The Lunar Bond

His True Form

Lucas had been feeling a strange sensation all over his body all day.

He somehow sensed that something was about to happen during the full moon ceremony that would change him forever, but he did not know what it was.

He tried to shake the restless feeling off, but it became stronger, so he decided to go outside for a stroll around the pack, away from other wolves, of course.

As he made his way out of Jason's home, he sensed someone behind him, following him, but when he turned, he didn't see anything or anyone.

It continued until something hot was smeared on his face, covering his eyes.

Lucas barely had time to process the hot tingling all over his skin before a hard punch landed on his face, pushing it to the side.

These weren’t the shadowy creatures. “Who are you? What do you want from me?”

He staggered backwards and realized that his limbs had become sluggish and his senses dulled, but what scared him was the fact that his wolf was silent.

Something was wrong.

He tried to extend his claws, but they felt dead, the glyphs on his body had become sensitive, and he was lightheaded.

The second punch landed on his face as well, sending him backwards to the ground, hard.

“Why..what is..wrong..with me?” He tried to get up, but the attackers surrounded him and started kicking and punching him from different angles.

The pain was unbearable, but he soon became numb.

They continued pounding on him, but he noticed that the moon was becoming brighter.

Immediately one of the attackers punched his chest where his heart was located, his eyes bulged, and a violent tremor ran through his body.

“Get away from him!” He heard Empress’ voice from a distance, and the attacks stopped, but he could not move his body.

The markings on his body became brighter than he had ever seen, and he felt something awaken within him, something ancient.

'What is happening to me?’ He thought to himself.

The ground crackled beneath him, and he was forced to move to a kneeling position.

His spine arched violently, and muscles rippled, expanding and warping into a new form.

Gigantic wings erupted from his shoulders, and his eyes became pure white.

He heard people scream around him and saw them running in different directions, but some still stood their ground and among them was Empress.

His Empress, he thought.

Empress, on the other hand, stared at the creature that was Lucas a few minutes ago and wondered just who he was and what kind of powers he possessed.

And then her heart thumped when he turned to her.

He didn't speak. Just stared, but something in his gaze said he knew her. Even now.

Maya gasped loudly as she arrived and took in the scene before her.

“The heir!” She shouted. “He has the markings of the heir on him. That's the heir from the prophecy earlier tonight. The last one alive.”

Empress and Jason shared a look and turned towards Lucas, who was beating up the rogues who had attacked him earlier.

When he was done, he swayed and slowly transformed back to his human form and fell to the ground.

Empress and the others rushed towards him to see if he was dead or just fainted again.

“He's alive.” Empress breathed out as she knelt close to him and placed his head on her thighs.

Maya placed her hand on his temple. “He's becoming stronger. What we just saw is a tiny fracture of the power he possesses, but the frequent faintings are due to a curse.”

Jason looked down at Maya with a frown. “A curse? He's under a curse?”

“Yes. It is said that the curse that sleeps in the heir can only be undone by the blood of true loyalty…or blood will flow through the roots of the earth.”

“What does that mean?” Empress asked Maya, then motioned to two pack members close to her. “Raise him and take him to the healer's quarters.”

“Time will tell,” Maya replied, then turned and stood face-to-face with Rachel. “Or not.”

Rachel sneered as she looked at Lucas. “That's right! Or not! We can't have this creature continue to stay here amongst us. You all saw what he did and transformed into.”

“We're running out of time, Empress. He's getting weaker.” Maya whispered while Rachel tilted her head, trying to hear what the priestess was saying.

Jason moved forward and turned around to face everyone as he spoke. “We are all worried about the stranger when a bigger issue stands before us.”

He moved towards one of the attackers that Lucas had killed and placed his booted feet on top of the dead rogue.

“The real problem is this, how exactly did rogues enter into our territory, and no one is aware? Not one night guard or even Rachel, whose age-old power would have made her sense their presence.”

“That's right!” Empress moved forward with a fierce look on her face. “I'd like to know that as well, and one thing I must say is that I know that my recent actions and the opposition I received these past weeks have made it seem as if I am weak, but none of that anymore. From now on, you all will see the ruthless Empress.”

Jason watched Rachel closely as Empress talked, and he decided that although she behaved nonchalantly, she definitely knew how the rogues sneaked in. He would get to the bottom.

From all that he had seen and heard about Lucas, he knew that he had to protect him as much as he could.

At that moment, a group of pack soldiers Jason had sent to look for trails of evidence rushed back.

“Alpha Empress, Beta Jason, there was a scuffle, but instead of a smooth entrance for the rogues so someone secretly opened our gates.”

“Thank you. Conduct a bigger search, we have to smoke out the culprit.

One of the elders stepped forward and said. “That's a great idea, Alpha, but with all due respect, I think Elder Rachel is right. The man behind you is a threat because the rogues even came to our territory because of him.

“Thank you very much, elder. I believe that there are other park members and even elders who believe that as well.” Rachel spoke up again, seeming to have gained some form of confidence again.

The oldest male elder spoke up for the first time. “Alpha Empress, I think this has gone on for too long. You have to exile the creature to save your rule or accept him fully and risk a war from pack members who are tired and scared.”

“So what will it be?”