Chapter 50:
The forest became a blur as I sprinted after Ryder, my feet barely touching the ground as I reached my maximum speed. His smell was intense, guiding me forward with a focused determination. I couldn’t let him get away, not after all he had done.
As I ran, my thoughts were filled with Xander, injured on the battlefield. The sight of him lying there drove me forward, strengthening my commitment. I needed to finish this fast, so I could return to him. The worry of losing him troubled me, but I set it aside. I couldn’t be distracted now.
Suddenly, the trees started to clear, showing an old stone circle up ahead-a special place for werewolves that I knew from stories told over many years. My heart raced with a mix of excitement and fear as I got closer. Why had Ryder brought me here?
In the middle of the circle, Ryder was there, with dark energy spinning around him like a dangerous storm. I moved closer slowly, being very careful and ready for anything tricky or dangerous.
Ryder looked at me and smiled in a mean way. “Hello, Aurora,” he said, his voice sounding too friendly. “This is where everything started.”
I made a low noise in my throat, moving around him carefully as I tried to figure out what he was planning. What did he mean by ‘where everything started’? What secret did this ancient site hold?
Before I could ponder further, Ryder began to chant. The stones of the circle started to glow with an eerie light, responding to his dark magic. I felt a pull on my wolf, the sacred site responding to our presence in a way I didn’t fully understand.
Ryder’s chanting became louder, and the dark energy was violently colliding with the site’s old power. The air was filled with conflicting energies, and I knew I needed to act quickly. With a snarl, I jumped at Ryder, attempting to stop his ritual.
However, Ryder was prepared for me. He stopped my strike using a sudden flash of power, making me crash into a big stone column. My body hurt a lot, and I couldn’t help but cry out. But I couldn’t let this make me slow down. I quickly regained my footing, shaking off the impact.
We began a deadly dance, magic, and claw clashing in a furious battle. I darted in and out, looking for an opening, while Ryder hurled blasts of dark energy at me. The sacred site trembled beneath us, the conflicting energies destabilizing the area.
Finally, I saw my chance. As Ryder prepared another spell, I moved to the left before darting right. My claws raked across his chest, drawing first blood. Ryder howled in pain and rage, retaliating with a wave of corrupting energy that I barely managed to dodge.
As I moved away from his attack, I realized with growing alarm that we needed to end this quickly. The place was shaking more violently now, cracks appearing in the ancient stones. If we didn’t stop soon, the entire area might be destroyed – and who knew what consequences that might have?
With a fierce howl, I charged at Ryder once more. I put all of my strength, all of my love for my pack and Xander, all of my hope for a better future into this final attack. This had to end now.
As I was about to get to Ryder, the ground under us split open with a loud noise. A bright light burst from the crack and surrounded us both. I was thrown into the air, and my senses were flooded with powerful ancient magic.
For a short time, everything was a mess – bright and dark, loud and silent, all merging into a burst of power. Then, just as fast as it began, it stopped.
I was on the ground, my entire body aching from the drop. As I attempted to get up, I looked around, feeling puzzled. The stone circle was still there, but it seemed… changed. It appeared like a ghostly version of itself, glowing and see-through in the unusual, otherworldly light that now filled the area.
Ryder’s crazy laughter broke through my confusion. I turned to see him standing a short distance, looking far too pleased. His power seemed to have grown, dark tendrils of energy whipping around him with renewed vigor.
“Poor little Aurora,” he taunted, his voice echoing strangely in this ghostly realm. “Still so naive about the true nature of power.”
I growled back, determined not to be swayed by his taunts. No matter what this place was or what he had done, I wouldn’t let him triumph. I rushed at him once more, but to my shock, he effortlessly blocked my assault with a simple flick of his wrist.
Ryder started to move around me, his tone filled with fake compassion. “Did you know,” he spoke casually, asif we were just chatting about the day’s events instead of battling for our lives, “that your parents pleaded for mercy before I ended their lives?”
His statement struck me hard. I stumbled, torn between sorrow and fury. Memories of my parents flooded my mind-their kindness, their affection, their courage. The idea of them begging, of them enduring pain at Ryder’s hands, was nearly unbearable.
Ryder seized the opportunity created by my moment of weakness. He hit me with a strong surge of dark power, pushing me back. I smashed into one of the spooky stone columns, and the force made me lose my breath.
I tried to stand up, but my body was hurt, and my confidence was fading. Uncertainty started to sneak into my thoughts, quietly making me question myself. Was I strong enough to defeat Ryder? Had I led my pack into a battle we couldn’t win?
Ryder approached slowly, savoring his apparent victory. “You’re weak, Aurora,” he said, his voice cold and cruel. “Just like your parents were. Just like your pack is.”
I attempted to get up and defend myself, but my legs wouldn’t work. My eyesight became unclear, and I felt exhausted and hopeless, which could have taken over me completely. I thought about Xander, my pack, and all the people who were depending on me. Had I failed them all?
Ryder stood over me now, dark energy gathering in his hand for what I knew would be the final blow. I closed my eyes, images of Xander, my pack, and my parents flashing through my mind. I had fought so hard, for so long. Was this really how it would end?
Just as Ryder was about to strike me, I unexpectedly felt a soothing and familiar warmth. My eyes grew wide with surprise, and I couldn’t believe my eyes. There, standing right in front of me and Ryder, were two ghostly figures I never expected to see again-my parents.
My mom looked at me, her ghostly form glowing with love and power. “Stand up, my brave girl,” she said, her voice sounding oddly in this ghostly place.
My dad stood in front of me, protecting me from Ryder with the same strong will I remembered from when I was little. Ryder stepped back, just as surprised by this turn of events as I was.
With a snarl of frustration, Ryder launched a blast of dark energy at the apparitions. But his attack passed harmlessly through my parents, dissipating against the stone circle behind them.
Drawing strength from their presence, I struggled to my feet. A gentle, silver glow started to come from my fur, getting brighter every moment. I felt an incredible burst of strength, like the spirit of all the white wolf before me was running through my body.
Ryder’s eyes grew wide with fear when he saw that the fight had changed direction again. My parents started to disappear, but before they went, my dad looked at me with pride in his eyes.
“Remember who you are, Aurora,” he told me, his voice full of love and belief. “You are more powerful than you realize.”
As my parents disappeared, I felt another presence make itself known – ancient, powerful, and unmistakable. The Moon Goddess my birth mother herself had , joined us in this sacred space.
She didn’t speak, but I felt a surge of power and understanding flow through me. This was why Ryder had brought me here, to this sacred site. He had hoped to harness its power for himself, but he had underestimated the deep connection between the Moon Goddess and her daughter.
My form began to change, growing larger and more powerful than ever before. I stood strong, my body now a mix of wolf and human, glowing with the Moon Goddess’s strength. I felt unbeatable, like I could face anything and come out on top.
Ryder stepped back, showing fear on his face. In desperation, he threw everything he had at me in one massive attack, dark energy roiling towards me like a tidal wave of shadow.
But I was ready for him. I met his attack head-on, my newfound power easily deflecting his dark energy. The clash of our powers sent shockwaves through the ghostly realm, the very fabric of this strange place seeming to ripple around us.
As the last of Ryder’s attack dissipated, I prepared to launch my own. This would be the end, no matter what. I gathered my strength, ready to use all the power of the Moon Goddess against our biggest enemy.
I was unsure, caught between ending this battle and helping Xander. The Moon Goddess’s energy was inside me, pushing me to finish this for good. But Xander’s painful howl rang in my ears, full of hurt and worry.
During that moment of doubt, I understood that this was the real challenge for an Alpha. It’s not only about being strong enough to defeat our enemies, but also about understanding when to use that power and when to restrain ourselves to safeguard those we love.
With a sad heart, I decided what to do. I turned away from Ryder, ready to find my way back to Xander and my pack. They needed me now, more than ever.
As I prepared to leave this ghostly realm, I sent up a silent prayer to the Moon Goddess. Thank you for your strength, I thought. And please give me the speed to reach Xander in time.
With one last look at Ryder, who stood frozen in disbelief at my retreat, I bounded away. The battle wasn’t over – far from it. But for now, my pack needed their Luna. And I would not let them down.