Chapter 7: Battle Under the Full Moon
The full moon hung low in the sky, bloated and blood-red, as if it had absorbed the storm's fury. The Shadow Pack gathered at the edge of the ancient forest, torches flickering in the wind. Every wolf was in human form, armed with silver blades and runes etched into their skin. The air hummed with tension—and with power.
Elena stood beside Kaelan at the front. The mate bond thrummed between them like a living thing, their shadows intertwined and moving as one. She could feel his steady heartbeat, his resolve, his fear—not for himself, but for her.
The ground trembled.
A low, guttural roar echoed from the depths of the mountain, shaking leaves from the trees. Birds fled into the night sky. The pack shifted uneasily.
"It's coming," Kaelan said, voice calm but edged with steel. He squeezed Elena's hand. "Stay close to me."
Elena nodded, drawing on the new strength flowing through her veins. The marking had changed everything. Her shadows no longer felt like a curse. They felt like an extension of herself—sharp, responsive, eager.
Elder Thorne approached, face grim. "The sealing cave has collapsed. The Void is fully awake. It will come here—for her." His eyes flicked to Elena with a mix of fear and regret.
"Then it will have to go through me," Kaelan replied coldly.
Thorne bowed his head. "Through all of us, Alpha."
The roar came again, closer. The temperature dropped sharply. Frost formed on the grass. The torches dimmed as if the darkness itself was drinking their light.
Then it emerged.
The Void was not a creature of flesh. It was absence made manifest—a swirling mass of pure black, taller than the tallest trees, with tendrils that writhed like smoke. Where it passed, the ground withered. Trees twisted and died. The air filled with the stench of decay.
Eyes opened within the darkness—hundreds of glowing red pinpoints, all fixed on Elena.
*Key…* The voice slithered into her mind, cold and ancient. *Come to me… complete me…*
Elena staggered, clutching her head. The pull was overwhelming, like gravity dragging her toward oblivion.
Kaelan caught her before she fell. "Block it out," he commanded. "Feel me instead."
She focused on him—on the warmth of his hand, the steady rhythm of his breathing, the bond that anchored her. The Void's voice faded to a whisper.
The pack formed a defensive line. Shadows leaked from every wolf, but none as strong as Kaelan's.
"Hold the line!" Kaelan shouted. "Do not let it reach the village beyond the forest!"
The Void surged forward.
Tendrils lashed out, faster than lightning. Three wolves were caught—screams cut short as their life force was drained in seconds. Their bodies collapsed, gray and lifeless.
Elena's stomach churned. "We can't fight it like this!"
Kaelan's eyes narrowed. "Then we fight smarter."
He raised his hand. Shadows exploded from him and Elena together, forming a massive barrier—a wall of living darkness that met the Void's tendrils head-on.
The impact shook the earth. Sparks of black energy flew where they clashed.
The Void paused, as if surprised.
*Stronger…* it hissed. *Together… delicious…*
More tendrils struck the barrier, probing for weakness. Elena poured everything into it—her fear, her anger, her love for Kaelan. The wall held.
But it was draining them fast.
"We can't hold forever," Elena gasped. Sweat beaded on her forehead.
Kaelan's jaw clenched. "Then we take the fight to it."
He turned to the pack. "Fall back to the secondary line! Protect the village!"
The wolves obeyed, retreating in ordered ranks.
Kaelan faced Elena. "The sealing cave. We need to lure it back there. The runes are still active—weakened, but not gone. If we can get it inside…"
"We trap it again," Elena finished. "Using us as bait."
He nodded grimly. "Together."
They ran toward the mountain, the Void following like a tidal wave of night. Tendrils snapped at their heels, scorching the earth.
Elena's lungs burned, but the bond gave her strength beyond human limits. Shadows propelled them forward, faster than the wind.
Behind them, the pack fought a rearguard action—harrying the Void's edges, drawing its attention, sacrificing seconds to buy time.
They reached the ruined cave entrance. Collapsed stone blocked half the opening, but there was enough space.
Elena hesitated. "Once we're inside…"
"We seal it with our blood," Kaelan said. "The original ritual used one Shadow Alpha's blood. Now there are two of us."
He took her hand. Their shadows merged completely, forming a single entity—brighter, fiercer.
The Void poured into the clearing, blotting out the moon.
*Mine…* it roared.
Kaelan and Elena stepped into the cave.
The walls still glowed with ancient runes, flickering weakly. At the center lay a cracked stone altar, stained dark from centuries-old blood.
The Void followed, shrinking to fit the entrance—condensing into a more solid form. It took the shape of a towering figure, faceless but with arms that ended in claws.
*You cannot stop me,* it hissed. *I am eternal hunger. I am the end of light.*
Kaelan smirked. "And we are the shadows that devour hunger."
They attacked as one.
Shadows exploded from them in perfect synchronization—whips, blades, shields. They struck the Void from every angle, driving it toward the altar.
The creature fought back ferociously. Claws raked the air, missing Elena by inches. A tendril wrapped around Kaelan's leg, draining his strength.
Elena severed it with a shadow blade, pulling him free.
They reached the altar.
"Now!" Kaelan shouted.
They slammed their joined hands onto the stone. Blood from Elena's earlier wound mixed with a fresh cut on Kaelan's palm.
The runes flared to life.
Light—not white, but deep indigo—erupted from the walls. Chains of shadow magic lashed out, wrapping around the Void.
It screamed, a sound that shattered stone and made blood trickle from Elena's ears.
*No… I was free…*
The chains tightened, dragging it down into the altar. The stone cracked open like a mouth, swallowing the darkness.
Elena and Kaelan poured everything into the ritual—their power, their bond, their will.
The Void shrank, fighting every inch.
With a final, earth-shaking roar, it vanished into the altar.
The stone sealed over.
Silence fell.
The runes dimmed to a steady glow.
Elena collapsed against Kaelan, exhausted. He caught her, holding her tight.
"It's over," he whispered, voice raw.
But as they turned to leave, a faint crack appeared in the altar stone.
A single red eye opened within the darkness below.
Watching.
Waiting.
The seal held—for now.
But the Void was patient.
And it had tasted their power.
It would return.
Stronger.