Chapter 169: The Wolf That Forgot

My wolf, whose huge form consisted of twisting shadows, froze the air with a spine-tingling howl. Blazing red eyes brimming with savage rage, for the first time in my life, I felt that I was gazing into the rage of a huntress who would never let me go. I hardly had time to move out of its way. The monster scratched across my chest so forcibly that I went stumbling backward over onto the earth behind me, the earth creaked where I did, shook. My head was reeling, dirt clouded my lungs as I sprang back on my feet. Daisy was shrieking, "Lleus, what in the devil is that?!" I knew. I knew it in my bones. It was my wolf. But not mine anymore. Viktor drew his sword, his features twisting into a snarl. "That is not an ordinary animal… That is him, isn't it?" I winced in assent, my heart pounding. "Yes." Darius coiled at my side, his battle-worn eyes fixed on the animal. "Then why in the world is it trying to bite you?" I gulped. "Because… it doesn't know me." The wolf snarled again, its fur ablaze with greedy predator fury. Dark energy enshrouded it, distorting reality itself. I clenched my teeth. "I have to reach him." Alfonso swore, "Reach him? You're crazy. That beast is ripping your throat out!" Daisy held onto a silver knife in her trembling hand. "Lleus, if that beast is your wolf. then does that mean he's not yours anymore?" Those words had been harder than I'd expected. Did I ever deserve to claim he was mine? I rose, trying to stand tall. "I must try." The wolf snarled, teeth bared. But under the rage, under the filth, I saw something else—shaking doubt. He recalled me, for a moment. So I tried to speak. "Remember me." The wolf flinched. Its giant shoulders bristled, ears twitching just so. I stepped closer. "You are mine. And I yours." The beast growled, low and coarse. Anger still, not quite sane, something within it changed. Feral in its eyes disappeared—halfway. "It's listening," Darius breathed. Viktor gasped back, "For how long, though?" The wolf then just broke out into a blood-curdling howl. It was twisted, raw, like two things within it clashed. Darkness swirling around it distorted, horribly deformed. And then, in a flash of time, it struck them once more. Its claws came down on me before any moment was given to respond. I blocked its attack, raising my arms to fend it off. Instead of tearing flesh, though, in the fraction of a second that its claws hit me, something miraculous happened—a flash of energy exploded between us. There was a blinding flash of white light, and we both stumbled back. I collapsed to the ground, my eyes flashing white and then back again in indistinct shape. I groaned, trying to stand, every inch of my body thrumming with life. My wolf stumbled back too, its fur trembling with irritation. And I heard him—a growling, gravel voice, in my head. "Who. are you?" I gasped. He spoke. I braced against my chest, heart pounding. "You know me." The beast's red eyes faltered, their outlines blurring between shadow and meat. I moved forward, my words steady. "I am Alpha Lleus." The wolf snarled but did not budge. "Your wolf." Its great body jerked in a harsh cramp. I continued, not wanting to shatter the dream. "You were taken away from me. But you belong to me." I It snarled in pain , jerking it's massive head back and forth as if it was going to strike at something. "Daisy breathed softly," "Lleus… is it working?" "I didn't know." And then, suddenly, in a grimace of foul clarity, I knew what I was going to do. I stand up straight and place my hand on the monster's chest. A fresh spilling-over of power flowed out of me—this one, though, not wild, but soft. Gold light spilled out of my hand, flowing over the dark shape of the wolf like cracks in a shell of dark obsidian. The creature let out a sound that was ear-shattering, so loudly that it hurt our ears, and the ground shook beneath us. Its shape twisted, arched. And then—it howled. A blinding, heart-rending howl that keened through the great emptiness. Viktor gasped a straining breath. "Something's happening." Darius's eyes flamed. "It's breaking free." I gritted my teeth, pouring every shred of will I possessed into the bond. "Come back to me." The darkness that had consumed my wolf changed. Black hairs struggled to reclaim it, but the gold light shoved them aside. And then, in one final, tortured snarl, the darkness was gone. My beast fell. And in its place—stood my wolf. Whole. Complete. Mine. I knelt, burned lungs. Our connection pulsed—hard, unbroken. My wolf's head crouched, yellow eyes fighting mine. No scar. No red. Daisy gasped. "Lleus. his eyes." I let out a laugh that was balanced on a scream. "He's back." The wolf leaned in closer, forehead to forehead, and the bond turned beat. I felt complete for the first time in who knows how long. Viktor exhaled. "I don't think I believe you. You did it." Darius crossed his arms. "Not bad, Alpha. Not bad at all." Alfonso laughed. "Now that is a sight." Daisy blotted a tear from the rim of her eye. "I thought we'd lost you for a second." I grinned, stroking my wolf's fur It was thick. Real. Ours again. But before I could yell, the world shook. A growling voice, big. It thundered through the air. "You have the audacity to try to take back your own city?" The ground tore apart. Shadows twisted in the distance. The Underworld Lord was not pleased. I muttered under my breath. "We have to get out." Daisy pulled on my arm. "How?" Viktor waved his hand. "There. Closing portal!" My wolf growled at my side, like it felt it too. I climbed onto its back without hesitation. "Go! Everybody!" Darius hacked through screaming ghosts pouring from everywhere. Viktor and Alfonso hacked a trail, opening an entrance. The gate throbbed, the sole refuge from this damned plane. I thrust ahead my wolf. "Go!" We ran headlong, night behind us. And when the gate was shutting on us, we sprang—shuddering into light. Falling's familiar feeling again, but now it gave way to heat. The air altered, and we were—the all at once, as if in magic—the return. Back to life. I gulped wind, rolling on hard earth. Dirt filled lungs with aroma. Warm sun upon skin. Daisy hacked at ground beside me. "Did we make it?" Viktor grimaced. "Just barely." Alfonso erupted into laughter. "Gonna puke." I turned to my wolf, who had stayed with me, still intact, still loyal. He looked up at me and growled deep and contented. The tie was still intact. I breathed in deep. "I'm back." Darius crossed his arms. "So. now what?" I stood looking out over the horizon. The war was far from won. I had my wolf, my ability—but still, I had to win my war. And find Reika.