Chapter 62

Cirilla's Point Of View

It was another cool evening, of another day. I was out tonight with Theo and a few friends I had made in the pack. We were somewhere within our territory. Frankly, I haven't been to this part yet, and I thought I had explored a few interesting areas of the pack. But not this one.

After the usual evening training at the end of the day for the Elite warriors, which by the way, I signed up to join, and passed several tests of physical, emotional, and mental, earning a spot on the team. They were quite different in everything from the pack's army including their formation and style of fighting.

They were a group of skilled warriors formed by the inner court of wolves to carry out special missions for the werewolf circle. The whole team consisted of 15 warriors from different supernatural origins which was led by my very own brother. Their job was to investigate, gather information, and kill those criminals the inner court had sentenced to death.

And not to exaggerate, they were good at almost everything. The team had two divisions. The mercenaries, and the assassins, depending on which you qualified for. The results of my tests showed I was a best fit for the assassins and I couldn't agree less.

The days have been easier to get by knowing I was surrounded by people who cared for me, even before they met me. Mum was right, everyone in the pack felt like family.

“Are you ready for tomorrow night?”

I tossed my whole thoughts aside, bringing my gaze to Louis. He was Carl's twin, and as charming as he was. They were a special kind of wolf, called the Alabaster wolf. They could shift into their different wolves, but their wolves could also merge into one. At first, I didn't know what that was, I was told it was rare among twins.

I nodded. “Yep,” I drank from my can of beer.

Tomorrow was going to be a full moon, and finally, I would be shifting for the first time and also getting Nina back. I missed her as much as I missed Asher. He was still at his uncle's place, they were working on the human abduction case. It was more serious than I had thought. It wasn't just about the missing humans anymore, but it became more personal for Asher.

I sighed, wishing I was there with him. But I couldn't just leave yet. Not when everything was still as bad as it was. Last week, I began training with Dad. We were working on the other part of me, my vampire side, and I was also in training with the witches, learning how to harness the full extent of my magic which was going pretty well, but I was still having trouble controlling my snoring which most times triggered my magic.

“You are not nervous?” Amy was lying on the warm soil, eating some sushi while Niko was next to her, drinking beer.

“Not at all—”

“Seriously?” Eric yelled from the river. He was swimming with Kayla, Dorian, Shirley, Enzo and Carl. “It's going to be your first time shifting,”

“He's right. The first time is always the worst. It comes with unbearable pain. You're going to experience every bone of yours, breaking, and reforming into something else,” Daryl explained. “You're sure you are not anxious?”

I don't know if he was over-exaggerating it but I could feel my nerves start to rise.

I dropped my can on the soil. “Well I wasn't before, but now you explain it that way, I feel more than nervous,”

“Good job, Daryl. Now you've scared her,” Julia spoke lazily from my side and the others laughed. “It's not that bad. Yeah a few bones breaking here and there, but nothing you can't handle, trust me,” She took a swig of her beer.

I picked up my can, inhaling deeply, already dreading tomorrow. “I think I'm going to trust you on that,” I said to Julia, clinking my can to hers.

After a few more hours of laying on the soil, drinking booze, chatting, and arguing about the most insignificant topic ever, we called it a night, finding my way to my room.

I dropped on the bed, my back against the soft mattress and my eyes on the deck ceiling.

I shut my eyes and as usual, Mason's face invaded my mind so effortlessly. It's been over a week since Ria’s death, and Mason has reclaimed his powers.

He was at his strongest now and this was his moment. To tear down the void and unleash his darkness, destroying the world and everyone in it. This was his destiny and what he had desperately waited for for a thousand years. But up to this moment, there has been nothing from him. He had completely gone off the grid. Like he had vanished from the face of the earth.

I would have easily believed that was the case if only the deaths still weren't occurring. The rites of darkness. Each death only made him stronger. And it was getting worse. Much worse. He wasn't just going after ranking elders but he had started to take the lives of Kings and queens. Well, that scared me.

Mason was a sick bastard, and I was scared Mum or Dad could be next at any point and there was no way I could stop him. Yet.

After we figured out Asula was an Amnell witch, it gave me much hope. I also learned Mum was also in possession of some phoenix stones that had been used to create the phoenix blade, which she has been trying to use to recreate another phoenix blade lethal together with my blood which she strongly believed would be lethal enough to kill Mason.

Though I don't know what to think about that. About everything. The prophecy and the Council. But one thing I had learned to accept was Mason had escaped the void because of me. I created all this mess, and that alone was all the more reason I had to stop Mason. And as for the Council, and their reservations about me, I had to find a way to fix that.

I groaned, rolling to my side on the bed. I did a little more thinking before allowing the exhaustion that weighed on me to lead me to sleep.

*****

Cameron's Point Of View

“You have to relax, sweetheart. Do you feel the immense power radiating off the moon?” I asked, standing a few steps away from my daughter and she nodded, exhaling deeply. “Good. Feed from it. Let it connect to every part of you,”

She was nervous. I could tell by the fast beating of her head and her slight trembling. She pulled her eyes open and her worried eyes lifted to the full moon in the sky.

Throughout the woods, we could hear endless howlings, loud growls and the deafening sounds of painful screams from young wolves shifting, and older ones were running through the forest, howling to the moon.

Her eyes pressed tightly against each other, as she gave it a go once more. Her heartbeat was blasting throughout the forest. We've been at this for more than an hour now, and as I could feel her nervousness, I could also feel her fears.

She was scared and that was holding her back.

I let my mind infiltrate hers, and I read through her mind.

‘I could feel my heart tripling. I've been at this for almost thirty minutes, but I wasn't feeling anything. I wasn't dropping on all fours as I was supposed to. Something was wrong. Maybe there was something I wasn't getting right or doing right. Theo being a special kind of Alpha wolf with witch magic running in his veins had first shifted when he was thirteen, and I was supposed to if Jasmine hadn't bound me. Maybe that had damaged me somehow. Maybe I would never get my wolf. Maybe…’

Her nerves start to rise with several thoughts swirling in her head.

“Hey kiddo,” My voice filtered through the storm in my mind, my hands cupping her cheeks.

She snapped her eyes open. “Dad, I don't know what's happening, but I can't feel anything. What if I would never get Nina back? What if—”

“Does it scare you that much?” I queried and she looked up to meet my deep amber eyes. “To lose your wolf, Nina? To know she's never coming back? Does it scare you?”

She nodded, pulling her eyes away. “I’m trying my best, but I can't feel her. I can't connect to her. It's just like before. Like she isn't there. What if I'm broken,”

“Look at me,” I commanded using my Alpha’s voice and her round eyes snapped up to mine automatically. From the look on her face, I could tell they were no longer a deep amber shade but a golden pair that was glowing brightly. She could feel the overpowering aura radiating off me, making her want to submit to me. “You feel that don't you?”

Automatically, she nodded her head and a smile slit through my lips. “Then you are not broken, sweetheart. That's enough proof that she's a part of you, and never going anywhere,” My eyes were still glowing brightly and Vittorio was sharing control with me. “Now, Shift!” It was a command as her King.

The weight of my command on her, she dropped to the ground immediately, screaming at the surge of pain shooting through her bones. It was immense. Another scream tore from her lips, and her body began to tremble against the ground.

“Dad! What's happening?” She cried in pain, her nails sinking into the ground.

I knelt next to her. “Cirilla you have to listen to me,” I placed my hands on her as my voice infiltrated her mind once again. “This is going to hurt badly. You need to concentrate on the air in your lungs and the ground beneath you—”

She screamed, clutching my arm tightly. “Make it stop. Please, make it stop!”

It felt like every piece of me was breaking into a million pieces watching her in so much pain.

I wrapped my arms around her trembling body, pinning her to my chest as her screams kept on filling the air. “For the first shift, it could take hours if you fight the pain,”

“Dad! Dad!” Her hand on my arm had its nails digging deep into my flesh. Her bones had begun to break and contort. “It hurts!” I held her firmly, not letting her go. I wished I could take the pain away from her. But this was something she had to overcome herself.

“Don't fight it, sweetheart. The more you fight it, the longer and more painful the change is going to be. The pain might be unbearable, but if you let it swallow you whole, then it cannot break you, do not fight it,” I cupped her face, staring deep into her glowing blue eyes. “You can beat the pain. You can do it,”

Her teary eyes locked with mine for a second, and a harrowing scream escaped her lungs. Her nails had begun to extend into claws, piercing into my bones.

“I can do this!” She gasped hungrily for air. “Do not fight pain. Do not fight the pain,” She kept chanting the words like a mantra.

I released her from my hold and another cry of pain left her lips, and her bones began to shift out of its joints.

I was a few steps away from her. “When you feel Nina coming to the surface and asking to take control, just relax and her take over,”

My heart pounded at seeing her suffering but I knew without a doubt in my heart she could do this. She was her father's daughter. She could do this.

Her bones continued cracking and realigning until white fur sprouted all over her body. A huge grin spread across my face as I watched her transition complete with tears in my eyes.

Within seconds, she was standing tall in her wolf form. She was truly beautiful.

I squatted next to her wolf form, my eyes glowing bright golden, sharing control with Vittorio. My hand reached out to stroke her side.

‘I am so proud of you, my sweet girl,’ I connected to her wolf.

She purred, her blue eyes still glowing as she lifted her head, howling to the moon.

‘Mate!’ Her wolf growled. ‘I need to see mate! Please Dad,’

A small smile touched the corners of my lips as I nodded. I stroked her soft furs once more, before holding onto her firmly, and soon, our surroundings started to change and we were within the Black Blood Pack territory.

‘Run wild, my little princess,’ As my words filtered into her mind, her wolf let out a loud growl, before sprinting through the thick trees of the forest.

Instantly, I pulled my phone out, sending a message to Asher.

‘She's at your pack in the woods. She's excited to see you,’

I shoved my phone back into my pocket, deeply breathing in. My eyes lifted to the full moon and a small smile crawled in.

*****

Asher's Point Of View

‘She's at your pack in the woods. She's excited to see you,’

My heart raced as I read through the King's text. And a small smile broke through my lips as I peered at the full moon.

She did it. My sweet princess did it. She got her wolf back.

“Did something good happen?” I looked up from my phone screen at my uncle's words, grinning widely.

“I have to go to my mate,” I said to him, knowing exactly what he might say. During my training with him, it was paramount that I didn't leave this place and I understood just why.

We had a few days to train before Daemon's informants gathered more Intel on Zayden and his little activities. It was hard to get anything on him, but from the reports we kept getting, our informants were onto the low-class demons serving under Zayden.

I wished Stefan was here, he was much needed in the pack due to my absence, while Dorian and Julia had stayed behind with Cirilla. Wren, Cory, Andy, Joshen, and a few of my warriors had joined me here. They were being trained by Ugo, the army's general who was also a member of the Conclave. He was teaching them how to fight and kill a demon. They were also provided weapons, while I was being trained by Daemon.

I can't say it has been easy. As the day went by, I was learning more about Azalea, his powers, and how to control him. Unlike Ryker, he was the dark, bloodthirsty, impulsive side of me. And it was no lie we disagreed on a lot of things, but in the end, he was still a part of me and the only connection I had with my mother's kind.

And while I could think of a better place I wanted to be more than ever. In the arms of my mate, breathing in her divine scents while kissing her till my lungs give out. But I won't be able to rest, at least not until I find Zayden. This wasn't only about what he did to Mum, but also about the innocent humans who are caught up in this madness. They didn't deserve this.

I was still in training and just recently fully transitioned into my demonic nature. So it was for the greater good I remained in this realm. But not tonight. I had to be there for my mate, and Ryker was eager to see her wolf.

“Alright. You can,” Daemon replied as I gripped my shirt and jacket from the ground. “Just make sure you are careful, Asher,”

I nodded, dressing up quickly.

“I mean it,”

“I know,” I voiced quickly, shutting my eyes close, and tapping into one of my gifts I had unlocked recently. I felt Azalea at the surface and when I opened my eyes they were glowing bright red and there was an opening in the air. A portal.

I spared Daemon one last glance before stepping into the portal and it led me straight to my pack.

As soon as my boots touched the soil, I could feel her. Her scent was in the air. Ryker jumped to the surface, and we sped through the forest at the fastest speed, tracking her with her mouthwatering scent.

I hadn't gone far when I dropped dead in my tracks and my eyes landed on a snow-white wolf, standing gracefully in the middle of the forest.

My jaw dropped, and I took a step forward in awe of her beauty. “Princess,” She took my breath away as a human, but by the goddess, she was some wolf. My little wolf.

Her blue eyes glowed, and she growled before she elegantly strolled towards me. A smile fell on my lips as my eyes locked with her glowing blue ones.

She brushed her head against my neck affectionately, and I ran my fingers through her smooth and soft fur. She was perfect.

I could feel Ryker's emotions and how much he loved her and wanted to protect her.

“You are incredible,” I whispered for only her ears and she purred in delight. I could tell she wanted to say something but she obviously couldn't not in her wolf form and since we hadn't marked each other yet, we still couldn't mindlink one another.

“Shift princess,” I said, and the look in her eyes told me she had no clue how to do that. “You have to concentrate like you did when you shifted into your wolf, but instead of reaching out to your wolf, you just have to reach out to your human side. It's not going to hurt as much as when you shifted,”

She nodded, and I took a couple of steps backward.

I could feel her wolf relaxing and concentrating. She released a small howl as her wolf form began to shift and soon she was standing in front of me in her usual beauty, and surprisingly fully clothed. She had definitely gotten that from Cameron.

Her blue eyes met with my own, each bursting with unadulterated joy and before I could say something, she crashed her lips against mine, moving with a fire ready to envelop every bit of my soul.