Chapter 113

Chapter 113
When Fabian looked up, he saw Gaston and Alfredo, both equally stunned. 

“Finally,” Fabian smiled. “I got to see you both.” 

Gaston helped him stand. “I thought you’d die! How did you escape?” 

Fabian shrugged, hiding his pain. “When you’re a father, you have to keep fighting for your family.”

Gaston chuckled. “Bragging about being a dad again, I see. So, how’d you end up here?” He patted Fabian’s back as they walked.

“I’m being chased,” Fabian said, making them stop in their tracks.

“By who?” Gaston asked.

“General Hans and some rogues,” Fabian answered.

Gaston and Alfredo exchanged uneasy glances.

Alfredo turned to Fabian with a firm expression. “You need to leave.”

“Why?” Fabian asked.

“This territory belongs to our pack, the Light Shadow Pack,” Gaston explained. “We can’t risk an attack because of you.”

Fabian nodded, understanding. “I’ll go so I won’t cause any trouble.”

But soon after Fabian left, the territory was attacked by the same rogues and enemy soldiers from the mainland. Gaston and Alfredo, witnessing the chaos, blamed themselves.

“It’s our mistake,” they both knelt before Alpha Reid.

Alpha Reid slammed the table, roaring, “You fools! Don’t show your faces to me until you’ve corrected your mistakes. You’re not allowed to see your mates. Do you understand?!”

Alfredo’s eyes widened. “But, Alpha, my wife–”

“I know she’s pregnant,” Alpha Reid snapped. “You should’ve thought of that before. Now go and fix this.”

Alfredo’s eyes dimmed. “Understood.”

As he left the hut, Gaston hurried after him. “What’s the plan? Are you going to chase Fabian away? Let him stay in the cave until he’s recovered.”

Alfredo pushed him away, his eyes dark. “I’m following Alpha’s orders.”

He marched to the cave. Fabian, breathing hard, winced as he wrapped his wounds when the enemies found him. At that moment, Gaston and Alfredo arrived. They fought the enemies off until suddenly, Alfredo stopped.

“What’s wrong? Alfredo!” Gaston shouted as he kicked a rogue away.

Alfredo stared at the enemies, then at Fabian, and then at Gaston. “He’s not one of us.”

Gaston froze.

“It’s not our job to protect him,” Alfredo uttered, recalling Alpha Reid’s words. If he kept protecting Fabian, the enemies would target their pack, endangering everyone.

Gaston, understanding Alfredo’s thoughts, followed him with great pain.

Fabian, still fighting the rogues, saw them leaving. Shocked, he also understood their decision. Nevertheless, he fought with all his might until a claw pierced his chest. Fabian choked and fell. When he looked up again, he saw Gaston and Alfredo.

Alfredo held a blade and plunged it into Fabian’s chest, ending his pain. “Sorry,” he whispered coldly, “but I’m a father too.”

. . .

Rosanne jolted awake in the darkening cave, fear gripping her. “Papa…” she murmured.

“What’s wrong, Rosanne?” Luna Sandra asked, trying to comfort the small girl.

“I want to see Mama and Papa, Aunt Sandra. And Ruben too,” Rosanne said.

“Don’t worry, we’ll meet them soon. We just need to stay here and wait,” Sandra assured her.

Rosanne hugged her tighter, fear still lingering in her heart. She felt like she was losing something important, but didn’t know what. A week passed before she saw Louisa and Ruben again. But Louisa began choking on blood, and when Sandra realized what it meant, it was too late.

Tears welled up in Rosanne, Ruben, and Sandra’s eyes.

Louisa was dying, even without an attack or poison – it only meant one thing: her mate, Fabian, was dead.

Sandra held her sister’s hand. “Protect them,” Louisa pleaded. “Sandra, my Rosanne and Ruben… Please don’t let anything bad happen to them…”

Soon after, rogues attacked their temporary shelter. Amid the chaos, Sandra only managed to save Rosanne. Ruben pushed Rosanne away to protect her, and was taken by the rogues. The two children held hands until they were separated.

“I’ll come back, Rosanne!” Ruben cried as he fought the rogues in vain.

Sandra and Rosanne hid in another cave until they were found by Alpha Reid’s people – the true fated mate of Sandra.

When Alpha Reid asked who Rosanne was, Sandra declared without hesitation, “She’s my daughter.”

Alpha Reid wasn’t pleased and wanted Rosanne gone, but because Sandra protected her, he couldn’t do anything. He kept them away from the main village.

When Sandra was out of earshot, Alpha Reid ordered Gaston and Alfredo, “Make sure the kid doesn’t cause trouble. If she does, you know what to do.”

The two, with blood already on their hands, bowed and accepted their Alpha’s orders.

Despite this, Alfredo’s wife, Amelia, saw Rosanne and felt sorry for her. When Sandra was away for her duties as the future Luna, Amelia took care of Rosanne, cooking warm meals and treating her like her own child.

“You must miss your mother a lot,” Amelia said.

“I do, Miss Amelia. I miss my mama, papa, and Ruben too…” Rosanne glanced at her food. “But your meals are always warm, thank you.”

Amelia smiled warmly.

Rosanne looked at her round stomach. “When you give birth, can I play with your daughter?”

“Of course,” Amelia said. “You can be her big sister.”

“Really?” Rosanne smiled widely.

Alfredo, standing by the door with a new batch of tree nuts, silently walked away.

But things weren’t as simple as everyone hoped. The Alpha of the Crimson Stone Pack was furious when he discovered where his old Luna had run off to. On the blood moon, the Crimson Stone Pack attacked the Light Shadow Pack. Houses were burned, countless lives lost.

Luna Sandra stood by the window, overwhelmed by the bloody scene outside. The prophecy she heard from Sana Azalea and the vision in her dreams came to life.

Soon after, she was outside, spotted by her ex-mate, the Alpha of the Crimson Stone Pack. He charged at her with fury.

"If I die, will you leave this place alone? Will my death end the war between your pack and mine?" Luna Sandra asked.

His eyes were cold, filled with anger and hatred from her betrayal.

"Only the Moon Goddess can answer that," he replied.

"Then I will leave it to the Moon Goddess to decide the fate of this world," Luna Sandra declared. She positioned herself, calling upon the wind and water in a ritualistic dance. "As your messenger, touched by your gift of vision, I return everything of me. In exchange, end this war. If another war arises, let it be known early to those who can stop it. That person will be a child dear to my heart. Protect that child, Moon Goddess. I offer you this prayer. Take my life and cast peace upon this pack."

As she spoke, standing between the two warring alphas, Luna Sandra was struck by a stray arrow, its blade coated in lethal poison. She collapsed, blood pooling around her.

Alpha Reid rushed to her, cradling her lifeless body.

Rain began to pour, hitting the roof of the small house by the woods.

Amelia stood protectively in front of Rosanne as two soldiers from the Crimson Stone Pack approached.

"Miss Amelia…" Rosanne trembled.

"It's okay, I won't let them hurt you," Amelia reassured, glaring at the soldiers.

"Just give the child over," they said. "You're pregnant yourself. Choose yourself and hand her over."

Amelia gritted her teeth. "You think you can fool me? You've already killed many of our members!"

She had seen the carnage outside when she rushed back. Fortunately, she arrived in time to protect Rosanne.

"You're making this difficult for us," the soldiers muttered. General Han then appeared, causing Amelia to gasp.

His eyes were cold as he ordered, "Kill them both."

"But Alpha said to take the child–"

"It doesn't matter," General Han said. "The child we're looking for is a male. Her brother, Ruben."

Rosanne's eyes widened in horror. "R-Ruben… Do you know where Ruben is?"

General Han smirked. "I'm about to find out, little girl." He then ordered his men to attack. Amelia and Rosanne fought, but one was pregnant and the other merely a child. When a soldier lunged at Rosanne, Amelia shielded her.

"Miss Amelia…" Rosanne's voice trailed off as she saw blood.

Amelia glanced down, gasping in horror as blood trickled down her legs. She trembled, terrified.

Alfredo burst into the house. "Amelia! Amelia!"

He fought through the soldiers outside, only to be frozen in place by the nightmare inside. Rosanne was crying beside Amelia, who was struggling to breathe.

"I'm sorry…" Amelia whispered. Alfredo knelt beside her, holding her close.

"Healer Fern is in the center. I'll take you to her," Alfredo said, trying to lift her, but Amelia coughed up blood, shaking her head.

She reached for his face, her touch gentle. She glanced at Rosanne before whispering, "Please take care of her. She has no one left. Raise her as your own… Promise me, Alfredo…"

Tears streamed down Alfredo's face. "No, you're not leaving me," he whispered, broken and desperate.

Amelia smiled faintly. "I will always love you, Alfredo."

Her eyes dimmed, her breath stilled.

Thunder rumbled as Alfredo screamed in grief, wishing to die alongside his mate. But when the Crimson Stone Pack retreated and the remaining members of the Light Shadow Pack gathered, his wish went unanswered.

"I have lost my ability to walk," Alpha Reid announced to the pack. The room was filled with despair, their hopes crushed.

"But I am not giving up," Alpha Reid said, his pride as pack leader unshaken. "I have discovered their intention. They attacked us because of a child, an heir with powerful alpha blood who can change the future of their land."

Alpha Reid clenched his fists. "I know many of you are disheartened. Our hopes were crushed by the Crimson Stone Pack. But we haven’t lost everything. We will find this heir first. We will take our revenge and avenge the lives of our people. My Luna…" His voice wavered. "Alfredo's wife, Amelia… and all those who sacrificed themselves to protect our territory."

The Light Shadow Pack members were moved by his words, leaving the room with renewed determination and hope.

When Alfredo returned home, he faced Rosanne.

He knelt and handed her a small bottle. "Drink it."

"What's this for?" Rosanne asked.

"Don't ask, just drink," Alfredo ordered sternly.

Rosanne hesitated but remembered Amelia's trust in Alfredo. She took the bottle and drank, emptying it.

Immediately, she began to choke, her vision blurring. She reached out for help, but Alfredo stood by, unmoved.

Rosanne collapsed. Alfredo carried her to bed, sparing her one last glance before leaving.

In the middle of the night, Rosanne awoke. Alfredo returned to find her crying, her face full of confusion and fear.

"W-Who are you?" she asked. "W-Where am I? Why… Why can't I remember anything… My name…"

Alfredo observed her silently. The Light of Memory flower had done its work, erasing her memories.

He approached her bed, standing tall. "Your name is Naya."

"N-Naya?" she repeated, her eyes filled with panic.

"Look at me," Alfredo said, and she did. The words "you will be my weapon" almost escaped his lips, but Amelia's voice echoed in his mind.

In the end, Alfredo said, "I'm Alfredo. I'm your father."
. . .

The rain began to pour, a distant rumble of thunder signaling the impending storm. The air turned thick with moisture, and an eerie silence settled over the scene, halting everyone in their tracks as time seemed to stand still. Luna Alicia clutched her chest as if the weight of her next words would shatter her entirely. "I was the only one left in our family. My sisters... they died, sacrificing everything to protect you, their pack, their loved ones. But now, it seems even I will suffer the same fate."

Her voice trembled as she turned her gaze to Zeke, who stood steadfast beside her. With a sorrowful resolve, she faced Naya once more. "But one thing is for sure, Rosanne," she whispered, her voice cracking under the weight of truth. "You were never unloved by your parents. Louisa, Fabian, Sandra, Amelia—they all loved you. To them, you were their daughter."

Beta Alfredo's voice cut through the moment like a blade. "Lies! Don't listen to them, Naya. Get up and finish your mission."

Naya staggered to her feet, her head throbbing with the intensity of a splitting headache. Luna Alicia's words, vivid memories, and fragments of her training crashed through her mind like wildfire, igniting a deep, searing pain within her heart. Confusion and anguish swirled inside her, leaving her grasp on reality fractured.

"How can you do this to a child, Alfredo? Don't you have any respect for your wife?!" Luna Alicia's voice was desperate, pleading.

Alfredo's eyes darkened, his tone venomous. "Don't you dare bring her into your tales."

Luna Alicia's voice wavered, but she pressed on. "How can I not when she's the one who told me everything? She sent me all those letters. It's how I know what happened back then… I was so young and weak. I couldn’t protect my sisters."

Zeke moved closer, his arms wrapping around Alicia protectively. The soldiers of the Crimson Stone Pack stood stunned, their Luna in the embrace of another man, not their Alpha. But Zeke was beyond reason, his sole focus on shielding his mate, Alicia, from anyone who might harm her—including Beta Alfredo, who looked poised to strike.

But Alfredo remained unmoved, his voice cold and commanding. "Naya, you heard me. Finish your job!"

Naya's mind spun wildly. Memories, training, her father’s harsh praise, her unwavering mission—all collided, blurring the line between reality and illusion. Her grip tightened on the blade meant for the heir, and with the force of a raging storm, she lunged toward Billy.

Billy tried to evade her, but the blade sliced through his left arm, drawing a wince of pain. Inside Naya's mind, Alfredo's voice urged her on, a relentless echo that drowned out everything else. This was her mission. Her purpose. She couldn’t be wrong.

In a final, desperate act, she thrust the knife toward Billy, drawing gasps from all around. But a tall figure emerged beside Naya, his shadow looming over her. His bloodied hand caught hers, stopping the blade mere inches from Billy's heart. 

With a cheeky grin, the figure said, "That's enough, Tree Nut."