CHAPTER 18 – Red Moon Pack
Alpha Levi's POV
Micha and I arrived at the council hall, where meetings with the elders usually took place. We rushed inside, expecting something important… but of course, it was something ridiculous.
My dear pack members were still upset about losing the princess of… what was that pack called again? White something. Apparently, since she was gone, they believed I should replace her immediately—either by choosing one of their daughters or, even worse, selecting a Luna from another pack.
The arguments began immediately.
"If the Alpha can't choose my daughter, then why would yours be fit for the position?" one elder snapped.
Elder William scoffed. "Fit? Please. Do you know how many wolves have laid with your daughter? Meanwhile, my daughter is still pure and untouched!"
Another elder jumped up. "Both of you should shut up. My daughter rejected the Alpha of Crescent Moon for this pack! Everyone knows how much Crescent Moon hates us. She did it for Alpha Levi—she could have been Luna of a powerful pack, but she chose loyalty. That alone proves my Beatrice is the most worthy!"
Before more old fools could open their mouths, I silenced them.
"I understand what you're all trying to say. I know you believe this is for the good of the pack. But there's no need for this."
The entire hall went quiet. The elders stared at me, confused.
"I have found my mate. My second-chance mate. We will be together soon, so stop wasting your time."
Micha looked shocked, though he stayed silent. The elders, of course, were not so wise.
Elder Williams stood, daring to speak again. "Alpha Levi… who is this mate? I hope she isn't someone weak like the first one."
A growl ripped through me before I could stop it. Magnus surged forward inside my mind, ready to tear him apart. Even Micha beside me was furious.
I forced myself to stay calm, though my voice held cold threat.
"Whoever she is, Williams, it is none of your concern. You are suspended from these meetings until further notice. Leave. Now."
His face went pale. He opened his mouth to argue, but one more growl from me sent him running.
That stupid man dared to insult Michelle—our sweet mate. The one we didn't deserve. The one we failed to protect. And he called her weak.
After Williams was gone, the remaining elders became very careful.
"Alpha," one finally asked, "is she from our pack or another?"
"Another pack," I answered quickly.
How was I supposed to tell them I saw her through a portal? That she wasn't just from another pack—but possibly another realm entirely?
Before anyone asked more annoying questions, I dismissed them. They bowed and hurried out of the hall until only Micha and I remained.
He turned to me immediately. "So she's the one you saw through the portal? If you saw her there, doesn't that mean your mate might be from another realm?"
Now that he said it out loud… it made sense.
"The seer said something," I murmured. "She tried to say 'vamp—' before she started coughing blood."
Micha's eyes widened. "Vampire Realm…?"
We stared at each other in shock.
Another mystery solved.
But we weren't even close to the end.
There were too many secrets…
too many pieces missing.
And this was only the beginning.
~The Vampire Realm ~
Erin's POV
Turns out Mars is actually a cool guy—well, not cool in a friendly way. Not the type who smiles, jokes, or laughs. He is strict, silent, and painfully serious. His face always looks carved from stone, and his expression rarely changes. But beneath all that coldness, he has something… human. Something he hides very deeply.
During training, he observes every small detail. If I make a wrong move, he corrects me without words—just a stare that feels like he's piercing into my soul. Then, when I'm exhausted and panting on the ground, he gives me water and tells me to rest. No praise. No comfort. Just that quiet, steady voice telling me to keep going.
I still don't know if I should trust him.
Sometimes my instincts whisper, run from him.
He is dangerous. Too dangerous.
But something strange happened.
Ever since the day I looked into his eyes, my nightmares disappeared.
No blood.
No screaming voices.
No strange memories tearing through my mind.
Just peaceful sleep.
It was confusing. Almost frightening. Why would my nightmares stop the moment I met him? What connection could we possibly have? It felt like something inside me recognized him, even though I had never seen him before.
---
Today's training ended, and I collapsed onto the grass, breathing hard. The barriers on my powers were still there, but a few had finally cracked. Each time one broke, I felt power rush through me, sharp and wild, like pieces of myself waking up after years of being buried.
Mars stood beside me, arms crossed, watching the horizon like he was thinking about something far beyond this realm. The sky was dark purple, stars slowly appearing — beautiful and quiet.
For once, I wanted to talk to him like a normal person.
So I asked, "Do you have a family?"
He went completely still. His shoulders tensed, and for a moment, he didn't speak. When he finally answered, his voice was low and strangely soft.
> "I only have one person worthy of being called family. And right now… she doesn't know who I am. Even if she remembers, she will hate me. But I still love her."
The pain in his voice was so clear, it felt heavy in my chest.
Mars never shows emotion, but something broke through his mask in that moment.
He looked at me like he was staring at a ghost — like something about me reminded him of that person.
I tried understanding. "Is she… your lover?"
He shook his head.
> "No. She was a friend. A very good one. She was lovely."
The word lovely didn't fit him at all. It was gentle, warm, unlike everything about him. Which made it even scarier. Someone like Mars shouldn't sound gentle. It made his darkness feel deeper, like he was forcing pain into silence.
"So why do you think she will hate you?" I asked softly.
He looked away, jaw tightening. His eyes darkened, heavy with guilt.
> "Because I did something terrible to her."
I frowned. "You don't know that. People can forgive."
He laughed quietly, but it wasn't a happy sound. More like a broken one.
> "Not this. What I've done can't be forgiven."
Something inside me twisted.
Was he a villain pretending to be a hero?
"What did you do?"
He looked me directly in the eyes, cold and emotionless again, as if confessing the truth required him to shut down his feelings.
> "I killed her twin sister."
My heart stopped.
"You… killed someone?"
He nodded — calm, as if talking about the weather. That made it worse.
"You killed a person. That's—Mars, that's not something small! Why would you—"
> "It was a mistake. I lost control."
His voice was hollow. Empty. Like someone who had been drowning for years.
A mistake?
How do you mistakenly kill someone?
Anger rose in my chest, not for myself, but for that friend he betrayed.
"If I were her, I don't think I'd forgive you either," I snapped. "That's cruel. That's evil."
Mars didn't defend himself. He didn't argue. He didn't even flinch.
> "I know."
For a moment, neither of us spoke. The wind was cold, brushing against the training field. He turned away and picked up his cloak.
> "It's in the past now. Forget it. I'll be on my way."
He walked off slowly, not disappearing like he usually does, but walking like a man carrying chains around his heart.
When he was far enough, something strange happened inside me — guilt.
Why did I feel guilty?
Why should I feel anything for him?
He killed someone.
A twin sister.
The pain that must have caused…
Yet, the story didn't feel complete. There was something missing in his words. Something he didn't want to say. The way his voice trembled — the way his hands clenched — it didn't match the calm expression he forced onto his face.
He said he lost control.
Lost control of what?
His power?
His emotions?
His sanity?
Who was he really?
The rumors in the palace say Mars has no family, no friends, no lover. He is feared, respected, and avoided. But now I know there once was someone he cared about. Someone whose memory still haunts him.
A cold assassin shouldn't feel guilt.
A cruel man shouldn't have eyes filled with pain.
So why does he?
Why do I have this strange feeling that his past is connected to mine?
I wrapped my arms around myself and stared at the ground. My heart was beating fast, but not from fear — from confusion.
Mars is dangerous. Mars is terrifying.
But the way he said "I still love her" didn't sound like a monster. It sounded like a broken soul begging for forgiveness he knows he will never receive.
I don't know why, but a part of me wanted to ask him more. To understand what happened. To know the real story — not just the painful sentence he threw at me and walked away.
Because the one thing I'm certain of is this:
No matter how cold his face is… Mars is hiding a storm inside him.
And somehow, I feel like that storm is going to destroy everything — including me.