Beneath the Alpha's Moon
Chapter 97: The Real Owner

Chapter 97: The Real Owner

TERESA’S P.O.V.

The moment the words left the goddess’s lips, my mind stopped working.

"An eye for an eye."

The phrase echoed in my head, chilling me to the core. My arms tightened instinctively around Mai, her small body trembling against mine. I glanced up at Lucian, hoping—praying—that he’d show some hesitation, some doubt. But he didn’t.

Lucian stood tall, his shoulders squared, his green eyes, usually so full of mischief or sarcasm, were locked on the goddess with a determination that sent a chill down my spine. He looked so calm, so resolute, as if he’d already made peace with whatever was coming.

"No," I whispered, the word trembling out of me. "No, no, no! What does that mean? What are you asking him to do?"

The goddess’s luminous eyes turned to me, full of an otherworldly calm. "For your daughter to see again," she said softly, "he must lose his sight. Balance must be restored."

I froze, my grip on Mai loosening slightly as her small, chubby hands clung to me.

"What?" I croaked, my voice barely audible. "You mean... you’re going to take his sight?"

The goddess nodded, her expression serene but firm. "There is order in this world, Teresa. When one walks a path of destruction, they must bear the consequences. Lucian allowed fear and manipulation to rule him, leading to this chaos. It is only right that he shoulders the burden to undo it."

"No!" I screamed, clutching Mai closer to me as tears blurred my vision. "Please, isn’t there another way? Anything else?"

The goddess sighed, her luminous eyes shimmering with something almost like pity. "There is no other way, child. The world’s order cannot be bent or broken, even for love."

I turned to Lucian, my chest heaving as I tried to think of something, anything, to stop this madness. "Lucian, you can’t. Please... don’t do this! There has to be another way to fix Mai’s eyes!"

He glanced at me, his jaw tightening. There was a gentleness in his gaze that took my breath away, and for the first time in years, I saw him—truly saw him—He was different.

"Teresa," he said quietly, his voice steady and calm, "I’ve been preparing for this. Ever since the goddess warned me there would be a price to pay, I knew it would be something heavy. But I’ll do it. For Mai, I’ll do anything."

Tears streamed down my face as I stared at him. This was the man who had hurt me, and broken my trust. A man I had spent so long trying to hate. Ever since I saw him transform into that giant wolf, I had tried to see him as a monster. But now? Now, I saw the truth. Lucian was far from a monster. He kind. He was a father—a good father—and the kind of man who would do anything for his children.

Even Adrian, who always seemed so untouchable, looked somber. His usual smirk was gone, replaced by a grim expression as he crossed his arms over his chest, watching Lucian in silence.

The goddess stepped forward, her presence commanding all our attention. "Lucian Blackwood," she said, her voice echoing like a melody through the clearing. "Step forward and stand before me."

Without hesitation, Lucian obeyed. He walked with the same confidence he always carried, his head high and his steps steady, even as he approached his own sacrifice.

The goddess’s gaze bore into him. "Are you willing, with your whole heart, to exchange your sight for your daughter’s?"

Lucian didn’t even blink. "I am willing."

The air around us grew thick, charged with an unseen energy. I felt like I couldn’t breathe as everyone—Adrian, Juliette, Elizabeth, even the trees around us—seemed to hold their breath.

"Step forward," the goddess commanded.

Lucian obeyed, moving with a grace that belied the storm swirling within him. He stood before the goddess, towering over her, yet looking so small under the weight of her gaze.

The goddess nodded. "Then it shall be done. Teresa," she said, turning her gaze to me, "bring Mai forward."

I hesitated, my body frozen with fear, but Adrian placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. His cool, steady presence grounded me. My legs felt like lead, but I forced myself to stand. Mai clung to me, her tiny fingers gripping my shirt as if she knew something was about to happen. I walked forward on shaky legs, stopping just a few feet from Lucian.

Then, the goddess did something none of us expected. She raised a hand, her glowing eyes shifting to Juliette, who stood off to the side, holding the baby we had found in the forest.

"Juliette," she said, her voice slicing through the tension, soft yet commanding, "step forward with the child you found."

The air grew colder, and a hush fell over us. I turned to see Juliette, her face pale, holding the baby. She stepped forward hesitantly, her movements stiff as though she were walking into her own execution.

Lucian’s stoic facade cracked as he turned sharply to the goddess. "What does the baby have to do with this?" he demanded, his voice laced with suspicion.

The goddess’s expression grew grave. "Everything. The demon spirit, Raivo, belongs to this child. It is time for the spirit to return to its rightful vessel."

The air grew heavy as her words sank in. A collective gasp rippled through the group, and I felt my knees weaken again.

Adrian, ever composed, raised an eyebrow, his voice calm but edged with curiosity. "So the demon was never truly tied to Lucian?"

"No," the goddess replied. "Raivo was tethered to Lucian only because of the rituals performed by Serena. But the spirit was always meant for the child."

I stared at the baby, my mind racing. How could such a small, innocent being be tied to something so dark?

Lucian growled low under his breath, his fists clenching. "And what happens to the child once Raivo returns to him?"

The goddess’s gaze softened. "The child will live. But his destiny will be shaped by what he carry."

The ground felt like it had shifted beneath us, the gravity of the moment bearing down like a storm. My eyes flicked to Lucian—jaw clenched, shoulders taut with barely-contained fury. He couldn’t stomach the thought of another child suffering; I could see it in the way his hands trembled, fists curling as if to fight off the ghosts that would surely haunt him after this. Despite the fears, the lies, and the scars he’d left on me, I couldn’t ignore the truth: I still cared about him. And no matter what, I couldn’t let him face this battle alone.

This was far from over.

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