Chaos reigned supreme, engulfing everything in its grip. Events unfolded at a frenetic pace, offering no respite to anyone caught within its clutches.
The air, once filled with merriment and celebration, had turned into an oppressive silence punctuated only by sporadic cries for help and the sounds of suffering. Corpses were scattered across streets and the former royal court, which had once hosted a grand wedding, now lay smeared with the blood of nobles who had been pushed to their knees, their lives hanging by a thread. The Alpha and his bride remained at the altar, their postures shifted from one of joyful union to one of submission, swords perilously pressed against their throats.
"Savages! How dare you invade our territory!" Sigmund XII's words erupted from his lips, accompanied by spittle propelled in fits of furious wrath. His voice encapsulated both his disdain for their captors and the visceral rage that surged within him. The desire to shift into his wolf form and tear into the flesh of their unwelcome intruders had long taken hold of him. Yet, an unseen force seemed to torment his wolf, inducing agonized howls within his mind.
"We can't shift," the leader of the wolf guards howled, his own power neutralized as he and his comrades knelt in enforced submission. "I'm certain it's them causing our wolves this pain."
"Engage us fairly, you cowards! You savages!" Sigmund XII's voice was laced with contempt and desperation. Forcing his power, he managed to grow his claws and launched himself toward his captor, still in his human form, aiming for their throat. However, an unseen restraint overpowered him, launching his human body across the room to collide with the wall.
"Alpha!" Lady Violet's anguished cry reverberated, her own attempt to reach him thwarted by her captors' grip. Desperation propelled her to grow her own claws, but her strength was insufficient to break free. Stripped of her power, she could only release her tears, wishing to awaken from the nightmarish ordeal that had overtaken her wedding.
Amid this grim tableau, a woman emerged from the entrance with a disconcerting appearance. A black snake draped across her shoulder, and her attire resembled that of a seductress, skirting the boundaries of modesty. Her lips bore a sinister black hue, and her eyes mirrored the darkness of the reptile she held. Behind her, a procession of imposing figures dressed in cloaks, their eyes as black as the void, followed suit. Beside the snake-adorned woman, was a child whose feet never touch the ground, also donned in a black cloak, but unlike all the others her eyes were of a natural shade of blue. The child gripped a candle, her expression blank and seemingly devoid of child innocence.
"What a romantic scene," the snake woman drawled, her words laden with a chilling undercurrent.
"The black wolves... they are the black wolves," a whisper of dread passed through the assembled nobles. The black wolves had emerged in the continent following the previous war, their origin shrouded in mystery. Rumors abounded that they hailed from a cursed lineage, having pledged their loyalty to the enigmatic black witch. In exchange for their lives, they were bestowed with dark magic, endowing them with abilities beyond the ordinary scope of their wolf nature. Since the war's end, they had sown violence and hostility across other kingdoms under the Lycan crown, yet none of their actions had been as audacious as attempting to conquer a prized territory like Moon Claw.
"This is Moon Claw territory. The black wolves have no right to defile a crown jewel, lest the entire crown hunts you down to the last of your bloodlines!" One of the nobles mustered the courage to shout at the newcomers. A reminder was in order, a declaration of the territory's significance and a warning that the Lycan crown would not permit it to be seized by a minor pack whose eyes bore the taint of darkness.
"Foolish," the black wolf child intoned, and instantly, the individual who had dared to challenge them began to struggle for breath. His hands grasped at his throat in a desperate bid for air, only to spew blood before collapsing onto the ground. The horrific spectacle etched itself into the minds of all who bore witness, leaving them awash in immediate terror. What manner of wolves were their captors, capable of such cruel feats?
"Well, well, so much drama," the snake woman mused with a roll of her eyes, turning her attention toward the now-awakened snake that rested upon her shoulder. Turning her eyes to the child beside her, she called "Gigi, restrain yourself from killing noblemen until we ascertain whether they might serve our purpose."
Her voice, laced with a peculiar mix of amusement and apathy, seemed to echo through the air, underscoring the chilling atmosphere that had descended upon the once-celebratory scene.
"Our mission is to find her and kill anyone who stands in our way," the child responded, her words carrying an air of detached determination. She floated over to the altar with eerie grace, her gaze honing in on the bride whose once-extended claws had now receded in the face of fear. "Is this her?"
Lady Violet's entire being trembled with terror. She had witnessed the child's merciless execution of the nobleman and, with their Alpha lying unconscious in a corner, her panic only escalated. "Who are you?" she stammered, her voice quivering. "What do you want from me?"
"She seems rather ordinary," the child remarked, moving to remove Lady Violet's veil for a closer examination. "Are you certain she's the one?"
"She's the Alpha's bride," the snake woman affirmed. "It must be her."
"My candle tells me otherwise," the child divulged, revealing an unexpected insight.
"What the hell, Gigi?" The snake woman's annoyance was palpable, her frustration evident at this unforeseen revelation. She, too, scrutinized Lady Violet, locking onto her trembling countenance. Pressing for an answer, she demanded, "Are you the Alpha's bride?"
Lady Violet's terror rendered her mute, a powerless witness to this perplexing ordeal.
"She's not the one," the child reiterated, her voice unyielding.
"Then where the hell is the Alpha Sigmund's bride?" The snake woman's anger erupted, her notorious temperament ignited by the realization of their mistake. Her pride wounded, she surveyed the room's occupants, her gaze demanding answers. "Tell me, where is the Alpha's bride?"
Panic and confusion now engulfed the once-grand royal court, as the unforeseen turn of events intensified the already tense atmosphere.
"Lady Violet is the only Alpha's bride, our soon-to-be Luna!" Madam Evie's voice pierced through the turmoil, her maternal instinct driving her to fiercely defend her daughter's honor even amidst the perilous situation. "My daughter Violet is the only one, and anyone who claims otherwise will be cursed by the Moon Goddess herself."
"Hahahaha, woman," the snake woman jeered, her laughter a chilling contrast to the gravity of the moment. "We are already cursed. Your threats hold no power over us." With a sinister confidence, she approached the corner where Madam Evie knelt, her grip lifting the woman's chin in a mocking display of dominance. "Your daughter, unfortunately, is a fake."
"She isn't! How dare you—" Madam Evie's fury was cut short, her intention to retaliate stifled as the snake locked eyes with her, its power instantly turning her body to stone.
"Sishshshshshhs," the snake hissed, and within moments, Madam Evie stood frozen in a petrified state, her transformation a shocking testament to the malevolent forces at play.
"Mother!" Lady Violet's agonized scream reverberated through the air, a desperate cry that punctuated the newfound silence. Her tears flowed freely as she witnessed her mother's fate, her grief consuming the once-celebratory royal court. "Mother!!!"
The snake woman's growing irritation manifested in her impatient actions. She extended her grasp to seize the distraught bride, her grip on Lady Violet's neck so firm that the young woman dangled off the ground with just a single hand. Despite her struggle, Lady Violet's attempts to claw at her captor proved futile.
"Now, tell me, you fake, where is the Alpha's true bride?" The snake woman's voice was laced with menace, her demand underscored by the dire threat that hung over everyone present. "Confess now, or I shall turn this entire room—and your entire territory—into stone. No one will be spared, not even the children or the women. I will inflict torment upon all until you surrender the Alpha's rightful bride!"
Lady Violet's gasps grew frantic as her strength waned, her vision blurring at the edges as she teetered on the brink of unconsciousness. But then, a familiar voice pierced through the despair, calling out from a distant corner.
"Don't hurt her!" Lilac's voice cut through the tension, a desperate plea to save her sister from the grip of the sinister intruders. "I am the one you seek!"