CHAPTER 76

Shadows of Power,

The world returned to me in bits and pieces: the smooth rustling of fabric, the sterile smell of antiseptic, the distant murmur of people. I pushed open my eyes, which felt like lead, and saw the dark within the healer's tent.

My body ached, a sharp reminder of the damage caused by the conflict. A soft hand pushed me back into the cot as I attempted to sit up.

"Easy now," our top healer Elara said in a calming voice. "You've been through quite an ordeal."

Recollections came flooding back: the rival Alpha's sword falling toward Kai, the berserker, the power surge. I went into panic. "Kai! Is he—"

Elara reassured me, "He's fine," her eyes kind with comprehension. "Thanks to you."

I felt a wave of relief, but it was soon eclipsed by the eerie memory of the power I had let go. "Elara, what happened to me? I've never experienced anything like that power.

Elara's face became grave. "You summoned a primordial energy that is latent in all Lunas but is never evoked. It is a burden as well as a gift.

Recalling the euphoric feeling of that energy flowing through me and the emptiness it left behind, I shuddered. "It felt like I was losing myself."

According to Elara, "Such power comes at a cost," she said. "Overexertion can lead to severe consequences—physical exhaustion, mental strain, even death."

With the weight of her words bearing down on me, I nodded. "How long have I been unconscious?"

The answer was, "Three days," "Your body needed time to recover."

Three days. An eternity in which the danger to our flock persisted. I fought my way back up, willpower triumphing over exhaustion. "I must visit Kai. The group—"

With a groan, Elara assisted me in sitting up. "Whenever he could, he was at your side. I'll send for him.

I couldn't get rid of the pictures that plagued me as I waited—the destruction I had caused, the terror in both my friend's and enemy's eyes. Although the power had changed the course of the conflict, it had also left me exposed and uneasy.

With a rustling of the tent flap, Kai stepped inside, looking both relieved and worried. He said, "You're awake," and moved across the room to grasp my hand.

I forced a flimsy grin. "So it seems."

Gently, he stroked a lock of hair away from my face. "You know you rescued us. We may not have made it through that onslaught without you."

"But at what cost?" I muttered, expressing the worry that had been bothering me. "I unleashed something I don't understand, something that could have destroyed us all."

Kai's hand became tighter. Together, we'll figure it out. In this, you're not alone.

Although his comments were consoling, the lingering uneasiness persisted. I had drawn from a well of power that was both powerful and deadly, and I was afraid of losing control once again.

I concentrated on becoming stronger over the course of the next several days, but sleep provided little relief. I had nightmares of being destroyed and surrendering myself to the inner beast. With the reverberations of that strength still pulsing through my veins, I would awaken in a cold sweat.

I went outside the tent one evening as the sun was setting and the camp was bathed in a lovely, golden glow. In spite of the previous hardships, the pack was rebuilding, and their tenacity was seen by the way they collaborated.

Kai was watching the fighters as they sparred close to the training grounds when I saw him. His face was inscrutable when he approached me after catching my attention.

With a deliberately casual tone, he said, "How are you feeling?"

"Better," was my response. "But still... unsettled."

As if he understood all too well, he nodded. "There's something you should see."

The woodland loomed at the edge of the camp, its shadows becoming deeper in the dusk, and I followed him out of curiosity. The opposing Alpha was there, shackled and protected by two of our soldiers.

His eyes were dull with defeat, and his once-imposing form was now gaunt. As we got closer, he glanced up, his lips curled into a scowl. "Come to gloat?"

"Why did you attack us?" I ignored his insult and insisted. "What did you hope to gain?"

His laugh was lifeless and without humor. "Power, naturally. We all want it, don't we?

"At the expense of innocent lives?" With a flare of rage, I fired back.

To which he said, "Innocence is a luxury in this world," "You, of all people, should know that."

His remarks resonated with me, reiterating the uncertainties that had been bothering me. I had walked a tightrope between protector and destruction by wielding such great power.

Kai touched my shoulder in a comforting manner. "Avoid letting him influence your thoughts. He's attempting to control you.

I steadied myself by taking a big breath. "What will happen to him?"

"He'll be held until the Council decides his fate," Kai said. "For now, he's no longer a threat."

The voice of the opposing Alpha, brimming with resentment, trailed behind us as we turned to go. "You believe you've triumphed? This is not at all finished. This is only the beginning of the power you unleashed. Like it has consumed

those before you, it will eat you as well.

I hesitated as his words sent