Chapter 44 Ancient herd; 💮
Eva had accepted her mystical wolf body on New Year's Eve. But there were those who could not accept their new consciousness.
In the waterfall cave, Kael's pack had awakened and seen the pool of blood in the Sacred Oasis. Looking around, they had realized that the Madman Jack's sarcophagus was empty.
Liam, the youngest of the pack, revealed his bloodline in the ice-pale tone of his skin, his deep blue eyes, and the blond hair falling across his face. Still dizzy with the disorientation of newly awakening, he staggered forward. But he could not remain calm in the face of what he saw. The pain inside him was beyond words. He stood beside the bloody footprints leading out of the oasis, his eyes turned to pools of blood, weeping.
"Brother…" he murmured.
Right behind him, the pack's only female wolf, Asia, approached. With her tall frame, muscular build, and brown hair, she was every bit the image of an Amazon warrior. She placed her hand on Liam's shoulder and tried to keep him steady.
"We will find whoever did this, don't worry," she growled. A deep and dark fury had awakened in her eyes. "And when we do, you will tear them apart with your own hands."
The pack's most senior member, the ancient dark wolf Rai, was barely holding his naked, muscular body upright. It was as if every ounce of divine energy had been drained from him. He felt exposed and vulnerable, Homay's light no longer rested on him.
"Homay's light is no longer upon me… It seems we have a new Guardian Alpha," he said in a heavy, fractured voice.
The twins, Alex and Axel, the pack's notoriously fierce duo, who had always had a problem with anger, stood watching the scene before them in a state of pure, seething rage. Alex took a deep breath and tried to steady himself. After hundreds of years of sleep, this was not the welcome they had expected.
"We need to find Kael first," he growled. "We don't know what kind of world is out there. But without our Alpha, we are nothing."
Axel had always been the less controlled of the two. He ground his teeth.
"Isn't it obvious what kind of world is waiting for us? We woke up to a war!"
He pointed his nose skyward and let out a howl like a scream, one that echoed across the entire valley. Including his Alpha, Kael.
After the night he had spent with Eva, as daylight was beginning to touch the earth, Kael was pressing soft kisses against Eva's skin. The exhaustion of the transformation had taken its toll on Eva, she had fallen asleep, bare and nestled in Kael's arms.
At that very moment, the wolf's howl spreading through the valley startled them both instantly.
Eva opened her eyes. Slightly alarmed, she pressed herself closer into her husband's strong arms. She could now interpret the emotion carried in that howl. It was one of the new advantages of her wolf body.
"Pain and rage… Who is that?" she asked.
Kael narrowed his eyes, brow furrowing.
"That's Axel. One of my pack's twins," he said, and swallowed. "But the real question is why he's filled with pain and rage."
Eva was curious too. Kael turned his eyes to her. Eva was still beneath him.
"Can you shift?" he asked. "We need to go to the waterfall cave."
Eva was momentarily caught off guard.
"Well… I… how exactly? I can't control it yet," she murmured.
Kael smiled. He pressed his forehead against hers.
"Close your eyes," he said.
Eva closed her eyes, obedient as a Luna.
"There is a spark of fire moving through your body. Find it and spread it across your entire body," Kael whispered.
At first Eva didn't understand what he meant. But then she felt a warmth moving from her leg to her hip, and from there up along her spine. The warmth descended from her back to her shoulder, from her shoulder down her arm. Just as it approached her fingertips, she caught it.
In an instant, a wave of heat exploded through her entire body. When she opened her eyes, violet sparks were glowing. Her spine curved, her bones flexed, her claws extended. Kael laughed and barely managed to pull himself back. Eva had emerged all at once in her full, white-furred magnificence.
"Wohoo! This is an insane feeling! How do you ever get used to this? I feel like my heart is about to explode right now!" she cried.
Of course, the only one who could understand her was her husband.
Kael smiled. He found the ancient fire within himself and began to shift. His amber eyes blazed, and his reddish-brown, imposing fur wrapped around his body.
"You don't get used to it, my love. Your heart always feels like it's about to explode," he growled.
Then his smile faded.
"You go ahead of me. Come on, run toward the waterfall cave."
Eva launched forward like a fired bullet. She tore through the wind and leaped into the waterfall. When her paws hit the earthen floor at the mouth of the cave she turned her head. Kael was right behind her, one breath away.
Eva's chest rose and fell with an excited pulse.
"Well… I'm not really great at family matters. You can meet them alone if you'd like," she said.
Kael's gaze was steady.
"You are my mate, Eva. You are also the representative of Homay's light. You are the last remaining pure Rose blood. There will be no problem, don't worry," he said, and touched the entrance of the cave.
As the door opened, Kael and Eva stepped inside, bare. Kael immediately took a piece of cloth hanging from a branch in the corner and held it out to her.
"Even among my pack, I am possessive about my woman. Cover yourself," he growled.
Eva laughed. She liked Kael's jealousy. She would have liked to tease him a little more, but for someone who had been reborn into this century, walking around unclothed was still unfamiliar. So she tied the cloth across her chest.
A few steps later, the Sacred Oasis and the pack members came into view.
Kael felt a surge of happiness seeing them awake after centuries.
"Brothers!" he called out and moved toward them.
But then he saw the oasis, defiled and soaked in blood. The expression on his face shifted. He couldn't make sense of what had happened here. Who could possibly have known about this place? This cave had been kept as a hidden secret for centuries. Kael's jaw clenched hard. Eva too was at a loss; she approached them with cautious steps.
The moment Asia saw Eva, she was struck with disbelief. When the pack had gone into their long sleep, there had not even been a farewell with Eva, Asia had simply been certain that Eva would die. Eva had chosen, with her last ounce of strength, to protect the pack.
Then, with deep and searching eyes, she walked toward Eva. Her pupils trembled; her breathing grew unsteady.
"Is it really you?" she asked.
Eva didn't understand for a moment that she was being spoken to. She turned her head and looked around. Then she realized the question was directed at her. But she didn't recognize this woman.
Asia had noticed the blankness in Eva's gaze. She turned to Kael.
"She's empty! She's nothing but a shell!" she cried. "The prophecy was supposed to bring Eva back to us! Why is this not our Eva?"
Kael slowly stepped toward her. He took hold of her shoulders and gripped them firmly.
"She is Eva. Our Eva. Her memories are simply veiled. Calm yourself, Asia!" he said.
Then he turned his gaze to Liam. Liam still seemed barely present. Kael moved toward him. He said not a single word, asked not a single question. He simply pulled him hard against his chest and held him. Liam had begun to sob. On the faces of Rai and the twins, a grief for their lost companion had quietly awakened…
It seemed the pack had woken. But were they as strong as they once were?
And what was the demon king's plan?