Moonlight: Darkness Before Dawn | CONT. (&TEAM)

Chapter 16

[ Author's note: ]

I appreciate your patience in waiting for Chapter 16. Life keeps getting in the way, but I can say we're closing in on the end. Thank you for reading and witnessing the journey of the nine wolves and the white mage of Zille. I hope you'll like this chapter. ^^

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After the howling subsided, Zira watched the pack exchange reassuring pats on the back and shoulder. She knew what they were marching toward. The dread weighed heavy in her chest, like willingly stepping into the jaws of death.

Zira's magical circle lit up beneath their feet, ready to transport them to where Lherys waited—where death loomed. They clasped hands, fingers intertwining. Tahel's clammy, chilled fingers met hers, and she gripped him firmly, pulling him closer. He glanced up, and she responded with a gentle smile, which he mirrored.

On Zira's other side, Enzy's warm, reassuring hand contrasted with Tahel's. Zira shifted her gaze to Enzy, and he nodded subtly, silently affirming their readiness to face what lay ahead.

With a deep, determined breath, Zira brought the pack together, and they blinked into a wide, wooded plain. Their feet found solid ground, and they scanned the horizon, eyes fixed on the source of the overwhelming dark mana.

"Stay focused," Enzy commanded. "Keep our circle intact as much as possible. Stay within Zira's domain."

"Whatever happens, make sure to return to this circle," Zira added, her heart racing, the pounding nearly drowning her thoughts. But there was no time for doubt. She was here to protect the pack, to stand with them. Raising her head, Zira summoned eight glowing light orbs.

The trees rustled, leaves dancing in the tense silence. They stood poised, waiting for the dark mages and hybrids to make their move. Then, without warning, a seething smoky sphere bristling with electric energy hurtled toward them. It crackled and hissed, a deadly force obliterating everything in its path.

Zira's body tensed. This was Lherys' warning—a taste of the danger coming for them. She muttered a spell, and a thick shield appeared, stopping the dark ball and causing a haze to surround them. Instinctively, Zira stretched her hand to disperse the cloud, but it shifted toward Tahel. His familiar absorbed the lingering dark energy.

The air crackled with tension as a mocking voice sliced through the stillness.

"What is this?"

Zira and the pack turned to face who they came for—Lherys, still in Cillian's body. Behind him was a small but formidable entourage—a hulking male vampire, a female of their kind, three hybrids, two dark mages, and three lower-level vampires.

Lherys surveyed the scene, his gaze sweeping across the pack. He scoffed, his lip curling in disdain.

"Have you lost your minds? What made you think you have the slightest chance of winning against me?" His eyes narrowed as they settled on Zira. "Do you think bringing the white mage will help?" he spat, holding back laughter. "She will only delay your deaths."

After saying that, his mocking laughter rang out, the sound grating on their nerves. "You don't even have your alpha with you," his eyes gleamed like a madman.

Zira could feel everyone tensing up and ready to jump into the fight. Enzy stood at the front, his hand folded into a fist meant to hold still. They planned to wait for the enemies to come for them and stick close to her for protection against the dark magic.