Chapter 109

Chapter 109
Amara’s POV.

“I would like to formally introduce myself. I am Alpha Damien. Your presence in this meeting with us is appreciated. On behalf of my wife, Amara,” Damien spoke, addressing the others at the table. I was met with their gaze and all I could do was respond with a polite nod in return.

“We welcome your clan. Let’s make this place peaceful for our family,” he added.

My lips spread into a smile as he mentioned our family. There were ten of us sitting across from each other at the long table. Thankfully, Odessa had woken up and was now paying attention to the conversation.

“Thank you for your hospitality, Alpha and Luna,” Count expressed his gratitude.

“It’s nothing,” Damien replied.

“Where did you come from, and why were you late?” Phoenix inquired, directing his question to the two.

Count let out a sigh. “We were looking for Grandma Cyrilla.”

Phoenix sighed as well, as if he already knew why Count looked annoyed. 

“She’s wandering again. How will she be forgiven by the Moon Goddess for that? Tsk!” he muttered.

Enna’s aura slightly changed. “Let her be. Her time is near. Our destinies are already intertwined,” she stated.

I was slightly surprised by her words, and my eyes widened momentarily before quickly averting my gaze when she caught me looking at her. That was weird.

“She had always known that this day would come. The day when her mistakes would finally be rectified, when she would have the chance to cleanse her conscience.”

It tugged at my heartstrings. It reminded me of the cryptic words the old lady had uttered that fateful night.

“Our destinies have already been carved. May you be the way to free hearts burdened by anger and pain. May you help cleanse my sins caused by resentment and fury.”

“After all these years, we are finally complete.” I felt a sense of release in the voices of the twins.

I smiled at Damien in response as I felt his hand squeeze mine. He must have noticed something was troubling me. I didn’t want him to worry, so I just shook my head, silently assuring him that I would be fine. Instead, I turned to Masha and Remi, trying to divert the conversation.

“Have you managed to track him down yet?” I asked Masha, hoping to shift the focus away from my own thoughts.

I felt like I wasn’t ready to hear more yet, to delve deeper into the things that had haunted us for so long.

Remi couldn’t hide her frustration as she replied, “No, not yet. It’s as if he vanished into thin air. I haven’t even been able to sleep because of it. It’s been driving me crazy. My beauty rest is ruined,” she complained.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Masha raised her hand and slapped Remi, right in front of everyone. I could feel the heat of embarrassment creeping up my cheeks as I distanced myself from them, pretending not to know them. How embarrassing.

“Ouch! You, just sitting there doing nothing! I thought you could find everything? You’re just fake news!” Remi snapped at her.

Masha shot her a glare. “Looks like you’re no different. Do you think it’s easy to find someone like Axel? He’s a hybrid, with powers we can’t even comprehend. Who knows, maybe he can actually become invisible,” she explained sarcastically. Remi just rolled her eyes in response.

“Yes, Masha is right. Even I have been struggling to locate him,” Max agreed.

I let out a weary sigh. It seemed like we couldn’t do much to find Axel as soon as possible.

“My men are doing everything they can to search for him. But… Alvinia is not a tiny place. There are still places we haven’t discovered, so we understand if you’re also having a hard time finding him,” Damien took a deep breath before continuing. “If that’s the case, all we can do is prepare ourselves for any unexpected circumstances.”

I nodded in agreement, and it seemed like the others were also in agreement with what he said.

“I have a question.”

All of us turned to Odessa, who had been quietly listening. She even raised her hand as if she was reciting in a classroom, and I couldn’t help but find it amusing.

“What is it?” Astra asked, curious to hear what she had to say.

Odessa pouted and glanced in my direction. “Why am I even here? I mean, I can’t really help, and you’ve even disrupted my sleep,” she complained.

A small grin crept onto my face, and I noticed some of the others taken aback but then chuckled softly at her candid complaint.

“No, you need to be here. We want you to work with Masha and Remi. I’ve witnessed your skills in magic, and I’m sure you can help them figure out how the refining stone weakens Samael’s clan,” I explained.

Her mouth slightly dropped open. “I came here for a vacation, not to work!” she insisted.

“Come on, Odessa. We are counting on you,” Max said.

She hesitated. Ultimately, it seemed she realized she had little choice, as we were placing expectations on her. Well, yes!

“Fine,” she reluctantly agreed.

“Gamma, have you already reached out to Henry? We need their assistance once the war begins,” Damien inquired.

Ralph nodded affirmatively. “Yes, Alpha. They have been informed and are expected to join us later tonight. Should I also contact the others from Nidavellir and Salem?”

All of us focused our attention on the two of them as they talked, eager to hear the plan unfold.

Damien shook his head thoughtfully. “Not at this moment. We need to minimize the risk of casualties. I think we can handle the situation together with the Prime. We can seek help from the healers of Nidavellir once the chaos subsides.”

He leaned back in his chair, his gaze turning towards me.

“I am a bit skeptical about Salem. Axel is a hybrid. There’s a possibility that he has allies in Salem. We cannot afford to have a traitor at our disposal right now,” he added.

We locked eyes. I could see in the faces of those present that they were also contemplating Damien’s words.

“So, it’s settled then. Our goal is to reduce casualties and win,” Astra declared.

Enna suddenly spoke up, directing her question towards me. “Luna, I have a question for you.”

Surprised by the sudden inquiry, I turned to face her. “What is it?”

She held my gaze for a few moments before speaking again. “Have you started having any dreams yet?”

Her random question caught me off guard, and I hesitated before responding. I had indeed experienced dreams, but I didn’t think she needed to know. I wasn’t sure if I should share that information with someone I barely knew.

I shrugged. “What do you mean?” I replied cautiously.

The four of them exchanged glances. Phoenix seemed disappointed about something. Wendy was just wearing her indifferent face, while Count subtly shook his head at Enna.

Enna’s smile grew slightly, as if she held some secret knowledge. “Don’t worry. I’m sure you will.”

She said it as if she was certain about it, and it piqued my curiosity. When I was talking with Samael, he seemed to be hiding something, while these four were making me try to figure something out. 

It seemed like there was something they knew that I didn’t. I couldn’t help but wonder why they were being so cryptic instead of being straightforward with me.

I cleared my throat, trying to regain control of the conversation. “If you have something to say, just say it directly,” I urged, my tone serious.

The entire table fell into a sudden silence. Even Masha and Remi, who were in the midst of their argument about Masha’s proposed plan to find Axel, paused to listen. Even Odessa, who was reading a small black book that I didn’t know where she got it, also looked up and stopped. 

Amelia looked at me worriedly. She must have sensed my emotions through our connection as sisters.

Or did it show on my face?

Damien’s concerned voice broke through the silence. “What’s wrong, honey?”

I didn’t glance at him, but I tightly held onto his hand.

“We can’t reveal everything directly because it might trigger you. All we can say is that…” She paused and looked me in the eyes as she uttered, “We’ve been waiting for you, Claviger.”

Bewilderment engulfed me. “Claviger? What does that mean?” I questioned.

“Don’t think too much about it, Amara. But it may help out your clan and us if you eventually figure out who you are,” Count spoke up.

“If you just said it plainly, wouldn’t it be easier? Why do you all like speaking in riddles?” Odessa, ever the straightforward one, couldn’t help but interject.

Her comment seemed to break the tension in the room. Perhaps their intentions were genuine, even if their methods were confusing.

“You really like to butt in, huh?” Remi interrupted.

“Well, it’s because my head also hurts from what I hear,” Odessa complained, rubbing her temples. “So much for a vacation.”

I subtly glanced at Damien, signaling him to step in. It seemed like he understood what I meant. I knew Odessa just needed some motivation.

Damien cleared his throat, capturing everyone’s attention. “Those who choose to assist us, and if we win, all of you will be generously rewarded. You’ll get anything you like.”

As soon as he uttered those words, Odessa’s eyes widened, and she sat up straight.

“Thank you for considering me to be part of your team,” she said gratefully.

“Seems like someone didn’t complain earlier,” Remi whispered sarcastically.

“Amara!” Masha, who had been blocked by Odessa and Remi, suddenly stood up and called out to me.

I turned my attention towards her. “Do you have something to say?”

“Your mother is a half-witch, right?”

I nodded slowly. “Yes.”

“Does that mean you have the ability to read spells?”

I suddenly remembered Axel’s diary. Some of the spells written within its pages were difficult to read, but I had managed to decipher some of it, despite never practicing magic myself. I never even tried to utter a single spell. It was a strange ability I couldn’t quite explain, and I also didn’t think that I had inherited it from my mother.

“Why do you ask?” I asked, my interest peaked.

“You mentioned feeling heavy when you’re near the refining stone. I was wondering if the stone’s magic is too strong. It might weaken you, especially if it’s trying to overcome your wolf.”

“You mean… that the magic is somehow entering my body?” I asked, disbelief coloring my tone and shaking my head. “I don’t think so.”

“Yes, I agree. I remember our mother tried to teach us once,” Amelia mentioned, nodding in agreement. “But we couldn’t do it. Amara was too young at the time, and she might have forgotten as well.”

“Perhaps you’re just a late bloomer?” Odessa chimed in.

“Even if that were the case, what’s the connection to the refining stone? Remember, it weakens the Reprobatus Clan, and I am not a rejected wolf,” I firmly denied.

Masha paused, sighing softly. “You’re right.”

“Alpha!”

I recognized it immediately. It was Beta Lucian.

The door to the meeting room swung open, and he hurriedly stepped inside, his face pale and his breath ragged.

“What’s the matter?” Damien inquired.

Beta Lucian took a moment to compose himself before delivering the shocking news that made all of us rise to our feet.

“Scarlet Crescent is under attack.”