BloodMoon: Captivated by the Forbidden Lycan Alpha
Chapter 86: OLD EVIL SHIFTER BEAST

Chapter 86: OLD EVIL SHIFTER BEAST

"The evil you know is better than the evil you don’t."}

I exhaled, pushing back the fury for the moment. She would pay. I would make sure of it.

I paced back and forth, my nerves still on edge from what I had witnessed inside the nest. Finally, the guard arrived to relieve me from duty, his expression twisted in annoyance.

"I’m so glad you’re here," I piped up, eager to get out of there.

He grunted and gave a curt nod, clearly uninterested in conversation. Without wasting another second, I bid him farewell and strode through the corridors, my heart pounding with anticipation. When I finally emerged from the depths of Blood Stone Mountain, I sucked in a deep breath of clean air, shuddering at the sharp contrast to the putrid scent of rotting blood and festering bugs that clung to the mountain.

Dante and I moved swiftly, slipping into the dense forest. Once we were a safe distance away, he finally dropped the magic of the invisibility cloak, and I shifted back to my normal form. We stood at the edge of the trees, tension thick in the air.

Dante cursed under his breath. "What kind of madness is this?" He dragged a hand down his face in frustration.

Before I could respond, my senses prickled—guards were approaching. I signaled to Dante, who immediately cloaked himself in invisibility. I, on the other hand, slipped effortlessly back into my disguise, straightening my posture and adopting the expression of a weary guard.

The approaching patrol slowed as they spotted me, and I stood in place, waiting. Once they were close, we exchanged greetings, falling into casual conversation. I let out a heavy sigh, feigning exhaustion. "I’ve been stuck guarding the nest," I muttered, shaking my head.

Their eyes widened in horror. One of them leaned in, lowering his voice. "So, it’s true? No one wants to be posted there."

I stepped forward, keeping my voice steady. "Who is that creepy old woman?"

The guards exchanged glances before one of them answered. "Rumors say she’s been in the mountains even before Lord Dunco died. When Lord Marcel took over, she demanded more gold to feed the bloodstone bugs and strengthen the army against the Bay Shifter Pack. They’ve been preparing for years."

Another guard scoffed; his voice laced with pride. "The gold speeds up the hatching. Once those creatures are ready, nothing will stop us."

My stomach twisted in revulsion, but I forced myself to appear intrigued. "You’re saying she controls those bugs?"

The first guard nodded. "She’s more than that. A guard once swore he saw her shift into a beast—bigger than a giant wolf." His voice dropped lower; his tone unnerved. "It was terrifying. It didn’t even bite when it fed—it used some kind of magic. Drained a vampire dry in seconds."

I let out an exaggerated gasp, shuddering for effect. "I hope I never have to go near that nest again."

The guards all nodded in agreement.

Taking my chance, I leaned in slightly. "But... How could there be a giant wolf in Paradise Coven?"

The guards exchanged glances; their expressions uneasy. "There have been more wolves over the years," one finally admitted. "And Cassius kills anyone who dares speak about it, hence we keep a low profile and choose to stay off the nest duties"

After chatting for a while, the guards eventually dispersed, leaving me standing alone in the dim glow of the torches lining the mountain path. I exhaled slowly; my muscles still tense from the conversation. More wolves. More creatures like her. What in the gods’ name was going on?

I glanced around, ensuring no one else lingered nearby before making my way to where Dante remained hidden. He was crouched low in the shadows, eyes sharp and impatient.

"We wait," I whispered, my voice barely audible.

Dante clenched his jaw but gave a curt nod. Time dragged as we stayed still, our breathing slow and controlled. Nearly half an hour passed before I finally shifted back, the magic wrapping around me like a second skin.

"Let’s go," Dante murmured, his voice laced with urgency.

Together, we slipped through the dense forest, moving swiftly and silently, our senses sharp for any sign of pursuit. The eerie whispers of the mountain faded behind us, replaced by the rustling leaves and the distant howls of unknown creatures lurking in the darkness.

By the time we reached the Kayne home, the tension in my chest loosened slightly, but the weight of what I had learned pressed heavily on my mind.

Dante’s grip on my hand tightened as the weight of our conversation deepened. The meadow, once a place of peace, now felt like a graveyard of unanswered questions. The soft hum of the night wind rustled the leaves, but all I could hear was the pounding of my thoughts.

"Could the old woman be the witch from the Colbat’s?" Dante’s voice was low, cautious. "How did she find her way into Paradise Coven? And who was the one in charge of sheltering such an evil beast?"

I exhaled sharply, my jaw clenching. "Only the Marcel family could commit such an atrocity and have such a greedy plan." My words were bitter, laced with certainty. The Marcels had always been ambitious, but this, this was monstrous.

I turned to him, my voice dropping to a whisper. "Dante, have there been any reports about our guards going missing? The witch needs blood to survive. Someone has to be providing it."

Dante’s brows furrowed as he processed my words. Then, his expression darkened with realization. "There have been cases of unexplained deaths over the years," he muttered. "And now that I think about it, Idris reported that some of the vampires had contracted a common bug."

A sharp curse slipped from my lips. "A bug? Or something far worse?"

Dante’s gaze flickered with understanding as my words sank in.

"How did the Coven Council explain it when vampires started disappearing?" I pressed.

His face tightened; frustration evident. "Idris and Tio gave reports that the younglings weren’t surviving past their eighteenth coven year. They said it was due to the harshness of the mandatory military training."

I shook my head, my gut churning with anger. That was a lie. A well-crafted excuse to cover up something far more sinister.

"No," I said, my voice hard. "They weren’t dying from training. They were being fed to that witch."

I let out a heavy sigh, watching the wind ripple through the tall grass of the meadow. The scent of wildflowers mixed with the lingering dusk, but all I could focus on was the tight knot of anger and grief in my chest.

"The reason you wanted to talk here is to keep your Ma away from all this," Elder Dante murmured, his voice filled with understanding.

I nodded, exhaling sharply. "It was hard enough when Pa died. Knowing Ma, she won’t just stand by and let Lord Marcel go unpunished. They killed him because he found out their secret." My voice trembled slightly, but I forced myself to stay composed.

Dante closed his eyes for a moment, his expression dark with frustration. "Shit," he muttered.

Silence settled between us, heavy and unspoken. I let myself get lost in my thoughts, staring at the fading light of the sky. I could feel Dante’s presence beside me, steady and patient. He let me be, not pushing, just sitting there as the late afternoon breeze rustled through the leaves.

I had no idea how long we remained there, lost in our thoughts. But then, a shift in the air, a cold gust against my face, snapped me back to reality.

Dante stood, brushing off his cloak. "We need to go home," he stated, his tone firm yet gentle. "And I’ll say this, don’t share everything with your Ma. She’s already ruffled feathers at the Coven Council meeting. If she pushes too hard, she could become a target."

I clenched my fists, knowing he was right. "So, we just handle it on our own?"

Dante met my gaze, his eyes filled with certainty. "Yes. We do what we must. But for now, we keep this to ourselves."

I took a deep breath, glancing once more at the meadow, Pa’s favorite place. Then, with a final nod, I turned and followed Dante home.

It was eerily quiet when we arrived home. Too quiet.

Ma, Qadira, Aurora, and Nessa were nowhere to be seen. The absence of their presence sent a wave of unease through me. I had expected at least Ma or one of the girls to be home, but the house was empty.

Kayne, my beast, stirred, rising on high alert. My muscles tensed instinctively, and I turned to Dante, who looked just as concerned.

"How could they all leave the home?" I demanded, my voice laced with suspicion.

Dante didn’t answer. Instead, he vanished in a blur of vampiric speed, leaving only a faint gust of wind in his wake. My heart pounded in my chest as I scanned the surroundings, every instinct screaming that something was wrong.

Moments later, Dante reappeared, his expression grim. "The guards you left behind informed me that they were all summoned by the Coven Council."

My breath hitched. The Coven Council? My mind raced, trying to make sense of it. Why would they summon all of them at once? And without warning?

Kayne growled within me, and I clenched my fists, the unease in my gut deepening. "Something is wrong" I muttered as we hurriedly left and headed to Coven City to the Coven council hall.

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