Moonlit Vows Of Vengeance-Chapter 39: Upcoming Festival

Athena

The breeze picked up as I stepped off the field, brushing past the stone path that led back toward the inner quarters. I didn’t get far.

I saw the same she-wolf who’d been clinging to Jesse earlier. She stepped out from behind the corner of a stone archway like she’d been watching the whole time.

Her arms were crossed, chin tilted up, amber eyes sharp and burning with jealousy.

"Stay away from Jesse," she said without preamble.

I stopped, one foot still slightly ahead of the other. My gaze dropped to her hands tightly balled into fists at her sides. Then slowly, I looked up at her face.

She was younger than me. Less experienced. But bold.

And definitely very foolish.

I stared at her for a long moment, watching the flicker of uncertainty pass through her.

She shrank back for a heartbeat... then squared her shoulders again, lips tightening.

I almost admired the effort.

Almost.

I took a slow step toward her. "Can’t you see?" I said calmly. "He’s the one begging me desperately. On his knees, if I may add."

She flinched but didn’t move.

"If he’s your dog," I added coolly, "then keep him on a leash. And train him better."

"You think you’re so above everyone," she snapped, voice rising. "Strutting around like you’re untouchable. Just because the king favors you—"

"I don’t want Jesse," I interrupted, my voice sharper now. "I wouldn’t touch him if he were the last male standing."

She opened her mouth to speak again, but I stepped past her without sparing another glance.

"Find someone else to fight with," I said as I walked away. "This one’s not worth it."

She stood frozen in place.

I didn’t care to see her reaction.

Moments Later

When I finally got back to my quarters, silence settled over the space like a shroud. I let out a long breath and leaned against the door for a moment, closing my eyes.

So much noise.

So many drama.

I crossed to the small table by the window, poured myself a glass of water, and downed it in one long gulp.

Let them play their petty games.

Let Jesse grovel and his little she-wolf cling to his back.

I was done with all of it.

There were bigger things ahead. Like the rising threat we’d only just begun to understand.

And the missions still ahead of us.

Let them all burn in their own ambitions.

I had my path.

And it no longer included Jesse.

.... I laid down to rest for a little bit but when I woke up I was in a very strange place.

Where was I?

The moon hung low, a pale lantern in the velvet sky, but its light was shattered—fractured into shards that flickered like broken glass. The air was thick, almost too heavy to breathe. I stood alone in a vast void, yet the ground beneath me pulsed with a strange warmth, like a heartbeat beneath cracked earth.

My hands trembled, reaching out but touching nothing. Around me, whispers curled like smoke, weaving threads of sorrow and pain into my mind. They spoke of endings and beginnings, of a destiny I could neither grasp nor escape.

Suddenly, the ground beneath me cracked open like a wound. From its depths rose a colossal form, a beast both terrible and majestic, its fur a swirling tempest of darkness and light. Eyes like molten silver bore into mine, ancient and knowing. I could feel its breathhot, raw, and wild against my skin.

"You are the last," a voice echoed, not from its mouth but from somewhere deep inside me. "The final host."

I tried to speak, but my voice was stolen. The beast’s form began to shift, melting into shadows that wrapped around me like chains. My body felt heavy, parts fading, merging into something not entirely my own.

Pain lanced through my chest, a searing fire that consumed and forged. I saw visions, fields of silver wolves howling beneath a black sun, a shattered moon bleeding light across a darkened sky. Faces appeared, familiar and strange, their eyes filled with hope and fear.

A cold wind tore through the void, and the whispers grew louder, desperate. "Rise. Become whole. Restore."

My wolf surged within me, a wild roar threatening to break free, yet I was trapped, caught between worlds, between selves. freёnovelkiss.com

Then, darkness swallowed everything.

I fell endlessly until I hit a cold, hard stone.

My eyes snapped open.

I was drenched in sweat, chest heaving, heart pounding like a wild drum.

It was just a dream.

I tried to shake off the thoughts of the dream, but it clung to me like a shadowed mist, unshakable, wrapping itself around every thought, every single damn thought of mine. Even till now, hours later, it stuck at the back of my mind like a sound that I couldn’t silence.

I stood on the training field, half-heartedly throwing a dagger at a wooden post. It barely embedded itself, slipping out with a soft thunk and landing in the dirt. How useless.

Lucas stood off to the side, arms crossed. It seemed he had been watching me for a while, maybe not too long. I didn’t need to look at him to know his brow was furrowed.

"You’re behaving very strange," he finally said. "More than usual."

"I’m fine."

He snorted. "That’s what people say when they’re very much not fine."

I didn’t respond.

He stepped closer. "You haven’t been yourself all day and it’s quite concerning. Did something happen?"

I picked up another dagger. "No."

He exhaled slowly, then softened his tone a bit. "There’s a lantern festival today. At the outskirts of the city. It’s not too flashy. Just night fire, some food, music... it might be good for you to get out for a bit. So you can clear your head."

I glanced at him. "I’m not sure I want to go anywhere."

He nodded once. "Think about it."

I watched him walk away, the concerned look on his face telling me he didn’t believe me about being fine, not even one bit. But I didn’t call him back. I didn’t know what to say to him. Not when I still didn’t know what that dream meant.

I turned away too and made my way back to my quarters. The corridor wasn’t very bright, the torches flickering along the walls casting long shadows. I was almost at my door when a voice cut through the quiet.

"You’ve been getting awfully close to Lucas lately."

I jumped, heart lurching. I hadn’t seen anyone there, but now Marcus stepped out from the darkness.

"You startled me," I said, placing a hand on my chest.

He didn’t smile. "Oh, I’m sorry," he said apologetically. "I actually came here to ask you something."

"I was wondering," he began, rubbing the back of his neck, "if you’d want to go to the lantern festival tonight. With me."

I blinked. For a moment, all I could think about was the way he’d leaned against the wall with that lopsided smile, trying to sound casual but failing. His eyes had held that glint serious, but pretending not to be. Like the answer mattered more than he let on.

I almost said no. The word perched on the tip of my tongue, ready to fly.

But Marcus stepped back, hands raised just slightly. "You don’t have to give me an answer now," he added quickly. "Just... think about it. You can tell me later."

And with that, he turned and walked away down the corridor, shoulders a little more rigid than before.

I stood there for a beat longer, still and uncertain. The air felt oddly heavy after he left, as if his presence had stirred something in me, and now it was settling back.

Two invitations, I thought, turning toward my door.

What’s happening in the lantern festival? I asked myself as I entered my room. What’s up with those two..

The moment the door shut behind me, I felt the uncertainty close in.

I slipped off my cloak and hung it by the door. My boots followed. I padded across the stone floor and sat on my bed, staring at nothing in particular.

I didn’t really stay long in my room. Restlessness crawled beneath my skin like ants. I couldn’t sit still. I put my boots back on and stepped into the corridor, leaving my room behind.

My feet took me nowhere in particular. Just walking. Thinking. Overthinking.

Do I just decline both invitations?

Marcus looked so hopeful. Shy, even. I smiled a little.

Lucas wanted me to go along to cheer me up...

What do I do?

I stopped near the eastern garden, where soft laughter floated up from a group of young werewolves lounging by the stone benches. The late sun streaked their hair gold and amber as they spoke, their voices excited and loose with freedom.

"We’ll have so much fun tonight," one of them said. "The king is so generous, giving us the night off."

"Yeah! You guys, let’s strive to become the Lantern Kings!" another cheered, pumping a fist in the air.

"Yes, yes, yes!" They all laughed and howled together in good spirit.

Lantern Kings? What even was that?

Then it clicked.

My thoughts skidded to a halt and reversed, then looped into something much smarter.

Wait.

Why am I even choosing?

I could just say yes to both.

Take Marcus. Meet up with Lucas. One doesn’t cancel out the other. It’s a festival. People drift and crowd shift. I don’t need to pick sides.

I smirked to myself.

"I’m such a genius," I muttered under my breath.

The restless coil in my chest loosened. Maybe this night wouldn’t be so bad after all.

Maybe it would be exactly the kind of distraction I needed.