The darkness was absolute. Not the gentle darkness of night, but something that seemed to swallow light itself, thick and suffocating.
Thor stumbled in the blackness, his hand reaching out to feel for the walls.
"Freya? Are you still..."
But she wasn't listening. In this moment of chaos, as explosions continued to rock the pack and Thor fumbled blindly around the room, something else was happening.
In the ethereal realm, the Moon Goddess stood with her arms crossed, watching the unfolding chaos with cold satisfaction.
"This is your first test to determine if you're capable of handling your divine purpose. Let's see how you sort this out. I hope you don't disappoint me." She said firmly.
Then she raised her hand, divine energy crackling between her fingers, directing it towards the direction of a certain vessel of hers whose picture she could see clearly even though they weren't in the same world,
"Let's see how you use this power." She stated.
The surge hit Freya like lightning.
Power flew through her veins, hot and electric, coursing through every nerve ending until she thought she might burst from the sheer force of it. She gasped, doubling over as her body struggled to contain the divine energy being forced into her mortal frame.
Then, as suddenly as it had come, the pain stopped.
Freya straightened slowly, and Thor's searching voice seemed to come from very far away. Something had changed. She could feel it in the air and in her bones.
"I have to do something. I have to help." She whispered to herself.
The moment she made that declaration, a crescent-shaped mark blazed to life on her forehead, glowing silver in the darkness. Her eyes began to emit the same surreal light, and suddenly the pitch-black room became as clear as day, for Freya only.
Thor was still stumbling near the door, his hands pressed against the wood as he tried to find the handle. He hadn't seen her transformation, couldn't see anything in the darkness that no longer hindered her.
Freya moved with newfound grace and purpose, her enhanced senses mapping out the room, the hallway beyond, the entire manor layout appearing in her mind like a blueprint. Her intelligence felt sharper, more focused, as if someone had cleared away fog she didn't even know had been clouding her thoughts.
"I need to assess the situation. I have to understand what is happening before I could help." She said in her mind as she surged ahead.
Moving silently, she slipped past Thor and out of the room, leaving him still searching in the dark.
Meanwhile, Thor had finally managed to find the door handle and yanked it open, stumbling into the hallway where emergency protocols were already in motion. He could hear Alpha Grimfang's voice booming orders in the main hall.
"Alpha" Thor called out, running toward the sound.
He got into the main hall where Alpha Grimfang stood surrounded by the handful of guards who had been stationed in the manor—six men total, all looking grim in the torchlight someone had managed to light.
"Thor! What's the situation in the east wing? Did you see anything?" Alpha Grimfang inquired immediately he heard the Zeta's voice.
"That woman, I mean, the rogue... she was warning me about a threat." Thor said breathlessly.
"What threat? She knew there was going to be an attack? Does that mean she is in on it as well?" Alpha Grimfang's eyes flashed with alarm, but before Thor could explain further, the Alpha was already moving.
"We need to get outside and assess the damage. Aiden, take two men and sweep the south corridor. Ethan, you and Williams check..." Kade was saying when his mind suddenly drifted to someone.
Soraya!
They had been together in bed when she suddenly stood up to go to the bathroom and she had just entered when the darkness fell upon the building and the explosion broke out. As an Alpha who had a lot to protect, Kade had quickly gotten out of bed, momentarily forgetting that Soraya was still in the bathroom.
"Williams, I need you to stay back here and find my guest, Lady Soraya. She is supposed to be in the bathroom. Keep her protected with your life." He commanded sharply.
"Yes, Alpha." Williams responded respectfully.
As the guards dispersed on their missions, Alpha Grimfang turned to the remaining three warriors, Thor and two others.
"You are with me. We need to see what we are dealing with out there." He instructed, the men instantly on their heels.
They moved toward the main entrance, and the moment they stepped outside, the smell hit Alpha Grimfang like a physical blow and his legs slowed down significantly.
Death. Destruction. Blood.
He could smell the three mixed together and his wolf stirred restlessly beneath his skin, memories threatening to surface: memories of another night, years ago, when this same smell had filled his nostrils as he had found his parents' bodies torn apart by Lycan claws.
"Not again, I won't allow my pack to be destroyed by some mindless beasts! Be it rogues, be it Lycans!" He whispered, his hands clenching into fists.
"Alpha?" Thor stepped closer, concern in his voice.
"Shift, all of you! We move fast and we move together." Alpha Grimfang commanded, his voice rough with suppressed emotion.
The transformation took only seconds. Four massive wolves now stood where the men had been, their enhanced senses immediately cataloging the chaos around them.
Alpha Grimfang's wolf was the largest, a magnificent pure black beast with intelligent amber eyes that now burned with determination and rage. He lifted his muzzle, catching the scent trails, and immediately began running toward where the destruction was heaviest.
The others followed, their paws hitting the ground with might as they raced through the pack territory.
After few seconds, they arrived at the center of the pack and the sight that greeted them made Alpha Grimfang's wolf stumble to a halt.
The lights had flickered back on in this section of the territory, revealing a scene that defied explanation.
"How the hell did she do that?" Kade yelled in his wolf's head.