Chapter 15 – Shadows Between Us
1382 Words
The night was too quiet.
Even the wolves had stopped howling.
I sat at the edge of the lake, the surface smooth as glass. The reflection that stared back wasn’t mine anymore — not completely. My eyes glowed faintly gold in the moonlight, like the power inside me refused to rest.
Three days since the Trial.
Three days since I should’ve died.
And yet, here I was — breathing, shaking, still half-convinced it was a dream.
The Moon’s Judgment had spared me… or maybe it just wasn’t finished with me yet.
Behind me, the forest whispered. I didn’t need to turn to know he was there. Lycian’s scent reached me first — cedar, smoke, and something wild that always made my heartbeat trip over itself.
“You shouldn’t be out here alone,” he said quietly.
I smiled without looking back. “I thought Alphas had bigger things to worry about than my midnight walks.”
His footsteps crunched over the leaves as he came closer. “When those walks happen in cursed territory, yes, I worry.”
“Maybe I like cursed places,” I said softly. “They make me feel less alone.”
He stopped beside me, the moonlight painting silver on his hair. For a long time, neither of us spoke. The silence between us wasn’t empty — it was full of everything we couldn’t say.
Finally, I asked, “They still think I shouldn’t be here, don’t they?”
His jaw tightened. “The council fears what they don’t understand. You survived something no one ever has.”
“Survived,” I repeated, almost laughing. “That’s one word for it.”
Lycian turned toward me, his eyes dark. “Emily, what happened that night?”
I shook my head. “You saw it.”
“No. I saw light, fire, and you collapsing into my arms. But what did you see?”
I hesitated. The memory was a blur of heat and voices — one voice in particular.
“My father,” I said finally. “He was there. Not in flesh, but… in the light. He said something.”
“What did he say?”
“That the balance is breaking,” I whispered. “That the child of moon and blood will decide which world burns.”
Lycian went still. “The prophecy.”
I nodded. “He said it’s not about me — it’s about what comes next.”
He stared at me, the meaning settling like ice between us. “You mean—”
“I don’t know,” I interrupted, though I did. Deep down, I already felt it. The faint, impossible life growing inside me. The warmth under my palm every time I touched my stomach. I hadn’t told him yet. I couldn’t. Not until I understood what it meant.
He crouched beside me, his hand brushing mine. “Emily… you’re trembling.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re not.” His fingers lingered, the contact sending sparks through my veins. “Ever since that night, I can feel it. You’re changing.”
“Maybe I always was.”
He exhaled sharply. “You can’t carry this alone.”
I met his eyes then — gold meeting amber — and for a moment, the world went quiet again. The forest, the lake, the stars — everything blurred until it was just him and me.
“I don’t know how to stop it,” I admitted. “The power keeps growing. Every time I close my eyes, I hear the pack’s heartbeats, the wind moving through the trees, even the moon calling my name.”
Lycian’s expression softened. “Then we’ll learn to control it. Together.”
“You sound sure.”
“I have to be,” he said, voice low. “Because if I let fear rule me, I’ll lose you.”
He said it like a confession, each word heavy enough to shake the night.
I didn’t realize I was crying until he wiped a tear from my cheek.
“I almost lost you once,” he said. “At the Trial. I can’t do it again.”
“You might not have a choice,” I whispered.
He frowned. “What does that mean?”
Before I could answer, the wind shifted — bringing with it a scent that made my blood run cold.
Smoke. Ash.
Rogues.
Lycian’s head snapped up, instincts taking over. “Get back to the fortress.”
“I can help—”
“Emily, no.”
But it was too late. The trees exploded in motion, shadows leaping from the dark — wolves with white eyes and black fur, moving like smoke itself. One lunged toward me, faster than thought.
I lifted my hand.
The air shimmered, the mark on my wrist flaring gold. The rogue hit an invisible wall and was thrown back with a snarl. The ground trembled beneath us, a ripple of raw energy spreading across the clearing.
Lycian stared at me, breathless. “You—”
“I didn’t mean to!” I gasped. “It just—happened.”
He moved quickly, shifting mid-stride, his wolf form bursting forth — massive, black-furred, eyes blazing gold. He tore into the rogues with savage precision, every strike a blur of fury and grace.
But there were too many.
The forest filled with growls, claws, screams. I felt my pulse syncing with his, every wound he took echoing through my body like a phantom ache. The bond between us — fragile and forbidden — was stronger than ever.
Then I saw him.
At the edge of the chaos stood a man cloaked in shadow, his eyes burning the same gold as mine. His voice carried over the battle, low and cold.
“Daughter.”
My blood froze. “No…”
Cael stepped forward, unscathed, untouched. “You have my power now. You could end them all, if you’d stop pretending to be one of them.”
“I’m nothing like you,” I spat.
He smiled. “You are exactly like me. And when your child is born, the world will remember whose blood rules its moon.”
The words hit like lightning. My knees went weak. Lycian shifted back, his body battered, blood streaking his skin.
“What did he say?” he demanded, grabbing my arm.
I couldn’t answer. Cael vanished into mist, leaving only his laughter behind.
Lycian cupped my face, forcing me to meet his gaze. “Emily, what did he say?”
My heart pounded so loud it drowned out everything else. “He knows,” I whispered. “About the child.”
Lycian froze. His hands fell away. “Child?”
Tears blurred my vision. “I was going to tell you. I just—didn’t know how.”
For a moment, he said nothing. Then he stepped back, shaking his head like he couldn’t breathe. “Emily…”
“I didn’t ask for this,” I said. “I didn’t plan any of it.”
His voice cracked. “You’re carrying his blood.”
“And yours,” I said fiercely. “Ours.”
The words broke something open between us — a truth neither of us were ready to face.
He turned away, shoulders trembling. “The council will never let this stand.”
“Then I’ll fight them.”
“You’ll die.”
“Then so will I,” I said. “But I won’t hide anymore.”
He looked back, pain and pride warring in his eyes. “You’re reckless.”
“Maybe,” I said, stepping closer, “but I’m not afraid.”
The night wind rose, carrying the scent of blood and moonlight. Lycian brushed a hand against my stomach, barely touching, like the truth might burn him.
“I’ll protect you,” he said finally. “Both of you.”
I smiled through my tears. “Even if it means defying the moon?”
He met my gaze, unflinching. “Especially then.”
The forest fell silent again. The battle was over. The rogues were gone. But in the quiet that followed, I knew nothing was truly finished.
Because for the first time, the prophecy wasn’t just words carved in stone —
It was alive.
Inside me.
- Writer
