CHAPTER 55: The Mate and the Monster.
CHAPTER 55: The Mate and the Monster.
The days that followed were drenched in dread and unrest. True to his vow, Craven fulfilled his beloved’s request....he struck down Lydia Fang with merciless precision and dragged the unconscious witch into the bleak confines of Blackthorn Hold. Yet in doing so, he had unleashed a tempest of fear across the realm.
He did not simply slay the woman; he desecrated her memory. Her body was dismembered, and her remains divided and dispatched to the various packs. Each received two or three parts....a grotesque token, a calculated insult to the entire race.
Outrage echoed across the territories.
They assembled at the foot of the Dark Tower, voices raised in growls and grievance, fangs bared and tempers kindled. The act had shattered their fragile unity, giving rise to whispers of war and seething resentment.
Yet for all their fury, none could summon Demetrius .
The Alpha had vanished into himself. No call, no howl, no sacred rite could bring him forth. His lycan beast prowled silently within, refusing to yield the reins.
The High Priestess, veiled and solemn, had spoken with grave finality.
“He dwells in a world of his own making,” she said. “A realm fashioned in grief and illusion. His mind is no longer tethered to ours, and naught but truth may draw him back.”
Craven stood nearby, rage barely contained.
“I warned you,” he growled. “He does not love her. He holds no reverence for the bond. How then shall he protect her? In his cursed mind, he preserves the image of a dead mate...perfect and untouchable. He cannot bear to face the living.”
The Priestess turned her gaze upon Craven, her eyes unreadable. Though wary of the beast, she had never revealed all she knew...not even to him.
He did not yet grasp the full nature of himself.
The child was no mere Alpha.
He was a tribrid.
For all her knowledge, she had not seen this clearly until now.
She thought back to her own bloodline. Her father had been a mighty Lycan, and she herself had inherited the witch-blood of her mother. She had believed it ended with her.
But Demetrius ...her daughter’s son...had taken in all.
Not one gift, but three.
The strength of the Lycans.
The cunning of wolves.
And the ancient magic of witches.
A tribrid.
Her breath caught. The prophecy...long feared, long buried...rose unbidden in her mind.
And in that moment, the ancient prophecy whispered through her bones with chilling clarity:
> “From blood of beast and breath of flame,
Shall rise the child who bears no name.
With soul of wolf and heart of night,
And magic born of moon’s own light.
The bond once scorned, the mate once lost,
Shall shatter realms at fateful cost.
When grief becomes the truest cage,
The world shall burn or break the age.
Three paths he walks, yet one shall bind...
The son of shadow, death entwined.
Let none forsake the marked-born flame,
Or lose the stars to ash and shame.”
Yes.
At last, it made sense.
He was the one...the harbinger named in the Prophecy of Doom.
“We must summon his mate,” said Mistress Miriam, stepping forth with firm resolve. “Perchance the strength of their bond might yet draw him back. The pack leaders shall soon demand his presence...it is but a matter of time.”
The priestess turned to depart, her steps already laced with urgency. “I must make haste. Should the pack leaders....”
Mistress Miriam's voice cut across her words.
“Word has already reached them,” Miriam interjected grimly. “You would do well to prepare your defense, Priestess. They will seek explanation.”
A hush fell over the hall. Even the wind beyond the stone walls dared not whisper.
“Jade,” Miriam commanded, turning to her son, “send word to the Luna. She must come at once.”
\--
Since the day of her mother’s death, her spirit had felt as though it were being torn asunder....each breath a battle between rage and revelation. She had once yearned to strike him down, to avenge the blood that was spilled.
But that kiss...curse it...had undone her.
The hatred she bore for him had splintered, shifting into something far more treacherous: longing.
Her mind warred against itself, whispering lies she feared might be truth. That kiss...she needed it more than she dared admit. It was both balm and blade, for the one who had awakened such feelings was none other than her sworn enemy....Demetrius .
A sharp knock broke her thoughts.
“My lady,” a voice called from beyond the door.
She rose and crossed the chamber, unlatching the heavy wood. Her eyes widened at the sight of the man who stood before her....the same one she had glimpsed in the dungeon, standing before Aurora .
“My mother requests your presence,” he said, his tone flat.
“Your mother?” she asked, uncertain.
“She is the Head Lady...Mistress Miriam.”
At once, her expression shifted in recognition, her pulse quickening. “I shall prepare at once.”
She moved to shut the door, but his hand caught it mid-motion.
“There is no time,” he said with quiet steel. “We must depart immediately. It is urgent.”
A beat passed between them.
“Very well,” she replied at last, her voice calm, though her heart pounded beneath her gown. “Lead the way.”
\---
Aria arrived at Blackthorn Hold and halted, her breath catching in her throat.
All eyes were upon her.
Her fingers trembled.
Had they discovered it was she who unshackled Craven in the dark of night?
“Do not fear, Beloved. I am near,” came Craven’s voice, low and steady. At the sound of it, her gaze shifted to him.
Strangely, her body stilled.
“You summoned me,” she said, her voice even.
Yet the way the High Priestess’s eyes pierced into her made her breath falter.
“Priestess…” Miriam stepped forward, her tone careful. “She is here. Are you well?”
The Priestess lowered her gaze and cleared her throat. “I am.”
Then her eyes turned fully to the girl.
“You are his mate?” she asked, though the question was a formality. Without waiting for a reply, she pressed on, “You must lie with him. Only in that sacred act shall Demetrius awaken anew.”
Aria expression faltered.
“The bond between you and the Alpha is the most potent I have seen in an age. Even in your wolfless state, your presence stirred him. It drew him back to life. Do what must be done. Time is no longer our ally.”
Aria took a step back, shaking her head. “I cannot.”
In an instant, Miriam’s restraint broke. All diplomacy fell from her as she seized Aria by the arm.
“You brought this upon us. Had you not unleashed that beast, the packs would have had no cause to march against us.”
A growl erupted, so deep and fierce it shook the very stones of the hall.
“Release her,” came the voice, commanding as thunder.
But Miriam did not yield. Her grip tightened. “Do what is required, or we shall all perish for your folly.”
At that moment, Jade burst into the chamber, urgency in her steps.
“The pack leaders have arrived. They are at the gates.”
Miriam let go of Aria at once. “High Priestess, continue. I must greet them with haste.”
Without another word, she swept from the room, leaving them behind.
Before the door closed behind her, Miriam turned once more.
“Jade, bar the door. Let no one in or out unless the Alpha himself commands it.”
Jade bowed his head. “As you wish, Mother.”