Chapter Ten
The Breaking Point
The night was long. The stars above Silverwood Palace flickered dimly, as though even the heavens knew the war that was about to begin. A tension thick as fog hung over the land, seeping into every corner, every soul. I could feel it in my bones — something dark, something dangerous was approaching.
And I wasn't sure I was ready for it.
⸻
Liam's arms were around me, strong and reassuring, but beneath that comfort lay a storm. His eyes — the same eyes that had once burned with desire for me — were now filled with a cold, calculating rage. The anger that fueled him, the same anger that had made him feared by all, was now trained on Ren and Isolde. I had seen him as a king, as a lover, but tonight, I was seeing something else: a predator.
The events of the chapel still echoed in my mind. The power I had unleashed. The fear in Isolde's eyes. The way Ren had looked at me — like I was a mere pawn, to be used, tossed aside, and forgotten. I would not let that happen.
⸻
Liam's voice broke the silence, low and commanding. "We move at dawn. Prepare yourself, Lola. This is not a fight you can run from."
I nodded, though my heart thundered in my chest. I had always thought of myself as an innocent, a girl who didn't belong in this savage world. But now, as the prophecy surged within me, I knew the truth. I was no longer just a victim of circumstance. I was the savior, and my fate had already been sealed.
⸻
Dawn broke slowly, painting the sky with hues of red and gold. The land was eerily quiet, as if the earth itself was holding its breath, waiting for what would come. I stood at the edge of the palace, overlooking the valley below. My wolf side was restless, the transformation stirring deep within me.
Liam appeared beside me, his presence like a thunderstorm in the distance — powerful, unpredictable, and dangerous. His fingers brushed my arm, sending a shiver down my spine. "You feel it, don't you?" he asked, his voice husky with an emotion I couldn't name.
I nodded, my senses heightened. I could feel the shift in the air, the weight of a thousand forces coming together. This wasn't just a war for the throne. It was a war for survival.
"You were born for this," he said, his gaze never leaving mine. "You are the key to everything, Lola. Without you, Silverwood will fall."
His words struck me like a physical blow. The responsibility that rested on my shoulders was immense, suffocating. But I wasn't just going to survive this. I was going to fight. I was going to win.
⸻
The sounds of preparation echoed through the palace as we gathered our forces. Liam was a master of war, and every move he made was calculated. The Silverwood pack would fight at his side, their loyalty unwavering. But there was one thing he had not yet told me.
The battle against Ren and Isolde was not just for power. It was for something far darker.
⸻
Nightfall came quickly. We had tracked Ren's scent to the forest's edge, where the trees grew thick and ancient. The moon hung heavy in the sky, a reminder that we were creatures of the night. But I wasn't just a creature anymore. I was something else — something more.
As we moved deeper into the forest, I felt the energy within me shift. The silver crystal around my neck pulsed, sending waves of power through my veins. My senses were sharper than they had ever been. I could hear the whisper of the wind through the trees, the rustle of leaves, the faintest heartbeat miles away. It was overwhelming, intoxicating, and terrifying.
"We're close," Liam murmured, his voice low and steady. "Stay close to me, Lola. No matter what happens, stay close."
I nodded, though a part of me wanted to pull away, to run, to embrace the wildness that was building inside me. But this wasn't about me. It was about Silverwood. It was about the prophecy.
⸻
The clearing appeared suddenly, a perfect circle of stone, ancient and worn by time. In the center of the clearing stood Ren, his back to us, his dark silhouette bathed in the pale light of the moon. Isolde stood beside him, her eyes cold and calculating.
"You should not have come here," Ren said, his voice mocking. "This is not your battle, Lola."
His words stung, but I didn't flinch. I had come too far, fought too hard, to turn back now.
Liam stepped forward, his eyes blazing. "It is my battle. And you will pay for what you've done."
I felt a sudden shift in the air. A crackling energy, dark and malevolent, rose from the ground. The forest seemed to grow still, as though holding its breath. Ren's smile twisted, and for the first time, I felt true fear. But it wasn't fear for myself. It was fear for everything I had come to love.
"This is where your story ends, Liam," Ren said, his voice dark with venom.
Isolde's laugh cut through the tension like a blade. "You think you can stop us? We've already won. The child inside me will be the one to fulfill the prophecy. Not you, Lola. Not you."
I froze. The child. Isolde's child. The one they had thought would be the savior.
A sharp pain cut through my chest, a betrayal that echoed through my very soul. For the first time, I doubted everything. Had I been wrong? Had the prophecy been mistaken? Was I really the savior, or had they been right all along?
But the silver crystal at my neck pulsed again, stronger this time, its light growing brighter, almost blinding. The wolf inside me howled, and I knew.
It was me. I was the one.
⸻
Without warning, I shifted.
The pain was excruciating, but it was also liberating. The beast inside me roared to life, powerful and untamed. I was no longer just Lola. I was the Luna, the alpha, the savior.
I lunged at Ren, my fangs bared, but he was ready. He blocked my attack, his own claws tearing into my flesh. But the pain was nothing compared to the power surging through me. I was a force of nature, unstoppable, unbreakable.
Liam fought by my side, his own wolf form tearing through Ren's forces with a savage ferocity. The battle was brutal, chaotic, but there was a rhythm to it. A pulse that beat in time with my own heart. We were unstoppable.
But then, a cry echoed through the clearing.
Isolde.
She fell to the ground, clutching her stomach, her face contorted in pain. The baby. Her baby.
I stopped for a moment, frozen. Was this the end? Had the prophecy really been about her child all along?
Liam caught my gaze, his eyes filled with understanding. "Finish this, Lola. Now."
The words were a command, but they were also a plea. This was my fight.
⸻
I turned toward Isolde, my wolf instincts screaming for justice. With a single move, I attacked, my claws slicing through the air. The force of my strike was enough to send Isolde tumbling to the ground.
Ren roared, his fury consuming him, but it was too late. His plan had failed. We had won.
⸻
But the moment of victory was short-lived.
I stood over Isolde's crumpled form, my chest heaving with exertion. The battle was won, but the war was far from over. The prophecy had been fulfilled, but the consequences were just beginning.
The child inside Isolde stirred, a new force to be reckoned with. And I realized, with a sinking feeling in my stomach, that this was only the beginning.