Chapter 25: Silver and Shadow
Liana's strong jaws snapped just inches from Darius's throat as he twisted away. Her white fur glowed in the darkness like moonlight given form. "Fast for a new wolf," Darius growled, shifting into his own form—a massive black beast with fight scars crisscrossing his muzzle. I'm not just any wolf, Liana thought, startling herself.
The voice in her mind wasn't entirely her own. It held echoes of someone older, wiser. Use my memories, whispered the old presence inside her. I've fought his kind before. Images flashed through Liana's mind—battles from centuries past, moves and plans from a Luna long dead. Selene. The name came to her suddenly, full and certain. Darius lunged, shooting for her neck, but Liana ducked and slashed at his exposed belly. He yelped, backing away with fresh blood coloring his fur. "Impressive," he snarled. "But I've been fighting dirty longer than you've been alive." He feinted left, then sprang right. His teeth sank into Liana's shoulder. Pain shot through her, but she didn't cry out. Instead, she rolled, using her tiny size to slip from his grip. Around them, the forest had gone strangely quiet. Jace watched from the edge of the clearing, his face tight with worry. He wanted to jump in, but this fight was Liana's by pack rule. No one could interfere in a fight. Liana circled Darius, her silver-marked paws leaving glowing prints on the forest floor. Each step felt more easy than the last as Selene's knowledge flowed through her. He favors his right side, Selene's memories told her. And he twitches his ear before pouncing. When Darius's ear flicked, Liana was ready. She darted forward, not where he expected, but to his weaker left. Her teeth found his hind leg and crunched down. The taste of blood filled her mouth. Darius howled in rage. He whipped around, catching Liana with his huge paw. The blow sent her falling across the clearing. Before she could recover, he was on her, pinning her smaller body beneath his weight. "You fight well for an omega playing dress-up," he growled, jaws hanging over her throat. "But you're still just a girl who doesn't understand her place." Hot breath washed over Liana's face. Her heart hammered against her ribs. Was this how it would end? Suddenly, a deep howl split the night—not one, but three distinct voices calling in perfect unison. The sound vibrated through Liana's bones, giving her fresh power. Darius's head snapped up. "No," he muttered. "Not now." Three wolves burst into the clearing—one black as midnight, one russet brown, and one silver-gray. Kael, Jace, and Rowan had arrived together, their eyes sparkling with power.
Using Darius's confusion, Liana kicked up with her hind legs, throwing him off balance. She scrambled free and joined the triplets, feeling their energy flow into her through invisible ties. "The pack is coming," Kael warned, his voice reaching them all through their mental link. "Elder Mira told us everything. It's over, Darius." Darius laughed, a rough barking sound. "You think I came unprepared? You think I didn't have a backup plan?" He raised his head and let out a different kind of howl—three short bursts followed by a long, eerie note. "What's he doing?" Rowan asked, moving closer to Liana. She felt Selene's memories stir with recognition and fear. "Calling for help," she responded. The four wolves made a tight circle around Darius, who seemed unnaturally calm for someone outnumbered. "Your pack won't get here in time," Jace told him. "It's over." "My pack?" Darius's wolf face somehow managed to smile. "Who said anything about my pack?" A chill breeze swept through the opening, bringing with it the smell of rot and strange magic. Shadows between the trees darkened, then moved—twisting, stretching, taking form. From the darkness appeared wolves unlike any Liana had ever seen. Their fur seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it. Their eyes glowed purple instead of the standard amber or blue. Most unsettling of all, black mist curled from their mouths with each breath. "Shadow-warriors," gasped Rowan.
The curse lines under his skin pulsed in reaction to their presence. Liana counted quickly. Ten, fifteen, twenty of the corrupted wolves padded into the area, surrounding them. "What did you do to them?" she asked Darius, terrified. "I improved them," he answered casually. "Just a taste of what's coming for all wolves who oppose the new order." The shadow-warriors split, making way for a sleek figure that walked on two legs, not four. A human form, feminine and familiar, stepped into the moonlight. Celeste. Her blonde hair shimmered, but her eyes had changed—glowing purple like the shadow-warriors. Dark veins spread across her beautiful skin.
In her hand, she held a staff topped with a black crystal. "Hello, Luna," she said to Liana, her voice dripping with mockery. "Or should I call you usurper?" "Celeste," Kael growled. "What have you done?" She twirled her stick, dark energy crackling around its tip. "I chose a better destiny than the one you all forced on me." Liana felt the boys' shock through their bond. "You're working with Darius?" she asked, though the answer was clear. "Working with him?" Celeste laughed, the sound brittle and cold. "Oh no, dear Liana. I'm the one who found him. I'm the one who showed him how to control shadow magic." She touched the crystal on her staff lovingly. "I'm the one who will rule when this is over." Darius changed back to human form, grinning. "We make quite the team. My strength, her magic." "This isn't possible," Jace mumbled.
"Celeste was at the pack house when—" "When you were all distracted by your precious trials?" Celeste finished for him. "Amazing what a little fake magic can do. The Celeste you saw was nothing but shade and spite." She raised her staff, and the shadow-warriors tensed, ready to attack. "Elder Mira warned about a fourth wolf," Rowan said suddenly. "She said—" "'Beware the fourth when shadows grow,'" Celeste quoted. "Yes, I know all about that moldy old forecast. Mira never understood the fourth wolf wasn't a friend—it was a rival." She pointed the staff straight at Liana. "A rival who will soon be eliminated." The crystal pulsed, and the shadow-warriors howled as one—a sound that made Liana's fur stand on end. "Take the triplets alive," Celeste demanded. "I want them to watch what happens next." Her purple eyes fixed on Liana. "The white wolf, however, is mine." Darius moved to stand beside Celeste, his naked human form changing back to wolf. Around them, the shadow-warriors crept closer, teeth bared. Liana felt the triplets press against her, making a tight defensive circle. Through their bond flowed determination, fear, and something stronger—love. "Whatever happens," Kael's voice came through their link, "we face it together." As the shadow-warriors lunged forward, Celeste raised her stick high. Black lightning flashed from the crystal, arcing toward Liana's heart. The pendant at Liana's throat flashed in response—silver light meeting dark magic in a blinding clash that froze everyone in place. For a heartbeat, time itself seemed to stop. Then the night burst into chaos.