Chapter 2 Trap

Asher's POV

I had trouble falling asleep. My eyes remained open even though the sky was dark. The sound of the wind outside my window was peculiar. It went quickly, then slowly. As if it were observing me. I had a bad feeling within. A constriction in my chest, a burden I was unable to remove. I went outdoors and gazed at the moon. It was nearly filled. Soon the pack would assemble. It was almost Moon Day. However, I wasn't prepared this time. Not since her return. the unfamiliar person. Not a stranger, please. Morgan. Her face was visible to me in the ring. Her eyes were familiar to me. When we touched, I sensed the spark. She was still alive. She was still there. She was present. She did not, however, mention her name. She was not truthful. She treated me as if I were unimportant. More than anything, that stung. My instinct was to rush to her. I was curious about her whereabouts. I wanted to apologize. But before I could say anything, she walked out of the ring. Then Silas took over. He yelled. He gestured. He referred to her as a danger. I didn't think he was real. But I said nothing. I have no idea why. Perhaps I was afraid. Not Morgan's. Of my actions. I proceeded toward the woods along the route. I needed to locate her. Now I needed to know why she returned. My boots made contact with the ground. I kept my hands close to my sides. I forgot to pack my sword. I didn't require it. I spent a lot of time walking. Then I caught sight of her. She was standing beside the trees. The breeze rustled her cloak. She was staring at me. She didn't flee. She didn't grin. She did nothing except observe. I moved closer. Then, from behind me, I heard something. A gentle click. I quickly turned. Silas remained still. His eyes were frigid, but he grinned. He had a black blade in his hand. I was pointed at by the tip. I took a step back. Morgan didn't slow down. Between us, she ran. She had glowing hands. The earth trembled. Around her feet, leaves flew. Silas remained still. He raised the blade. It was old, he said. It might break bonds, he said. even real ones. Morgan's gaze widened. I was unable to decipher his meaning. Then her hand caught my eye. The light was going out. She lowered her gaze to her chest. She took a step back. Silas chuckled. The forest no longer trusted her, he claimed. According to him, the goddess returned her gift. I swung after grabbing a branch. Silas ducked. The blade dropped out of his grasp. Morgan took it up. Like she always did, she held it. She still had trembling hands. Silas started running. He was not stopped by her. Nor did I. I gave her a look. She gave me a look. We remained silent. However, we were both aware of the same thing. This was far from over. To get to the cave, we walked. A boy lay on the floor within. Thorne. He was wounded. He had fabric wrapped around his arm. He had cuts on his face. He was seated next to Kaya. She appeared worn out. She explained what had transpired. I heard about the bottle from her. The poison. The old letters. The strategy. It was heavy in my chest. I had been duped. I made the incorrect decision ten years ago. I gave Morgan another glance. She averted her gaze. I took a seat near the fireplace. Though little, the flames were warm. We sat quietly. I then heard Thorne's voice. He spoke softly. "Name," he said. Elira. The goddess. Morgan stopped. Kaya had a troubled expression. I had no idea why. Then I had a memory. Last night, I had a dream. I saw a tall woman in the woods in my dream. She had silver hair. She had glowing hands. Her eyes were sorrowful, yet she smiled. She made contact with the trees. The leaves became dark. The forest was furious, she said. The relationship was broken, she said. I now questioned whether it was only a dream. Morgan got up and left. I did the same. I came up to her, but she walked quickly. "I need to find Elira," she continued. She claimed that there was a problem with her power. I promised to go as well. "No," she said. I promised to go nevertheless. I didn't let her stop me.

We ventured farther into the forest. The sky

remained drab. The wind did not blow. Then we heard it. A scream. Not from a wolf. from another source. To the sound, we ran. We also caught sight of her. The goddess. By the ancient stone circle, she stood. The shadow obscured her face. She had black hands. She gave Morgan a look. She didn't grin. She gestured toward the floor. As the roots grew, they seized our feet. We were immobile. She took a step forward. She gave me a look. She then turned to face Morgan. Her voice echoed in our minds even though she remained silent. The pledge was broken by you. According to Morgan, she didn't. "She gave her power," Elira replied. According to Morgan, she utilized it to stay alive. The forest wanted it back, Elira explained. The earth trembled. The trees stooped. Elira saw a black figure rise behind her. A faceless shadow. Like smoke, it moved. Her shoulder was touched. She collapsed on the ground. The wind cried out. My internal bond broke. Morgan let out a gasp. Her runes darkened. We are released by the roots. Elira raised her head. Her eyes filled with tears. One final phrase, she whispered. Run. The shadow's arms spread out. The sky darkened. The woods screamed. And something old started to emerge from the earth. The earth split open. It sounded really loud. The trees withdrew. The air became heavy. I grabbed Morgan's hand and dragged her along. We took off running. Branches broke beneath our feet. Behind us, the shadow moved quickly. It didn't move. Like smoke, it slipped. The wind pressed hard like a wall against us. I didn't turn around. I simply ran. Morgan had a chilly hand. She remained silent. She had large eyes. We arrived at a hill and quickly ascended it. I turned and stared at the top. The circle had vanished. There were only twisted trees and dark dust. No deity. No illumination. Just the shadow. standing. It didn't come after us. Not quite yet. Morgan collapsed on the ground. She inhaled deeply. She gazed up at the sky. I took a seat next to her. I remained silent. Then she reached into her cloak and took something out. A little stone. It was red. She said that Elira had previously given it to her. A present, a component of the connection. It was burning in her hand now. She set it down on the floor. The stone's light went out. She gave me a look. "The bond is completely gone now," she remarked. The trees were no longer audible to her. She was unable to sense the ground. I was at a loss for words. Next, both of us heard footsteps. We remained steadfast. Kaya ran from the trees. In her palm was a piece of paper. Thorne had woken up, she said. He said more. She handed the paper to me. The words weren't long. The letters were written in the same style as Silas. It was a map. a secret location beneath Alpha Hall. A place known only to the Beta. A place to conceal secrets. Taking the paper, Morgan studied the lines. We must go there, she urged. Right now. Kaya led us back to the cave. Thorne took a seat. He had a pallid face. Silas was meeting someone, he claimed. An outsider. Not a member of the pack. Someone with an irony and ashy smell. Morgan gave me a glance. She claimed to be familiar with the scent. The darkness was the source. The person next to Elira. The one who shattered the connection. I got Thorne to stand. He rested on Kaya. We needed to move quickly. Let's go back to Alpha Hall. I'm going back to my house. Now stuffed with falsehoods. I took the lead. There was silence on the way. Not a single animal. No wind. No illumination. The pack square appeared. There was nobody. Too silent. I opened the hall's large doors. We entered. The smell of burning and old wood was still there. I made my way over to the stone wall. The old cellar was behind it. The bricks were relocated by me. I tugged on a rope. The wall opened. A narrow staircase descended into the shadows. Morgan was the first to go. There was no sound to her steps. I did the same. There was a room at the bottom. Tiny and cold. With scrolls inside containers and boxes that are locked.

Morgan grabbed a single package. She pulled it open. There was

another ring inside. similar to hers. but in black. I grabbed it. In my hand, it felt off. heavy. chilly. Too chilly. This was more than simply a ring, Morgan added. It broke the link. One created by wolves who had lost their partners a long time ago. intentionally. I gave her a look. She gave me a look. Both of us comprehended. Silas intended to sever all ties. Not only hers, even mine. even that of the entire pack. A scroll was opened by Morgan. At the bottom, there was a mark. Not Silas's. Not mine. The Elders', no. A mark we had never seen before. It resembled a claw, but more extended. Sharper. She put her hand on it. The scroll came to life. There were words. older ones. Kaya took a sharp breath. It was the mark of a dark Alpha, she claimed. One who has been absent for a long time. One who was allegedly imprisoned indefinitely. I inquired about the name. Thorne replied. It was Fenric, he said. The Alpha who lost the fire war and his entire pack. It was he who accused the goddess. The one who promised to return. And I believe he has now.