NOVEL NEXT Chapter 54: Chapter 52 :A Hilarious Escape
The pack's territory was vast, surrounded by tall trees, thick underbrush, and watchful eyes—wolves were everywhere. But Luna, with Charlie reluctantly tagging along, was determined to slip out unnoticed. They moved quickly, darting between shadows and taking every precaution to avoid detection.
"I didn't ask you to come, you know," Luna whispered as they crept along the edge of a building, keeping low.
"Well, somebody has to make sure you don't end up doing something reckless," Charlie whispered back, eyes darting around nervously. "And Alex will kill me if anything happens to you."
Luna smirked, her ocean blue eyes gleaming mischievously. "If Alex kills you, at least you'll die a hero. Maybe they'll put a statue of you in the middle of the pack—'Here lies Charlie, the beta who tried to babysit a fallen goddess and failed spectacularly.'"
Charlie gave her a look but couldn't help chuckling. "Yeah, well, I'd prefer to stay alive, thanks."
They continued sneaking through the territory, Luna surprisingly agile for someone who had once been a divine being, and Charlie doing his best to keep up. Every so often, a pack member would pass by, forcing them to duck behind a wall or a bush.
"I don't know how you manage to be so stealthy," Charlie muttered as they crouched behind a large boulder.
"Goddess powers," Luna whispered dramatically, giving him a wink. "Oh wait—forgot, I'm mortal now. Must just be the grace of someone who's used to running away from things."
"Nice," Charlie replied, rolling his eyes.
Just when they thought they had a clear path, a familiar figure emerged from behind the corner—a tall, lanky guy with a goofy grin plastered on his face.
Timmothy.
Luna let out a low groan. "Of course. It's him."
Timmothy, the pack's beta - and a resident joker, stood there, squinting as if trying to process what he was seeing. "Well, well, well," he said in a sing-song voice, crossing his arms. "What do we have here? Goddess on the run... and our loyal beta helping her escape? Charlie, buddy, what are you doing?"
"Who is he ? " Luna asked questioning Charlie , her voice barely a whisper .
"The one on whose head you smashed a vase " Charlie reply sarcastically but his grin dissapeared as she glared at him - " Fine - he is Alex's gamma , Timmothy " He replied .
Luna straightened up, brushing off her clothes. "Alright .Timmothy, I would say it's nice to see you, but we both know that would be a lie."
Timmothy's grin widened. "I'm still holding a grudge about that vase you smashed on my head last time, huh?"
Luna flashed him a saccharine smile. "That was my way of saying 'thank you for being so easy to outsmart.'"
"Outsmart? Lady, you concussed me! I saw stars!" Timothy rubbed his head dramatically. "Every time I look at a vase now, I flinch. Do you know how traumatic that is?"
Timmothy's eyes darted between the two of them, and his grin faded into confusion. "Wait a second. Charlie, why are you helping her sneak out? Does the Alpha know about this?"
Charlie sighed, clearly uncomfortable. "Look, Timmothy, it's complicated. But she has to leave, and I'm just... making sure she gets out safely."
"Oh, complicated, huh?" Timmothy raised an eyebrow, his tone teasing. "Are you sure this isn't just some elaborate prank, Charlie? 'Cause if it is, I gotta say, I'm impressed. Escaping the pack grounds with a former goddess? That's... wow. Alpha won't be happy when he comes back."
Luna rolled her eyes. "Can we speed this up? We don't have time for your comedy routine."
Timmothy scratched his head, looking from Luna to Charlie, then back to Luna. "Look, I get it. You're... goddess-y and all. But I can't just let you waltz out of here. Alex would have my hide."
"Your hide? Really?" Luna's voice dripped with sarcasm. "You think you can stop me, Timmothy? I mean, I've already knocked you unconscious with a vase once. I'm sure I can find something else lying around to do the job again."
Timothy raised his hands in mock surrender. "Whoa, whoa, easy there, killer. I'm just saying..."
Charlie took a deep breath. "Timothy, it's not a prank. It's real. Quintus is making a move, and if she doesn't leave, people are going to die. We don't have time for this."
The seriousness of Charlie's tone finally sank in, and Timothy's goofy grin faded. "Wait. Quintus? The escaped-from-Hell Quintus?"
"You know him ?" Charlie asks a little taken back.
"who doesn't ? The infamous wolf hunter from history textbook - Ohh wait , didn't you kill him ?" Timmothy ask looking at Luna . Timmothy has always been a bookworm - there is nothing he doesn't know .
"Yeah, that Quintus," Luna replied dryly as a hurt flashed her face.
Timmothy blinked, clearly processing. "Well, damn. You're my hero - and i am an idiot " , He said raising his thumbs . Luna looked at him in shock , she didn't realise that there were still people who still take as a hero - as she has been anything but a hero . only if he knew her past.
Luna gave him a slow clap. "Congratulations, you've finally caught up."
Timmothy sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Alright, fine. If it's that serious... I guess I can't exactly stop you."
"Was that so hard?" Luna smirked.
"But," Timmothy added, pointing a finger at her, "you still owe me for that vase incident. And I want a proper apology."
Luna raised an eyebrow, her expression unamused. "I'll apologize when I do something worth apologizing for."
Timmothy chuckled. "Was giving head smash with a flower vase on someone's head not worth apologizing ? I will have my apology sooner or later. But for now let's get moving before someone else spots us."
As they made their way through the last stretch of the territory, sneaking past guards and keeping to the shadows, Timmothy and Charlie exchanged glances. "You really think she's going to pull this off? - she is not a goddess anymore. She can get hurt and Alex will not forgive you - if something happens to her - ." Timmothy asked quietly but Luna could hear him.
Charlie shrugged. "She's a goddess. If anyone can do it, it's her and if i dont take this risk - people will get hurt. "
Their bickering continued in hush voices as Charlie tried his best to make timmothy understand the gravity of the situation . When they finally reached the boundary of the pack's land, Luna stopped, turning to face them both. Her expression was softer now, the humor replaced by a weight of seriousness.
"You two need to go back. I can handle it from here," Luna said, her voice firm but not unkind.
Charlie opened his mouth to protest, his lips already forming the words, but Luna raised a hand, her expression firm yet weary. "No arguments," she said, her voice steady but layered with unspoken vulnerability. "This is something I have to do alone."
Timothy crossed his arms, his usual lighthearted demeanor replaced by a mix of disbelief and reluctant admiration. "You're really going through with this, aren't you?"
Luna met his gaze, her eyes shining with unyielding determination. "I have to."
"But before I let you march off like some lone hero, you need to tell me—what's your plan from here?" Charlie asked, stepping in front of her, his broad frame blocking her path.
"I have no plan," Luna admitted, throwing her hands up in frustration.
"You have no—what?" Charlie and Timothy said in unison, their voices sharp with shock.
"I told you," Timothy interjected with a mocking grin, though there was an edge of concern in his tone. "She's just a mortal now, with a mortal brain. Not so smart anymore. Alex is going to kill us for this—maybe we should just drag her back to the pack."
Luna turned her sharp gaze on him, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Oh, right ? I'll apologize for breaking that vase, Timothy, but only after I smash it over your head once again. Sound fair?"
Timothy snorted but didn't respond, his arms still crossed as he leaned back, trying to hide his growing worry.
Charlie stepped closer, his voice soft but heavy with emotion. "Luna, listen. I know you don't want to share your plan—or lack of it—but this isn't just about you or Alex or both of us standing in front of you . This is about all of us - our kind . You're the only ancient Moon Goddess of Wolves, mortal or not. That doesn't change who you are. And look around us—look at what a godless land has done to our kind. I know its our fault - We ourself have led things to this."
His voice cracked slightly as he gestured to the horizon, his eyes dark with pain. "Bloodshed, chaos—packs tearing themselves apart. The weak crushed under the strong, wolves going rogue, families destroyed. Innocent kids, women, elders—all of them caught in the crossfire. So many have died, Luna. We're falling apart without you. And I hate to admit it, but it's our fault. We pushed you into this mortal shell, thinking we could survive without you. We were wrong." He hesitated, his voice trembling. "You're the only hope we have left to end this. And Alex knows it too. He's not the lovestruck fool you think he is—but if he loses someone he loves again, it'll destroy him. It will be a living hell for him. So, no, I can't let you go if dying is on your to-do list today."
Luna's lips twitched, a faint, bittersweet smile appearing for the briefest moment. "I'm glad to hear he's not a lovestruck fool," she murmured, though her voice was tight, betraying the sting his words carried. Her chest tightened as guilt and determination warred within her. She clenched her trembling hands into fists, forcing herself to meet Charlie's gaze.
"I know how much we've lost," she began softly, her voice barely above a whisper. Her gaze flickered to Timothy for a fleeting moment, seeing the same anguish mirrored there. "And I know what's at stake if I don't go. But I didn't lie when I said I have no plan. I'll find Dorothy. I'll face Quintus. And as for the hope you're looking for..."
She took a deep breath, her eyes drifting to the horizon as if searching for strength in the endless expanse. Her voice hardened with solemn finality as she continued. "Hope doesn't end with me. If I fall, someone else—someone purer, brighter—will rise to guide you. This land and our kind don't need me; they need a light untouched by shadows. And maybe... just maybe, my end will be what sparks that light."
She paused, exhaling a heavy breath as a soft, humorless chuckle escaped her lips. "As for Alex..." Her voice faltered slightly, but she forced herself to press on. "Trust me when I say losing a loved one doesn't kill a person. It doesn't destroy them completely. He'll survive—he has to. Like you said, he's not a lovestruck fool."
Her words hit like a tidal wave. Charlie's breath caught in his throat, his mind racing. Silence hung heavy in the air. Charlie's fists unclenched as her words sank in, each one landing with the weight of inevitability. His jaw tightened, his mind racing with doubt and guilt. She was right—there was no other way. He hated it, hated himself for even thinking it, but a part of him understood.
Timothy broke the silence first, his usual sarcasm absent. His voice was quiet, almost reluctant. "You've already made up your mind, haven't you?"
Luna nodded, her resolve unshaken, though her eyes shimmered with unspoken emotion.
Timothy's usual smirk was gone. His jaw tightened as he looked away, his voice gruff. "You'd better make sure it's worth it, Luna. If you're not here to throw that vase at my head again, I'm going to be pissed."
Luna's lips quirked into a small, sad smile. "I'll do my best."
Charlie's throat tightened as he glanced over his shoulder, back in the direction of the pack they'd left behind. The weight of their lives pressed heavily on him, but he straightened his shoulders as he turned back to Luna. "I'll go with you."