Chapter 108 108
Venessa’s POV
You were meant to go to the Lycan Kingdom and help your father secure his throne. Everything must be done for the greater good.
The words echoed inside me, heavy and unyielding. My heart shattered for the children I had already lost my children but grief, Atabey reminded me, could not be allowed to derail what was coming. The threat had to be eliminated. There was no room for weakness now.
She reminded me of the gift she had given me the power of healing. I was to lay my hands on friend and foe alike, restore them, preserve them. They would all be needed in the days ahead. I could touch others lightly as well, hastening their recovery, but only carefully never in a way that would draw attention or suspicion.
I was already being whispered about. Labeled a witch.
They did not know it was me the rogues were referring to, and that ignorance had to be protected. If the truth surfaced, my husband’s pack could turn on me, blaming me for the carnage, for the dead. That could not be allowed. I had to finish my duty today. Tonight, she said, we would speak again.
She had messages to deliver to my father, to the other two kings. And one for my husband as well.
Her voice softened, just barely. She was sorry, she said, but this path would only grow harder from here. Still, she would help me however she could, especially since Eshera had violated the engagement rules.
The name struck me like a physical blow.
“Is Eshera the other god in play?” I asked quickly.
Silence answered me.
“I think she left the building, Venessa,” Nyla said dryly inside my head. Under different circumstances, I might have laughed.
“Typical,” Nyla muttered, frustration lacing her tone, and I couldn’t disagree.
I went to Rayon first. The moment my hand made contact, I felt his body respond his vitals strengthening, life pulling itself back into place. Relief loosened something tight inside my chest. I moved on, treating others in between before finally standing before Jalisa and Tyrell.
Healing them was… difficult.
The memories of what they had done to me clawed at my resolve, but I forced myself to remember Atabey’s words. These were the foes she meant. I needed them alive. I needed to win. The survival of our kind outweighed my anger, my pain, my thirst for vengeance.
So I healed them.
As I moved through the hospital, I brushed my fingers lightly against others, slipping them herbal mixtures as I went. Their recovery accelerated, but not enough to raise suspicion.
“I can see you healing them, Venessa. Be subtle,” Denzel warned through the mind link.
So he had been watching.
I stayed in the hospital for the rest of the day, tending to the wounded until exhaustion threatened to pull me under. Some pack members begged me to rest, praising my dedication, my compassion. Their admiration sat uneasily in my chest.
Something was wrong.
Certain people were missing.
They weren’t in the hospital. They weren’t on pack grounds either. Maybe I was overthinking but Alesha and those closest to her were gone. Had they been sent on errands? Or had they fled during the chaos of the attack? I couldn’t tell, but unease settled deep in my bones. We needed to stay alert.
Eventually, I returned to our bedroom. I showered, letting the hot water pound against me, then lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
I wanted to ask Denzel to join me to just be here but I knew he couldn’t. The pack needed him. Any sign of withdrawal or intimacy now could be taken as indifference to their suffering.
It was a miracle they hadn’t blamed him already. Their understanding could not be taken for granted.
My thoughts drifted back to Eshera. The name meant nothing to me, yet it carried weight danger. Perhaps she was one of Atabey’s equals. I needed answers. This was unfair. How could my success my failure be tied to forces I didn’t even understand?
When Craig relayed what Ashani had said, and I remembered how impossibly hard it had been to kill those creatures, it became painfully clear: this was bigger than me. Bigger than Denzel. Bigger than Jalisa, Tyrell, even Fabian.
These were beings from another plane.
I wasn’t equipped for this kind of war.
I hoped Atabey understood that she had placed me in a situation that might be impossible to survive, let alone win. If they condemned me for failing, it wouldn’t be because I hadn’t tried it would be because this was beyond my capacity.
Lost in thought, I didn’t notice Denzel enter the room until he was standing there, exhaustion etched into every line of him. He didn’t linger just went straight to the shower, then came to bed.
“This is the first organized rogue attack on a pack,” he said, voice tight, not giving me a chance to speak. “Things are spiraling. I’ve called a meeting with the other Alphas and King Fabian. The worst part is that there are traitors among us. There’s no way they could’ve gathered that many numbers and moved so fast without inside help. We need to uncover this before it’s too late.”
I knew what he was doing. Steering me away from Devon’s words. From what I had overheard.
I reached out, touching his hand gently, forcing him to meet my eyes.
“They attacked because of me,” I whispered.
He covered my mouth instantly.
“Don’t say that, Venessa,” he said sharply. “Don’t you know the walls have ears? People died today. They’re hunting for the witch they believe caused the attack that’s why I told you to heal them subtly. I will not let them turn on you because of the rogues. Do not carry this burden alone.”
I nodded.
“Atabey said she would explain everything to me,” I told him, then relayed every word the moon goddess had spoken. When I mentioned Eshera, his body went still. He was stunned but not surprised.
“She’s the goddess of trickery,” he said quietly. “After what Craig told us, I knew another being was involved. I just hope she gives us clarity and the means to fight back. I’ve seen what those things can do. They could wipe us out. I think that’s why Atabey sent you back.”
He kissed the top of my head, grounding me.
We were too exhausted to talk any longer. Sleep claimed us almost instantly.
And then
I was standing in a grey room.
I was seated at a chessboard across from a man, moving pieces with hands that were mine but not mine. I wasn’t in control, yet I could see through this body’s eyes, feel every motion.
The man smiled as we played.
He had blond hair, cerulean blue eyes, and the appearance of someone no older than twenty-five. He was undeniably handsome and utterly unsettling. I had never seen him before, but dread crawled beneath my skin.
I studied the board.
I wasn’t losing. But I wasn’t winning either.
My rooks were active. Several pawns were gone. I didn’t understand what it symbolized, only that it mattered. I moved my bishop, taking one of his knights.
The smile vanished.
His eyes darkened, fury flashing through them as he stared at me.
And I knew without understanding how that this was only the beginning.