his wings beating powerfully as he took to the sky.

But Lya didn’t let him escape.

In a blazing-fast motion, she launched herself after him, slicing through the air with a breathtaking speed. The few sentinels still stationed on rooftops could only watch, frozen in awe, as their Luna cut through the sky like a dark meteor.

The two dragons clashed midair, their massive forms spiraling around each other, their monstrous shadows engulfing the land below.

Liguen, ever the strategist, drew one of his enchanted blades, aiming for a weak spot.

But Lya saw it coming.

She twisted mid-flight, narrowly dodging the deadly swing. Then, in one powerful counterattack, her tail whipped across the sky, striking Liguen square in the chest.

The impact sent him hurtling toward the city below.

The wall of a building exploded upon impact.

Chunks of stone and wood rained down, smoke and dust rising from the ruins. A furious roar echoed from within.

Liguen would not be defeated so easily.

While the two dragons clashed in the skies, Caleb hadn’t moved, his eyes locked onto the battle.

But he wasn’t alone.

Drake and Malick arrived, one from the east, the other from the west, both drawn to the battlefield by instinct and duty.

Drake was the first to break the silence. "Holy shit, this is the craziest thing I’ve ever seen!" His voice was a mix of shock and admiration, his gaze darting between Caleb and the aerial war above them.

Malick, ever stoic, barely glanced at Caleb before stating firmly, "We’re staying with you, Alpha. No matter what happens up there, we secure your position."

Inside Caleb’s mind, Handres rumbled with approval.

Caleb nodded, his blazing blue eyes never leaving the sky.

"We protect Sacred Moon. And we protect Lya."

They had no part in this battle of titans, but their duty was clear.

No one was getting past them.

As the sky trembled with the roars of dragons, three wolves—ready to kill—stood guard on solid ground.