*~Cayden’s POV~*
"Aurora... are you sure this is the route?" I asked tightly, my eyes darting across the dense forest that now looked unfamiliar. We had stopped in what felt like the middle of nowhere.
No direction to go further.
Aurora turned slowly, frowning. Her brows furrowed. "Oh my God..." she whispered. "We passed the wrong route."
My heart dropped. "What?!"
And then I shrieked. "Turn back!" I ordered.
Without hesitation, we shifted and tore through the forest, our paws slamming against the earth as we raced back—faster than before, furious with ourselves. My wolves moved behind us in formation.
I paused. Hazel.. Her scent was everywhere. I froze, nostrils flaring as I inhaled. She had been here. Not long ago.
I turned to Aurora, and she was already looking at me, her expression mirroring mine. Eyes wide. Breath caught. She smelled it too.
But then—why? Why did it feel so distant now?
"We just—left—for a few minutes," I whispered, more to myself than to her. "How could she have disappeared so fast?"
I growled lowly and flashed ahead, my wolves fanning out once more. We searched again every inch. Still... nothing. She was gone.
Gone, and then, from the shadows, a silhouette appeared. A figure, walking slowly, unsteady.
Aurora gasped and rushed forward, her voice trembling. "Hazel?"
But as the figure stepped into view, a voice broke through the silence.
"No..." I growled. "No" It wasn’t Hazel.
"Lilith," Aurora said through gritted teeth, her voice cracking with restrained rage.
Aurora reached her in seconds, but Lilith was already clinging to something— Something she hid quickly behind her back when she noticed us. I caught a glimpse of it, but it wasn’t Hazel. If it wasn’t the twins. Then it does not matter.. the only thing that mattered... was Hazel.
"She was here," I murmured. "If we had walked together from the start... if we had teamed up.."
"We could’ve found her," Aurora finished, her voice laced with regret. "We shouldn’t be blaming each other now. What matters is that she must still be close. She can’t have gotten far."
Just then, all my wolves returned. One of them came forward, panting.
"They are no longer in this forest," he said, eyes solemn. "But... we found a human. Just one. He was on the forest floor. Crying."
My heart twisted. "Bring him here."
The pack nudged the man forward. A scrawny, wide-eyed human stumbled out, covered in dirt and leaves, trembling from head to toe. He fell to his knees before me, tears streaking down his face.
"Talk," I barked.
"I-I saw a man," he said quickly, "he had a woman with him... and she was carrying twins. Two babies. He stopped my car—he came out of nowhere and just... made me stop. I didn’t want to but... I couldn’t help it."
"Then what happened?"
"He dragged me out," the man sobbed. "Told me to leave. And I did. I don’t even know why. I just started walking. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t move on my own. It was like... like he got into my head. And then..then I saw my car speeding away. And that’s when I came back to myself. I..I don’t know what he did to me. I just... he took my car! I use that to feed my family, man..."
He was crying now, completely broken. I clenched my fists, rage bubbling inside me.
"Cyrius," Aurora muttered, voice low. "He can compel people. Control minds."
I growled, the sound rising like thunder in my throat. "And now he’s no longer in New Orleans."
The weight of those words settled heavily over all of us.
He was gone with Hazel and the twins.. "Fuck!" I roared, slamming my hand into a nearby tree, splintering the bark.
He had escaped. Again.
Lilith’s POV
Everything is going perfectly according to plan.
Every step. Every twist. Every deception.
Yes, I saw Hazel and Cyrius. They were locked in a brutal clash or whatever romance was going on there. The babies—those precious, powerful little things—had been pushed aside in the chaos. I could’ve helped her. I could’ve struck Cyrius down and led them all home like some grand, noble mother and grandma.
But why would I do that?
I finally had access to the babies. That’s all I needed.
A single drop of blood. Just enough to awaken the sleeping roots of my Crescent bloodline.
I walked toward them slowly. A boy. A girl. Just as foretold.
The girl..she resembled Hazel yes, but her eyes? Those belonged to Cayden.
The boy was Cayden’s shadow made flesh. His face, his build, his quiet strength. But his eyes... those were mine. Mine and Hazel’s.
The girl giggled as she saw me. Sweet, innocent laughter. She probably thought I was her mother.
Awwn.
As I leaned in, the boy lunged—tiny fingers gripping a fistful of my hair, yanking with strength he shouldn’t have had. I hissed, yanking him back with a harsh snap.
"You little monster," I growled, my voice like ice. "How dare you?"
I straightened my hair, even. And then, I let my claw slip free.
The girl, softer than the boy, reached up with a giggle, still as if I wasn’t about to hurt her.
I pinched her skin.
She let out the faintest cry..silent, strangled. But it was enough. Just enough.
I drew a handkerchief from my pocket, pressed it gently to the wound, and watched her blood bloom into the fabric..Finally. I had it.
This... this is what will awaken my family. The fallen Crescents., my legacy, my throne. With this blood, I will resurrect the greatness that was stolen from us.
New Orleans will be mine.
Cyrius and Hazel? Good riddance. Let them destroy each other in that pitiful fight or whatever chemistry they have.. They are no longer necessary. And Hazel?
She’s probably with Cyrius already. And I’m sure he will keep her out of my way.
In fact... her absence is a blessing.
I never expected her to help me burn this city down. She’s too stubborn. Too sentimental. But once I’ve taken New Orleans..once the ashes have cooled and the Crescent rises again she can return.
She’ll see what I’ve built. What her blood helped create.
And she will be crowned. The first-ever female Alpha in Crescent history.
She won’t understand how it happened
But she will understand the results. And that... is all that matters.