The tension in the air didn't ease as they moved through the forest, and Ariana's every step felt heavier, as if the weight of the secrets she now carried was trying to drag her down. The leaves crunched beneath her feet, the forest almost too quiet after their near escape. Every rustle of the wind through the trees made her flinch, half expecting another attack.
Liam's pace remained steady, his senses clearly on high alert, though he showed no signs of fear. Ariana marveled at his calm—how he could stay so composed with danger lurking so close. It was a stark reminder that this was his world, one filled with violence and power plays, curses and betrayal. She was just an outsider being dragged deeper into it, whether she liked it or not.
"We're close," Liam said after a long stretch of silence, his voice low but certain.
Ariana felt a surge of both relief and dread. The sooner they found Yulian, the sooner this nightmare could end—but the thought of facing him sent a chill down her spine. She still didn't fully understand the depth of Yulian's ambitions, or why the Moonstone was so vital, but if Liam's warnings were anything to go by, this was about more than just a feud between wolves.
It was about power.
They emerged from the thick underbrush into a small clearing, much like the one they had left earlier. This time, though, the atmosphere felt charged. A heavy stone altar stood in the center, worn and ancient, surrounded by tall, jagged rocks. The air here was different, dense with an energy that prickled against Ariana's skin. She shivered despite herself.
"What is this place?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Liam approached the altar cautiously, his expression hardening. "It's one of the old sites. Sacred ground for our kind. Long before the curse, these places were used to keep the balance between wolves and humans."
Ariana stepped closer, the weight of the history pressing down on her. "Balance?"
Liam's eyes darkened as he looked at her. "Wolves weren't always just predators. We had a role, a purpose—protecting the boundaries between the natural and supernatural worlds. But after the curse… everything changed. The balance was shattered, and it's only gotten worse with time. The Moonstone was part of that balance. Without it, things will only spiral further out of control."
Ariana's heart raced. "And Yulian wants to control that."
Liam nodded. "He wants to be the one who decides who holds the power—who controls the wolves, and who controls the humans. With the Moonstone, he can do just that. It would make him unstoppable."
Ariana clenched her fists, anger bubbling up inside her. "So what do we do? How do we stop him?"
Liam didn't answer right away. Instead, he reached into the pouch strapped to his belt and pulled out a small, polished stone. It shimmered faintly in the dim light, glowing with an otherworldly hue that seemed to pulse in time with her heartbeat.
"This is a tracker," he explained. "It's tied to Yulian's bloodline. It will lead us to him… if we're close enough."
Ariana watched as Liam placed the stone on the altar, its glow intensifying. Her pulse quickened, a strange sensation tugging at her as if the stone was calling out to her—no, to her blood. The curse, the connection between their families—it all seemed to converge on this moment, like a knot being pulled tighter and tighter.
"Why do I feel… that?" she asked, her voice shaky.
Liam glanced at her, his gaze softening just a fraction. "It's the curse. Your bloodline is tied to the Moonstone. To the power. You're more connected to all of this than you realize."
Ariana swallowed hard, her throat dry. She had felt that pull before, but this was stronger—like the curse itself was waking up inside her, growing more insistent with every passing moment.
Before she could dwell on it further, the tracker began to hum softly. The stone's glow flickered, growing brighter as it pointed toward a narrow path leading out of the clearing.
"He's close," Liam said, his voice grim. "We need to move."
Ariana's stomach churned with a mixture of fear and determination. She wasn't ready—how could she be? But there was no turning back now. She had come too far, and the stakes were too high.
They moved quickly, following the path as it wound deeper into the forest. The tracker's hum grew louder with each step, guiding them forward. Ariana's heart pounded in her chest, her senses on high alert. Every shadow seemed to shift, every sound amplified in the tense silence.
Then, just ahead, she saw it: a faint light through the trees, flickering like a distant flame. The path opened into another clearing, larger this time, and at the center stood Yulian.
He was tall, imposing, with the same sharp features as Liam but darker, more menacing. His eyes gleamed with a cold, calculated fury as he stood before a massive stone monolith, the Moonstone set into its center, glowing with an eerie blue light.
Ariana's breath caught in her throat. The Moonstone was real. And it was powerful—so powerful she could feel it from where she stood, its energy swirling in the air like a storm about to break.
Yulian's lips curved into a cold smile as his gaze landed on them. "Ah, Liam. I was wondering when you'd show up."
Liam stepped forward, his stance rigid, his voice like steel. "It's over, Yulian. Give us the Moonstone."
Yulian laughed, the sound sharp and bitter. "Over? No, brother. It's just beginning. You don't understand, do you? This is the future. With the Moonstone, we can be more than just wolves. We can be gods."
Ariana's heart pounded, the weight of Yulian's words sinking in. Gods. He wasn't just after power—he wanted total domination. And he was willing to tear apart the fragile balance between wolves and humans to get it.
Liam growled, his eyes flashing with fury. "This isn't about power. It's about survival. If you use that stone, you'll destroy everything."
Yulian's smile widened, his gaze flicking to Ariana. "You don't get it, do you? This is about freedom. About breaking the chains that have bound us for centuries. The Moonstone will give us the power to reshape the world—and with her bloodline, I can do it."
Ariana stiffened, fear lancing through her as Yulian's eyes bore into her. She could feel the pull of the curse stronger than ever, the weight of her bloodline pressing down on her like a vice. She was the key to all of this.
"You won't touch her," Liam growled, stepping protectively in front of Ariana.
Yulian's expression darkened, his eyes narrowing. "We'll see about that."
In the blink of an eye, Yulian moved, faster than Ariana could track. The air around them crackled with energy, and Liam leapt forward to meet him, their bodies colliding in a flurry of teeth and claws.
The battle for the Moonstone had begun.