Chapter 82: Chapter 81

Chapter 81 – The Strategy

“Shatter me! Somebody make me feel alive and shatter mer – Shatter Me by Lindsey Stirling & Lzzy Hale

Third Person POV

“We got it,” Endo announced. “Miss Raina, cut the connection now.”

They uncovered the location of the missing women. The members of both Zircon Moon and Garnet Moon rejoiced in delight that their direction was clear. Nothing was preventing them from rescuing Phoebe and Kiya. Onyx, deep within Neron, howled because he was one step closer to having his mate again. The monsters who took her away from him and his human would pay in blood.

However, the unanticipated burst of defiance from their Beta Female caused them to backtrack. Sweating profusely with a throbbing headache, Raina shook her head. “No! I’m not!”

“I must advise against that.” The witch warned. “You’ve already exerted enough energy. Stop now.”

Raina didn’t listen. Her refusal worried her loved ones but powered her resolve. She continued to push more effort into the connection with the aid of her wolf, Cyra. Both worked harmoniously to connect to their sister and sister wolf. The strength of the fortitude proved fruitful, for it was powerful enough to awaken Kiya from

her state of unconsciousness.

“What the hell?” Kiya shrieked. The volume of her voice was loud in Raina’s mind, their sisterly bond forging a

clear mental connection.

“Kiya! Oh, thank Goddess, are you okay?”

“Raina? How the hell are you in my head?”

“I don’t have time to explain. Where are you?”

“I don’t know! I’m in this place with other avatars. Phoebe’s here too, but I don’t know where she is.”

“The good thing is that we’re looking for you both. We’re coming, baby sis.”

“The leader has me! His name is-!”

The connection abruptly severed, shattering the focus Raina had. As if someone forcibly ripped the link from both sides. The crackling mystical energy ceased to nothingness, the flames blew out, and the crystals stilled like ordinary rocks. The woman groaned before falling backward, caught by a panicked Valerian.

Ashley and Steven surrounded their eldest daughter, checking her breathing and wiping sweat off her forehead. Endo sighed in relief when Raina’s chest continued to rise and fall with signs of life. “Thank Goddess Hekate. Miss Raina will be fine. She just needs rest.”

“Is she hurt?” Valerian growled. “Because if she is!”

“She isn’t. Your wife willingly pushed forward, despite my warnings. That is a choice she made. I’ve done all I can. It’s because of her we have the location on the missing women.”

He pointed to where the blood was on the map. “They never left the state.”

Chapter 1 – The Strategy

“That’s in the middle of nowhere,” Anthony muttered as he glared hard at the parchment. “Far from any known cities.”

“A perfect place to hide kidnapped avatars.” The witch muttered, eyes narrowing. “Nevada is a big state and to travel to their location would take hours on foot.”

“We’re fast. We can cut that time in half as wolves.” Neron announced, rising to his feet. “As much as I want to leave right now and rescue her, we’ll depart in the morning.”

“What?” Ashley exclaimed, brown eyes alight with anger. “Alpha Neron, we should leave now! Anything could happen to Kiya from now to the morning. We can’t waste any time!”

“Ashley, think, we don’t know who we’re up against. They have the manpower to kidnap avatars who are known to be powerful. It took work to cover their tracks. We couldn’t detect them without the spell. If they’re skilled to leave no evidence of their trail, then they’re skilled enough to hide their kidnapees from the world’s view and that takes both resources and power.”

“Look around you.” He gestured to his surroundings. “Our warriors are still recovering from Cerberus‘ assault, myself included. We must be at our best to save the women and the other avatars. I’m not sending my soldiers ill–equipped and unhealed into another fight because you want to rush.”

“Kiya’s strong…” Everyone turned to see Raina, weakened in the arms of her husband. “She’ll…she’ll survive.”

“My love, please save your strength,” Valerian whispered lovingly, lifting her bridal style. He left the common room to put her to bed. Neron turned his attention back to the group, ordering them to head to bed as well. They’ll be up before sunrise for the rescue mission. Omega Cassandra led Alpha Anthony and his parents to their rooms for the night.

The tension between Nikolai and Jonathan, who remained silent throughout the spell, was as thick as butter. Both shared a heavy look before separating. That left father and son alone in the common room, with Neron walking to the window. The silvered light of the full moon peeked through the window curtains, dotting his skin and shirt.

“You spoke like a true leader tonight, son,” Jonathan commented. “I’m proud of you.”

“Thank you,” Neron answered, void of emotion. He watched the curtains flail gently from the breeze through the opening. There wasn’t much he wanted to say to his father. Anger still simmered within him for how he disrespected Kiya back at the hospital.

Jonathan wanted to say more. To remind Neron of his goal. To remind him to keep Kiya on a tighter leash because she’ll stray, willingly or not. To remind him that Kiya is his ticket to greatness beyond his wildest imagination. Neron had the potential to be better than him, to be the Alpha of all Alphas, but his weakness irritated him.

Why was he slow? Why did he continue to put Kiya’s needs above the pack? All he had to do was mate, and the avatar’s power would be shared. He would become untouchable, and yet, he refused. All because Kiya. continues to run from her fate as Luna.

Never had he met a woman reject the throne of Luna. Many she–wolves of Zircon Moon would kill to be in Kiya’s position. Luna was a title of respect and power, but she continued to run. How to make her realize that the more she runs, the quicker destiny would catch up to her? She must love his son. She must bind herself to him. She doesn’t have a choice.

Chapter al The Strategy

That’s where she belongs. Jonathan thought.

Realizing that Neron was not up for conversation, he departed to his home, leaving his son alone in the silence. His thoughts were taken up by his beautiful mate, wondering if she was well. Despite the distance separating and weakening their bond, Neron received very faint inklings of Kiya’s well–being. She was exhausted. How could he sleep if she was not? How could he eat if she isn’t? He couldn’t reward himself with the luxuries of comfort when Kiya was imprisoned in the arms of another man.

“Wait for me, Kiya.” Neron made a silent vow as the full moon came to view from the curtains. It was a vow to his mate and to the Moon Goddess whose silver eyes observe him. “I’m coming.”

Nadia–The Next Morning

Humans are weak. The hybrids say.

If she wasn’t bound to Lord Osiris, she would have been cast out like trash. The hybrids also say.

How could creatures be so heartless? Blessed with dual abilities, they use them for darkness. But it was true; if I wasn’t mated to Osiris, I would not be walking through these halls now,

God, I long for the sun on my skin again. The freedom of the outside world like how my life used to be before I met him. Now, it was full of gloom and isolation. Because Osiris was a hellbent vigilante who blamed the world for his suffering.

My heart could no longer reach him, no matter how hard I tried. He doesn’t look at me with love anymore. The blazing heat of his admiration and dedication faded when he decided to be a crusader of darkness. He couldn’t fight the influence that had been brewing in him since birth. How much of a fool am I believing that the love of a human was powerful enough to combat the force of his chaos?

Even as he uses his fellow avatars for his dark deeds. Committing such crimes against his kind as representatives of the gods is horrid. It was a miracle why none had struck him down. It was because Apophis‘ hold over him is so powerful that no other god could sever their connection.

But this must stop! It had to. No one deserves to live like this, mindless with their willpower stripped away.

I watch the avatars, powerless by the enchanted cuffs on their wrists and robotic because of being drugged, obey commands from the hybrids without question, like watching zombies do the bidding of their master.

Magic and drugs make a dream concoction for power–hungry creatures.

I watched Kiya, light void from her eyes, gather supplies for Osiris without trouble. Her movements were controlled and stiff, like a machine. My mate had her under his control, stripping her of her self–control. Scopolamine and wolfsbane were responsible for her altered state, control the human and the wolf at the same time. Neither could fight back.

It’s time to end this, and I know Lucien feels the same. He was Osiris‘ best friend and had been vocal about his disgraceful actions from forming this underground society to kidnapping innocent people, but even he couldn’t pierce through his black heart.

But it was prime time I did something about this. Osiris would hurt me, but I don’t care. These avatars needed. to be freed.

Chapter 1 – The Strategy

Before Kiya could walk back to him, I pulled her to the side. Like a doll, she doesn’t respond. She only moves when she must. I hated seeing her like this. I knew there was a fighter in her, and I needed to bring it out of this drug–induced haze. We abandon the supplies in a heap on the ground.

Pulling her into an empty room, I grab her shoulders and shake her hard. “Kiya, please! Wake up from this nightmare! You aren’t indebted to Osiris; you need to fight this!”

She didn’t respond. She could only respond to her influencer and it angered me. In fury, I rip the enchanted cuffs off her wrists, hoping her avatar powers could help her break free.

“Wake up!” I yelled in her face, looking deep in her lifeless brown eyes. “This is not you. You aren’t a servant. You aren’t a slave. You’re a werewolf, and wolves fight. They claw, they scratch, and they don’t give up. You don’t give up! Think about the people who care about you, the people that love you. They wouldn’t want to see you like this, would they?”

Just as I thought I couldn’t reach her, a glimmer of hope appeared before my eyes. Kiya began blinking rapidly. With every blink, I see the light of her willpower glow and fade. But with each appearance, it grew stronger.

I don’t know if it was her fighting. Or her wolf. Perhaps it was both, but she was coming through. With a tearful smile, I grip her shoulders tighter. “That’s it. Fight it! Deviate! You’re in control, not him!”

I knew the wolfsbane in her system would hold back her wolf, but something told me that wouldn’t be much of a problem, she was the avatar of a Moon Goddess. She was the strongest wolf on earth, and now with her powers unblocked, Kiya would reach her full potential.

The light came back. Dazzling. The woman looked at me, fully alert. She had every reason not to trust me, but through our silent stares, I knew that we needed to work together on th

I’ve been developing a plan for the avatars to escape, and it was time to execute it. We must stop Osiris.

“I’m getting you out of here.”