A few minutes later, Roxi entered the war room, her head bowed in submission to the Alpha.
With a cold expression and darkened eyes, the Alpha spoke without raising his voice. "Speak! I want to know who my sister is protecting so jealously."
Roxi sighed and began recounting what had happened. She raised her head, but avoided making eye contact with the Alpha.
"Alpha Caspian, I don't know what kind of creature the woman is. She's definitely not a shapeshifter, witch, or elf. I could also feel a great energy emanating from her body.
"Energy? Explain yourself, please."
"It's difficult to describe because it's a perception that we healers have. It feels like white, pure energy. It gives a feeling of peace and harmony. It's..." Roxi paused, cupping her chin in her fingers and staring into space. After searching for the right words, she continued, "It's like a pure soul—something intense and otherworldly. I can't fully explain it, but her energy is definitely good. I don't think she's part of the enemy."
Her words surprised those present, who looked at the healer in disbelief. Despite her words conveying positivity, they would still take precautions against the green-eyed creature.
Roxi described all of the girl's physical characteristics and commented that no one else on this planet had those features. She was definitely one of a kind.
She finished by describing the girl's terrible wounds and the possibility that she might die despite their efforts.
For a few seconds, the Alpha showed signs of concern. Remorse, perhaps? But life had hardened him too much, and he returned to his dark, insensitive countenance.
"Thank you, Roxi. You may leave."
As she left, the Alpha picked up a jug of warm water that had been served during the meeting. He drank it in one gulp and left the room, determined to see the creature in question. His great curiosity got the better of him; his sister's orders didn't matter. After all, he was the Alpha.
Cas had been forced to take command of the pack five years ago, when he was only nineteen, after his father, the former Alpha, and his mother, "the Moon," were killed in an ambush. Aliana was only ten years old when this happened, and Cas became her brother and father. He loved and protected her, and despite being a dominant 24-year-old man and the alpha of the strongest pack on the continent, he was condescending and affectionate toward her.
On his way to the room where the creature was resting, the Alpha detected a faint scent of honey. It was faint but strong enough to awaken his appetite.
In this world of beasts, honey was considered a luxury food. Despite it being his favorite treat, he only consumed it on special occasions, as did the rest of the pack, due to how difficult it was to obtain.
Many shapeshifters had died over the years trying to obtain honey from hives with bees the size of baseballs. These bees were very aggressive, territorial, and overly cautious about protecting their hives.
Cas thought that his sister's distress might have led her to take some honey to calm her sadness, and he wouldn't stop her.
Six steps from the room, a door suddenly opened, revealing Aliana, who quickly closed it behind her.
"What do you want, brother? I smelled you coming."
Shapeshifters have excellent eyesight and a spectacular sense of smell.
"Aliana, I haven't seen you in two days, which is unusual for you. I want to know how you are doing. I also want to see the green-eyed creature."
"I'm fine. The creature is almost dead, and you're not allowed to see it."
"Aliana!" the Alpha snapped in a stern voice. He clenched his fists and jaw and frowned, giving the teenager a piercing glance. Truthfully, he didn't use his dominant aura, which caused submission in anyone in front of him. He had no intention of subduing his little treasure.
"I won't change my mind, brother. You almost killed her, and I still don't know if she'll survive. I pray every day to the Moon Goddess to heal her wounds, but she still hasn't woken up. Her body isn't like ours. She doesn't heal as quickly as we do. The healer visits her twice a day and tells me to be patient and have faith."
Aliana's eyes showed concern and sadness as tears rolled down her pale cheeks.
Caspian felt a twinge of regret, but not for the young girl who had been attacked. Rather, he felt regret for his sister, who was suffering because of him.
"All right, I won't go in until you give me permission." Cas wrapped his sister in a fatherly embrace, trying to comfort her. After that, he left, heading to the training yard. On the way, he felt an uncontrollable urge to eat some honey. The subtle smell coming from the room made the idea of eating honey irresistible. He diverted his path to the kitchen and guiltily asked for a spoonful of honey. He knew how difficult it was to obtain, but it would only be this once, right? Aliana entered the room again and looked at Luz, who was still unconscious. But she noticed something different: she saw that her eyes were moving rapidly behind her eyelids, and even though Aliana shook her shoulder in search of a reaction, Luz remained unconscious.
Shortly after, Roxi arrived for her first visit of the day. She noticed the same thing as Aliana and commented that the creature was probably dreaming more intensely, which she considered a good sign and positive progress. Although she didn't want to give the teenager false hope, she told her that they still had to pray to the goddess Selene to wake her up. Her healing magic helped to heal some of her wounds, but it wasn't enough. After all, the damage caused by the Alpha was brutal.
The next morning, the Alpha's sister carried out her daily routine of the last three days. She got up, washed, and went to have breakfast in the unconscious young woman's room. While she was eating, she noticed that Luz's body began to move slowly, showing small muscle spasms in her hands and feet.
"Quick, call Roxi!" she said to the Omega who brought breakfast.
Shortly after, the healer entered and saw that Aliana was agitated due to the sudden change in her charge's condition.
"Look, she's moving!" she said, pointing to Luz's hands and feet, which were moving weakly.
Roxi approached the young woman and took her pulse. She passed her palms over the young woman's body, infusing it with healing magic. As she did so, she sensed something unusual.
A half-smile lit up the healer's face. "She's healing!" With her hands still on the young woman, Roxi whispered, as if trying to convince herself. "I think she'll wake up today."
Aliana's eyes sparkled with happiness, and she stood by the bed expectantly, watching the girl.
Five hours later, Luz finally opened her beautiful green eyes. Her whole body ached, and her mouth and throat burned from dehydration.
The first thing she saw was a pair of curious eyes staring at her. One was blue and the other was brown. The girl was no more than fifteen years old with black hair adorned by a white streak that stood out from her forehead and was tucked behind her ears. She was a beautiful girl.
"Here, drink. You must be thirsty." Aliana gently took the girl's head in her hands and brought a glass of water to Luz's dry lips so she could drink. She drank so quickly that she coughed occasionally, but continued to drink the precious liquid eagerly. Once she was satisfied, she lay back down on the pillow.
Still confused, Luz looked around at the unfamiliar place. She was lying on a comfortable bed dressed in a light white nightgown. Sunlight streamed in through the balcony, completely lighting the room. The fine white wooden furniture was adorned with exquisite gold detailing. Every detail in the room was beautiful.
Confused, she looked back at the two-colored eyes and asked, "Who are you, and where am I?"
"Who are you, and where am I?"
She wasn't sure if this was real or just a bad dream.
"Don't worry," Aliana replied. "You're in a safe place. You were badly injured, and we had to treat your wounds."
"Badly hurt?" An avalanche of memories of torturous events flooded her mind. Her pupils dilated completely, and a rush of adrenaline coursed through her body.
"Where am I?" she asked nervously, struggling to get out of bed. "I have to go. I don't want those horrible people to find me again. My family must be worried."
Thanks to Roxi's healing magic, his face was no longer swollen or bruised, though he still had some redness in his right eye that would soon disappear.
Seeing this, the quinceañera felt compassion. Although she was young, she could easily empathize. She was a mature girl, forged by facing difficult situations. Since she was young, she had lived through them several times in her pack.
"What's your name?" Aliana asked before responding to the young woman.
"My name is Luz. Who are you?"
"I am Aliana Atzar, sister of Alpha Caspian of the Blue Moon Pack."