CHAPTER 14: The King of The Moon Wolves
1707 Words
(Part 1)
A heavy silence settled over Blackthorn Castle.
No one moved.
No one even dared to breathe.
The enormous white wolf stood beyond the gates, its golden eyes fixed on Aria.
Behind it, hundreds of Moon Wolves waited patiently, their silver coats glowing beneath the moonlight.
Unlike the Shadow Wolves, they carried no hatred.
They simply waited.
Rowan slowly drew his sword.
"My Alpha..."
"Give the order."
Kael raised a hand.
"No."
"They didn't come to fight."
The giant wolf lowered its head once more.
Its deep voice echoed across the valley.
"Moon Heir..."
"Our King requests your presence."
"We have guarded your family's secret for centuries."
Aria stepped forward.
"My family's secret?"
The wolf nodded.
"The time has come for you to know the truth."
Kael immediately stepped beside her.
"If she goes..."
"I go too."
The great wolf's golden eyes rested on Kael.
"The Cursed Alpha is welcome."
"But only a handful may enter."
"The sacred forest rejects large armies."
Rowan frowned.
"It could be another trap."
"It could," Kael admitted.
"But if the Moon Wolves wanted us dead..."
"They've already surrounded the castle."
The warriors exchanged uneasy glances.
He was right.
If the Moon Wolves had come as enemies, Blackthorn would already be under attack.
Kael turned to Rowan.
"You'll remain here and strengthen the castle's defenses."
"My Alpha—"
"That's an order."
Reluctantly, Rowan bowed.
"As you command."
An hour later...
Kael, Aria, and four trusted warriors followed the white wolf into the forest.
The deeper they traveled, the quieter the world became.
No birds sang.
No insects buzzed.
Even the wind seemed to respect the sacred land.
Ancient trees, their trunks wider than houses, stretched toward the heavens.
Their silver leaves shimmered under the moonlight.
Aria couldn't shake the feeling that the forest itself was watching them.
After several miles, the wolf suddenly stopped.
"We walk from here."
Everyone dismounted.
The horses refused to go any farther.
As they continued on foot, strange blue lights appeared between the trees.
"What are those?" Aria whispered.
"Guardian spirits," the wolf replied.
"They protect this forest."
"If your heart carries evil..."
"You never leave."
Kael instinctively reached for his sword.
The wolf glanced back.
"No weapon will protect you here."
"Only truth."
After another half hour of walking, the trees parted.
Aria gasped.
Hidden beyond the forest stood a breathtaking city carved entirely from white crystal.
Waterfalls poured from towering cliffs into shimmering lakes below.
Silver bridges connected elegant towers that sparkled beneath the moonlight.
Moon Wolves wandered peacefully among the buildings.
Children laughed as they played beside glowing flowers.
It looked like a forgotten paradise.
"This..." Aria whispered.
"...is beautiful."
The great wolf smiled.
"Welcome..."
"...to Lunaris."
"The Kingdom of the Moon Wolves."
Kael stared in disbelief.
"My father searched for this place his entire life."
The wolf nodded.
"He searched."
"But he wasn't meant to find it."
"You were."
As they entered the city, every Moon Wolf bowed respectfully to Aria.
She looked around in confusion.
"Why are they bowing?"
An elderly wolf approached.
"Because..."
"...you are the last daughter of Queen Lyra."
"And the future Queen of Lunaris."
Aria stopped walking.
"No."
"There must be a mistake."
"I've never ruled anything."
"You carry the Moon Queen's blood."
"That is enough."
Before Aria could respond, the massive doors of a crystal palace slowly opened.
An elderly man dressed in white robes stepped outside.
His long silver hair reached his waist, and a crystal crown rested upon his head.
Even Kael instinctively lowered his gaze.
The old man smiled warmly.
"Welcome home..."
"...Princess Aria."
Aria's heart pounded.
The old man slowly descended the palace steps.
"My name is Orion."
"I am the last King of the Moon Wolves."
He looked at Kael.
"And I've been waiting a very long time..."
"...to meet the Alpha destined to either save my granddaughter..."
"...or destroy her."
Kael's expression hardened.
"What do you mean?"
King Orion sighed deeply.
"Because the prophecy you've been following..."
"...is incomplete."
The smile faded from his face.
"And everything you believe about the curse..."
"...is a lie."
(Part 2)
The crystal hall fell into complete silence.
King Orion's words echoed through the room.
"...Everything you believe about the curse is a lie."
Kael's grip tightened around the hilt of his sword.
"My family has carried this curse for centuries," he said. "Every Alpha before me suffered because of it. My parents died because of it."
He looked directly at Orion.
"Are you saying all of that was for nothing?"
King Orion slowly shook his head.
"The suffering was real."
"The curse was real."
"But the story behind it was twisted by one man."
"...Malachar."
Aria stepped closer.
"Then tell us the truth."
Orion raised his silver staff.
The crystal wall behind him suddenly glowed.
Ancient runes lit up one after another until the entire hall was filled with silver light.
A vision appeared before them.
It showed a magnificent kingdom surrounded by silver forests and crystal rivers.
"Witness the beginning," Orion said.
"This was Lunaris... before darkness consumed it."
The vision shifted.
Two young men stood beneath a giant silver tree.
One wore a crystal crown.
The other wore black armor bearing the first Blackthorn crest.
"They were brothers," Orion explained.
"Not by blood... but by oath."
"They swore before the Moon Goddess that the Moon Wolves and the Blackthorn Alphas would protect each other forever."
Aria smiled faintly.
"They were allies."
"The closest of allies," Orion replied.
"They fought together."
"They ruled together."
"And they trusted one another with their lives."
The vision suddenly darkened.
A third figure stepped into view.
Malachar.
Only he looked different.
His eyes were gentle.
His armor was white.
"He was once our greatest guardian," Orion said quietly.
"He protected this kingdom for decades."
Kael frowned.
"What changed him?"
Orion closed his eyes.
"Fear."
"He feared death."
"When the Moon Goddess refused to grant him immortality..."
"He sought forbidden magic."
"The darkness answered."
The vision showed black shadows surrounding Malachar.
His white armor slowly turned black.
His eyes glowed crimson.
He raised his sword against the very kingdom he had sworn to protect.
The palace burned.
The Sacred Tree withered.
The war had begun.
The vision changed again.
The first Blackthorn Alpha stood beside the Moon King on the battlefield.
Though wounded, they continued fighting together.
"We'll hold them here!" the Alpha shouted.
The Moon King smiled.
"We made a promise."
"And we keep it together."
The battle raged for hours.
Finally, Malachar unleashed the curse.
Darkness spread across the battlefield like a living storm.
The first Blackthorn Alpha threw himself in front of the Moon King, taking the curse into his own body.
Kael stared at the vision.
"He... protected him."
Orion nodded.
"The Blackthorn bloodline didn't steal the curse."
"They accepted it."
"They sacrificed themselves so the Moon Kingdom could survive."
Aria covered her mouth.
"So the Blackthorns were never cursed as punishment..."
"They were cursed because they chose to protect us."
"Yes."
The vision slowly faded.
Silence filled the hall.
Kael lowered his head.
"My ancestors carried this burden..."
"So yours wouldn't have to."
King Orion walked toward him.
"And because of their sacrifice..."
"My family survived."
He placed a gentle hand on Kael's shoulder.
"You have nothing to be ashamed of, Alpha."
"You should be proud."
For the first time in years, Kael felt the crushing weight of guilt begin to lift.
Aria stepped beside him.
She reached for his hand.
"I'm sorry."
He looked at her.
"For what?"
"For believing you were the enemy."
Kael smiled softly.
"We were both lied to."
Suddenly, the palace doors burst open.
A young Moon Wolf warrior rushed inside, covered in blood.
"Your Majesty!"
"The southern watchtowers have fallen!"
The hall erupted into alarm.
Another warrior stumbled in moments later.
"The Shadow Wolves have crossed the Sacred River!"
"They're advancing toward Lunaris!"
King Orion immediately grabbed his staff.
"Sound every war horn."
"Evacuate the children."
"Prepare the city."
Outside, the peaceful kingdom transformed within minutes.
Massive crystal gates closed.
Moon Wolf warriors lined the walls with silver bows and gleaming spears.
Families hurried into underground shelters while healers prepared medicines for the wounded.
The sound of war drums echoed through the valley.
Kael watched the preparations.
"They're ready to fight."
Orion nodded.
"They've been preparing for this war for generations."
As the sun disappeared beyond the mountains, Kael, Aria, Rowan, Orion, and the Moon Wolf generals gathered around a giant battle map.
Malachar's army had already surrounded three sides of the kingdom.
"We're badly outnumbered," Rowan admitted.
"Nearly four to one."
One Moon Wolf general pointed toward a narrow mountain pass.
"If they break through here..."
"They'll reach the palace."
Kael studied the map carefully.
"No."
"They want us defending the walls."
He pointed to another location.
"We'll attack first."
Several generals looked at him in surprise.
"Attack?"
Kael nodded.
"If we wait..."
"We lose."
"But if we strike before sunrise..."
"We can force Malachar to divide his army."
King Orion smiled proudly.
"Now I understand why my daughter trusted the Blackthorn bloodline."
Before anyone could reply, a loud boom shook the palace.
The crystal windows rattled violently.
Everyone rushed onto the balcony.
Far across the valley...
An endless sea of Shadow Wolves, Blood Fang warriors, and rogue packs stretched to the horizon.
At their center stood Malachar.
He raised his black sword toward the sky.
Dark clouds swallowed the stars.
His voice thundered across the kingdom.
"Moon King!"
"You've hidden behind these walls for the last time!"
"This night..."
"Lunaris falls!"
King Orion opened an ancient silver chest that rested beside the throne.
Inside lay a magnificent sword glowing with pure moonlight.
He lifted it with both hands and presented it to Kael.
"The Sword of the First Promise."
"It has waited centuries for the Alpha destined to unite our people."
Kael wrapped his fingers around the hilt.
The instant he touched it, the blade erupted with brilliant silver light.
A wave of power swept across the entire kingdom.
Every Moon Wolf lifted their head and howled.
Far across the battlefield, Malachar's confident smile vanished.
"No..."
"He has awakened it."
Above them, the Blood Moon burned brighter than ever.
Only three nights remained.
- Writer
