The Alpha Who Had No Wolf

Chapter 8: The Silver Masks

The ancient chamber shook violently.

Chunks of stone crashed from the ceiling as dust filled the air. The blue crystals embedded in the walls flickered, casting ghostly shadows across the murals.

The three masked warriors stood at the entrance, motionless.

Their silver masks hid every trace of emotion.

Only their eyes burned through the narrow slits.

Cold.

Patient.

Deadly.

Alpha Magnus stepped in front of Kael, raising his sword.

"You should have stayed buried with the old kingdom."

The tallest of the masked warriors chuckled.

"The old kingdom is rising again."

His voice echoed strangely beneath the mask.

"And the heir will return to his throne."

Kael tightened his grip on the silver medallion.

"I don't even know who you are."

"No," the warrior replied. "Because your memories were stolen."

Kael's heart skipped.

"What do you mean?"

"You'll remember soon enough."

The warrior drew his black sword.

Its blade shimmered with dark crimson runes.

Magnus's expression hardened.

"Run, Kael."

"I'm not leaving you."

"That wasn't a request."

The Alpha let out a thunderous roar.

His body expanded as muscles rippled beneath his skin.

Bones cracked.

Golden light burst from his eyes.

Within seconds, a massive silver wolf stood where the Alpha had been.

His fur gleamed like moonlight.

The air around him pulsed with raw power.

Kael had seen wolves shift before.

But never one as magnificent as Alpha Magnus.

The leader of the masked warriors tilted his head.

"So... the Silver Alpha still has teeth."

He raised one hand.

"Kill him."

The other two assassins moved instantly.

They were impossibly fast.

Steel clashed against claw as Magnus intercepted them before they reached Kael.

The chamber exploded into battle.

Kael searched desperately for a weapon.

Near one of the murals lay an old spear, forgotten by time.

He snatched it from the ground.

One assassin broke away from Magnus and charged straight at him.

Kael steadied his breathing.

The masked warrior struck first.

Kael barely blocked the attack.

The impact numbed his arms.

The assassin smiled beneath his mask.

"You fight well... for someone without a wolf."

He attacked again.

Kael ducked.

The black blade sliced through the mural behind him, showering the floor with fragments of ancient stone.

Images of forgotten kings crumbled to dust.

Kael thrust the spear.

The assassin twisted aside with unnatural speed.

Too fast.

Far too fast.

A sharp kick knocked the spear from Kael's hands.

It clattered across the chamber.

The assassin raised his sword.

"This is where your story ends."

Before the blade could fall—

A bright silver light burst from the medallion in Kael's hand.

The entire chamber trembled.

The assassin staggered backwards.

"What...?"

The medallion floated from Kael's palm.

Ancient symbols blazed across its surface.

Then a deep voice echoed through the room.

"The heir shall not fall before the throne is restored."

Every flame in the chamber turned silver.

Even the masked warriors froze.

"The King's Seal..." whispered one of them.

"It has awakened."

At that very moment, hundreds of miles away beneath the Black Mountain, the ancient king slowly opened his eyes.

He had felt it.

The seal.

For the first time in a thousand years.

A smile spread across his face.

"So..."

He rose from his throne of black stone.

"The Crown of Ash has chosen."

The King's Hand entered the vast hall and bowed deeply.

"My King."

"The boy carries the First Seal."

"Yes."

"Then the remaining seals will awaken."

The King looked towards the distant north.

"No more waiting."

He lifted an ancient sword forged from black steel.

Its blade hummed with terrible power.

"Gather every loyal pack."

His crimson eyes blazed.

"We march on Moonfang."

Back beneath the sacred hill, the floating medallion suddenly split apart.

A beam of silver light shot into the ceiling before disappearing into the night sky.

The light faded.

The chamber fell silent.

The masked assassins slowly retreated.

The leader pointed his sword at Kael.

"The First Seal has awakened."

He stepped backwards into the darkness.

"We will meet again... Your Majesty."

The three assassins vanished as quickly as they had appeared.

Kael stood frozen, his heart pounding.

He turned to Magnus.

"What... am I?"

Before the Alpha could answer, the entire hill shook with another violent tremor.

A deafening howl echoed across Moonfang Village.

Then came the scream.

It was Elara.