2 Chapter 2
Damien and the priests tensely performed the ancient ritual. Moonlight streamed through a hole in the chamber roof, lighting up the complex runes on the altar.
After a long time, guided by the priest, Damien drew a golden, dancing Soul–Spark from
between my eyes.
He didn’t even get a good look at its form before he cupped it in his hands and rushed into the center of Seraphina’s magic circle.
My chest felt empty, like a piece of my soul had been torn away. My body lay alone on the cold.
altar.
The soul–stone monitoring the wolf spirit shattered with a sharp crack, startling the warriors. guarding outside the chamber.
“What happened? Her wolf spirit… it’s out? Didn’t the Alpha say she had two Soul–Sparks?“”
One of Damien’s trusted warriors was confused.
“The Alpha said that, and you believed him? Maybe it was just to calm her down,” another, older
wolf snorted.
“Good riddance. Who told her to be so selfish, not saving a pack warrior, and then trying trick the Alpha with her wiles.”
“So what now?”
to
“Her wolf spirit is gone, what else can we do? Wait for
the Alpha to give orders. If no one cares, just follow pack rules for unclaimed bodies. Throw her in the Darkwood for the carrion wolves.”
With that, the assistant priests in the chamber also quietly left.
Damien focused intently on guiding my Soul–Spark to Seraphina.
Although he was confident, this was, after all, the first time he’d been so personally involved in such a major soul ritual.
Fortunately, after a few hours, the ritual was successfully completed. Seraphina’s wolf spirit began to glow faintly again.
After the ritual, Damien stayed by Seraphina’s recovery bed.
Only when Seraphina’s breathing steadied did he suddenly remember me.
Damien was just about to go back to the altar chamber to see me when he ran into the priest who had assisted with the ritual in the hallway.
Chapter 2
“My… Elara?” He paused for a moment before saying my name.
The priest thought for a moment and replied, “Hasn’t she already been sent back to her den?”
“Don’t worry, Alpha. After the ritual, someone will look after her. The she–wolves of the pack. will take good care of your… mate. The priest’s wording was a bit vague.
Damien didn’t dwell on the oddness of it. Instead, he thought the priest was right.
With him around, the pack wolves would at least look after things.
So Damien returned to his Alpha’s den to deal with a pile of pack business.
A day later, Seraphina woke up.
Damien had been by Seraphina’s side the whole time.
Phina, you’re finally awake. His voice was full of relief.
When Seraphina woke up and saw Damien, she cried excitedly, reaching out with arms that had regained some strength.
Damien went to her, hugged her gently, and felt the new life thrumming in her wolf spirit.
“Don’t worry, the ritual was a success.”
“Your wolf spirit won’t have any more problems from now on.”
Seraphina touched her chest, feeling that new strength.
The thought that the curse that had troubled her for years was finally gone made her cling to Damien and cry, burying her face in his solid chest.
Damien told her not to get too emotional and gently patted her back.
A she–wolf from the pack saw Damien being so gentle and teased him.
“The Alpha is so good to his future Luna.”
Damien froze at her words. It seemed he only then remembered his true Luna.
He thought of me, still in my den on the other side of the pack lands, and started to explain, “You’re mistaken, she’s not…”
Seraphina timely clutched her chest and let out a suppressed cry of pain, interrupting Damien.
Damien could only pat her back. “I told you not to get excited. What you need to do now is rest more so you can fully recover.”
Perhaps seeing Seraphina looking so pitiful, Damien suddenly thought of me again.
Chapter 2
It seemed he hadn’t actually seen me since the ritual.
“Phina, you rest well. I… I’ll go see Elara.“
As Damien was about to get up, Seraphina suddenly grabbed his hand, her fingertips icy.
“I went through this dangerous ritual behind my family’s back. This is a critical time for my recovery. If no one is with me, I’m afraid… I’m afraid I won’t recover well, and sister Elara’s and your sacrifice will be in vain.”
Damien looked at Seraphina’s tearful face, and his heart softened. He remembered them growing up together.
He also thought the pack wolves would look after me out of respect for him, so he relaxed again.
“Alright, I’ll stay with you a few more days.”
Only after Seraphina watched Damien sit back down did she slowly close her eyes with a faint, smug smile.
At the edge of the Darkwood, the low–ranked wolves in charge of waste disposal frowned at my discarded body.
“It’s been two days, and no one’s come for her. What do we do? Her scent… it’s strange. Like one
or Moon’s children, but also… empty.”
Another wolf was dragging a dead stag. “Who cares what she is! Let’s just get this done and go get our share of the food.”
So, the two of them wrapped my body in a rough animal hide and tossed it into a deep, natural ravine in the forest.
“Look at her, died so miserably. Doesn’t look like she came from any good pack.”
“Good or bad, once the carrion wolves get her, it’s all the same.”
“True. Shame, though
She smelled… like she would have been sweet once.”
