Dimitri pov
Leaving the pack to someone else other than Louis was harder than I expected. Louis had always been the handle the affairs of the pack whenever I was leaving the pack for a long period of time, Having someone else to handle it is what I had never done that in all the years I had been pack leader.
Not since we turned eighteen years old so every step away from our home felt like another weight on my shoulders.
But Kate looked energetic, which was more than I could say for myself and we were going on this mission for me. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings but I didn’t think we could do it, not really. She was just too expectant and I wanted to be the same way for her.
Beta Ryan stood beside us as we prepared to depart, his eyes filled with the unspoken questions and worry
I was leaving him in charge. I had chosen him to guide the pack in my absence, knowing he was capable. He had been
If I had to trust anyone other than Louis it would be him Ryan but that was not what the problem was, the pack had been my life for so long, my responsibility, entrusting it to someone else even if it was him felt wrong like I was abandoning my duties.
I turned to him because I knew that Kate was not going to let me get out of this now.
“The pack is in your hands now,” I told him, my voice heavy with worry , was I ever going to stop worrying.
“I won’t let you down, Alpha ,” he said, his voice steady, I nodded clapping him on the shoulder.
“I know you won’t, Ryan. You’ve been my loyal man for years . I know the pack is in good hands .”
“Keep them safe. You too” I said
Ryan nodded, determination flashing in his gaze.
“I will, Dimitri, it’s me we’re talking about when have I ever not been safe” he mumbled and I laughed
” We’ll be here when you return.” He replied seriously,
“When we return…” Kate corrected, her voice strong and confident. She placed her hand on my arm, grounding me as she always did.
“We’re coming back, Ryan. And when we do, things will be different.” she mumbled underneath her breath.
” I trust you Kate, keep our Alpha safe ” he muttered, he pulled me into a quick hug and let go
” I’ll see you both”
I hoped she was right the fear that gnawed at me, served as a constant reminder of the curse that plagued my wolf form
“Ready?” she asked, her eyes meeting mine with a softness that made my chest tighten.
Taking a deep breath and I nodded.
“Let’s go.”
We left the pack grounds, almost immediately, the familiar sights of pack land faded behind us each , replaced by the dense forest and the whispers of the wind.
Kate and I moved swiftly guided by the map we’d gotten from Odette. We traveled by day, pushing through the dense forests filled with ancient trees, and blue wide rivers that roared into the mountains.
The further we went into the mountains, the more the air became different -colder, worse at nights.
In the day the paths we followed were narrow, winding through thick underbrush that snagged at our clothes and the air was always thick with the scent of pine and earth, and the sounds of birds calling to one another.
At night, we camped under the stars, the sky a large canvas of darkness lit up by the glowing light of the moon and a thousand stars seated across it.
The moon was a constant reminder of what I was after, of the goddess I needed to appease the thought filling me with sadness.
Kate was my anchor in those moments, we talked about everything and nothing.
She asked about my past, and I found myself opening up to her in ways I hadn’t before, telling her things that I had not ever wanted to mention before.
The fire crackled beside us and I pulled Kate closer, not satisfied with the way she was shivering.
“There’s so much I regret,” I admitted one night, staring into the flames as the memories of the curse, as well as the blood of those humans on my hands, haunted me even in the stillness of the night.
“If I could go back… I’d do so many things differently.” their screams echoed in my ear
Kate reached out, her hand finding mine.
“We can’t change the past, Dimitri. But we can learn from it, we can build a better future.”
She was right. I couldn’t undo what had been done, but could find a way to move forward. Together.
The problem was I wasn’t sure if I could do that.
She pulled my face into her hands and kissed my lips, softly I wanted her so much I leaned over her dragging her clothes away from her skin, I was glad she was mine.
The days blurred into one another as we pressed on, the routes and environment shifting from dense forests to rocky terrain the mountains grew taller, and if possible the air grew colder with each step.
There was the occasional signs of life-a deer, a distant howl of a coyote -but mostly, it was just us.
We were getting closer. I could feel it in my bones, a pull on my gut, then, after what felt like weeks of travel, we finally saw it.
The Moon Temple .
It stood at the top of a mountain, looming above us its stone walls ancient and weathered, and yet it radiated a power that was undeniable.
The temple was both beautiful and imposing, a testament to the goddess herself who had cursed me.
I felt a pull in my chest, a connection to this place maybe it was the curse or maybe it was my wolf bond, the wolf bond that every shifter felt.
The temple was a relic of werewolf culture a place where the Moon Goddess was said to have walked first when she came to earth, her power still resonating within its walls.
Kate and I exchanged a look, a silent understanding passing between us.
“This is it,” Kate whispered, her voice reverent, awed.
I nodded, unable to tear my eyes away from the structure.
“Are you ready?” Kate asked, her hand finding mine, squeezing gently.
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I replied, my voice deep with emotion.
We had come too far to turn back now.
The entrance to the temple was carved into the side of the mountain, and then flanked by massive stone pillars that were etched with symbols of the moon and the wolves that served the goddess.
As we stepped inside, the air grew cool, and the faint scent of incense filled my senses. The inner hall was large with high ceilings and walls adorned with ancient carvings telling the history of the Moon Goddess and her chosen.
“This place…” Kate whispered, her voice echoing off the stone walls.
“It’s… incredible.” she whispered softly
I nodded, as we ventured deeper into the temple, the light grew dim, the only illumination coming from the faint glow of the moon filtering through small cracks in the stone ceiling.
The water bubbled and figures rose from the water were mirror images of Kate and me, but there was something wrong about them-something off. Their eyes glowed with an unnatural light, their expressions twisted with malice.
The shadows stepped out of the water, their movements fluid and almost eerie, they circled us, their eyes never leaving ours, and I felt a chill run down my spine. This had to be the first trialfacing our own darkness.
“Are you ready?”
I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what was to come.
“I’m ready. We’ll face it together.”
“Stay close,” I murmured to Kate, my hand tightening around hers.
She nodded, her expression steely.
My shadow lunged at me first, its movements quick, almost too quick to follow. I barely had time to react, blocking its attack with my arm, feeling the impact reverberate through my arm. This wasn’t just a battle of strength-it was a battle of will, this shadow was me every dark thought, every fear I had ever harbored, taken form. It knew my weakness and it exploited them .
I fought back, but it was like fighting a mirror-every move I made, was matched, all while its eyes glowed, taunting me.
Kate’s shadow moved with speed, she slashed at it claws running over its face with one last push, we forced the shadows back into the pool, with a final cry, they were submerged, the water stilling once more.
I breath hard trying not to collapse when the air around us shifted, growing heavy.
The ground beneath our feet trembled, and the walls closing in, making the room almost suffocating.
I could hear the voice in my head, taunting me,
“You are not worthy,” the voice hissed, a thousand voices merging into one.
“You are weak. A murderer. You will never be free.” it hissed slithering over me
My wolf form-howled in my mind, desperate to be unleashed lashing against the walls of my mind.
“Dimitri,” she said, her voice firm
“Don’t listen to it. It’s an illusion meant to break you . But it’s not real.”
I clung to her words, focusing on her presence, her strength as the darkness receded, the whispers fading into the emptiness.
I collapsed to the floor, breathing hard but the relief was short-lived, almost immediately the walls of the chamber shifted, the stone floor beneath us cracking open to reveal a deep bottomless pit, the narrow bridge crumbling. One wrong move, and we would fall into the abyss below.
“We have to cross,” Kate said, her voice tinged with fear. It was the first time she was showing her fear, I gripped her hand tightly as she muttered
“But we have to do it together.”
I nodded, as we stepped onto the first stone, our movements cautious, deliberate. The stone wobbled under our weight, and I tightened my grip on Kate’s hand.
“We can do this,” I told her, more to reassure her than myself.
Slowly, we made our way across the bridge, each step a test of our balance and our connection. The stones crumbled beneath our feet, but we moved together, never letting go of each other.
The ground shook violently, and a stone gave way beneath Kate’s foot. She stumbled, her grip on my hand slipping. Panic surged through me, but I reached out, catching her just in time.
“Hold on,” I said, pulling her close.
“We’re almost there.”
The chasm below seemed to grow deeper, the stones dropping rapidly
” We have to jump” I said when we got to the end
She sighed looking over the edge then at me and she hissed nodding, we took two breathes and jumped over the yawning vault, and dropped on the other side.
The moment our feet touched solid ground, the bridge collapsed into the chasm, leaving nothing but a gaping void behind us.
Exhausted, we sank to the ground, the adrenaline slowly fading. Kate looked at me, her eyes filled with a mixture of relief and determination.
“We’re not done yet,”