NOVEL NEXT Chapter 47: Chapter 45 : The hidden Truth
--- 24 Hours Ago ---
Alex's chest tightened as he paced the cold, cracked ground of the amusement park. The haunted house loomed behind him, its silhouette dark against the dimming sky, but his gaze was locked on Luna. She was slumped in his arms, her small frame limp and battered. Blue-tinged burn marks marred her pale skin, his own anger flaring every time he glimpsed the dark fingerprints that wrapped around her neck like a mocking brand. Quintus's mark. Evidence of the torture and pain she had endured.
Alex had known bringing her here was risky. There were countless other places they could've gone, countless safehouses and hidden spots where he could've shielded her. But none of them were safe enough. Nowhere could guarantee her safety—not from the witches, not from the other packs, and most importantly, not from that man . He'd taken a gamble, called in his beta .
He knew Luna wouldn't like it. Hell, she would hate it, probably tear into him the moment she woke up. But he had to keep her safe, even if it meant dragging her to the one place she'd sworn to avoid—his pack. Because he couldn't risk losing her again. Not like this.
Not when she was this fragile, this vulnerable.
"Charlie," Alex's voice had been strained as he'd murmured into the phone. "Get me a helicopter. I'm coming back home ." He glanced down at the fragile figure in his arms. "with Her.."
Silence stretched on the other end, then came Charlie's slow, cautious reply "Alright.."
Charlie hadn't questioned him. He never did. Instead, there'd been a quick, clipped acknowledgment on the other end, followed by the rapid-fire dispatch of orders.
Moments later, the helicopter had descended, its blades slicing through the air with a deafening roar as it touched down on the helipad, startling the remaining workers and onlookers at the park as three figures rushed toward him.
Alex didn't bother looking at their faces—he knew who they were. Trusted them enough to risk bringing Luna into their fold. But even then, his body was taut, every nerve on edge as he adjusted her in his arms and made his way toward the helicopter.
"Alpha, is that...?" Timmothy - His beta asked .
"Not here," Alex barked, his voice cold and commanding. "Move."
No one dared question him again.
The journey to his pack's territory was tense. He didn't speak, didn't look up.
Once they were in the air, Alex kept his gaze fixed on Luna. She was curled up against him, her breathing shallow, her body still marked with bruises and burns. She looked so small. So breakable. And every time he glanced at her, the guilt gnawed at him, sharp and relentless.
How had it come to this?
By the time they reached his pack's territory, nestled deep in the forested hills, the moon was high and silent. The large stone palace loomed in the distance, its silhouette stark against the dark sky.
The palace was massive, built for an Alpha King, and yet the grandeur of it meant little to him as he carried Luna through the sprawling hallways. His jaw was set, his gaze hard, as his people murmured in confusion. He knew what they were thinking. Who was the girl in their Alpha's arms? Why did she look so battered, so broken?
But he didn't stop to explain. He owed no one any answers, not when she needed him.
Only a handful of his most trusted knew the truth—that the girl he carried wasn't just any human. She was far more than they could ever imagine. Yet even that handful didn't know everything.
They didn't know what she had been through, what he had seen—the endless torment, the centuries of solitude. And most importantly, they didn't know why she was here now, a goddess turned mortal, thrust back into a world that had once betrayed her.
As he reached his room—his private quarters, a place where no one else dared to step foot—he laid her gently on the bed. The silk sheets pooled around her, contrasting starkly with the torn, bloodied fabric of her clothes. He sat beside her, his broad shoulders tense, his hands clenched into fists as he watched the slow rise and fall of her chest.
For hours, he stayed that way, unmoving.
Just watching.
Just waiting.
He couldn't tear his gaze away from her. Each time he closed his eyes, the haunting image of her as Elynn lying there in the pool of bodies, lifeless, invaded his thoughts—sharp and jarring, it sent his heart racing and stopped it cold for agonizing moments.
Even when the sun began its slow ascent, casting a soft, pale light through the room, he stayed vigilant. His mind was racing, a whirlwind of thoughts, strategies, and possibilities. He had so many questions, and yet no answers. Why had she chosen to become human? What did quintus said to her ? was she okay ?
And then, there was the worst of it—the question that gnawed at him, the one that kept him on edge, desperate and afraid.
What is she planning to do now?
Because Luna, whether goddess or human, had always been unpredictable. She had her own mind, her own will, and right now, Alex didn't have the slightest clue what was running through that brilliant, fierce mind of hers. All he knew was that he couldn't lose her again. Not now. Not ever.
The night stretched into morning, and still, he stayed by her side. Each plan that flitted through his thoughts—each strategy he considered—boiled down to one thing: protecting her. No matter what it took. Even if it meant keeping her locked away in this room until she recovered, until she was safe from the monsters that hunted her... and from the pack that would undoubtedly turn against her if they knew the truth.
A soft knock on the door broke his concentration.
"Alpha?" It was Charlie, his voice low and careful.
Alex glanced down at Luna's still form one last time, his heart clenching painfully. Then, with a resigned sigh, he stood, pulling the door open just enough to see his Beta's concerned face.
"We need you," Charlie murmured. "There are matters that require your attention."
He hesitated, glancing over Alex's shoulder toward the girl on his bed. "Is she...?"
"She'll be fine," Alex interrupted sharply, his tone brooking no argument. "No one is to come in here, understand? I want royal guards stationed outside the door at a little distance all times. And send Timothy in. He'll be in charge until I return."
Charlie nodded, stepping aside as Alex strode into the hallway, his movements tense and reluctant. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to stay, to keep watch over her himself.
But he had a pack to run, responsibilities that demanded his attention. And Luna... she was safe here, as safe as she could be in a place like this. Only a few knew of her presence, and even fewer knew her true identity.
"I'll be back before she wakes up," Alex muttered, more to himself than to his Beta. He ignored the strange look Charlie gave him, his focus already shifting back to the closed door behind him. "If anything happens..."
"Nothing will happen, Alpha," Charlie assured him. "We'll keep her safe."
But even as he spoke, Alex couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that something would go wrong. Because if there was one thing he knew for certain about Luna, it was that she never stayed in one place for long. And if she woke up in an unfamiliar place—alone, confused...
Damn it.
With a frustrated growl, he turned on his heel and strode down the corridor, his presence radiating a palpable tension that sent every pack member he passed scrambling out of his way as they entered in the newly built meeting room .
The atmosphere in the grand meeting room crackled with tension, thick with unspoken words and lingering regrets. Alex stood rigid, his gaze locked onto the intricate marble designs beneath his feet, every muscle in his body taut with frustration. In front of him, Charlie, his Beta and oldest friend, paced like a caged animal, the worry lines on his forehead deepening with each step.
"Alex, I'm not saying I don't want her here," Charlie murmured, his voice softer than usual, strained under the weight of his concern. "But... others—others won't understand. They don't know the truth like you do. Hell, even I don't know. They've only heard the stories—the rumors."
Alex's jaw tightened, a muscle in his cheek twitching as the bitterness of Charlie's words settled in. "Rumors," he repeated quietly, testing the taste of the word on his tongue.
"Yes," Charlie nodded, stopping to face him, desperation etched in his features. "To them—To me—she's the one who tore our world apart. The one who ruined everything. Do you really think they'll accept her? Forgive her? Convincing them won't be easy—especially when they believe she's responsible for taking away what mattered most to them—what mattered to you most—"
"Davina," Alex interjected, his voice strained, each syllable laden with pain.
"Yes. Your once supposed queen, their Alpha's wife." Charlie hesitated, his eyes searching Alex's for understanding. "They believe it was her manipulations, her interference, that took Davina away and left our pack leaderless. And your family, Alex... they're still grieving. They've never forgiven her—or the gods she represents. And neither have many of the wolves here."
A heavy silence stretched between them, charged and brittle. Alex's gaze turned sharp, the golden hue of his eyes flickering with barely contained fury.
"She didn't do it," he said, his voice low but firm, each word a declaration. "It wasn't her."
Charlie's brow furrowed, confusion flaring in his expression. "But everyone—"
"It wasn't her!" Alex's voice cut through the air, low and forceful, reverberating off the empty walls. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, trembling with the intensity of his suppressed anger. "That day—she stood for us—for all of us. She fought against the other gods when they wanted to destroy everything. She protected Davina, Victoria, Andrew... me."
His voice cracked, raw with emotion. "She saved us."