Chapter 167

Chapter 167
Lyra's POV

Orion took a step toward the direction where Declan had vanished, addressing Corvin and Thane without turning around. "Gentlemen, there's something you need to see for yourselves."

Corvin and Thane exchanged a brief glance, asked no questions, and quickened their pace to follow.

Ahead of us, Declan wove through the casino ruins—past scattered chips and the corpses of fallen vampires—until he stopped before an utterly unremarkable door. His breathing grew labored, excitement betraying itself in the rise and fall of his shoulders. A moment later, his trembling hand pushed the door open.

The room beyond was crammed with treasures plundered by vampires over centuries, yet Declan spared none of it a glance. He walked straight toward the center, where a transparent vial rested on a pedestal of moonstone. Inside was a measure of crimson liquid that glowed faintly even in the dim light.

"Progenitor blood..." he murmured, reaching for the vial with shaking fingers.

I had heard of this substance before—the original blood of a vampire progenitor. If consumed directly by a human, it could grant power far beyond that of ordinary vampires at the moment of transformation, bypassing centuries of accumulation. I had always thought it was a legend, nothing more than a myth whispered in dark corners. But now it sat before me, greedily devoured by Declan's bloodshot gaze.

Orion moved before Declan's fingers could touch the glass. A clean, decisive strike sent Declan sprawling to the floor. The vial wobbled at the edge of Declan's fingertips, teetered, but did not fall.

Declan whipped his head around in shock, his face still twisted in the half-aborted ecstasy of interrupted greed. "How... how did you get here?"

"Something this valuable shouldn't be left for you to enjoy alone," Orion said, his voice light but edged with a coldness that seemed to drop the temperature in the room by several degrees.

Declan's facial muscles spasmed violently. In the next instant, he erupted upward, shifting into his wolf form with a speed far beyond what someone his age should possess. Desperation had granted him the courage for one final gamble. He lunged at Orion with a snarl, but before he could even graze Orion's coat, Thane and Corvin seized him from both sides simultaneously, slamming him down onto the stone floor. Corvin's elbow pinned Declan's jaw to the ground, rendering him utterly immobile.

Orion picked up the vial of progenitor blood and exchanged a few quiet words with Corvin and Thane. Then he approached Declan and dangled the vial before his eyes.

"This is what you wanted, isn't it?"

Declan's gaze locked onto the crimson liquid, his breathing rapid and erratic, his lips moving as though reciting some silent prayer.

Orion crouched down and placed the vial on the floor just beyond Declan's reach—close enough to see, too far to touch. "Swear by your wolf spirit that you will pass the position of Eastern Territory Alpha to Caius permanently, without deposition, without interference. If you violate this oath, your wolf spirit will no longer answer your call, and you will become a wretch unable even to shift."

Declan's lips quivered violently. He glanced at the vial of progenitor blood within arm's reach, then at the two hands pressing into his back, and finally forced the words through gritted teeth. "I... swear."

A faint halo of light shimmered across the moonstone beneath the vial. The oath took effect automatically.

Orion retrieved the vial and turned to Corvin and Thane. "This thing should never see the light of day again. I propose that all four territories guard it jointly, ensuring no one can ever exploit it."

Corvin nodded. Thane added, "The temptation is too great. No single person could guard it. This is the best solution."

They quickly agreed on a plan: the progenitor blood would be sealed within an ancient stone tower at the intersection of the four territories. Only if all four territorial lords were present and activated the seal simultaneously could it be opened. No single territory could break the seal alone.

Once these matters were settled, Orion and I stood side by side atop the highest tower of Blackwood Manor. We had been so busy with everything else that we'd hardly had time to come up here before. Below us stretched the entire Northern Territory snowfield—fir forests rustling in the evening wind, frozen rivers gleaming silver-gray in the twilight, and faint wisps of smoke rising from the distant Silver Moon settlement.

I stood there for a long time, soaking in the unfamiliar tranquility. The wind no longer carried the stench of blood, only the scent of fir trees and the distant wood smoke from hearths.

"Orion," I said softly, "I can't believe we went through all of that."

He turned to face me, his profile sharp against the snow-lit sky. Then he leaned down and pressed a kiss to the corner of my lips.

"Do you believe it now?"

My face flushed. Somehow, despite everything we had shared—things far more intimate than this—his gesture still made my heart race.

Just then, my phone rang, shattering the tender moment. Sylvia's voice came through the speaker, brimming with barely concealed gratitude and excitement. "Lyra, thank you for the antidote—Ivar's finally awake!"

A smile tugged at my lips, genuine happiness blooming in my chest for her. Before hanging up, I reminded her, "I'm so glad he's awake. Take good care of him, and take care of yourself too—don't let yourself fall ill just as he recovers."

A few days later, while Orion went to the company to handle business as usual, I drove alone back to the Silver Moon territory. I wound through the familiar fir forest and stopped at the entrance to the family cemetery.

My mother's headstone was bathed in warm orange light from the setting sun, her name carved into the stone along with a single line: "By moonlight witnessed, never extinguished."

I knelt before the grave and laid down a bouquet of white roses. There was so much I wanted to say, but in the end, only a few simple words came out. "Mom, I did it."

The Blood Moon Cult was destroyed. Varyn was dead. The people of Silver Moon were safe. The Northern Territory still stood, and Father was still here. Some of the people you saved lived; others did not—but your name is still remembered.

And I married a good man. His name is Orion. If you ever met him, I think you would have liked him.

I knelt there for a long time. The shadows of the fir trees stretched inch by inch as the sun sank lower toward the west. In a daze, I thought I heard my mother's voice—like the faint echo left behind when the evening wind passes through pine needles.

When I finally shook myself from the reverie, the sky had darkened. I turned to head back to Blackwood Manor, but at the cemetery entrance, I saw a familiar figure.

Orion was leaning against his car. I didn't know when he had arrived or how long he had been waiting.

I froze.

He took a couple of steps toward me and extended his hand, his voice soft. "Let's go home, my queen."

I reached out instinctively and took his hand. Warmth spread from his palm through my fingers and into my chest.

I glanced back once more at my mother's headstone, then turned to face him and smiled.

"Okay."

The setting sun stretched our shadows long behind us. I walked down that road toward home, leaving all hatred in my wake. From this day forward, the path ahead would be clear.

【Thank you for joining Lyra and Orion on their journey, through blood and betrayal to their happily ever after. Writing their story of seeking revenge, redemption, and love in the darkest places has been an incredible experience.

If you enjoyed the supernatural romance and complex characters in this tale, I'm excited to introduce my new work: "After Quitting as the Vampire's Wife".

Until next time, may your nights be full of moonlight and your love stories epic.】