Chapter 122

Chapter 122
Amara’s POV.

I gazed at Damien, his complexion pale. I cleared my throat and reached out to caress his hand. I took a deep breath before tearing my gaze away from him and directing it towards Odessa. She appeared fine after waking up.

"Is there anything you can do for him?" I asked hopefully.

Because I trusted her. She was the one who had managed to wake me up and bring me back home.

She sadly shook her head. "I’m sorry, Amara. Although his injury was caused by a magical arrow, I don’t know of any ritual that can awaken him. The arrow has had a physical impact on him."

She sighed, briefly glancing at Masha before returning her focus to me. I braced myself for her words, especially when I saw the sadness in her eyes. It left me feeling utterly helpless.

"The magical arrow is known as venenum caeruleum. It’s a type of poison crafted by a black witch to take someone’s life by attacking their soul. It prevents consciousness from awakening, and ever since Damien received the injection of powerful nature, he was never the same again, as it left a lasting impact on his being. It’s like a poison, and without an antidote, it’s difficult to remove," she explained, causing my heart to sink.

"What kind of antidote is needed? Can’t we search for it?" Simon interjected, who had been listening to us.

While some of those present remained silent, we could see the fear on their faces because we knew that the battle was far from over, and we needed the Alpha King, while I needed my husband. I would never let him go.

"I don’t mean that literally," Odessa replied to Simon’s question.

Simon scratched his head and frowned before speaking again.

"Then, what do you mean?"

"Venenum caeruleum is a very powerful form of magic. To overcome its effects, we would require a witch who possesses even greater power than the one who cast the spell to be the antidote," Odessa elaborated, shaking her head. "But based on what I can see, Natasha is a powerful black witch, so we would need an extraordinary contender."

I couldn’t bear to meet their gazes, so I looked down, biting my lower lip. Tears threatened to spill from my eyes, and I sniffled as I wiped my face. My head felt as if it were about to explode from everything that was happening. The person I relied on to solve our problems was slowly losing his life, and it was all because of me. I vividly recalled how he had shielded me from that arrow on the day of the incident.

It was all my fault.

I knelt beside his bed, tears streaming down my face, my sobs escaping quietly. I knew they were aware of my crumbling façade, but I couldn’t bear for them to witness my vulnerability. Hypocritical as it was, I refused to let them see me falling apart.

"Amara, everything will be alright."

I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder. It was my sister trying to comfort me. Her presence warmed me even though my heart was breaking.

"Hazona– ouch!" Phoenix’s voice interrupted. "Why are you hurting me?"

A sharp voice snapped back at him. "Stop the confusion! Don’t call her by that name."

Perhaps Odessa was worried that I wouldn’t like it. I lifted my gaze from the floor, my eyes meeting theirs. They glared at each other, but I couldn’t resist teasing them, even in my sorrow.

"You two are still bickering like a couple. Are you sure you’re not soulmates?" I managed a weak grin.

Their glares turned towards me now. "Shut up!" they both exclaimed, causing laughter to others.

Somehow, the shift in atmosphere brought a momentary relief, even though I felt the opposite. I glanced back at Damien, searching for any way I could help him.

What can I do?

"Amara," a voice called out, clearing their throat to gain my attention. I turned towards Count, waiting for him to speak. 

"I think you can help him." 

"How?" I questioned, my hope rising with his suggestion.

I would do anything just to help my husband. 

"Remember when Goddess blessed you?" he asked, his eyes locked with mine.

I nodded slowly, my memory of that moment resurfacing. "Yes, I remember. But what does that have to do with helping Damien?"

"Every blessing from a God or Goddess brings either faith, fortune, or power," he explained, seeking confirmation from Odessa. "I believe, through unlocking the curse of Selene and recalling your past, you have gained power. Why not try to tap into it?"

Odessa blinked, her gaze fixed on me as if searching for something. Suddenly, her eyes widened, as if she had just witnessed a revelation.

"Right! I hadn’t considered that," she exclaimed. "Count is onto something, Amara. Let’s perform a ritual to unlock your blessing."

Her grin grew even wider, as if she couldn’t believe that Count had actually come up with a brilliant idea.

"I knew it! I always felt that you were extraordinary," she added, her smile directed at me. I, on the other hand, felt hope fill my heart.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "I’ll do anything to help Damien," I affirmed, earning nods of agreement from them in return. "Let’s begin."

I glanced over at my husband, whispering into the air, "You’ll wake up soon, honey."

"Alright," Odessa said, crossing her arms and nodding. "First, we need to-"

She wasn’t able to finish her statement because Samael suddenly appeared by the door.

"What is it, Samael?" Dane questioned.

"Aunt Masha summoned me to warn all of you. A group of rogues is heading towards our pack. We need to prepare," he informed us, causing me to rise to my feet.

Everyone who was in the room turned their attention to me. I looked at each of them, confused.

"What?" I asked, seeking clarification.

"Your order," Dane replied.

I blinked for a moment, then it dawned on me — I had been crowned as the Luna of our pack. In the absence of the Alpha King, it was my responsibility to represent him and lead our pack in times of danger.

I felt a slight nervousness. I had never taken on a leadership role in the pack before. I had always let Damien handle those responsibilities. I only offered suggestions when he asked or when I noticed things that needed improvement.

I moistened my palms and looked at my sister, finding confidence in her supportive nod.

"I…" I cleared my throat, trying to steady my voice.

I needed to gather my composure.

Biting my lower lip, I addressed Dane. "Dane, could you please assist Layla? We need to ensure that there’s enough medical equipment to treat the pack warriors and any possible injuries," I began, relieved when he nodded and left the room.

I then turned my attention to Samael. Even though I knew he had abilities because of what we went through, I couldn’t help but see him as the young boy I had known. I felt the need to protect him as if he were my own pup.

"Samael, I want you to accompany Daniel and the others. Keep them safe, okay?" I instructed.

"Yes, Mom," he replied.

Next, I focused on Phoenix, Enna, and Count, who were still in the room with me.

"You all know what needs to be done, right?"

They chuckled, and Phoenix even winked at me.

"You know us well," he commented with a laugh before walking out of the room.

The other two followed him, leaving just the three of us in the room with Damien.

"Odessa, can you prepare everything we need for the ritual? Once that’s done, we’ll wake Damien. Those rogues are aware he’s in a weak state, so they’re feeling bold."

A simple nod was all it took for her to show her agreement. "I’ll take care of it. Now, let’s get things rolling."

I was about to leave the room when I caught Simon’s voice, sounding incredulous and disappointed.

"Great! I guess I’m not important enough to be given anything to do. But hey, I can totally help, you know?" he sarcastically remarked.

I winced, realizing I had forgotten about him. I turned towards his direction, finding him pouting while Odessa shot him a disgusted look.

"Oh, my bad. Reach out to the Vampire Clan. We need their assistance," I instructed.

His emotions changed instantly, and he smiled like a child who had just been granted a sweet treat. He even punched the air in excitement before happily walking towards me, brushing past me as he exited the room.

"That’s my favorite cousin right there!" he exclaimed joyfully as he left.

Odessa and I exchanged glances and simultaneously shrugged our shoulders.

"He’s always childish," Odessa said unenthusiastically.

I raised an eyebrow. "Not your cup of tea?"

Her shoulders tensed, freezing in place. I couldn’t help but smirk, while she shot me a glower.

"If you want to wake your husband up, stop teasing me!" she snapped, which caught me off guard.

I couldn’t help but chuckle at her response. "You can be quite obvious."

She rolled her eyes. "Well, if you need to go out there and fight, why don’t you leave so I can do my job here?"

I laughed lightly. "Fair point. Take care of him for me," I instructed before exiting the room.

I motioned to the two pack warriors who were standing by the side of the room.

"Keep an eye on him," I ordered.

I continued my stride until I reached the living room. There, I saw Masha sitting on the couch, facing her laptop and engrossed in her computer work. Upon noticing my presence, she spoke without looking up.

"I’ve reinstalled the CCTV cameras near the border. I saw them and already sent some pack warriors, but given their numbers, they’ll likely reach here. Be prepared," she warned, and I nodded, even though she couldn’t see me.

"We’ll be ready."

With a deep breath and clenched fists, I knew this had to be finished quickly. I needed my husband to wake up before our pups became aware of the situation.

Those infuriating bastards were pushing my limits big time.