Chapter TWENTY-SEVEN
The forest did not welco strangers.
Mist clung low to the ground, curling like living fingers around twisted roots and ancient stones. Moonlight filtered through towering blackwood trees, fractured into shards of silver that painted the clearing in an eerie glow. At the center of it all stood a tent—vast, unnatural, and wrong.
It was not made of cloth.
Its surface rippled like liquid shadow, stitched together with glowing runes that pulsed faintly, as if breathing. Totems carved from bone and obsidian circled it, each engraved with sigils older than the Moon Clan itself. The air around the tent humd—magic so dense it made the wolves’ instincts scream.
This was no shelter.
It was a throne disguised as fabric.
Luna stepped inside.
The mont her boots touched the ground, the temperature shifted. The air grew heavier, saturated with arcane pressure. Across the tent stood a woman leaning casually against a rune-carved staff—long black hair cascading down her back, eyes glowing faintly violet beneath the hood of her cloak.
She smiled first.
"Why are you here," Luna said coldly, silver eyes sharp, "and who sent you?"
The witch tilted her head. "Straight to business. I like that." Her voice was smooth, almost amused. "I’m here to help you."
Luna laughed—once. No warmth. No humor.
"Do I look like I need your help?"
The witch’s smile widened, but there was no mockery in her eyes. Only certainty.
".If am right you’re planning to wage war against the vampire clan," she said bluntly. "One of the most powerful supernatural clans in recorded history. And you intend to do it with a pack of weakened werewolves who haven’t drawn out their bloodline powers in over a century."
The air shifted.
Alia, standing slightly behind Luna, narrowed her eyes.
"You won’t even reach their clans territory before they annihilate all of you.," the witch continued calmly. " But if you intend to win this war then I suggest you take my help while you still have it."
Silence followed—thick and dangerous.
"You’ve been hiding in this forest for nearly two centuries," the witch added. "Cut off. Honestly, I don’t bla you. Anyone’s bloodline would rot under those conditions."
Luna turned her head slightly toward Alia.
How does she know this much?
Alia didn’t answer. Her expression remained composed, but her hand had subtly moved closer to the dagger at her waist.
Luna stepped forward.
The ground beneath her boots cracked.
"You forced your way into my territory," Luna said, her voice dropping into sothing darker. "You took down my warriors. And now you stand before claiming you want to help."
Her gaze sharpened, predatory.
"Tell why shouldn’t I kill you where you stand?"
The witch’s smile faded.
"I wouldn’t be here," she said quietly, "if it weren’t for Jasper."
Luna froze.
"What did you say?"
"Jasper sent ."
The na landed like a blade.
"Where is he?" Luna demanded.
The witch shrugged. "Unlike the rest of your clan, Jasper seeks strength—power. He refuses to rot in stagnation like the rest of you. I don’t see why he even bothers protecting you."
Alia eyes hardened. " Just tell us where he is."
"I don’t know," the witch replied honestly. "The last I heard, he was training. Sowhere far from here."
Alia scoffed. "And you expect us to believe that? How do we know you’re not a vampire spy, sent to distract us—or worse, to bewitch us?"
The witch sighed. Then she raised her hand.
Smoke spiraled upward, thick and shimring. Space warped. The air twisted—
And an object erged.
The Astex Token.
Luna’s breath caught.
The artifact hovered between them, ancient runes glowing faintly as it drifted toward her. The mont it touched Luna’s palm, recognition surged through her blood.
The witch watched her closely. "He told to give it to you."
Luna’s fingers tightened around the token.
"Why didn’t you keep it?" she asked. "Or give it to your coven?"
The witch laughed softly. "Trust . I would have."
Alia’s voice cut in sharply. "Then why didn’t you?"
"I was banished."
"Why?"
The witch’s eyes glinted. "Let’s just say... I was too wild for them to ta."
Luna studied her in silence.
"You want sothing in return, don’t you?," Luna said finally. "No one risks their life out of goodwill."
The witch smiled. " Nice one. I see why they accepted you as their Chieftess."
"Answer the question," Alia snapped.
The witch nodded. "Only twenty people is allowed to enter the Astex Realm in a century."
Luna stiffened.
"The first-ranked clan earns ten slots," the witch continued. "Second place gets six. Third gets four."
Alia frowned. " How co I didn’t know of this."
"The last opening was decades ago darling," the witch replied. "Werewolves don’t preserve knowledge of records like vampires do."
Luna’s grip tightened.
"So what do you want?"
"If I help your clan grow strong enough to challenge the vampires before the battle of the saints," the witch said evenly, "and you place first or second in the Battle of Saints... you must give half your slots in the Astex Realm."
"What? No way. We’re just going to give half of our slots to you?", Alia said instantly. "Absolutely not."
Luna raised her hand.
Alia fell silent imdiately—but her eyes were calculating, sharp, dangerous.
"How do you intend to make our clan stronger in just two years ?" Luna asked.
The witch stepped closer. "Six drops of your blood—that’s all I need. Give two months, and every Alpha in your clan will evolve."
Luna then asked, "Why my blood?"
The witch replied, "Because you awakened the Saint’s trait with it. With your blood, I can make them evolve easily."
Alia laughed incredulously. "Do you understand what it ans for an Alpha to evolve?"
She turned to Luna. "If an Alpha evolves, every mber of their pack becos nearly as strong as them while in wolf form. Together, their power increases almost tenfold."
Luna’s eyes glead.
"Interesting," she murmured. "If I evolved... how strong would I beco with abilities the wolfmort tree gave ?"
Luna asked quietly, "Can you make evolve?"
The witch shook her head. "I can’t evolve you."
"Why?"
"You’ve awakened the Saint’s Trait," the witch said slowly. "And there’s sothing else inside you. Sothing ancient. Sothing I won’t risk touching."
Alia narrowed her eyes. "How do you know about the Saint’s Trait?"
"Jasper told ," the witch replied simply. "Did you think he wouldn’t tell about the person I was going to give the Astex token to?"
Luna exhaled.
"Then how do I evolve?"
The witch hesitated. " Well there’s this legend."
Luna waited.
"The Fla King."
Luna asked " who?."
Alia’s eyes widened.
"He was a crimson werewolf," Alia said quietly. "A being said to have the ability to tear through space and ti itself. His flas could engulf worlds. He evolved beyond limits—and protected the werewolves for over a thousand years."
"But werewolves don’t live that long," Luna said.
"With each evolution," the witch said, "werewolves lifespan doubles."
Luna scoffed.
"This are lies, Stories the weak tell themselves when they can’t protect themselves," she said coldly. "If soone like that existed, we werewolfs wouldn’t have been hunted to the brink of extinction."
She turned away.
"Enough with the stories. Take her sowhere to rest. Tomorrow, we begin preparations."
As the guards approached, Luna paused.
" Oh i forgot to ask you, What’s your na witch?"
"Sophie."
She left.
Alia leaned close. "I don’t trust her Raven."
"Neither do I," Luna replied calmly. "Once she’s done being useful... we’ll have to her to avoid future troubles."
Alia smiled faintly.
"What about Dylan’s gems?"
"Take a team with you to Dylans pack territory and search the place for it," Luna said. "If anything feels wrong—withdraw imdiately , I don’t need any of my Alpha’s dead."
"Yes, Raven."
–––––
Deep underground
Stephanie woke up gasping.
Glass surrounded her.
Walls. Ceiling. Floor.
A transparent prison.
Four n in decorated military uniforms stood beyond the glass, speaking in hushed voices she couldn’t hear.
"Hey!" she shouted. "I think you guys made a mistake, You have the wrong person!. Am not a fugitive"
A man in a lab coat entered, whistling casually.
"H‑hey... hey, I—I think you’ve made a mistake," she cried, her voice shaking. "I—I think you have the wrong person. P‑please, this is... this is a really big mistake."
Her breath ca in short, panicked gasps as she struggled against her restraints.
"M‑my dad... my dad is the mayor," she blurted out, words tumbling over each other. "Y‑you don’t understand—he’s important. H‑he’ll find . He always does. The police, the whole city—they’ll be l‑looking for , for all of you."
Tears burned her eyes as her voice broke. "P‑please... please, if you just l‑let go, I—I swear I won’t say anything. I’ll pretend none of this happened. I won’t rember your faces. I won’t tell anyone—anyone at all. J‑just let go. P‑please..."
The man didn’t answer.
tal gloves locked around her hands.
A button was pressed.
Tiny needles pierced her skin.
Stephanie scread.
Phillip watched from behind the glass, expression empty.
"Begin extraction."
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