Beneath the Alpha's Moon
Chapter 214: Taken

Chapter 214: Taken

Liam’s P.O.V.

My heartbeat thundered in my ears, a steady drum of desperation I couldn’t shake off. The memory of last night—the confession, the kiss, the raw promise I had made—still lingered on my lips. But what came after had been worse.

Eldur was coming for Mai. And I didn’t know how to stop him.

I had my memories back—the ones he stole from me. And I sure as hell wasn’t going to let him take anything else. Not my life. Not Mai.

No one was going to know I had my memories back. Not my parents. Not even Mai. For now, I intended to keep things the way they were.

Because if anyone found out, they’d try to take her from me.

And that? That wasn’t happening.

I wasn’t sure when this fierce possessiveness had settled in my chest, but I wasn’t about to fight it.

Mai was mine.

And I would do whatever it took to keep it that way.

*********

Breakfast with the pack was as loud and chaotic as ever. The long wooden table was crowded with warriors, their voices overlapping in an endless stream of jokes, taunts, and conversations. Dishes clattered, chairs scraped against the floor, and the scent of freshly cooked meat and bread filled the air. Someone, probably Caleb, was arguing with Lucas about a training match, while another group was roaring with laughter at something ridiculous Mason had said. It was always like this—wild, energetic, and impossible to ignore.

My parents had never been fond of these gatherings. Not since Mai. Not since everything she had done to me. They had avoided these breakfasts like a plague, unwilling to share a table with the Alpha, his family and the pack after all the pain I had endured. But now, with my memory loss, things had shifted. My mother and father had come, their eyes lingering on me, watching me like they were trying to memorize my every movement. It made me feel very guilty.

They were here for me. Because of me. Because I had lost my memories. And yet, I knew I wasn’t the same son they had protected so fiercely before. I didn’t want to have any memories of the bad things that had happened between me and Mai, I wanted no recollection of the pain that had once drawn such a thick line between us. There was only one thing I knew now—Mai mattered. More than anything.

I had barely tasted my food, too lost in my own thoughts, though I had made an effort to smile when my mother placed an extra helping on my plate. My father, ever the watchful one, had studied me in silence, as if trying to read something beyond the surface. But there was nothing to read. I was lost in a storm I couldn’t blow away, caught between the past I had once forgotten and the future that now included Mai.

By the time breakfast ended, I was relieved to escape the noise and the heavy weight of my parents’ gazes.

And then I went to find her.

This morning, Mai had been whisked away from me by her teacher Elizabeth even though she had protested; and, I had been practically forced by the Alpha to join him for breakfast just so I wouldn’t go with Mai.

Thankfully, Mai was back and waiting for me outside my room, leaning against the doorframe. She wasn’t looking at me, though. Her silver eyes were fixed on the hem of her sweater, her fingers absentmindedly twisting the fabric. She looked exhausted, lost in thought. And yet, even like this, even standing in silence with her guard down, she still carried herself with that same quiet strength. Like she could take on the world.

Good. She was going to need that strength.

She glanced up as I stepped closer. "Hey," she said, tilting her head. "You look worried. What’s going on in that head of yours?"

I took a slow, steady breath. "I have been thinking all morning." I said, before continuing, "You remember the boy in the mirror yesterday?"

Mai tensed. The restless movement of her fingers stilled. "Yeah. He creeped me out."

I nodded. "He’s real, Mai."

She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "I know he’s real. I just don’t know what he is."

I clenched my jaw. "He’s going to kill me."

The smirk vanished from her lips. "What?"

"He said he was coming for you in a few days. That he was going to take you away and kill me." I watched her carefully. "And he meant it."

A shadow passed through her silver gaze, her expression darkening into something hard. Unyielding.

"No," she said. "I won’t let him."

I exhaled sharply, shaking my head. "That’s the thing, Mai. You won’t be able to fight him."

She frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Last night," I said, stepping closer. "When he spoke to you, you were in a daze. Didn’t you feel it? That pull? Like you wanted to get closer to him?"

Mai hesitated. Her brows furrowed, like she was rewinding through the memory, tracing every detail. Then, slowly, her lips parted.

"Yeah," she admitted. Her voice was quieter now, more uncertain. "I don’t know what he did, but it was like... I couldn’t move away."

Her fingers curled into fists, and for the first time, real fear flickered in her eyes.

Eldur had already begun his game.

And we didn’t even have time to prepare.

"Exactly," I said, my voice firm. "That’s why we need to get stronger. Fast."

Mai folded her arms, her sharp gaze locking onto mine. "And how do you expect us to pull that off? You planning on waking up tomorrow with superwolf strength?"

I clenched my jaw. "No. But something happened yesterday—when I looked at the boy in the mirror. A memory came back."

Her eyes narrowed. "Wait. Are you saying you actually remembered something?"

A slow smile crept onto my lips. "Yeah. Not everything," I lied. I didn’t want her feeling like she was the only one struggling to recall her past.

She stared at me, waiting.

I took a breath. "I remembered that you’re more than just Mai. You’re a witch. A powerful one. And a fae." I let that sink in before adding, "If you could tap into that side of you, you wouldn’t have to run. You could fight him. You could fight Eldur."

She blinked, clearly taken aback. "A what?" she scoffed. "Liam, I haven’t been able to do anything remotely useful except teleport. And even that barely works half the time."

"Then start practicing," I said, my tone leaving no room for argument. "Now. Before it’s too late."

Mai hesitated, biting her lip. "And what about you? What’s your brilliant plan?"

"I’ll train," I said simply. "Get stronger. Push myself until I’m ready. And you—" I looked at her seriously, "—you need to do the same. We can’t afford to wait around anymore."

She shook her head, exhaling. "Or... we could just tell my parents. And yours. You know, the people who actually might have a clue about what’s going on? Everyone here seems weird like us. Maybe they can help."

"We’ll tell them," I agreed. "But we still need to be strong on our own. No one’s going to save us, Mai. Not this time."

She let out a sharp breath but nodded. "Alright."

We had a plan—or at least the start of one. But plans meant nothing when fate had its own agenda.

It all came crashing down the very next morning.

I woke to the soft murmur of Mai’s voice. Still half-asleep, I barely registered her words as she sat at the foot of my bed, rambling about something I couldn’t quite grasp yet.

Then the air shifted.

A cold shiver clawed its way up my spine.

The scent of winter and burnt embers coiled through the room, suffocating, unnatural.

And then—

He was there.

Eldur.

He stood just inside the doorway, his presence warping the very air around him. His silver eyes—duller than Mai’s but no less piercing—landed on her first. Then flicked to me.

A slow, knowing smile spread across his lips. "Mai," he said smoothly. "Come with me."

Mai stiffened—but then something changed. Something was wrong.

She blinked. Once. Twice. And then her silver eyes dulled, her body easing into unnatural stillness, her posture relaxing as if the tension had never existed.

My stomach lurched. No.

"Mai?"

She didn’t respond.

My blood turned to ice. "Mai!"

Eldur’s smirk widened. "She hears you, Liam." He tilted his head, amusement flickering in his gaze. "She just doesn’t care."

A fiery rage surged through me as I bolted upright, reaching for her. "Mai, snap out of it!"

She moved.

Not toward me.

Toward him.

The panic hit me like a physical blow. "MAI!"

Eldur barely spared me a glance. He didn’t have to. His smirk never wavered as he met my gaze, his words a whisper of doom.

"You should have stayed in the dark, Liam."

And then—

They were gone.

Vanished.

The silence that followed was deafening.

I stood frozen, my pulse pounding in my ears, my breath ragged, my entire body shaking with fury and helplessness.

Mai was gone.

Eldur had taken her.

And I had failed.

But I wasn’t about to lose her.

Not now. Not ever.

I was going to bring her back.

Even if it killed me.