The moon had not yet reached its highest point when Luciana, wearing a stolen cloak and moving with silent steps, slipped through the palace corridors. Two drunken guards were playing dice at the back entrance of the royal chambers. Thank you, imperial incompetence.
—Seriously... not even in my other life did they make it this easy —she whispered as she slid through the shadows.
She knew exactly where she wanted to go. She had figured it out from the map Liana had gotten her hours earlier: three floors, two staircases hidden behind tapestries with golden angels, and a door sealed with a runic lock that opened... with a well-placed shove.
So much magic and not a single decent lock.
And there it was: the Library of Shadows. Or so claimed a rusty plaque hanging crooked above the main door. The shelves were taller than the roofs of many houses, and the smell of old paper, wax, and enchanted dust filled the air.
—Alright, killer library, let's see what secrets you're hiding.
She grabbed an oil lamp and began walking through the aisles. The first books were painfully boring: political treaties, genealogies, protocol rules... and at least three volumes dedicated to royal hats.
—Over my dead body —she grumbled, pushing the book cart toward a darker section.
After an hour of searching, something caught her attention: a small shelf, half-covered by a rolled-up rug and a broken chair. The dusty sign read "Creatures and Superstitions." Bingo.
She scanned the titles: Bestiary of Mitras, Demons of the North, Nine Moons: Creatures Enslaved by the Sky, The Song of the Skinchangers... and there it was.
"The Blood of the Wolf: Hierarchy and Legacy of the Lycans."
Worn leather cover, letters burned into it. Just touching it gave her chills.
She sat on the rug and opened it. And then, the secrets began to reveal themselves.
---
Excerpt from the Book: The Blood of the Wolf
"There is no single structure among the children of the moon, but every pack responds to the instinct of its blood. Lycans, creatures blessed —or cursed— by the moon, organize themselves following the natural order of wild wolves."
Mythic Hierarchy of the Lycans:
Alpha: The leader. The heart and mind of the pack. Strong, feared, or loved. Man or woman, their dominance is imposed through power, spiritual connection, and blood.
Beta: The alpha's right hand. Strategist, confidant, enforcer. Maintains group cohesion and discipline.
Gamma/Delta: Warriors. Hunters. Protectors. The fangs of the pack. Divided into subcategories: trackers, guardians, and squires.
Omega: The edge. The outcast. The one who laughs when others roar. May be the relief or the internal chaos. Their role is invisible, yet necessary.
Elders: The founders. The wise. The immortals. Those who remember the first howl.
"In ancient times, pure-blooded lycans —born, not turned— ruled the clans. Within them dwelled primeval spirits, known as the ANCESTRAL WOLVES, conscious, wild, and immortal entities that could not be tamed. Only an absolute bond with their moon could calm them…"
"The Wolf of Kilian – Lost Fragment:"
"A tale survives in whispers and fangs. It speaks of a lycan born on a moonless night, under a storm of blood. His name was not given, but claimed by the spirit that possessed him: the White Wolf, the Alpha of Alphas. The Original.
This ancestral wolf sleeps in the heart of King Kilian. It is patient, but each red moon stirs it. If his moon —his soulmate— does not find him before the tenth blood moon… it will take over his host and destroy every living thing."
Luciana swallowed hard.
She closed the book slowly, as if it might bite her if she moved too fast.
—Then it's true... —she whispered—. Kilian has a demon inside. A being older than history itself. And I'm the only thing that can stop it.
She left the book in her lap. Her hand trembled.
If they didn't unite before that final moon, he would lose control. He would be consumed by his ancestral wolf. And the whole world would pay the price.
But the text didn't end there.
There was one last paragraph in red ink, almost faded.
"She who awakens the Alpha's blood must also carry its echo. Because when the Alpha roars, his moon bleeds. The bond is not salvation. It is sacrifice."
Luciana froze.
—Great. Not only do I have to save the world… I have to bond myself to a werewolf possessed by a bigger wolf. And bleed in the process.
She sighed. Closed the book. And smiled wryly.
—The fun part will be telling Kilian that I'm his emotional sedative.