Chapter 104 Chapter 104

Chapter 104 Chapter 104
The first wolf broke free with a spiritual howl that resonated through the clearing, not physically separating from its human as had happened with Helena, but breaking the chains of corruption that had bound it. The warrior it belonged to collapsed, his weapon falling from nerveless fingers as his wolf reclaimed its rightful place in their shared soul.
One by one, the Northern Alliance forces fell, their wolves freed from control. Some writhed on the ground, fighting the cleansing. Others surrendered to it willingly, as if some part of them had been waiting for release. Only Marcus remained standing, protected by whatever dark magic his now-crumbling staff contained.
"You fools!" he snarled, his face twisted with hatred. "Do you have any idea what you're destroying? Centuries of work, of preparation!"
"Preparation for what?" I demanded, maintaining our connection as Diamond and Apollo continued their work.
"For the return!" Marcus's eyes gleamed with fanatical light. "The ancient one promised us power beyond imagination if we prepared the way. Your brother was to be his vessel, his gateway back to this world!"
Cold realisation washed through me. This went beyond werewolf politics or power struggles. The Northern Alliance hadn't just been trying to control my brother; they'd been preparing him as a sacrifice to something older and darker.
"The goddess's twin," Lucious whispered, the knowledge coming to him through Apollo. "Elias, the shadow to her light."
"Yes!" Marcus laughed, the sound brittle and desperate. "The true power behind all wolves! Not your precious goddess with her rules and restrictions, but the one who offers real strength!"
The Priestess stepped forward, her ancient eyes blazing with righteous anger. "Blasphemy! The dark one was banished for good reason. His return would mean destruction for all wolves, not power!"
Marcus raised his cracking staff one last time. That’s when a wave of bright light washed over everyone, one minute everything was one, the next we were watching a memory. Lucious Blackthorne, the first Alpha of Shadowmoon, at the time he was still in his 20’s, his twin sister Seraphina Blackthorne had just been introduced to a young Elias, the Goddess twin. As soon as he saw her, he grabbed her by the throat and said, “You will mate with me or die.”
But what he didn’t realise was that he had already killed her, his claw had slit her throat when he didn’t mean to, it wasn’t till it was already too late before he noticed the blood on his hands, he realised what he had done, his wolf had killed his mate.
The memory unfolded before us like a tapestry of ancient history, our ancestors' lives playing out in vivid detail. I watched in horror as the first Seraphina Blackthorne died at Elias's hands, her blood staining his fingers as realisation dawned on his face. The primal scream that tore from his throat shook the very air around us.
"You see?" the Priestess's voice cut through the vision. "This is the truth the Northern Alliance has hidden. Elias didn't seek power; he sought revenge. After killing his mate, he turned against the goddess in his grief and rage."
The vision shifted, showing Elias's descent into darkness, his magic twisting as he rejected his sister's light. I saw the first Lucious Blackthorne standing against him, channelling the goddess's power to banish his corrupted late sister’s mate from our world.
"The Northern Alliance has been trying for centuries to bring him back," I said as understanding flooded through me. "And they thought my brother would be the perfect vessel because of his bloodline."
The vision faded, leaving us once more in the moonlit clearing. Marcus's face had gone ashen, his staff now little more than splintered wood and cracked crystal in his hands.
"It's over, Marcus," Lucious said firmly. "The truth can't be hidden anymore."
The last of the Northern Alliance warriors had fallen to their knees, their wolves freed from corruption. Only Marcus remained defiant, though his power was clearly waning.
"You've ruined everything," he hissed, his eyes wild with desperation. "He'll punish us all for this failure."
"Who, Marcus?" I pressed. "Who exactly were you serving?"
A cold smile twisted his lips. "You'll find out soon enough. This isn't over, it's barely begun."
Before anyone could stop him, Marcus raised a small dagger we hadn't noticed and plunged it into his own heart. "For the shadow," he whispered as he fell.
A collective gasp rose from those watching. I felt Diamond recoil within me, disturbed by the darkness of Marcus's final act.
"Check the others," Kane ordered, ever practical even in the face of horror. "Make sure none of them follow his example."
Alpha Maxwell's warriors moved among the fallen Northern Alliance members, securing weapons and checking for injuries. Many seemed dazed, as if waking from a long sleep.
I felt suddenly exhausted, the energy drain from our massive cleansing ritual catching up to me all at once. Lucious swayed beside me, his hand still gripping mine tightly.
"I've got you," Brent said, appearing at my side to support me as my knees buckled.
"Lucious?" I asked weakly, concerned for my brother.
"He's okay," Liam assured me, helping Fin steady my brother. "Just drained, like you."
We were guided back toward the mansion, our bodies heavy with exhaustion. Diamond had retreated to a quiet corner of my mind, her energy nearly spent from the massive cleansing we'd performed. Through our bond, I could feel Apollo similarly drained within Lucious.
"Did we... did we really do it?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper as Brent half-carried me up the mansion steps.
"You did," Fin confirmed, his analytical gaze sweeping over the aftermath in the clearing. "Every Northern Alliance warrior who survived has been cleansed. Their wolves are free from corruption."
"What happens to them now?" Lucious asked weakly as Kane helped him inside.
Alpha Maxwell stepped forward, his expression grave but satisfied. "They'll be questioned once they've recovered. Many may not even remember joining the Northern Alliance willingly; their wolves were likely suppressed first, making them susceptible to manipulation."