A War inside me

Chapter 22

Evelyn’s POV

We ventured outside, the cold night nipping at my skin as we continued on a path that led us to an unknown destination. I gazed up at the darkness of the sky, where the full moon illuminated its radiant light over us.

This was the first full moon I had experienced with my wolf present, a time before she had become dormant. I had been confined like a prisoner, never having the opportunity to shift and run through the forest like everyone else on such a beautiful night.

Instead, my days and nights blurred together, devoid of rain or sunshine. It was an awful existence.

Suddenly, the twins halted and turned around, their faces etched with seriousness.

“Evie,” they both said in unison.

“We are sorry for what you have endured,” I replied, shaking my head. “I—I don’t understand.”

“It won’t make sense because Artemis has protected you for so long, and we want to honor her wishes. However, we want you to know that we will always support, protect, and provide for you, regardless of the outcome,” Nathan spoke with sincerity in his voice.

Are these guys on crack?

“Your talking gibberish, Nathan?”

They didn’t respond, turning on their heels and continuing to march deeper into the woods.

I sighed, rubbing my temples. This was all so confusing. What the heck was going on? And then, I caught a different scent—a mix of various scents, and there were wolves, lots of them, and we were heading towards them.

“What are you guys doing?!” I whispered, yelling at them both.

“Did you bring your people to get slaughtered? My wolf is not dormant! I can’t be here!” I shouted at them.

Their blue eyes met mine, sending an unrecognizable feeling down to the pit of my stomach. Artemis growled low in my chest, not liking the feeling.

I turned to run back to the castle, but giant arms wrapped around me. Small tingles erupted on my skin, and my small body crashed into their enormous bodies.

I tried to wiggle free, “I won’t take responsibility for anything that happens. She’s upset. I can feel it! She’s going to attack!” I snarled at them.

“Artemis!” the king shouted from the left side of us.

“Show yourself,” he commands.

My eyes gleam with gold as I shout, “You don’t know what you’re doing!”

She growls once more, relishing the challenge before her. I can feel the familiar darkness enveloping me.

“She’s coming! I can’t control her, my king! Please!” I plead.

“Take everyone out of here!” I cry.

He shakes his head, his eyes flashing with the intensity of his wolf. “It’s okay, Evie. Everything will be okay,” he reassures me.

His dark eyes are the last thing I see before the darkness consumes me, sending me spiraling into the depths of my mind. There’s no sound, no light, no one but me.

Artemis’s POV:

I send her into the darkness, the same darkness that she cast over me for years! A growl rumbles through me.

I don’t know what they were plotting, but if they think they can stand against me, they’ve got another thing coming! Their scent lingers in the air—Nathan smells of cedar wood and a hint of cinnamon, while Noah smells like a warm cup of coffee on a chilly day.

Their eyes shine with the eyes of their wolves, the wolves I despise the most.

“Artemis,” they both whisper under their breaths.

“We have come to you today to acknowledge that we have wronged you. By the weight of the crown and the honor I bear, I acknowledge a wrong committed in my name. Through error of judgment and failure of due care, you were treated unjustly, and this burden should never have fallen upon you.” Noah speaks.

The moon shimmers brighter, casting its radiant light over them.

My mates. The mates the moon goddess had given to me.

The wolves emerged, gathering in a quiet circle, their breaths misting the cold night air. One by one, they lifted their heads, and a low, trembling howl began—soft at first, then weaving together into a single, mournful song. It wasn’t a cry of dominance or warning; it was an offering of regret, carried on the wind through the trees.

Their voices spoke of acknowledgment and humility, of a wrong understood and a bond they wished to mend. I listened carefully, reading each howl for one with malicious intent, but there was none.

Nathan, Noah,Queen Gisselle and King Harold stepped forward. Their posture lowered, and their gaze steady with remorse. A single, deliberate howl rose from their chests—deep, restrained, and heavy with meaning—carrying an apology meant to be heard, not feared. Their voices softened but united, wrapping around his call like a vow of understanding and loyalty.

I stood still, not knowing how to act in front of hundreds of pack members gathered here today.

The royal family had just apologized, but do I accept? Is this really all it would take?

No! There people r***d my human! Did disgusting things to her! They humiliated her! All for loving one of them.

I can feel the hot tears rolling down my face, my body boiling with rage. They don’t deserve my forgiveness.

“My child, if you’d allow me, I’d like to help you heal,” said an old man from the side of me.

“I don’t want to heal! What part do you all not understand?! I want vengeance in every lifetime! That bloodline should have ended! It should have been torn apart by me centuries ago!” I snarled.

He shook his head. “If Clara was here and she had two mates willing mates to love and cherish her, she would have been happy. She would have been loved, and that’s all she wanted, even in her end of life. And you know that!”

“You don’t know that! You don’t know her!” I growled.

“That’s where your wrong, my dear. I lived it with you in your memories,” he said sadly.

“I know how she was beaten, r***d, and how she died.”

I swallowed hard.

“This isn’t what Clara wanted. This isn’t what she would want to endure again! Don’t you remember her pain—her agony?”

“Of course I do! I lived it. I breathed it!”

“Then for her, you should want differently!”

“I can’t! Don’t you understand? I can’t! My mind won’t stop. My heart aches. The memories are too much! All I can think about is her and her life. I don’t even know why I’m walking the earth like some punishment from the goddess!” I blurted out in anger.

“Then let me heal you, my child. Let me help you understand your role here on this earth!”

I scoffed. “You and old man are going to teach me.”

“Me and you are similar, my dear. We are both connected to the moon goddess herself. You just haven’t channeled her properly. Let me know show you. ”

His eyes sparkled with excitement.