Jaxon's POV

Kelsey widened his eyes in disbelief. 'We need to find a solution to this before it gets late. As fast as possible." Before I could reply, I heard my name from a distance, the voice felt familiar but with two tones. Could it be Liora or Seraphina? "Jaxon, Jaxon!" I heard again. I spurned around, and I was relieved on seeing Liora running toward me. It wasn't Seraphina after all. She looked worried and worn out from the effects of the dark illusion. The magic wasn't exceptional on those it affects, it affected every member of the pack, but on different levels. 'Liora, may the goddess be praised," I breathed, as I rushed to catch up with her. 'Are you hurt in any way?" She nodded, though I could see the tension in her eyes. 'I'm very fine, but my concern is the pack, Jaxon. It's a terrible sight to behold. The magic has spread beyond control in the pack, and I fear we can ever manage it. We're losing more members per second." I hated that I felt helpless, much to the extent of not helping those that I rule. What type of Alpha does that? 'I know, Liora. Morgath is trying out his best tactics, just one of his attempts at breaking us apart. Be rest assured that we will handle this soon." Liora held my gaze briefly, standing tall and firm even amid everything. 'The first thing to do is identify the source of this magic and do everything possible to cut it off. If we can muster courage and end it at its root, we might have a broader chance at living." I maintained eye contact with her as she shared her opinion. She has always been right, and this time is no exception. 'Alright, Liora. We are aiming at the source and blocking it. But we can't leave behind the pack this way. We need to make sure the pack is in good condition before embarking on this journey." She nodded at my suggestion. 'We'll allow no stone unturned. Both of them are then." We set off, ready to bring in a solution into the pack that meant a lot to us. We weren't ready to surrender Morgath and become his slaves. We would fight and win him. I have been a focused Alpha, always putting my pack before me, but not this time, as I allowed myself to be carried away, and I regret I didn't balance everything. Liora still maintained a calm spirit while I was inside. 'We'll fix this mess, Jaxon. But it must be teamwork, together we will conquer." I smiled at ease, grateful to have her by my side. It might not be easy, but I know we would figure out something, especially with Liora in the picture. Silver Moon Pack must be protected at all costs, it's my responsibility. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The council gathered at the usual pack house for a crucial meeting. Tension filled the room as the patriarchs deliberated on the way out. The pack was my duty, but I had to involve the patriarchs for guidance. That's why we have them. If we must navigate this misfortune, we must tap from their wealth of knowledge. They might have been in such situations while growing up as young wolves, and now is the time to share some strategies with us. The healers that we invited failed woefully at lifting the dark magic off the pack. Some of them ended up affected and became more of a burden to the pack instead of a solution. I gripped the edge of the table, frustration clear on my face as I waited patiently for the elders to settle down. 'We need fast answers. We can't fold our hands and watch the pack in this pain. None of our healers nor the ones we hired could reverse this dark magic, and the pack is deteriorating. We're running out of time." Elder Marcus, was the first to speak. 'I can still remember how dangerous Morgath's magic was when he initially attacked this pack, leading to his exile. He was testing his dark magic on the pack, using us as his experimental tools. Many were wasted, including his family members, and the pack lost many warriors. Morgath's dark magic can't be compared to others. It's not an ordinary spell. And most importantly, he couldn't have achieved all this without support. He must have carried out everything with the aid of a pack member. His magic works particularly, which requires getting information from within to weaken you. This attack was too precise, too calculated and too well-timed." 'And that brings us to the key question," I said with a heavy heart, 'who among us betrayed us?" The room became dead as a graveyard, my words seemed too complicated to be answered. The question required an answer, but everyone was quiet. There's no way Morgath would have struck so accurately without pre-information from the pack members. An inner body might have linked our secret, and they took us unawares at our vulnerable moment. The odds are high that it might be a trusted member of the pack, but what would someone like that achieve from betraying their blood. My eyes searched the faces of the elders one after the other, eager to dictate the answer from their faces, but none gave signs of unfaithfulness. 'We need to do a thorough search to find out who leaked vital information from the pack. Whoever does such, risking the lives of the members of this pack, must have had a misunderstanding with any of the nobles, or just for personal gains." Later the same day, after the council meeting, I approached to discuss the way out with her. I noticed she was quieter than her usual self. 'Liora," I called softly, 'what's going on with you? Why the abrupt switch in spirit? You've been the one pushing us to fight this, but the unusual flop on your mood is not encouraging" She hesitated for a moment, furrowed her eyes in a puzzled way, before she answered. 'I've been feeling unusual, something forceful. A power, a surge of healing potential, but it seemed restricted. It's strange but that's, and I am puzzled on what to do." I frowned as I tried to understand what she meant. 'What do you mean by that?" She rubbed her palms together in a manner that suggested she was trying to keep warm. 'Each time I attempt using it, I feel a restriction, it always feels like it's not yet ripe, like something is missing for it to be harnessed. I could sense that the power can heal this pack, but how that can be done is what I don't know. Something is blocking me from tapping from the power." My heart raced in anticipation. 'You think you can save this pack?" 'I don't know for sure," she admitted. 'But I'm aware that something is brooding inside me, something powerful, and it only awakens each time I try to help. The only problem is the restrictions that I feel. Even my wolf can't help it." There was a spark of hope, there could be help for us if we solve the puzzle behind the restriction. The moon goddess didn't abandon us after all. 'We need to start from somewhere, and that is identifying what's restricting you, Liora. If the moon goddess had given you the power to heal, then you might be our only hope for survival." She remained calm and collected. 'I'll continue trying to break the barrier, though it might not be easy, but I will keep trying. But the first step is finding out what's blocking me." I moved closer and placed a hand on her shoulder, struggling to comfort her. 'We will figure this out, trust me. But it's a team effort." I knew uncovering answers to these questions would be as difficult as fighting off the dark magic. A pack member sold us out to the villain, ensuring to strike at our lowest moment, and now, our only hope for survival also came with a clause. The earlier we find out the betrayal, the faster we would be at getting solutions to our predicament. If we are making arrangements of how to destroy Morgath, but the rebel is still in our midst, then we are only wasting time, as all our plans will still go back to Morgath, he would get more information on how to deal with us, until we give in to his demands. We need to discover the culprit before it's too late, but before then, we need to find a way to subside the dark magic, and its effect from the pack before no one would be left in the pack again. And that all points out to finding out what has been restricting Liora. We have to find out what has been blocking her from using her healing power. Is Morgath also responsible for that?