CHAPTER 143: YOUNG LILITH’S XV

*~Young’s Lilith POV~*

I kept running, faster than my legs could carry me, my breath tearing at my lungs. Behind me, Marcus was hot on my tail, his footsteps heavy, relentless, closing the distance with every second. My chest ached, my legs burned, but I pushed forward. I couldn’t let him catch me—not here, not now.

And then I stumbled. My foot caught a rock, and I crashed to the ground. Dirt scraped my palms as pain jolted up my knees. I gasped, twisting just in time to see Marcus lunging toward me, his eyes wild, torn between duty and something deeper.

But before he could reach me, another figure pounced. The impact was brutal—Marcus was slammed to the ground with a force that shook the earth beneath me. My eyes widened.

"Marcus!" I cried out before I could stop myself, my voice cracking with panic.

The figure holding him down was Jonathan. His expression was hard, unyielding, his hands wrapped mercilessly around Marcus’s throat. Marcus’s body thrashed under the weight, struggling for air.

"No!" My heart lurched in horror. Without thinking, I threw my hand out. "Versa!" The spell burst from me instinctively, and Jonathan was flung back, rolling across the dirt until he skidded to a stop.

He snapped his head up, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Lilith...?" His voice was sharp with shock and betrayal. "What are you doing? Why would you protect him?"

I scrambled and moved quickly, placing myself between Marcus and Jonathan. My body shook, but I stood tall, shielding Marcus with my own frame.

Jonathan rose slowly, fury in his stance, his hand closing around his battle staff. "Lilith, step aside. He’s one of them. Don’t you see? He’s a wolf, one of their leaders. He was working with Klaus! He is the enemy!"

"No," I said firmly, my voice trembling but resolute.

Jonathan’s eyes narrowed. "Then what is this? Why are you standing in front of him?"

I swallowed hard, my chest tight. "Because I love him."

The words slipped out before I could cage them. Silence fell between us. Jonathan froze as if the ground itself had turned to ice beneath him.

"You... what?" His voice broke, caught between disbelief and heartbreak. His grip on the staff loosened, and it clattered against the stone as it fell from his hands. His eyes widened, searching my face for some denial, some hint that he had misheard.

But I stood firm. "I love him. I’ve always loved him. Even before I became this... crescent. Even before this curse twisted my life apart. I was a wolf once too. I knew him before the world turned me into a monster."

Behind me, I could feel Marcus stirring, his breathing ragged but fierce. He rose to his feet and gently pulled me behind him, his hand warm and steady against my arm. His voice was low but firm.

"You heard her," Marcus said, his gaze locked on Jonathan. "She might be crescent, but she isn’t a monster. She’s more human than you, Jonathan."

Jonathan staggered a step back, his face stricken. "Lilith... you can’t mean this. How could you possibly love him? He’s one of them! He’s sworn to destroy us."

I shook my head, tears brimming at the edges of my eyes. "No, Jonathan. He loves me...You don’t understand. I was one of them too. I was a wolf before I became crescent, before I became a monster. You can’t erase that part of me. And I won’t let you erase him from my life either."

Jonathan clenched his fists, torn between rage and sorrow. "Lilith...you are not a monster" His voice cracked, almost pleading.

"I’m sorry," I whispered, my body trembling as I turned to face both of them. "But I will not let you kill him. Not now. Not ever."

"Lilith, please shift. You know I don’t want to hurt you. You know I’m in love with you, so please don’t do this."

But before I could respond, Marcus stepped forward, blocking Jonathan with his body.

"Marcus, please step back," Jonathan warned, his voice sharp. "She is mine, and mine alone. You’d better back off."

"Oh, Wolfie, calm down," Marcus shot back with a bitter smirk. "If it weren’t for her right now, I would have torn your head off already."

"Lilith, please shift," Jonathan pleaded again.

Marcus slightly pushed me behind him as the two of them squared off, ready to pounce at each other. My heart pounded with fear for Jonathan’s life.

"Please, stop! Both of you!" I cried, but my voice only seemed to fuel their anger.

"Lilith, run," Marcus said firmly. "I’ll handle Jonathan."

"Lilith, what are you doing?" Jonathan’s voice cracked with fury. "I will not allow you to betray the pack!"

"I’m sorry, Jonathan..." My hands trembled as I grabbed the folds of my gown, bracing myself.

"You are betraying us!" Jonathan spat.

"I’m sorry," I whispered again, tears burning my eyes. "Marcus, run!"

Marcus didn’t move. His stubborn blue eyes locked on me, unwilling to leave. My chest tightened.

"Marcus, why are you so stubborn? Run!" I screamed, shoving him back with all my strength. Tears streamed down my face.

Finally, he broke into a sprint, his figure vanishing into the trees.

Jonathan stepped forward to chase, but I threw out my hand. "Versa!" I shouted, pouring every ounce of power into the spell. Jonathan’s body froze mid-step, his face hardening as he strained against the hold.

"Lilith! Stop this! What are you doing?" His voice thundered, shaking with fury.

The force of his resistance burned through me. My muscles trembled, and sweat poured down my skin. Gosh—this guy was strong.

With a roar, he shattered the spell and lunged at me, slamming me hard against the wall. The breath was knocked from my chest as pain shot through me.

"Jonathan, you’re hurting me," I gasped.

"Then let me hurt you!" he roared, his grip tightening. "You let him go. God, Lilith, if I wasn’t in love with you—if you didn’t run through my head every damn second—I would’ve snapped your neck right now. I would’ve taken you down with him."

Tears blurred my vision. "While you threaten me, all I want is him... because I love him, Jonathan. I love him as much as I love you."

His jaw clenched. "You’re no longer a wolf. You’re a Crescent. Crescents belong with Crescents, so we can make more of our kind. Why can’t you see that?"

"I loved him before all this—before he became what you call a monster," I whispered.

Jonathan’s eyes softened for a moment, then darkened again. He rose closer, covering my mouth with his hand. "Don’t you ever call yourself a monster," he said fiercely. "You’re beautiful. The most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen." His fingers brushed a strand of hair from my face, and then his lips pressed against mine in a gentle, trembling kiss.

But when he pulled away, his voice dropped to steel. "I will find him, Lilith. And when I do, I will kill him."

"No!" I yanked him back, desperation burning in my chest. "You will not hurt him. You’re going to stay right here—with me. Either you kill him and kill me too, or you let him go... and keep me alive."

Jonathan froze. His chest heaved, his eyes searching mine. Then slowly, he stepped back. His expression was carved with rage and heartbreak.

"You’ve betrayed us, Lilith," he said coldly. "Don’t you ever come back. Tonight, you’ve ruined everything."

Suddenly, screams split through the night—agonized cries, sharp and familiar. My heart clenched. Those were Crescents. Our Crescents.

Jonathan’s voice broke through the chaos, trembling with fury. "You hear that? Those are our people dying. And you wouldn’t even let me save them. I’m so disappointed in you, Lilith."

His eyes, once filled with love, now burned with bitter finality. "Don’t ever let me set eyes on you again. Because if I do... I’ll be forced to kill you."

And with that, he vanished into the night, leaving me there wondering if I should go find Marcus or just disappear.