Chapter Forty Seven

Eve’s POV

The fire crackled softly, its warmth brushing against my skin as I stared into the dancing flames, my thoughts on the current way of things. No matter how fiercely he and Damien vowed to protect me, I was scared that I would lose them.

“Stop overthinking,” Damon’s voice broke through my haze, his arm draping casually around my shoulders. “Your brain’s working overtime again, isn’t it?”

Nudging him with my elbow, I said “It’s hard not to when my life feels like a puzzle missing half its pieces.”

“Hmmn.” Damon hummed thoughtfully, but before he could respond, footsteps echoed down the hallway, Damien appeareed, something about his posture set me on edge.

“What is it?” I asked, sitting up straighter.

Damien’s gaze flicked between us before settling on me. “There’s something you need to see. Both of you.”

Damon frowned. “Now?”

“Now,” Damien said, already turning toward the door.

We followed Damien through the pack house and out into the cool night. The moon hung low in the sky, casting its silver glow across the forest as we moved silently through the trees. My pulse quickened, the unease gnawing at my insides growing with every step.

“Where are we going?” I finally asked, my voice hushed.

“You’ll see,” Damien replied.

Damon stayed close beside me, after what felt like an eternity, Damien stopped at the edge of a small clearing. My breath caught in my throat.

In the center of the clearing, symbols identical to the ones from the rogue attack had been burned into the ground. Their intricate patterns pulsed faintly, as if alive, and at the center of it all lay something that made my blood run cold—a wolf’s body.

I stepped backwards, my heart hammering in my chest, and a hand on my mouth to refrain from screamin,. “Is he…?”

“Dead,” Damien confirmed grimly. “One of our scouts. He went missing earlier tonight.”

Damon let out a low growl, his fists clenching at his sides.

I dropped to my knees beside the body, a strange pull drawing me closer to the symbols. My fingers hovered over the faintly glowing lines, a sense of familiarity tingling through me.

The Moon Goddess… She said he’s tied to me somehow.

I swallowed hard, my voice barely a whisper. “It’s happening again.”

Damien knelt beside me, “Do you recognize anything? Anything at all?”

I shook my head, frustrated. “No, but I can feel it. It’s like… like this power is trying to reach me, to claim me.”

Damon crouched down on my other side, his voice low and fierce. “Then we’ll tear it apart before it can.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could, a cold wind swept through the clearing, snuffing out the faint glow of the symbols. A chill ran down my spine, and I shot to my feet, my instincts screaming that something was watching us.

“Did you feel that?” I whispered.

Both brothers stiffened, their wolves rising to the surface. Damien’s gaze scanned the treeline, his muscles coiled and ready, “We’re not alone.”

The shadows at the edge of the forest seemed to shift, and suddenly, a figure emerged. Cloaked in darkness, its features obscured

“Who are you?” I demanded, forcing my voice to steady.

The figure tilted its head slightly, a low chuckle drifting across the clearing, “You already know who I am, Eve.”

Damon snarled, stepping protectively in front of me. “You have three seconds to leave before I rip you apart.”

The figure ignored him, its focus fixed solely on me. “You cannot run from what you are, child of the Moon Goddess.”

My fingers curled into fists. “What do you want from me?”

“To fulfill your destiny” it said softly, almost reverently, “And to claim the power that was always meant to be mine.”

“Over my dead body,” Damien growled, his voice laced with fury.

The figure laughed again, the sound sending a shiver through me. “That can be arranged, Alpha.”

Before any of us could move, a blast of dark energy surged toward us, slamming into Damien and Damon with enough force to send them sprawling across the clearing. I staggered back, my ears ringing, my vision blurring.

“Eve!” Damon’s voice was distant, panicked.

I barely registered the figure moving closer, its power pressing against me like a suffocating weight. My knees buckled, and I collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.

“You cannot fight me,” it whispered, its voice echoing in my head. “You are mine, Eve. You always have been.”

No. A spark of defiance flared in my chest, cutting through the haze. My hands pressed against the earth, my vision sharpening as I focused on the symbols burned into the ground.

You are stronger than this, a familiar voice whispered soft, soothing, unmistakably the Moon Goddess.

The figure hesitated as a faint glow began to spread beneath my palms, then I felt power surge through me, wild and untamed, I pushed myself to my feet, the light growing brighter, forcing the shadows back.

The figure recoiled, a hiss of anger escaping its lips. “This is far from over, child.”

With that, it vanished into the night, leaving only silence in its wake.

Damien and Damon were beside me in an instant, their faces pale, their eyes filled with worry.

“Eve,” Damien said, his voice rough. “Are you okay?”

I exhaled shakily, the glow fading from my hands. “I’m fine.”

Damon cupped my face, searching my eyes. “What the hell was that? What did he do to you?”

“Nothing,” I whispered, though the lingering chill in my bones said otherwise. “But he’s right about one thing.”

Damien frowned. “What?”

I met both of their gazes, my resolve hardening. “I’ve got power, and I need to learn to harness it.”