Beneath the Alpha's Moon
Chapter 238: A Matter Of Time

Chapter 238: A Matter Of Time

Lucian’s P.O.V. (Guest Appearances)

Mai was limp in my arms, her body unnaturally cold. My heart pounded as I cradled my daughter, my eyes scanning her pale face for any sign of consciousness. But she was gone—lost in whatever nightmare had just swallowed her whole.

The air in the room crackled, filled with ancient magic.

And then—

Eldur moved.

No.

Not Eldur.

Raivo

The moment Mai had collapsed, something inside him shifted. His red eyes darkened, the dim glow warping into something more sinister—more unnatural. His breathing became ragged, his entire frame tensing like a predator coiling to strike.

Raivo was holding the wheel of Eldur’s body.

The scent of pure malice rolled off him in waves.

Then, with a slow, deliberate tilt of his head, he smiled.

It wasn’t Eldur’s usual smirk—the one filled with arrogance and calculated cruelty. No, this smile was hollow. Void of any humor. It was a predator’s grin.

A shiver crawled up my spine.

"Ah..." Raivo’s voice slithered through the air, rich with amusement. "Lucian Blackwood. The mighty Alpha." He flexed his fingers, and a pulse of raw, volatile magic surged through the room, making the walls tremble. "I was wondering when we would meet again. I missed you."

I shifted Mai in my arms, steadying myself. "Get back to your cage, Raivo." My voice was low, controlled—but there was no mistaking the lethal promise beneath it.

Raivo simply laughed. "And miss the fun?"

Then he moved.

Faster than a viper striking, his magic lashed out. A violent storm of dark energy and brute force. I barely had time to react—instincts screaming as I twisted, shielding Ollie and Liam with my body.

The attack slammed into my back like a sledgehammer.

Pain exploded through my ribs.

I gritted my teeth, steadying my stance. Ollie growled behind me, trying to get at Raivo but I held him back.

Teresa’s voice rang out, sharp and commanding.

"Raivo!"

The entire room shook.

She stepped forward, she had transformed to fae. Her golden eyes glowing like molten fire. Power radiated from her in waves, raw and unyielding. The air around her crackled, the temperature shifting—one second blistering hot, the next freezing cold.

Raivo turned his gaze to her, amusement flickering in his red eyes. "Ah. So the human is now a Fae Titan." He exhaled in mock reverence. "Lucian’s little mate. The woman who should have been crushed under my heel years ago."

A snarl ripped from my throat. "Watch your mouth, Raivo."

"Oh?" His gaze flicked back to me, a twisted grin curling his lips. "I suppose I should be grateful. After all, I’m about to take everything from you. Your home?" He waved a lazy hand, and the walls groaned, the floor beneath us vibrating as his magic coiled through the foundation like an infection. "I’ll turn this pack to rubble. Every single wolf under your command? Dead. Then I will rule the world with my Laevira like it has always meant to be."

The promise in his voice was bone-chilling.

"And you, dear Lucian..." His eyes gleamed. "You get to watch. Starting with your beloved mate."

Ollie growled.

Liam was still unconscious.

I bared my teeth. "Over my dead body."

"Gladly."

Raivo lunged.

But before I could even counter—

Teresa moved.

The entire world seemed to bend around her.

Lightning struck from nowhere. The ground shattered, a blast of golden energy ripping through the room as Teresa’s wings—massive, ethereal, and blazing with divine fire—unfurled.

She met Raivo head-on, their clash sending shockwaves through the walls.

Raivo let out a guttural snarl, his claws slashing through the air, magic laced in every strike. Teresa dodged with a grace that made my heart stutter—spinning midair, her golden energy searing through the darkness that tried to swallow her.

And then—she struck.

A pulse of light erupted from her palm, colliding with Raivo’s chest. He roared, staggering back as smoke rose from his charred skin.

Teresa landed with a deadly elegance, her gaze burning. "You talk too much, Raivo."

He growled, pure rage contorting his face. "You insolent—"

Teresa didn’t let him finish.

With a single motion, she raised her hand—and the air itself turned to gold.

Raivo screamed.

Golden chains burst from the ground, wrapping around his limbs, searing into his flesh with an agonizing hiss. He writhed, his magic lashing out wildly, but Teresa held steady.

"You dare—"

"I dare." Her voice was quiet—but it commanded the very essence of the earth itself.

Raivo’s body shook, his red eyes flashing wildly. "Is this all you got!"

"Not quite."

Teresa clenched her fist, golden energy crackling around her fingers—then she struck.

Her punch landed with a bone-rattling force, sending Raivo staggering back. But the bastard didn’t go down. He wiped the blood from his lip, a twisted grin still clinging to his face.

Teresa narrowed her glowing eyes, already reeling back for another blow—

Then, the door exploded open.

Elizabeth and Rylan stormed in, Elizabeth’s red hair billowing as if carried by an invisible wind, her warm brown eyes now filled with sharp determination.

She took one look at Raivo, snarled, and lifted her hands. Words I couldn’t understand flowed from her lips like a river of power, a spell laced with something ancient and merciless.

Raivo jerked. His body spasmed violently as if struck by an unseen force. He let out a guttural snarl, trying to resist—but it was useless. His red eyes flickered, dimmed, then closed completely as his body went slack. The magic-laced chains around him tightened one last time before going still.

A dead silence settled in the room.

Ollie exhaled loudly beside me, his anger dimming.

Teresa turned to Elizabeth, her golden eyes sharp. "What did you do?"

Elizabeth flicked a glance at Raivo’s unconscious form, then let out a slow breath. "I locked him down," she said, rolling her shoulders like she’d just lifted a heavy weight. "For now."

I narrowed my eyes. "How did you do that?"

Elizabeth sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Listen carefully," she said, stepping closer. "I was only able to do this because Mai and Eldur haven’t let Raivo and Laevira take over completely. That means Raivo and Laevira don’t have full control yet. But if Liam—" She hesitated, her gaze flicking to the boy lying unconscious on the floor.

My chest tightened. "If Liam what?"

Elizabeth pressed her lips together. "If Liam dies... then Mai and Eldur will lose what little control they have left. Raivo and Laevira will take over completely." She turned her full attention to me and Teresa, her voice grim. "And if that happens, no spell, no power—nothing—will be able to stop them."

The weight of her words settled in the pit of my stomach like a leaden stone. I clenched my fists, feeling Ares, thrashing inside me with barely contained rage.

Teresa inhaled sharply, then turned to look at Liam with sadness in her eyes. Without another word, Elizabeth knelt beside him, pressing her hands lightly against his chest. A soft glow surrounded her fingers as she began to murmur another spell.

The moment her magic touched him, Liam’s body jerked, his breathing hitching. The burns along his forehead faded slightly, the deep cuts knitting together right before our eyes.

We watched in silence as Elizabeth worked, sweat beading on her forehead as she poured more magic into him.

Then the glow dimmed.

And Liam remained still.

Elizabeth cursed under her breath. "No, no, no," she muttered, shaking her head. She pressed her fingers to his wrist, checking his pulse. His chest rose and fell, slow and steady, but... he didn’t wake up.

Teresa stepped closer. "Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth exhaled sharply, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. "His wounds are healed," she said. "Physically, he should be fine. But something—something else is keeping him unconscious."

"Something else?" I repeated. "Like what?"

Elizabeth hesitated, frustration flashing across her features. "I don’t know," she admitted. "It could be something tied to his bond with Mai... or maybe even Eldur. Whatever it is, it’s beyond my magic’s reach."

Silence fell on us.

And then Teresa whispered, "So what do we do now?"

Elizabeth’s gaze flicked between us before she let out a slow, reluctant breath. "The only thing we can do," she said, her voice heavy. "We need to put Mai and Eldur into a deep sleep until Liam wakes up."

I froze. "What?"

Elizabeth met my gaze evenly. "It’s the only way to stop Raivo and Laevira from breaking free while Liam is unconscious. If we don’t—" She glanced at Raivo’s still body. "It won’t be long before he wakes up, and when he does, they’ll be able to fight back."

Teresa’s jaw tightened. "But how long will this sleep last?"

Elizabeth was silent for a long moment.

Then, finally, she said, "I don’t know."

Something inside me snapped. "You don’t know?"

She didn’t even flinch at my anger. "I don’t," she said, her tone firm. "Liam waking up is the key. If he wakes soon, Mai and Eldur will, too. But if he doesn’t..." She let the sentence trail off, her meaning clear.

I exhaled sharply, running a hand down my face. "This is madness."

Elizabeth nodded grimly. "It is. But it’s also the only way."

I turned to Teresa, my mate, my Luna. She was staring at Liam, her golden eyes filled with so much sadness. Then, slowly, she reached out, brushing a strand of his blond hair from his forehead.

"We don’t have a choice," she said softly.

And that was it.

Decision made.

I turned back to Elizabeth, my voice rough. "Do it."

She nodded. Then, stepping back, she began to chant.

A faint silver mist rose around us, weaving through the air like threads of silk. It coiled toward Mai and Eldur, sinking into their skin as their bodies went eerily still.

Their breathing slowed.

Their expressions softened.

And just like that—Mai and Eldur slipped into a deep, enchanted sleep.

A silence settled over the room once more.

I felt a cold weight press against my chest as I looked at my daughter—my fierce, reckless, complicated daughter—now lying motionless. And beside her, Eldur.

And then, Liam.

Still unmoving.

Still unconscious.

Still holding all of their fates in his hands.

I let out a slow, steady breath.

Again, all I could do was wait. It was only a matter of time now.