SOMETHING MAGICAL

SOMETHING MAGICAL


The situation was utterly confusing. Beta Cross couldn’t comprehend how those monstrous rogues had managed to infiltrate their territory. Their pack had always been the safest, the most secure. No threat had ever survived an encounter with them, let alone breached their defenses.

Yet here they were, trapped and vulnerable, surrounded by enemies who had somehow outsmarted them. His mind raced with possibilities, each more troubling than the last. One thought stood out above the rest: there was a traitor among them. But who? And more importantly, how many? He knew it couldn’t be just one person. The scale of this betrayal was too vast, too calculated.

As he stood in the cage, his eyes locked onto the rogues celebrating their capture. Their laughter and jeers fueled his anger, and his wolf stirred within him, ready to fight, to tear them apart. As the Beta of the pack and the second-in-command to their Alpha, his instincts screamed at him to protect his pack, especially the Alpha’s Luna. But as he glanced around, he realized with a sinking feeling that the one he was sworn to protect was no longer there. Delilah was gone.

The rogues, too, seemed to sense something was wrong. Their triumphant expressions shifted to shock and confusion. Just moments ago, they had been gloating over their victory. Now, they looked as bewildered as he felt. Beta Cross’s eyes darted around the cage, searching for Delilah.

“Delilah, did you see…” he began, turning his head to speak to her, but his words trailed off as he realized she was nowhere to be found. His heart pounded in his chest. Where was she? What had happened? His expression was grim.

Before he could process the situation further, the rogues vanished without warning, scattering into the forest as if fleeing for their lives. Beta Cross stared after them, his mind racing.

Why were they running? What could possibly scare them so much that they would abandon their prize? He couldn’t make sense of it. But then, he felt it…a familiar energy, a presence he recognized. The scent hit him next, and he turned abruptly, his eyes widening as he saw the figure standing before him.

It was King Maxwell, but not as he usually appeared. The King was in a half-human, half-beast form, his eyes glowing with a fierce intensity. Beta Cross exhaled sharply, relief flooding through him. “Your Majesty,” he breathed, a smile breaking across his face.

The King’s gaze was sharp, his voice urgent. “Where is Delilah?”

Beta Cross shook his head, his relief quickly replaced by worry. “I don’t know. She disappeared the moment we were trapped in this cage. I thought she was with me, but…” His voice trailed off as he gestured to the empty space beside him.

King Maxwell's eyes darted around the forest, scanning the shadows before settling back on Beta Cross. His expression was grim. “I’ve been betrayed,” he said, his voice low and heavy with emotion. “Someone is posing as me, causing destruction, turning my people against me. They think I’m the one hurting them.”

Beta Cross frowned, his mind racing. “Delilah knew it wasn’t you. She said your scent wasn’t there. She mentioned a different scent, something… magical.”

“Magic?” The King’s eyes narrowed, his thoughts clearly racing. “Could this be connected to the project we’ve been working on?”

“Maybe,” Beta Cross replied, though he wasn’t entirely sure. The project they had been working on was highly secretive, known only to a select few. If someone had discovered it and was using it against them, the consequences could be catastrophic.

As they stood there, trying to piece together the puzzle, the cage around Beta Cross suddenly vanished, dissolving into thin air as if it had never existed. Both the King and Beta Cross stared in disbelief, their confusion deepening. What was happening? Who had the power to manipulate their surroundings like this?

Before they could make sense of it, they felt it again, a familiar energy, close this time. The King’s head snapped up, his eyes searching the shadows. “Delilah?” he whispered, his voice filled with hope and desperation.

And then she appeared, stepping out of the darkness as if materializing from thin air. Her presence was like a balm to their frayed nerves. “My King,” she said softly, her eyes locking onto his.

Without hesitation, she threw herself into his arms, and he held her tightly, his lips pressing against her forehead, her cheeks, her hair…showering her with kisses as if to reassure himself that she was real, that she was safe. “I’m sorry I came late,” she whispered, her voice trembling.

“It’s okay,” he murmured back, his voice steady despite the storm of emotions raging within him. “Everything will be fine.”

When they finally pulled apart, Delilah’s eyes roamed over the King, taking in his disheveled appearance. He was shirtless, his chiseled chest glistening with sweat, though his pants were intact. She smiled faintly, a hint of warmth breaking through the tension. But there was no time for distractions. The King’s expression turned serious as he began to explain.

“Our defenses have been breached. We need to find the traitors. My beast sensed it and was furious. If Beta Cross hadn’t locked down the grand palace, Zion could have hurt our people.”

His words only deepened the confusion on Delilah and Beta Cross’s faces. They exchanged a glance before Beta Cross spoke up. “Your Majesty, the grand palace’s door was ripped out. We thought you had escaped.”

The King’s brows furrowed. “No, I didn’t. After I regained control and Zion was finally calm, though half of me was still in beast form…I noticed the door was unlocked. I walked out, but what I saw…”

He paused, his expression darkening as he recalled the scene. “There were screams, wailing. By the time I got there, it was too late. My people were pointing fingers at me, calling me a monster. I couldn’t hurt them, but I couldn’t stay either. I walked away into the forest to clear my mind.”

Delilah stepped forward, her eyes narrowing as she processed his words. “So, it was staged then? Someone is framing you, turning the pack against you.”

The King nodded, his jaw tightening. “We need to find those traitors, but we have to be careful. If we act recklessly, we’ll only play into their hands.”

“We should go back to the palace,” Delilah suggested, her voice firm. “We can regroup there and come up with a plan.”

“I agree
,” Beta Cross said, nodding. “We need to act wisely.”