NOVEL NEXT Chapter 55: Chapter 53: Outnumbered but Not Outwitted
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."
Luna raised an eyebrow, her voice steady but laced with concern. "What about the pack?"
Before Charlie could answer, Timothy stepped forward with a grin, attempting to mask the tension. "Fret not, I'll take care of it."
"No." Luna's voice was sharp, cutting through the air with authority. Her gaze shifted to Charlie, her expression firm. "He's too young, too inexperienced. If something goes wrong in your absence—or Alex's—your people will pay the price. Do you really want to risk that?"
"Hey—hey! I'm the gamma of the pack," Timothy protested, crossing his arms. His attempt at bravado was clear, but the flicker of doubt in his eyes didn't go unnoticed.
Charlie exhaled heavily, rubbing the back of his neck. He knew she was right. If both he and Alex left, it could be catastrophic. Leadership was fragile; even the slightest lapse could leave the pack vulnerable to internal chaos or external threats as there are already people keeping an eye on them any wrong step and the neighbouring pack will attack to steal the Alpha king throne and position. Although Alex's father and previous Alpha king is there but he have already retired "If we're both gone, there's no telling what might happen," he muttered to himself, his voice heavy with the weight of responsibility.
Reluctantly, he stepped back, his eyes locking with Timothy's. He hesitated for only a moment before nodding. "Fine. But take him with you."
Timothy's eyes widened slightly, and a smirk tugged at his lips as he quickly recovered. "Finally, someone acknowledges my worth," he quipped, though his tone held a nervous edge but then his eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, what? Me?" He looked between the two of them, "I'm just here to help in escaping, not... go on a suicide mission!"
Luna shook her head immediately. "No." Her voice was sharp, decisive. "It's too dangerous. I don't need him."
Charlie stepped forward, meeting her gaze. "Luna, if something happens to you... Alex will never forgive me. I would go myself, but someone has to stay here and manage things in his absence. Timothy might not be Alex, but he's good enough. He can fight if things go south—and he's got a knack for survival. Plus... he can entertain you."
Timothy, clearly feeling slighted, raised his hands defensively. "Hey, I'm not thrilled about this either, okay? But I'm not completely useless."
Luna turned to Timothy with a smirk. "What happened to me being the 'hero' of this story?"
Timothy huffed. "I never said I wasn't a hero. I just didn't sign up for this particular quest." He shot Charlie an irritated look but sighed in resignation.
Charlie placed a hand on Luna's shoulder, his expression serious. "He's not Alex, but he's capable enough. You might actually need the help."
Luna exhaled deeply, staring at the two of them before giving a reluctant nod. "Fine. But this better not slow me down."
Timothy straightened up, trying to look more confident. "I'll do my best not to cramp your style, goddess."
Luna rolled her eyes, but her lips twitched into a faint smile. She turned to Charlie before leaving, her expression hardening again. "Take every pack member to the palace. It's big enough to house everyone—thousands if needed. Keep them safe. And tell them not to eat or drink anything for the next twenty-four hours- I will finish everthing by then . Taking it as fasting. No exceptions. I promise it will end in a day time. so please be careful "
Charlie's brow furrowed, concern crossing his face. "You think something's going to happen?"
Luna's eyes flashed with certainty. "I know it will. Trust me. If Quintus is involved, there's no room for error. You need to follow what I said, or things will go from bad to worse quickly and when Alex comes back - tell him i threatened you with Lucifer's knife and kidnapped this one - he will understand. Don't let him go around - He can protect your people incase things go south."
Charlie nodded, the gravity of her words sinking in. "I'll make sure they follow your orders. "
Luna looked at him one last time, her voice softening slightly. "Good. And Charlie... be careful."
"Come back alive " Charlie said giving her a small nod and stepping back as she and Timothy turned to leave. As Luna and Timothy moved deeper into the woods, Luna couldn't help but murmur under her breath.
"Alphas , gammas and betas... such drama queens."
Timothy glanced at her, confused. "Did you just call me a drama queen?"
---------------------Few Hours later ------------------
The woods had been eerily silent when they first set out, save for the occasional rustle of leaves and the distant call of night creatures. But now, chaos reigned. The scent of blood hung thick in the air as wild wolves and rogues, snarling and snapping, attacked relentlessly. It had been two hours since the ambush, and while Luna had initially stayed back, watching Timothy handle the skirmish with a certain confidence, things were starting to spiral out of control.
Timothy was holding his own—for now. His shirt was torn, blood smeared across his chest, and his breathing was becoming heavier. Luna, meanwhile, was sneaking through the shadows, avoiding the direct fray, her sharp eyes calculating every move. She knew Timothy could handle it—at least for a while—but these rogues were multiplying unnaturally fast.
"How many of these guys are there, exactly? Did we wander into some sort of rogue-werewolf daycare?" Luna muttered under her breath, ducking under a low branch as two wolves lunged for Timothy from either side.
Timothy's fist slammed into one rogue's snout while he twisted to drive a kick into another's ribs, sending both creatures stumbling back. "You know, a little help from you once in a while wouldn't hurt!" he shouted, panting between words, though he didn't really mean it. His backup plan, if things got truly out of hand, was to tell her to run while he held off the rogues.
Luna raised an eyebrow, smirking. "And ruin your little hero moment? I wouldn't dream of it, Timothy. Besides, you look like you're doing just fine. You know, minus the exhaustion and imminent death."
Timothy growled, driving his elbow into the throat of another rogue that came too close. "Oh, I'm sorry," he grunted, swinging his arm to smack another rogue in the face, "I must have missed the part where you're just standing there, making sarcastic remarks while I'm doing all the work!"
Luna's smirk widened. "You are doing all the work. It's quite entertaining."
Timothy shot her an exasperated look, narrowly dodging a wild wolf that tried to tear into his leg. "Well, glad I could provide the entertainment, your majesty. How about you provide a distraction? These guys aren't exactly backing off, and I'm starting to think they don't like me."
Luna rolled her eyes dramatically. "Distraction? Timothy, please. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were struggling."
Timothy, drenched in sweat and with a hint of frustration, pointed a finger at her as he shoved a rogue into a tree. "I am not struggling! I'm just—tired!"
"Ah yes, there it is," Luna teased, stepping around another wolf's attack with a graceful dodge. "The heroic Timothy, undone by a cardio issue. Very tragic."
A growl escaped from Timothy as he pushed himself harder, taking down another two rogues, but it was clear that his exhaustion was catching up to him. Sweat poured down his face, his muscles visibly straining.
"Luna!" he finally snapped, his tone losing patience as he blocked another attack. "There are at least twenty more of these bastards, and I've been fighting them for two hours! You could at least throw a rock or something!"
Luna chuckled darkly, stepping up to the edge of the clearing. "A rock, Timothy? Really? That's your grand request ?"
"At this point, anything would help!" Timothy growled, barely ducking in time as a rogue's claws swiped at his neck. He spun, kicking the wolf back with surprising force. "Besides, I thought you were trying to keep a low profile?"
"I am," Luna said, stepping out from the trees with an air of mock elegance. "But since you're begging for help..." Luna looked around as she took in the gravity of the situation . The way these rogues were multiplying in numbers were suspicious and if she lets Timmothy fight them alone then sooner or later they will be on loosing side and Timmothy can get seriously injured too .
Luna took a deep breath as she pulled out the knife Alex had once given her, flipping it casually in her hand. "You look like you could use a break. Thought this was going to be a walk in the park, didn't you?"
Timothy blocked a set of sharp teeth aimed at his throat, his voice strained. "I was joking - Just... stay... hidden... I can heal if I get hurt. You—" he threw the rogue aside and turned to her, "you're mortal, Luna! If you get injured, you'll die from bleeding out in five minutes!"
Luna's smirk only widened as she moved toward the fight, completely ignoring his warning. "You talk too much, Timothy."
Timothy's eyes widened in horror as she darted forward, knife flashing in the moonlight. "LUNA!"
She ignored him, diving headfirst into the fray. Her movements were fluid, calculated. Centuries of battle experience kicked in as she swiftly dodged an incoming attack, stabbing the rogue in the chest before kicking another one in the side. Despite her lack of powers, she fought like she had never stopped. She was mortal now, sure, but being human didn't erase her skill.
Timothy gawked between slashing at wolves. "What the hell are you doing?!"
"Throwing a rock !" she replied simply, shoving her blade into the side of a rogue wolf twice her size. "What does it look like?"
"It looks like you have a death wish!" he shouted, punching another rogue before it could sink its teeth into his leg.
"I've had worse," she muttered under her breath, swinging her blade at another rogue, slicing its throat. She was fast, efficient, but the number of wolves kept increasing, no matter how many they killed.
As Luna fought off two more wolves, her breath coming in short, heavy bursts, she suddenly felt something sharp sink into her arm. A third wolf—massive, with teeth like razors—had latched onto her flesh. She hissed in pain, staggering backward as the blood poured down her arm, soaking her shirt.
Timothy noticed, his face paling. "LUNA!" He threw a wolf aside, trying to reach her, but before he could get close—
Luna snarled, swinging her blade up to slice the wolf's jaw, forcing it to release her. She drove her knife into its side, twisting until it fell limp. She staggered back, her chest heaving, her face contorted in pain, but she pushed forward.
"Last one, Luna! On your left!" Timothy shouted, racing to meet her. They locked eyes, and in an unspoken rhythm forged by desperation, they moved together, him slamming a rogue to the ground, her blade cutting through the final threat with a brutal, swift slice.
The clearing fell silent. Luna dropped to her knees, exhaustion finally breaking through her fierce exterior. Her breaths came in ragged gasps, her injured arm hanging limp by her side, blood still seeping from the bite.
Timothy knelt beside her, worry creasing his brow as he took in her wounds. "Luna, that was insane," he said, his tone a mix of awe and exasperation. "You're going to get me killed. And Alex—he's going to kill me just for letting you get hurt."
Luna let out a dry laugh, wincing as the pain flared. "You sound so dramatic. Just a little bite. I've survived worse."
Timothy shot her a look, pressing his hand to her arm to slow the bleeding. "You're human now, Luna. This stuff actually matters."
She raised an eyebrow, giving him a faint grin despite the exhaustion washing over her. "Well, guess we're both in trouble, then."
Timothy sighed, his worry morphing into a smirk. "You know, for someone who's mortal, you fight like you're still invincible."
"Old habits die hard," she murmured, her eyelids heavy as her body started to give in to fatigue. But before she closed her eyes, she shot him a last smirk. "Besides, did you really think I'd let you have all the fun?"
He chuckled, shaking his head as he helped her to her feet. "Alpha is never going to let me live this down." Wrapping an arm around her to steady her, he muttered, "But tell me one thing—if Alpha is also after the same person we're hunting, then why haven't we run into him yet?"
Luna gave a breathless laugh, her knees threatening to give way beneath her. "Because he's searching in the wrong place. I outsmarted your Alpha King. After all," she added with a mischievous glint, "I am his goddess."
Timothy's brow furrowed in confusion, but before he could ask further, Luna lifted a delicate silver locket from around her neck. It gleamed with a faint, almost ethereal light, carved in intricate spirals and symbols that seemed to shift if one looked too closely. A small sapphire glinted in the center, surrounded by twisted silver tendrils resembling thorny vines. It was a gift from Dorothy, the old witch, when they'd last parted ways.
"Time to summon her," Luna murmured, her eyes glinting with determination. She drew a dagger from her side, positioning its sharp tip at the center of her palm. Pressing down, she winced as blood welled up, sliding over her skin and onto the locket. She whispered words under her breath in an ancient language, her voice low and melodic:
"Voile des ombres, écarte-toi et soulève-toi,
Par le sang et le lien, amène-la sans délai,
Dorothée, sage sorcière du destin,
Entends mon appel et ouvre les chemins."
{Author Translation of above chant : }
"Veil of shadows, part and lift,
Through blood and bond, bring her swift,
Dorothy, wise witch of the fates,
Heed my call and open the gates."
Timothy's eyes widened as he watched her, bewildered. "You know, if you needed blood, you've got plenty spilling out of your arm already. No need to go stabbing yourself."
Luna only smirked, ignoring his remark as she continued the chant. The locket pulsed once, then twice, as the atmosphere shifted abruptly. The once-faint dusk descended into an eerie darkness, as if midnight had cloaked the forest in an instant. Silence pressed in, thick and suffocating.
Two figures materialized from the shadows, emerging into the clearing. The first was an elderly woman with a warm, knowing smile that crinkled the corners of her eyes—Dorothy. But Luna's gaze was fixed on the man beside her. His silver-grey eyes, full of surprise, softened immediately with worry as he took in her injured state. Without a word, he crossed the clearing in swift strides, his concern unmistakable.
"Guess you didn't outsmart my Alpha King after all, Goddess," Timothy muttered with a wry smile.