*~Young Lilith’s POV~*
My legs couldn’t carry any further, but I kept running. My breath was heavy, my eyes dizzy. I clung to a tree for support, gasping, as every part of my body scread at to stop.
But I couldn’t stop. Not now. Not when they were after my family. Not when they had already taken down so many, and I might be the last one left—with a baby inside .
I couldn’t give up.
I pushed forward, stumbling, each step heavier than the last. I couldn’t even summon enough strength to cast a spell. No teleportation. No defense. Nothing. I was too drained, too heavy with child.
For the first ti, I truly thought—I might not make it out alive.
Then, I heard movent behind .
My heart stopped. They had noticed soone was missing. They were tracking now.
This was bad. This was very, very bad.
"No... no," I whispered, forcing my legs faster. "They can’t catch . They can’t."
But the thought of what they would do to if they did... it made my skin crawl. It made shiver so violently my teeth almost chattered.
I stumbled behind a huge rock, crouching low, fighting for breath. My chest rose and fell in frantic bursts.
That’s when I felt it....Wetness between my legs. I looked down and my heart shattered. Water. Gushing. My water had broken.
"No... no, no, no," I gasped. My baby was coming—now.
"This is bad," I whispered, tears burning down my cheeks. "This is so, so bad."
This wasn’t the life I had promised my child. Not in the middle of a war. Not with wolves and witches hunting us down. I had promised safety.
And now...this.
I pressed both hands protectively against my stomach, crying as pain rippled through .
Then a sharp sound split the air. A rock slamd against the boulder I hid behind.
My entire body froze.
"Crescent!" a voice snarled. "Co out, you damn fool. Co out!"
Another stone hit...My breath hitched. They had found .
"Will you co out willingly?" the voice growled. "All Crescents must die." I dared to peek around the rock.
Wolves. Their hulking forms glead under the moonlight, their teeth bared, saliva dripping, eyes hungry with bloodlust.
And ...broken water, broken body, and a baby forcing its way into this cruel world.
But still, I struggled to get up—using every ounce of my strength, I forced myself onto my feet and stepped out from behind the rock.
And then I froze.
These weren’t strangers. These were my old friends—wolves I had once trained with back in the Wolf Academy. I knew every single face. Carter. Anthony. The others were familiar too, though not as close.
"Carter, Anthony—please, stop!" I cried out, my voice desperate. "It’s . Lilith!"
For a mont, Carter’s face softened. His brows furrowed, uncertainty flickering in his eyes. "Lilith..." he whispered, almost as though rembering the girl I used to be.
But Anthony clapped a hand on his shoulder, shoving him back. His eyes burned with rage. "She is no longer Lilith. She’s a Crescent now. Don’t forget that." His voice deepened into a growl. "She’s manipulating you."
He raised his arm, signaling. "Wolves—attack!"
Snarls erupted around as claws scraped the dirt. They lunged, teeth bared, eyes wild.
"Versa!" I scread.
Power flared, throwing them backward in a violent blast. Bodies slamd against trees, yelps echoing in the night.
Anthony chuckled darkly as he steadied himself, his lips twisting into a cruel smile. "Pathetic. A wolf with magic spells. Look at you. Neither wolf, nor witch. Just broken."
And then he shifted.
Before my eyes, Anthony transford into a wolf larger than any I had ever seen. His muscles swelled, fur bristling, his growl vibrating the ground beneath my feet.
"Let handle you myself," he snarled, saliva dripping from his massive jaws.
Then he pounced.
But just before his teeth could tear into , an arrow whistled through the air—swift, sharp, and true.
It sank deep behind his ear.
I turned sharply, desperate to see who had saved .
And then I saw him.
Marcus.
He burst from the shadows, bow drawn, arrows slicing through the night. One after another flew with deadly precision, striking down the wolves that had cornered . He attacked them with the arrows with him... when the arrows were gone, he shifted, using his own strength, ripping into them, tearing their heads apart as though they were nothing more than paper.
Carter was the last.
He staggered, blood staining his lips, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Marcus... are you also one of them?"
Marcus’s gaze hardened. "No. But you made the mistake of attacking my wife."
And with a swift, rciless twist, he snapped Carter’s neck. The wolf collapsed, lifeless.
Then Marcus rushed to .
His hands cupped my cheeks, warm and trembling. He kissed my face, then pulled into his chest, holding as though I were the only thing left in this cursed world.
"Lilith," he whispered desperately, "I promise you—I had nothing to do with this. I didn’t know. I didn’t lead them here. But when you ca to the party... they must have figured it out. They must have realized you were a Crescent. And they followed you." His voice cracked. "I swear, I didn’t lead them. I didn’t."
I was too exhausted to question him. Too broken. Too scared. So I just held him tighter, burying my face into the safety of his chest. His scent filled my lungs, his heartbeat steady against mine. For a mont, I let myself forget the blood and fire.
But then he stiffened. "Marcus, Alice, Ruby... everyone—they’re gone," I choked.
He shook his head fiercely. "No. They’re not dead. They can’t die."
"What?" I whispered.
"They can’t kill Crescents," he explained quickly, his eyes blazing. "Not directly. They’ll freeze their bodies—trap them in ti, maybe for eternity."
My stomach flipped violently. "No..."
"You saw Dahlia, didn’t you?" he asked.
I nodded. "She was holding a bell."
His jaw clenched. "That bell. That’s how she does it. The sound—it signifies ti. It freezes them, locks their bodies in endless agony." His grip tightened on . "Thank the Moon you weren’t caught. Thank the Moon my child wasn’t caught."
His eyes softened then, almost breaking. "I can’t lose you. I can’t lose you both."
He cupped my face again. "It’s ti to leave, Lilith. Now. I promised I’d co for you—and now I’m here. We’re leaving this place tonight."
But inside, I knew I couldn’t.
Not because I didn’t want him. Not because I didn’t crave the safety of his arms. But because I carried destruction with . Everywhere I went, death followed. Wendy—the sweet old woman who had helped —died because of . Alice—was at risk because she followed . And now Marcus... if he stayed with , if he tried to protect ...
He would be next.... I couldn’t do that to him.
But before I could even speak my doubts, agony ripped through .
I gasped, clutching my stomach. My knees buckled.
"Marcus," I whimpered. "I... I’m in labor. The baby—it’s coming now."
His eyes widened, his face draining of color. "Now?"
"Yes—" I scread as another contraction tore through , my voice echoing through the trees. "It’s happening now!"
Marcus’s panic vanished instantly, replaced by steel determination. He lowered carefully onto the ground, his hands gentle but firm.
"You can do this," he said, his voice trembling but steady. "We can do this. Push, Lilith. Push for . Push for our baby."
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