Last chance

Charlotte

We spent the day preparing everything we would need for my departure. I chose the soldiers who would go with me and Lia prepared clothes that I could easily wear in my human form and that wouldn't hinder my mobility. We waited for nightfall and set off, jumping over the great castle wall. If we were caught, we would be mistaken for invaders or even traitors, so we had to be very careful.

On the other side of the walls, at the edge of the Great Forest of Reims, we changed into wolf form. At first the soldiers were afraid, since Logan's orders were that they could only assume their natural forms with his approval, but I needed the unique agility that our lupine forms gave us. Every second mattered, and we couldn't afford to gamble with my son's life.

"Let's go," I said and then started running, feeling the wolves coming up behind me.

That night was especially cold as if to warn us of what was coming, but it wouldn't have made any difference even if I had known. We had a clear goal: to find Diane and take back my son. Even if I had to kill the one I had seen all my life as my mother, I would do it to get my son back with me.

We paused briefly for one soldier to examine the surroundings and make sure we weren't being followed. Meanwhile, the other soldier stood guard to protect me from any unexpected attacks.

As we waited, I reflected on the information Gabriel and Lia had shared about the Aurora Wolves. I looked at my copper-colored fur, which shone even in the faint light of the first cycle of the crescent moon. It was an extraordinary feature that I hadn't seen in other wolves before I met Gabriel. I thought of my she-wolf, my ancestor, who had looked after me for many years. At our farewell, she had said that she would look after me alongside the Goddess, but recent events had shaken my faith, so I doubted that I would ever be able to talk to my she-wolf again. I thought about the other abilities of the Dawn Wolves, but I couldn't remember awakening them. Thinking about it made me sad. I was a member of an important pack, but all I inherited were my physical characteristics.

The wolf returned and confirmed that the path was safe, so we could continue without any problems. But, in an area with leafy trees, I had a strange feeling, as if someone was watching us closely. So I stopped running and alerted the others.

"Ma'am," one of the soldiers approached and said. "Has something happened?"

I didn't respond. I searched for the cause of my unease but saw nothing. A mere feeling could be insignificant, perhaps due to my nerves or adrenaline. But, with Logan gone and fighting the rebels, we needed to be cautious. I approached the soldier and whispered quietly, making minimal mouth movements.

"I think we're being watched." The wolf immediately looked at his companion and they went on high alert.

"Let's keep going, if we stop now they might suspect we've been spotted and attack us. We'd be killed easily in a place like this, which we don't know very well," he said and I nodded in agreement.

We resumed running at the same pace as before, but we became more alert to movements and possible attacks.

The feeling didn't leave me, not even after we entered a deserted area. We stopped to organize ourselves because we were getting to the meeting point and nothing could go wrong, otherwise not only would I be taken by the traitors, but the soldiers who had accompanied me so faithfully would be killed.

"If we were being followed, they already know that our songstress isn't alone and they'll change their plans." One of the soldiers said and I could only agree. "We'll be closer than we originally planned, so we can react to any attack more efficiently."

"I'm sorry to have involved you," I said sheepishly.

"Our honor and duty is to serve King Alpha and his Luna, if we die fulfilling our mission, then it won't be a death in vain." the other soldier said.

They were both calm, but I wasn't. This meeting was our last chance. Diane was no longer the loving mother I remembered, but a calculating she-wolf who had manipulated me from the start. Lie after lie fell like autumn leaves, helping me to understand who I was, even if I was still confused about some details.

I walked alone through the woods, taking on my human form, and put on the clothes Lia had arranged - a man's shirt and pants. Although it was strange to feel the material clinging to my legs, those lighter clothes were much more comfortable and functional for walking. Not far from where I was standing, I saw Diane pacing restlessly under the shadow of her dark cloak and rubbing her hands together. Her aim was obvious: to convince me that she cared about my well-being and had secretly come to see me. Perhaps the Charlotte of before would have accepted her story, run to her, screaming and begging for her help. But I wasn't that Charlotte anymore; her behavior had changed me, and she realized it when I approached.

"My girl," Diane said, opening her arms, expecting me to go to her, but I didn't. I just stared at her expressionlessly. I just stared at her expressionlessly. Realizing that her tactic wouldn't work, she immediately moved on to the next one. "I was so worried about you, my child. I thought that savage might have hurt you because you weren't with the child he wanted so badly to break the curse."

"My king would never do me any harm," I replied in a neutral voice.

"And does he know that you can't beget other heirs?" The fact that she had said this in a tone of mockery hit me much harder than if she had slapped me. I took a deep breath to try to calm down.

"Is that why you called me here? To throw it in my face that it's your fault and Aiden's that I can't have any more children?" I said angrily and Diane watched me carefully for a few seconds before speaking.

"We didn't know that this could happen, otherwise we would never have given you those flowers."

"Yes, because you needed me to have Aiden's child," I said even more angrily. "Can't you stop lying to me for one damn second, Diane?" Calling her by her name and not her mother seemed to get to her. At that moment she realized that she had lost me and that nothing she could say to me would change my heart.

"I didn't want such a thing to happen to you. They assured me that the flower would only bring the birth forward, I never imagined that it would make you sterile. My child," Diane took a step towards me and I mirrored her, stepping back and away from her. "All I want is a future where you have a comfortable life with your child, but I can only give you that if you come with me now."

"I have no reason to believe your words, Diane. You called me here for Fenrir, but now you want me to follow you blindly. That's not going to happen."

Diane's eyes turned cold, her posture changed and I immediately went on alert. Two wolves appeared behind her, each with a large knife in their hands. "It is a shame," Diane said, turning her back on me, and then the traitors attacked.

I managed to dodge the initial attack and the soldiers who had accompanied me emerged to face the rebels. I watched Diane walk away and a desperation came over me. She knew where Fenrir was, it was my only chance to rescue my son and return to the kingdom's capital, I couldn't let her go. I ran after Diane, listening to the protests of those protecting me. We got a long way from the meeting point and then, suddenly, Diane stopped and smiled in my direction. I felt a sharp blow to the back of my head and a shock went through my whole body, making me faint.