Adam's POV

Holding hands we make our way towards the Elder of the human village. The warmth from his fingers now replaced with a distant coldness that I feel creeping up my spine. I look behind me to see Aeon placing Thomas down after he woke up just a minute or two after his short but reasonable outburst. My sight lingering from the two and instead landing on the bright eyed person I call my mate.

"Something wrong?" He innocently tilts his head in confusion

"Not at all" I faintly smile, quickly turning my head and speeding up a little

"So it's okay for you to just be out like this?" Yasmine practically skips beside Aeon, trying to match his large steps

"Yes" He simply replies but not convincing her at all. And she does make a valid point, although the humans surrounding us. Only some stare, the others are going about their own daily routines as if nothing unfamiliar is passing them. Some kids even running up to him just to gawk at in amazement, a refreshing but unsettling reaction compared to what humans usually believe about us.

"Die!" The little boy from before jumps out in front of Percy, leaping with his arms first as if swinging down with something. A small shake erupts Percy's body causing me to tense up for some reason.

"Arthur, isn't it?" I question him to admittingly distract myself

"Yeah!"

"Where's your sister?"

"She's with the Elder!"

"Alright thanks kiddo" I brush past him a little, rubbing my hand against his hair and messing it up. His small pout reminding me of my own little brother, the similarities in their facial expressions making me laugh a little. He stares with an annoyed look at me as I deserve, lingering a little before hopping past the others and disappearing into the crowd of people.

-

"I'll remain here" Aeon firmly states before turning his back to us

Understanding his size wouldn't even be able to fit I don't argue with him, "Saul, we'll be leaving now" I take the steps upward toward his bedside, watching as Nimue gently folds the bed sheets up

"Oh hey guys! You're looking for Saul? He was just at the front gates, he didn't want to let you guys pass him withou-" Her sentence lost as a rumble of the floor causes her to fall onto the bed

"The fuck was that!?" Yasmine exclaims before Thomas leaps towards the front door, opening it and practically throwing himself out.

"What do you see!?" We all follow him out, the door remaining open while we look at him motionless with eyes towards the sky. Slowly raising his arm to point at it.

"Look" He breathes out in defeat

Gathering together we all behold the storm that swirls in the sky in an area not too far off from here, "The Moonlit Pack" I call out.

"Where's Aeon?" Percy ignores the scene painted in front of him, staring around before darting towards the gates after his eyes lock onto something.

"Percy wait!" Thomas shouts while running after him, looking back to encourage us to follow.

"Exciting!" Nimue screams before doing exactly that

"Fuck it"

-

"Elder!" She runs towards the man who's leaning against the wooden wall, an approaching pure white wolf that shares near equal size to my own as well a few smaller ones behind them. Stopping in their tracks once Aeon steps in front of the Elder in a protective stance.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

"An Alpha?" Thomas questions, running directly towards them without hesitation.

"Wait you idiot!" She tackles him to the ground, sliding just before reaching the two wolves. Tilting her head up to stare it in the eyes.

"Yasmine" It speaks before unshifting, the fur retracting into the flesh and bones repositioning themselves into the humanoid stance.

"Yue?" Yasmine takes off a layer of clothing to cover Yue's body, jumping off of Thomas' squashed body and helping her instead.

"Thanks" He groans with his face in the mud only to be ignored by the two.

"Please! My pack!" She falls to her knees, crying out with a heart weakening sob. I stand to comfort her but she suddenly steps back in shock, "There's more of them!?" Her eyes shift between us, landing on Aeon and pausing before tilting her body past my own, now staring at Percy with her yellow lit eyes.

"Percy...Adam what's wrong with him!?" He walks forward only for her to flinch back

"Calm down Yue it's just Percy!" I reach for her, managing to settle her in place but her head continues to shake in denial.

"Adam that...isn't Percy, he's smiling!"

I stare behind me for a moment, my mind settling on Percy's facial expression briefly shifting but my heart refuses to believe her.

"And that's...a Lycan?" Her interests shifting towards Aeon as he stares with interest in her, "Those eyes...you're the one that left us unprotected!"

"What does she mean Aeon?"

"I do not know" He walks towards her, leaning down to stare into her eyes as they both light up.

A brief pause before he steps away from her, "Oh."

"Oh? That's all you can say!? You destroyed the one thing that protected our pack!" She swings her arms through the air in frustration, realising some light that causes the members behind her to growl with anger.

"What does she mean Aeon?" Yasmine questions while picking Thomas off the floor

"The lake. I opened it up."

"You mean back when you first saw us!?"

"Yes" He looks away a little, seemingly annoyed at his actions but not fully able to express it with his animal facial features.

"That man had the eyes of an Alpha! You let another Alpha into our home!" She screams towards him, the action causing him step towards her again.

"Who?" He stares into Yue's eyes once again, her yellow hue expressing itself as she shares a memory with him from what I can presume.

"So that's him..." Aeon ponders out loud while I question her

"Yue with all due respect there aren't any other Alphas. There's me, you and Keyon. At least not counting siblings or people like my father."

"Adam he had them...trust me." She strokes similar white wolf next to her to calm herself down

"That's Melanie right?" Percy runs up to the wolf only to be stopped by Yue's foot stomping in front of him.

"Adam, I'm sorry. But-"

"So what happened exactly?" I cut her off not wanting to hear it again, shifting the attention to the reason behind her tear filled eyes

"They came through the hole, pouring in like water. Repeating one after another like a hivemind "Find it", we saw it coming. At least some of us did, there wasn't enough time to spread the warning to everyone...my family. The blood scattered throughout the lake, both rogue and member alike their bodies just got tossed into the lake, breaking down as if in a stomach from their impurities."

"And you said there was a man?"

"Reve" Aeon answers my question, marching through the group of wolves and heading towards the dissipating spiral in the sky. Ignoring the growling and howls of the members. "I'll return Saul" He calls out before a torrent of wind replaces his body, beaming towards his destination. He's never directly addressed someone before...

"Yue I'm sorry we took so long, but we need to head to your pack right now."

"It was my own failure as an Alpha that lead to this, we were too slow on repairing the damage. But how do you possibly plan on countering so many numbers of them?"

"I ordered my Beta to meet up with us alongside our packmates, something similar happened to Daybreak not too long ago and he came to my pack just after."

"Wait why would he leave yours untouched!?" She gasps in fear

"I'll explain it while we head back, but-"

"Why are we waiting here!? Follow the man!" Yasmine cuts me off, slapping Thomas on the head and engulfing herself in flames and shifting to chase up to Aeon.

"Really!?" He yells, following suit and shifting after her

"They're correct, we cannot wait here any longer if we do wish to take action. I don't need the explanation, your actions mean enough to me." She shifts, turning and howling towards her members as they follow her along with the others. Hearing their paws slam across the ground and grow distant when I come to a realisation. Percy can't shift.

"I'm sorry, Nimue and Saul. We'll come back at some point but thank you for letting us stay"

"No worries! We'll be here" She waves off while guiding Saul back to the village, his hope filled gaze still lingering on us before the gates shut.

"Percy you're going to have to ride me or something"

"Won't be the first time" He laughs, standing from the floor and dusting his clothes down.

"I guess not" I take in the sound of my mate's laughter, smiling before falling to my hands and mimicking the others. The black fur bursting through my skin and uncomfortable sensation of bones repositioning themselves within my face and joints.

"Get on" I stare at near eye level to him, my wolf still remaining slightly bigger than his human size, cute. Leaning down to let him get on and howling to signify my advances to the others. Feeling Percy's chest lean down against my back as he slightly struggles to hang on with nothing to grab other than pieces of my fur. Painful as it is I let him be, anything to make him feel safer.