Blood Moon Covenant

The growl reverberated through the chamber, low and guttural. Selene spun toward the sound, her claws extending instinctively. Lucian stepped beside her, his blade gleaming faintly in the dim light.

"Friend of yours?" Lucian whispered, his tone sharp.

Selene didn't answer. She focused on the shadows, her wolf senses straining to identify the source. The growl deepened, echoing through the chamber like a warning.

Then, it stepped into the faint glow of the blood moon filtering through a crack in the ceiling. The creature was massive, its form twisted and grotesque. It resembled the hybrids they had fought in the forest, but this one was larger, its muscles rippling unnaturally under its mottled skin. Red eyes glowed with malevolent intelligence, and its jagged teeth gleamed as it bared them in a snarl.

"What in the—" Selene began, but the creature lunged before she could finish.

Selene dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the creature's claws. Lucian moved with inhuman speed, slashing at its flank, but his blade barely made a mark.

"This one's stronger," Lucian muttered, sidestepping another attack.

"No kidding!" Selene snapped, slashing at the creature's exposed side. Her claws tore through flesh, but instead of blood, the wound oozed the same black ichor as before.

The creature roared, swinging its massive arm in a wide arc. Selene was thrown against the wall, the impact knocking the breath from her lungs. She barely had time to recover before the creature charged again.

"Move!" Lucian shouted, tossing another vial of holy water at the beast.

The vial shattered against the creature's chest, and the white light flared, momentarily blinding it. The beast stumbled, howling in rage, giving Selene and Lucian a chance to regroup.

"We can't keep fighting like this," Selene said, breathing hard. "We need to figure out what this thing is and how to stop it."

Lucian's gaze flicked to the carvings on the walls. "The answers are here, but we won't survive long enough to find them if we don't deal with this first."

Selene growled, frustration boiling over. She wasn't used to retreating, but Lucian was right.

---

A Desperate Plan

"Cover me," Lucian said suddenly, sheathing his blade.

"What?" Selene snapped, dodging another attack from the beast.

"Just do it," Lucian said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Selene gritted her teeth but complied, throwing herself at the creature with renewed fury. She slashed and dodged, keeping its attention on her while Lucian moved to the wall.

He ran his fingers over the carvings, muttering under his breath as he searched for something. Selene couldn't see what he was doing, but she trusted him—for now.

"Anytime now, vampire!" she shouted, narrowly avoiding the creature's snapping jaws.

"Almost... there," Lucian said, pressing his palm against a section of the wall.

The runes glowed faintly, and a low rumble filled the chamber. The ground beneath the beast cracked and shifted, and suddenly, a trapdoor opened beneath it. The creature roared as it fell, its claws scraping against the edges of the pit before it disappeared into the darkness below.

Selene stumbled back, her chest heaving as the trapdoor slammed shut.

"Nice timing," she said, glaring at Lucian.

Lucian smirked. "I aim to please."

---

The Keeper's Warning

Before Selene could respond, the runes on the wall flared brighter, casting the chamber in an eerie glow. A figure materialized before them, similar to the spirit they had encountered at the altar.

This one was taller and more imposing, its form wrapped in a tattered cloak that seemed to shift like smoke. Its eyes burned with an intensity that made Selene's skin prickle.

"You should not have come here," the figure said, its voice deep and resonant.

Selene stepped forward, her claws still extended. "Who are you? What do you want?"

The figure's gaze shifted to her, its expression unreadable. "I am the Keeper of this place, bound to protect its secrets. You have trespassed into forbidden territory."

"We didn't come here by choice," Lucian said, his tone calm but firm. "The blood moon led us. The covenant is unraveling, and we need answers."

The Keeper's eyes narrowed. "The covenant was never meant to last. It was forged in lies, built on the blood of innocents. Its unraveling is inevitable."

Selene frowned. "What lies? Whose blood?"

The Keeper hesitated, its gaze flicking between them. "The truth is dangerous. It could destroy both your kinds."

Lucian stepped forward. "We're willing to take that risk."

The Keeper studied him for a long moment before nodding. "Very well. But know this—once the truth is revealed, there is no turning back."

It raised its hand, and the runes on the walls shifted, forming a new pattern. The air grew heavy, and a vision began to take shape.

---

The Vision of Betrayal

Selene and Lucian watched as the chamber transformed around them. They were no longer in the monastery but in a grand hall bathed in the glow of a blood moon.

Two figures stood at the center—a werewolf Alpha and a vampire lord. They were surrounded by their respective followers, tension crackling in the air.

"This is the moment the covenant was forged," the Keeper said.

The Alpha and the vampire lord clasped hands, their expressions solemn. But as the blood moon's light intensified, the scene shifted.

The werewolf Alpha was struck down by his own kin, his blood staining the ground. The vampire lord was betrayed as well, his body consumed by flames.

Selene's stomach churned as the vision unfolded, revealing the true architects of the covenant—an alliance of rogue werewolves and vampires who sought to seize power by uniting their enemies under a false peace.

"It was a trap," Selene murmured. "The covenant wasn't meant to unite us. It was meant to control us."

The vision faded, and the Keeper's voice echoed through the chamber. "The covenant was built on betrayal. The blood of the fallen binds it, and only their descendants can break it."

Lucian's gaze darkened. "Descendants?"

The Keeper nodded. "You and the wolf. You carry their bloodlines. You are the key to breaking the covenant and uncovering the full truth."

Selene's heart raced. "What do we have to do?"

"Find the altar where the first betrayal occurred," the Keeper said. "Only there can the covenant be undone."

Before they could ask more, the Keeper vanished, leaving them alone in the chamber.

---

A Dangerous Path

Selene turned to Lucian, her mind racing. "This is bigger than anything I expected."

Lucian nodded, his expression grim. "If the covenant is broken, it could mean freedom for our kinds—or it could plunge us into chaos."

"Do you still want to go through with this?" Selene asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Lucian met her gaze, his eyes steady. "I didn't come this far to turn back now."

Selene took a deep breath, steeling herself. "Then we find the altar. Together."

The blood moon's glow seemed to intensify as they left the monastery, its crimson light a reminder of the danger that lay ahead.

But for the first time, Selene felt a flicker of hope.