CHAPTER 135: YOUNG LILITH VII

*~Young Lilith’s POV~*

Seeing Marcus somehow calmed me down.The rage that had been coiled inside me for days eased, not entirely gone but quiter.

I don’t even know what to do anymore. I can’t go back to the Wolf Academy. I can’t attend classes with my peers like I used to. I can’t even step outside without feeling the eyes of the world searching for me. Gosh... I just want this to be over already. I want to go back to my old life—even though deep down, I know that life is gone. Forever.

Because I’m no longer just Hazel. I’ve become something else. Something the world must not see.

A wolf and a witch.

The words feel alien on my tongue, as if saying them out loud might curse me further. It doesn’t even sound real, yet here I am—living proof of the impossible. And now, I must face Dahlia again tonight. Face her and whatever twisted ritual she plans next. I can only pray this is the final stage because I don’t think I can endure much more.

Mom has distanced herself from me. She won’t look me in the eye. She no longer calls me to sit by her side like she used to, no longer fusses over me with soft, motherly care. And Father—he nods at me in the mornings, like I’m some stranger he’s forced to acknowledge. They’ve both stepped back from me, though not in the way a family should when protecting one of their own. It feels more like they’re... ashamed. Or afraid. As they should.

Not that I’m complaining. They betrayed me. They stood by while I was dragged into this darkness. Father made me into a monster. And Mother? She let it happen.

So, let them keep their distance.

Still, the house feels unnervingly quiet tonight. A silence so thick it clings to the walls, pressing in on me from all sides.

When night finally came, Father appeared at my door like he always does. His knock was soft, but I felt the weight behind it—command disguised as courtesy. I opened the door and followed him outside. Our usual carriage waited outside.

Mother was there too. She stood a few steps back, her face painted with sadness that.. it made my stomach twist. It wasn’t the sadness of a mother fighting for her child. No. It was the sadness of a woman who had already surrendered...who had convinced herself she could do nothing, and so she didn’t.

She could stop this.... Run to the alpha for help. Alpha klaus will definitely help.

I felt my chest tighten, an ache spreading through me like poison. I hope I never become like her. I hope I never stand by, helpless, watching my child be dragged into something so bad..

If I survive this—if I ever have children of my own—I swear I’ll protect them. I’ll fight for them. I’ll never just... watch.

Father climbed into the carriage first, and I followed, swallowing down the fear rising in my throat. Mother stayed behind, her sad little figure shrinking as the horses pulled us away. She didn’t wave. She didn’t speak.

In the carriage, I closed my eyes, desperate to escape my father’s presence, even if only for a moment. The silence between us was suffocating. Soon, a gentle tap on my shoulder stirred me—his way of saying we had arrived.

I stepped out and followed him toward the cave. Inside, everyone was already seated, their faces turning toward me as if I were the late, wayward child of this strange gathering. My gaze swept the room until it landed on Alice’s striking green eyes. She gave a small wave, beckoning me to sit beside her.

"Hi," she whispered when I sat down.

I nodded, unable to speak, as she squeezed my hand. Her skin was so cold it sent a shiver up my arm—like she had spent the night outside in the freezing air. My stomach twisted. What have they done to this girl? And where were her parents?

Not that mine were any better. But whoever had raised Alice must have been monsters of an entirely different breed.

The room settled into silence when Dahlia entered, her steps deliberate, her presence commanding. Unlike the first few times we had met her, she did not cover her face. Her dark hair framed sharp features that seemed even more severe without the mystery of a veil. I glared at her, refusing to look away, but then I noticed she wasn’t alone.

Someone followed her inside.

And when I saw who it was, my breath hitched violently.

No. No way. No way in hell.

Blue Moon’s Luna stood there—her rounded belly showing the clear signs of a three-month pregnancy.

My thoughts spiraled. Does she know? Does she know what Dahlia is doing to us?

If she did, then... then that meant the Alpha knew too.

No. Not Alpha Klaus. He seemed like a good, responsible leader, someone who would never...

But what was his mate doing here—with Dahlia—and pregnant, no less?

It wasn’t just me.

Every single face around the cave wore the same stunned expression—eyes wide, lips parted, breaths caught in throats. Our Luna was here. Our Luna.

She stepped forward, her posture regal, her hand resting lightly over her rounded belly as though it were a crown jewel.

"Good day, little wolves... and witches," she began, her voice soft yet commanding, laced with a strange warmth that felt wrong in this place. "I know you are surprised to see me here. Yes... I am part of this great association—an association destined to achieve extraordinary things. Things that will shape the future of our kind."

The words hung heavy in the air, but before anyone could speak, Alice’s voice cut through the silence.

"Peace?" she echoed, her tone sharp, her green eyes narrowed.

My head snapped toward her in shock. Alice—usually so quiet, so withdrawn—had actually spoken out.

She rose slightly from her seat, her voice trembling but clear. "I am not a wolf, but... aren’t you a Luna? Aren’t you supposed to protect the wolves? Aren’t you responsible for them? Why... why would you be part of something like this?"

The Luna tilted her head, and then, to my horror, she laughed. A soft, lilting laugh that seemed completely out of place.

"Horrible?" she repeated, amusement glinting in her eyes. "Oh, my dear... this is not horrible. This is peace."

She placed a hand over her stomach again, almost as if caressing the future. "Yes, I am a Luna. And as a Luna, I want my children to rule the most powerful generation of werewolves ever born. I know you feel uneasy—afraid, even—but if you truly look deeper, you will see... what we are building is not destruction. It is harmony. It is evolution."

Someone from the back shouted, voice shaking with rage. "We are not feeling harmony! You’re killing our wolves!"

The Luna turned toward the voice, calm as still water. She raised her hand—not in anger, but as though pacifying a restless child.

"No... we are not killing them," she said softly. "We are making them stronger. Far stronger than you could possibly imagine."

I couldn’t stay silent any longer. I shot to my feet, my voice cracking with fury. "Then why can’t I feel my wolf anymore?!"

Her gaze swept to me, and a slow, almost pitying smile curved her lips. "That is because your wolf has changed," she said, her tone maddeningly gentle. "It is no longer the same wolf you once knew. It has merged with you—become something greater. You and your wolf now share equal power. You no longer simply feel it... because you are it. Together, you control each other."

Her words made my stomach twist. Control each other? What did that even mean?

"That," she continued, "is the gift of being Crescent. You no longer need to wait for the moon. You no longer follow nature’s schedule. You can shift whenever you wish. You are free."

She looked around the room, her eyes gleaming with conviction. "Look at me, my darling children. Do I seem like someone who would support an organization that harms? No. I am here because this... this is peace."

"Lies. Lies. Lies!"

The boy from yesterday—the one who helped us escape the cave—screamed with a voice that shook the cavern. "This is bullshit! Why are you filling our heads with lies? This isn’t peace—it’s pain. It’s torture! And trust me, I will expose you to Alpha Klaus. The whole pack will know what you’ve done."

The Luna’s smile faltered, and she slowly turned her gaze toward Dahlia. A small feet of understanding passed.

The boy dropped to his knees instantly, coughing violently. Blood spilled from his mouth, staining the stone floor.

"Did you forget the part where I said this was a secret organization?" the Luna said coldly. Her tone was soft, almost motherly, but the cruelty behind it made my skin crawl. "Nobody must know about this. And anyone foolish enough to betray us will meet the same fate he’s about to face."

Dahlia stepped forward, dagger glinting in her hand. The boy’s breaths came in ragged gasps, his eyes wide with horror. My stomach twisted.

But then the Luna raised her hand sharply. "Don’t kill him. Not yet. We don’t have enough numbers. Killing him would only make our forces weaker."

Dahlia halted mid-step, lowering the dagger, though her expression remained murderous.

The Luna exhaled and turned away, leaving Dahlia to take over as she exited the cavern with a grace that made my heart pound in fear.

Dahlia’s voice sliced through the thick silence. "It is now time for the final part, children. Tonight, you will all be... clever."