NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1: Prologue
The rain poured down in heavy torrents, its sound echoing against the rocky grounds. The darkened sky growled with distant thunder, yet Lorenzo Mano didn't care. Each drop that soaked through his expensive cloak and clung to his skin only urged him forward.
The high mountain loomed ahead, the heavy trees and leaves seemed to shield the paths as though nature itself sought to hide its secrets. His boots sank into the muddy path with every step, but he did not stop walking.Determination burned in his chest, taking over the chill that sinked into his bones.
"Nothing will stop me," he muttered, his voice barely audible due to the loud echoes of the rain.
He held a worn leather bag to his side, its contents was of great importance .He wondered what his pack members and friends would say if they saw him like this. But unlike them, Lorenzo was not here by choice. He was here out of necessity.
With each step closer, the rain seemed to increase, as though testing his resolve. But the fire in his soul remained unquenched. He would face the mountain. He would make sure histor never repeats itself. And he would not let the storm break him.
He has endured the pain for all the days of his life, and he didn't want that for his son.
He was still expecting a child from his mistress, a life he had been forced into because he never had a mate.
As the rain gradually turned into a drizzle, he smiled, not a smile of joy but one of pain, one of redemption at last.
The lightning brightened up his path to the mountain; the intensity of the lightning made him wonder if the earthly moon goddess knew about the treacherous thing he was about to indulge in.
He was now at the top of the small mountain. He dropped the leather bag in his hands as a form of offering and then as he gazed up into the sky, the droplet of rain trickling down his face, he hesitated.
Wondering if what he was about to do was right. But this was for his son's freedom, his redemption. If he was cursed, he would do everything to make sure it doesn't extend to his son.
Emphasis on the son because apparently, his sister has a mate.So surely whatever this is won't extend to his daughter.
He wasn't gonna wait for any of his mistresses to give birth; he has to secure his son's future first.
"Oh moon goddess of the 100th century, I call on you. Your servant is in need of you. I journeyed through a thousand seas to get here, come down to the breath of the strongest community."
He took a deep breath and looked around, concluding that this might not work. He shreds his cloth off, then sets it aside.
In a few seconds, his bones were snapping as his wolf took over. His black wolf stood big and tall on the flat surface mountain as he broke into a howl. He repeated this twelve consecutive times, just like the witch had instructed, and then, he waited.
Tapping his leg impatiently against the hard rock, he contemplated making another call, but thought against it, since the witch's stern warning floated into his mind. "The first attempt is enough, or you suffer the consequences," she had warned.
Suddenly, the breeze picked up, sharp and biting against his wet skin. It howled through the trees, carrying with it an unnatural chill that made the hair on the back of Lorenzo's neck rise.
The rain had stopped entirely now, leaving only the eerie silence of the mountain, broken by the occasional rumble of thunder in the distance.
Then he felt it a presence behind him. It was overwhelming, pressing down on him with the weight of eternity. His wolf whimpered internally, urging submission, but Lorenzo fought to stay upright. The air around him thickened, and his instincts screamed at him not to turn.
"Son of the land," came a voice, smooth yet ancient, layered with the echoes of countless generations. It reverberated in his chest, cold and commanding. "Why have you summoned me?"
Lorenzo clenched his fists at his sides, his nails digging into his palms as he resisted the overpowering urge to look back.
He knew the stories knew that meeting the Moon Goddess's gaze without her permission could spell his doom. Instead, he lowered his head in, his voice steady despite the fear clawing at his insides.
"I have come to plead for my son's future," he said, his tone hard yet firm. "I seek to end the curse that has plagued my bloodline for generations."
The silence stretched, heavy and suffocating, before her voice returned, softer but distant."You speak of curses as if they are not bound by the choices of mortals?"
Lorenzo swallowed hard, his throat dry despite the dampness of the air. "I know nothing about what you are saying, but what I'm certain about is, I want salvation and I know you can give me that,"
For a moment it was just silence and if not for the strong presence surrounding him, he would have thought she had left.
"Speak," she said plainly,her voice was hard but it had an edge of softness in it.
"My mistresses are pregnant, I'm not sure which one of them bears a child inside them but I want the curse to end here. I want my son to have a mate," he paused, taking in a deep breath as he pondered about making his offer.
Silence ago, stretched out longer than it should have landed. "Why should I consider your request?"she asked and his worries be damned.
"Because I'm ready to give you anything you want," he said, ignoring the loud banging of his heart against my chest.
"Anything?"He could swear he heard the interrogation in her voice.
"Yes," he said plainly, his courage was unnerving and his hope was gradually building up, he might just win this.
More silence.
"Nothing comes without a price son, are you ready to hear the consequences of your request?" She asked again
"Yes," I replied, without giving it a second thought.
"Do you accept anyone I pair your son with mortal?" She asked again.
"Yes," I responded casually
"Then go home son, your request has been considered. Go home and worry no more," she said.
I hurriedly picked up my clothes, without glancing back to confirm if she was still there, my eyes caught the glimpse of the leather bag I had brought with me.
"Leave that with me," she said suddenly, like she had read my mind.
And so he retracted his steps hurriedly,with his clothes still clutched to his chest.
But only he never got home.