The Last Moon Wolf

CHAPTER 9: ROWAN’S WOLF

The darkness lasted only a few seconds.

But in those few seconds, I heard something I wished I hadn’t.

A growl.

Not outside the academy.

Not from the forest.

Inside my head.

Low. Deep. Almost angry.

My entire body went still.

“Nyx?”

She didn’t answer.

That frightened me more than the growl itself.

The emergency lights flickered back on, bathing the corridor in a dim red glow.

Kael was standing directly in front of me.

Lucian had moved toward the stairs, his eyes scanning the hallway.

And Rowan

Rowan was gone.

My heart dropped.

“Where is Rowan?”

Neither of them answered immediately.

Then Kael pointed toward the end of the corridor.

A trail of dark footprints disappeared around the corner.

Lucian’s expression changed.

“He was right beside us.”

Kael drew his attention toward the hallway.

“Stay here.”

“No.”

Kael looked at me.

“I said stay here.”

“And I said no.”

His jaw tightened.

“You have no idea what is happening to you.”

“Neither do you.”

For a moment, neither of us moved.

Then Lucian stepped between us.

“Arguing can wait.”

He looked toward the empty corridor.

“We need to find Rowan.”

We ran.

The academy seemed different under the emergency lights.

The beautiful stone walls that had looked impressive during the day now seemed cold and unfamiliar. Shadows stretched across the floor. Every distant sound made me turn my head.

We reached the East Tower.

The door was open.

Kael stopped.

“This wasn't open before.”

Lucian glanced at him.

“Maybe someone wanted us to find it.”

I looked into the darkness beyond the doorway.

Something inside me pulled toward it.

Not fear.

Recognition.

My pendant became warm against my chest.

I touched it.

Nyx finally spoke.

Do not go inside.

I swallowed.

Why?

Silence.

Nyx?

Her voice came again, quieter this time.

Because something inside knows your name.

A chill moved through me.

“What is it?” Lucian asked.

I looked at him.

“What?”

“You look like you've seen a ghost.”

“I haven't.”

Kael studied me.

“You're lying.”

Before I could answer, a howl echoed from somewhere inside the tower.

My stomach twisted.

It wasn't a normal wolf's howl.

It sounded broken.

Painful.

And strangely familiar.

Rowan.

I pushed through the doorway.

“Aria!”

Kael grabbed my arm.

I pulled free.

“If that's Rowan, I'm going after him.”

Kael stared at me for a second before following.

Lucian sighed.

“Apparently we're all making terrible decisions tonight.”

We climbed the narrow staircase.

The higher we went, the colder it became.

By the fourth floor, frost covered the windows.

By the fifth, the lights had completely stopped working.

We continued in darkness.

Then I heard breathing.

Slow.

Heavy.

Coming from the room ahead.

Kael raised one hand.

We stopped.

He moved toward the door and pushed it open.

The room was empty.

Except for Rowan.

He stood in the center.

His back was facing us.

His shoulders were tense.

His hands were clenched.

“Rowan?”

He didn't respond.

I stepped forward.

“Rowan.”

His head lifted.

Slowly.

Then he turned.

His eyes weren't amber anymore.

They were almost silver.

A growl escaped him.

Lucian took a step back.

“That's not normal.”

Kael immediately moved in front of me.

“Rowan. Control yourself.”

Rowan's gaze shifted to Kael.

For a moment, I thought he was going to attack.

Then he looked at me.

Everything changed.

The tension in his body disappeared.

His breathing slowed.

His eyes returned to their normal amber color.

He looked almost confused.

“What happened?”

Kael didn't lower his guard.

“You tell us.”

Rowan looked around the room.

“I don't know.”

“You disappeared.”

“I know.”

“You came here alone.”

“I know that too.”

Lucian folded his arms.

“Then maybe tell us why your eyes were glowing.”

Rowan's expression hardened.

“I don't know.”

I stepped closer.

“Rowan.”

His eyes met mine.

Something moved behind them.

Something old.

Something I couldn't explain.

My pendant heated against my chest.

Rowan noticed.

His expression changed.

“You're wearing it.”

I touched the pendant.

“Wearing what?”

“That.”

“The pendant?”

He nodded.

“I've seen that symbol before.”

Kael turned toward him.

“Where?”

Rowan looked away.

“I don't remember.”

“That's convenient,” Kael said.

Rowan's eyes narrowed.

“I said I don't remember.”

A sudden pressure filled the room.

My ears rang.

The silver crescent beneath my collarbone began to glow through my clothes.

Rowan grabbed his chest.

He staggered backward.

“Rowan!”

I rushed toward him.

Kael reached for me.

“Don't.”

But it was too late.

The moment I touched Rowan's arm, the world disappeared.

I was standing in a forest.

Not Blackmoon.

Not the forest surrounding the academy.

This place felt older.

The trees were enormous, their branches twisting toward a sky filled with silver clouds.

Moonlight spilled across the ground.

And there were wolves.

Hundreds of them.

They stood in a circle around something I couldn't see.

Then I saw her.

A silver wolf.

Nyx.

But she wasn't alone.

Beside her stood another wolf.

Black as the night.

Its eyes were amber.

My breath caught.

Rowan.

Not the Rowan I knew.

Something older.

Something that looked like him.

The two wolves stood facing each other.

Then a voice echoed through the forest.

The Moon Wolf protects the gate.

The Shadow Wolf guards the keeper.

I couldn't move.

What gate?

What keeper?

The voice continued.

When the last Moon Wolf returns, the Shadow Wolf will awaken.

The black wolf lifted its head.

It looked directly at me.

And suddenly, I heard Rowan's voice.

Not the Rowan from the academy.

A younger voice.

Almost like a memory.

Find her.

Protect her.

Even if she doesn't remember you.

The vision shattered.

I gasped.

I was back in the tower.

I stumbled backward.

Kael caught my shoulder.

“What did you see?”

I couldn't answer.

Rowan was staring at me.

His face had gone pale.

“You saw it too,” he whispered.

I looked at him.

“The wolves?”

He nodded.

“What did you see?”

“The forest.”

His eyes darkened.

“What else?”

I hesitated.

“You.”

He froze.

Lucian looked between us.

“Okay. Someone needs to explain what is happening.”

Neither of us spoke.

Then Rowan whispered,

“My wolf has been having the same dream.”

Kael's expression became serious.

“How long?”

“Since I was a child.”

I stared at him.

“What happens in the dream?”

Rowan looked at me.

“You're there.”

My heart beat faster.

“Me?”

“Not exactly you.”

He shook his head.

“Someone who looks like you.”

A silence settled over the room.

I suddenly remembered Nyx's warning.

There are things you were never meant to remember.

I closed my eyes.

“Nyx.”

She answered immediately.

I am here.

Did you know about Rowan?

A long pause.

Yes.

My eyes opened.

“You knew.”

Nyx said nothing.

“You knew his wolf.”

Still nothing.

“Nyx!”

He is not your enemy.

I looked at Rowan.

“Then what is he?”

The answer came slowly.

The one who remembers.

A cold feeling spread through me.

“Remembers what?”

Nyx went silent again.

Before I could press her, a loud crash came from downstairs.

Kael immediately turned toward the door.

“Someone's here.”

Lucian drew his weapon.

Rowan stood.

His eyes changed again.

Not silver this time.

Amber.

But there was something dangerous behind them.

We moved toward the staircase.

Then footsteps echoed below.

One.

Two.

Three.

Several people.

Kael held up his hand.

We stopped.

Voices drifted through the darkness.

“They're in the tower.”

Another voice answered.

“Find the Moon Wolf.”

My blood went cold.

Lucian looked at me.

“They followed us.”

Kael's expression hardened.

“No.”

He looked toward Rowan.

“They were already here.”

Rowan's face became unreadable.

The footsteps grew louder.

Kael pointed toward a narrow doorway.

“There's another staircase behind that wall.”

Lucian frowned.

“How do you know?”

“I've studied the academy maps.”

“Of course you have.”

We moved quickly.

I followed Rowan.

As we passed the wall, he suddenly stopped.

His hand touched a strange symbol carved into the stone.

The symbol was a crescent surrounded by three lines.

My pendant began glowing.

Rowan stared at it.

“This wasn't here before.”

Kael stepped closer.

“What is it?”

“I don't know.”

I reached toward the carving.

The moment my fingers touched it, the wall opened.

A hidden passage appeared behind it.

Cold air rushed over us.

Lucian stared.

“Well.”

He looked at Kael.

“You were right.”

Kael frowned.

“I didn't say anything.”

“You were thinking it.”

Footsteps thundered closer.

“We don't have time,” Kael said.

We entered the passage.

The wall closed behind us.

For several seconds, there was complete silence.

Then Rowan spoke.

“There is something you need to know.”

I turned.

“What?”

He looked at me.

“My wolf isn't afraid of Nyx.”

I waited.

“It's afraid of what comes after her.”

My stomach tightened.

“What does that mean?”

Rowan's eyes moved toward the darkness ahead.

“I don't know.”

A faint sound came from somewhere in the passage.

Like scratching.

Then another.

Closer.

Kael lifted his weapon.

Lucian stepped beside him.

I felt Nyx stir inside me.

Aria.

Her voice sounded different.

Urgent.

Run.

I froze.

“Why?”

Because the thing that woke Rowan...

is awake too.

The scratching stopped.

A breath came from the darkness.

Then a voice whispered my name.

“Aria.”

I couldn't move.

Rowan stepped in front of me.

His wolf growled.

The darkness ahead shifted.

Two silver eyes opened.

And this time, they weren't watching me.

They were watching Rowan.