A haunting, mournful howl echoed through the stone chamber. The woman seemed to have an epiphany, awakening from years of chaos and confusion. She walked aimlessly in the chamber, muttering incomprehensible words.
Marvin wanted to interrupt the woman’s trance, but Maggie gestured for him to stop until the woman’s gaze fixed on them.
Maggie asked, “Are you okay?”
“Resurrected, it feels bittersweet,” the woman replied.
Her voice was melodious, like a clear spring. If not for her aged appearance, she would have sounded like she did in her younger days, when she became a half-vampire.
Aldrich revealed his identity, “I’m Aldrich, the Alpha of The BlueMoon Pack. You can trust me. Is there anything we can do to help you?”
“After all these years, The BlueMoon Pack hasn’t gone extinct?” the woman chuckled.
Marvin was provoked by her, “I need to remind you that this territory is under the jurisdiction of my pack, The BlueMoon Pack.”
“No wonder… no wonder it’s been hidden all these years,” she laughed, then began to cry.
Maggie looked at her with a touch of sadness, “Have you lost your child? Perhaps we can help.”
“The BlueMoon Pack wants to help me… it’s ironic. Tell me, what conditions do you have in mind for healing me and awakening me?”
Aldrich was straightforward, “Your necklace.”
“Unless I die…”
Marvin got angry and tried to charge at her, but Maggie held him back. Apart from the Energy bead inlaid in the necklace, there seemed to be another magical force that was gradually weakening. Although Maggie knew very little about these energies, she had a faint feeling that this necklace was the woman’s sole support to survive her broken body.
The woman noticed their reaction and said with a smile, “Don’t worry, I won’t live much longer. I’ll definitely give you the necklace before I die.”
Marvin was puzzled, “Necklace?”
The woman clearly didn’t want to answer that question.
Maggie inquired, “Are you looking for your child?”
The woman’s eyes softened a bit, “Yes, he should be about the same age as these two wolves now.”
“What’s your child’s name? Maybe we’ve met him,” Aldrich said.
“He… he’s also a hybrid. Have you heard of it?”
Throughout the northern continent, the Lunarisvampires were taboo, and Lunarisvampires were rarely seen, let alone a hybrid with such a unique constitution.
All three of them shook their heads. The woman asked reluctantly, “He’s a boy, I don’t know his name, but he must be very handsome. He’s… he’s from The FrostMoon Pack. Think again, have you ever seen a wolf like that?”
Aldrich pondered for a moment and said, “The North Continent doesn’t allow the existence of Lunarisvampires. Moreover, during the time when you gave birth to him, it was the peak period of the Lunarisvampires’ slaughter.”
The woman clenched her fists, “If he didn’t protect our child, I will make him pay.”
“Let’s leave this place.”
Aldrich led the way, Maggie and the woman followed, and Marvin, always a step behind, secretly observed the woman. He got caught staring a few times, but he quickly averted his eyes in embarrassment.
At the entrance of the stone chamber, the woman opened the stone door, and Charlie and Jolie tearfully watched as the safe return of their companions. Jolie rushed forward to hug Maggie, “Thank Moon Goddess, it’s so good to see you.”
Charlie looked Aldrich up and down. “You’re not injured, that’s a relief for my wolves’ hearts.”
Aldrich patted his shoulder. “I’m fine.”
“We’ve been trying to reach you, but the mental connection wasn’t working.”
“There’s a magical force inside this stone chamber that disrupts all connections among werewolves.”
“So powerful, just to deal with…” Charlie glanced at the frail woman who had come out with them, “an ordinary female?”
“It’s not to deal with her; it’s to imprison her,” Aldrich corrected him. It was clear that the person who had trapped her here was afraid of her power.
Aldrich had read numerous wolf history and legends, even stories with no basis, but he couldn’t fathom the woman’s background. Living as a hybrid for so long, she should have been mentioned by the elders.
The woman once again caught Marvin’s gaze and looked directly at him. “Child, don’t delude yourself; I don’t accept twilight romance.”
A sardonic smile crept onto her lips. If this young man knew that many years ago, she was a ruthless Lunarisvampires who slaughtered werewolves, and that all werewolves feared her, would he still dare to sneak a peek at her? How fickle.
Marvin’s face turned slightly red for a moment. “No, I apologize for my rudeness.”
“But you’re still staring at me… Am I so mesmerizing to you?”
“Sorry, you’ve misunderstood me. I’m just curious about you.”
“That’s not good news.”
“No… my mate, she’s a hybrid too.”
The woman put her jest away. “Let me have a look at you. Do you love her very much?”
Marvin nodded firmly. “Very much.”
“Let’s say they make you a king, but you have to give her up. What would you choose?”
“Of course, Grace!”
The woman’s eyes flashed with a touch of mockery. “Too resolute. Sometimes, it implies a lack of reason.”
Maggie interjected, “We need to head east; keep up.”
The woman and Marvin followed. Charlie, worried the woman might try something, walked behind them.
Marvin asked the most concerning question, “Is it difficult to control the Lunarisvampires blood within your body?”
“It depends. Was she born with it, or…”
“A subsequent transformation.”
“Poor girl, she’s enduring a lot. Besides the influence of the lunar tides, her inner wolf is very ferocious. She constantly has the urge to drink blood. Can you imagine the agony of your body being gnawed at by thousands of ants, relentlessly and continuously? Can you endure the internal struggle where your wolf is constantly going berserk and trying to expel the Lunarisvampires blood, a battle of water and fire? Every second, every minute, she goes through all of it.”
Hearing the woman’s words, the others couldn’t help but sigh in sympathy. Maggie was deeply concerned about Grace. “I think I understand why she wants to leave us immediately after healing. She doesn’t want to show her vulnerable side in front of us.”
“Another woman who can endure pain,” the woman said softly.
Maggie asked, “Would you be willing to offer her advice as someone who shares her condition?”
“Don’t fall in love, especially with a werewolf.”
Suddenly, the woman swayed and fell to the ground. Marvin quickly caught her, and she smiled, saying, “I told you, I’m just like her, very resilient.”