FIONA'S VENGEANCE: THE BLOOD-SOAKED WAR

FIONA'S POV

Thousand of centuries ago, when Beluda was without form and void, two powerful creatures were created. The witches and the werewolves. The werewolves are the guardians of the land, the territorial protectors. And the witches are their anchor, the very important ingredient of every pack. These witches are regarded as portals, bridges between our world and the one beyond. Most importantly, they are vessels meant for Selene our goddess to grace the earth with her visitation. But now, the order has been broken. A great number of these witches have willingly given up themselves as channels for dark ancient spirits, offering themselves to be used as weapons of darkness.

They are the witches of the red storm. The Daracas!

Recently, they have multiplied, spreading everywhere like a mass of thick, dark cloud, wrecking havoc wherever they appeared. Their last stop was at the Bemba Region. And the things they did there was scary. Now, word has spread that they are in Liminu, magically infiltrating diverse packs and destroying them. Even the strongest ones.

Bastiana, our pack witch, saw this impending doom and solicited the help of Selene who agreed to help us. She was going to empower our pack against any attacks of the Daracas by pouring her heavenly light powers into two persons in our pack who will become the wielders of the powers of the seven realms, the Chubos.

And those persons are none other than my parents, Alpha Darius and Luna Celeste, the reigning leaders of the Snow Light Pack.

I watched with bubbling joy as my parents entered the Temple Of Light with Bastiana and her twin witch daughters who were moving silently behind them, carrying black earthen pots that were emanating an otherworldly smoke.

Finally! The night we've all been waiting for had come. Me, mother, father, Bastiana, and all the members of the Snow Light Pack. We had long anticipated it, cherished it even when it had not come. All because of our unified vision of a new and peaceful era for our pack, a paradise, a safe haven for us all.

And now, it is here! Happening before our very eyes. Dad and mum are receiving Selene's powers tonight! They will get imbued with Selene's powers and they will become more stronger and powerful than ever. They will save our pack from the witches of the red storm.

As they sat on the two golden thrones on the dais, Bastiana's booming voice resounded.

"All hail the king and queen of the light!" She shouted.

"May they live forever!" We all chorused.

"Rise, Alpha Darius and Luna Celeste. Come forward to the statue of light." Bastiana called my parents forward.

They stood from their thrones and locked hands together, walking majestically to Selene's statue that was erected at the center of the temple where Bastiana and her daughters stood.

"Tonight is a wonderful night that our goddess has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it." She started, talking to the innumerable pack members that were gathered inside.

"As you all know, Alpha Darius and Luna Celeste are the great leaders of this pack, the Snow Light Pack. In every way, they have been wonderful. Have treated everyone of us in this pack with love and respect. Have fought for us and kept us safe. But the dark tides has arisen against every packs in our world. The Daracas has expanded. They have already reached Liminu, destroying packs and killing innocent souls. But we won't wait for them to enter Totela before we prepare. The time for preparation is now! Tonight we have come to do what is right. We have assembled here tonight to watch our leaders as they receive their powers from Selene, our goddess of light." She said and the whole crowd bursted into cheers.

Alexa, my best friend and the only surviving daughter of my father's beta, who was standing beside me, slipped her left palm into mine and squeezed it tenderly.

"I'm so excited!" She squealed.

"Me too, Alexa." An unexplainable warmth surged in my body as I watched my dad and mum.

"I'm so happy for you, princess. Your parents will become the greatest of all. The Chubos. We won't have to live in fear of the Daracas ever again."

"Yeah, we won't!" I concurred happily.

With each passing second, the joy in my heart grew bigger and bigger, and all I could feel was nothing but an unshackling and overwhelming burst of happiness. One that was threatening to consume me.

"Hey!" Alexa gently nudged me. "You are shaking." She noted observantly.

Our eyes flew to my hands and we giggled together. "The excitement, Alexa... It's too much. I'm so happy and it's overwhelming."

"I understand, dearie. Alpha Darius and Luna Celeste are two wonderful souls. I've not seen any one with great leading capacities like them. They are the best gift to us."

"Awwnnn... Thank you for your kind words, Alexa. I'm so touched." I uttered, my body shivering happily.

"Don't start your awwnnn yet. You can thank me later after..." She said, mischief dancing in her jasmine eyes as she purposely lingered.

"Your suspense will be the death of me someday." I joked amid giggling. "Spill, Alexa or I'll give you the best tickling of your life." I playfully threatened, pushing my finger to her ribs.

"Okay, okay, okay. I'll talk. I'll talk! I'll talk!" She quivered as I tickled her.

"Then talk." I laughed.

After taking a long, deep breath, she looked at me, her lovely orbs lingering on my face for minutes. "I want to sleep over at your place tonight, in your room. You know, it's been days since I last visited."

"Ohh, Alexa. Is that what you are saying with low breath? Of course, you will. Besides, I've missed your juicy gists. I'll plead with my father to allow you spend this night with me in my room. That's if your father will agree firs-"

"Forget about my father, princess. You know I'm now his only child, he will do anything for me." She voiced out hurriedly, her expectations flying in the air.

"You know I can never say no to you." I smiled. "Speaking of your dad, I've not seen him anywhere near here. Is he not around?"

"He is, princess. He's just scouting the pack's territory to avoid any form of breaching from any unfortunate rogue that will dare try to attack our pack and cause commotion here."

"Ohh, I see. Doing business as usual." I gave her an understanding nod.

"Yeah."

"But I still prefer him to come watch, you know..." I sulked.

Alexa's spread her arm around my shoulder and gave me a placating smile. "Don't worry. He's going to come. You know, he is very good at showing up at events when things are getting spicy. After all, he's your father's beta. He has to."

"Okay." I smiled back.

"So... What's it going to be? It's settled then. I'm coming over to your place tonight, right?" She asked, her eyes lighting up in anticipation.

"Yeah." I grinned.

"Thank you so much, princess." She threw herself on me and embraced me.

"You're welcome, Alexa." I hugged her tightly. "So now, it's either we keep hugging each other and miss the spicy display, or we disentangle now and enjoy the show. Which would you prefer?"

"The latter of course." She chuckled.

"Had a feeling you'd say that." I giggled.

"D*mn right I will." She laughed.

We broke our embrace and held our hands, watching the show as it slowly unraveled.

Bastiana moved slowly round Selene's statue, brushing her fingers on it. "They will lead us through this war. They will sustain us as they've always been doing. They'll protect us all!!!" Bastiana shouted.

"Yeeh!!!" Everyone shouted.

She stopped her movements and faced dad and mom. "Place your hands on the statue of the mother of the moon and kneel." She instructed.

Dad and mom obliged and she proceeded with her next instruction. "Close your eyes and open your core to the blessings of Selene."

As they did, Bastiana raised her hands above her head, slowly reciting her spells.

"Capascalimo entantre lebusima rokopadiya avodish. Capascalimo entantre lebusima rokopadiya avodish. Capascalimo entantre lebusima rokopadiya avodish..." She kept muttering and seconds later, the statue of the moon goddess started attaining a shimmering silver hue.

"Oh my!" Alexa gasped and touched my arm. "Look at that! The statue... It's-""

"Glowing." I completed the sentence for her, my eyes bulging in sheer wonderment, watching the light from the statue brighten slowly as Bastiana kept chanting.

"...Capascalimo entantre lebusinima rokopaya avodish. Capascalimo entantre lebusinima rokopaya avodish..."

A sudden shaking began and all the lighted bulbs in the temple went off.

"Whooah!" Everyone muttered in shock as great darkness enveloped the temple.

I released a tiny gasp as I watched Bastiana. "Dear goddess!" Her hair... It was standing. I mean every d*mn strands! Standing up to the high ceiling and turning white as her chants grew.

The impact of the spells overwhelmed dad and mom and they started shaking tremulously.

As the chants progressed, a mighty wind began, howling in every corner of our pack, even inside the Temple Of Light, wildly blowing against all of us. Shortly after, a blasting thunder started to rumble, showcasing its own talents of ferocity.

The light from the statue kept lifting up slowly, moving towards my kneeling parents.

"It's happening, Alexa. It's happening." I whispered excitedly.

She clung to me and whispered. "Yeah, it is."

"I bless you in the name of our goddess and in the name of our ancestors." She started, dishing out the words.

"RECEIVE YOUR BLESS-"

Suddenly, her shouts died down the moment a roar exploded.

"STOPPP!! STOP THE RITUAL!!" Someone suddenly shouted as the door bursted wide and everyone turned, only to find Beta Ryan standing at the back.

"Thank goddess!" I breathed out in relief and turned to Alexa. "Alexa!! You're right! Your dad, he is back." I said joyfully.

"Yeah, he is back." She said happily.

A sifted thought emerged from the deepest part of my mind and rushed into my brain.

Then my brows furrowed in confusion. "What is he holding? And why is he trying to stop the ritual?" I said to myself, wondering what was happening.

Something is not quite adding up well.

"Alexa, do you know what's in the bag that your dad is hol-" I turned to say to Alexa and my eyes widened in shock.

She was no longer beside me! She had disappeared!

"Alexa! Alexa!" I started to whisper, turning to look at the faces of the people around me to see if they were Alexa.

"Please Nadia, do you know where Alexa went to?" I asked the blonde omega girl behind me.

"No, princess Fiona. I don't." She said meekly and I turned forward with disappointment.

Where has she suddenly gone to? Where did she disappear to?

"Don't be so worked up. Maybe your best friend went to urinate." Raya, my wolf suggested, her calm voice sounding in my head.

"But she could have at least told me. Not disappear like some witch." I mindlinked Raya back amid sulking.

I turned around and watched Beta Ryan race to the statue where Bastiana and my parents were. And what I heard next from him, smothered the happiness in my heart.

"DON'T, BASTIANA!!! Don't proceed with the ritual!! They are our enemies!"