The Gate of Shadows

Witnessing Fenris’s strange behavior, Liam sighed before throwing clothes at him. "Here, I brought you new clothes. Luckily, I knew you would do something embarrassing, but I never expected this."

Instead of caring for the clothes, he scouted his surroundings, desperately trying to find something.

Do you remember the entire night or just parts of it? Crap… Please just…

"No, I..." my wolf trailed off, standing only to tumble to the ground if Liam hadn’t caught him.

The silver wolf was weak, something I had never seen him be.

Is it because of me? Because of what happened last night?

I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

Shade climbed onto my lap. Lily, cover your robes! You’re still showing it all to the world!

Yet I didn’t care; all I could do was stare at Fenris, who was anything but himself.

"Oi, Fen, is something wrong?" Liam questioned.

"Lilith..." The silver wolf answered, voice trembling and breaking.

Do you think you ate me? Oh, love… you didn’t, but I can’t run to you!

The tone in his voice made me want to, but I couldn’t afford to be found. I held onto Shade tightly, who rubbed herself on my chest to comfort me.

"What?" Liam couldn’t follow, trying to help Fenris clothe himself.

However, all my wolf wanted was to find me. "Lilith, she was here. I have to find her."

“What?” Liam glanced around, too, before focusing back on him. "Only your scent’s here. I don’t think anyone else was with you. I mean, your scent’s overpowering anything."

It wasn’t like I usually didn’t smell like him either way.

Fenris shook his head, "No! She was here with me! I felt her! If I hurt her, I need to find her!"

Liam's expression changed into something I had never seen him do. His eyes scrunched up like his eyebrows, studying Fenris’s strange behavior.

"Uh... I don’t know if I want to know those details." Liam huffed.

His reaction triggered Fenris to growl at him.

"You don’t understand. Arg... Just give me my phone. You have it, right?" The silver wolf sighed.

"Yeah, here." Liam took out a phone from his pocket.

Fenris dressed before grabbing the phone and sending a message. Unsatisfied with that alone, he called too, but there was no answer.

"Arg... Why’s no one picking up!?" Fenris's mood worsened as a soft red hue came from his skin.

"Woah! Let’s consider the time we are calling. It’s only five in the morning; they’re probably asleep," The brown wolf tried to defuse the situation.

Instead of listening to his friend, Fenris called repeatedly with no response, which only made the red hue get deeper in color.

"Fuck! I-I have to g-go see her! I need to know she’s okay!" He declared, instantly dropping to his knees two steps away from Liam.

“Fen!” Liam reached to help him back on his feet before holding onto his arm. "Look, I know you're worried, but you can’t. You know you can’t. The elders won’t allow you to leave until the festival’s done."

“Fuck them! No one will stand in my way! I need to know she’s okay!” Fenris snarled, wincing soon after.

Liam flinched, feeling the blunt anger his alpha felt, but he wasn’t about to back down.

"Fen, they’re fine. I’m sure of it. Melody won’t allow anything to happen to Lilith." He added, trying to get through to him.

My wolf growled loudly.

"You don’t know Lilith as I do! Something happened! I should’ve fucking known when she asked for my blood!" Fenris snapped, triggering me to flinch.

What awaited me when we met again was going to be something that I wouldn’t enjoy.

"I’m sure she’s fine; there’s no trace of anyone but you here," Liam assured him.

My wolf took a deep breath, placing his phone away. In his condition, there was no way he could get to me, not with all the Lycans in his way.

"I... don’t know. Maybe I’m confused." Fenris sighed.

"Look, let’s do this. Let’s see the elders and do their stupid party; then we’ll sneak out and check on the girls later tonight, okay?" he suggested a compromise.

"No, I have to see her right now, Liam!" he snapped at his friend, who didn’t back down either.

He was probably the only Lycan who would stand his ground against Fenris.

"Come on. Just a little longer. Please?" Liam grabbed onto Fenris's shoulders and stared straight at him.

"Fuck! Fine!" Fenris growled, using Liam as a support to walk out.

Finally, I was left alone with Shade. When my beloved wolf saw me again, I would face a fate that no one could save me from. However, I had to concentrate on what I could salvage. Undoing my bandaging, I confirmed the moonstone turned bright crimson red.

At least your anger won’t be for naught.

Shade shifted again, allowing me to use her to stand. After everything they had experienced, my legs felt wobbly; my entire body was foreign. However, I wouldn’t complain about it, especially after hearing the words I desired the most the previous night.

Without wasting another moment, I fixed my robe before slowly mounting Shade and contemplating running back toward Cerberus. The thought of opening another portal to the soul cairn made me shiver, but I had no choice.

Fenris was in the woods, in a worse mood than I had ever seen. If I had run into him, everything would’ve ended. Concentrating again, I opened a portal that returned me to the room with no issues.

I noticed Melody asleep, right where I left her. I had to fight the desire to run to her and wake her, but if she saw me like this, a slurry of questions would’ve been headed my way.

There’s no time to waste.

Glancing outside, I noticed the sun was in the same place when I left the forest. It was the only reference point I had to tell if time had skipped or reverted. Sadly, it appeared the same as when I left, leaving me the same as I started.

There are so many questions I want to ask, but focus, Lilith; you don’t know how much longer the moonstone will hold Fenris’s essence.

Taking off the ring, I placed it on the desk before picking up the bracelet I left behind and clasping it on. After that, I gazed at the potion I had made to kill off any chance of bearing a child. With only a couple of seconds to ponder whether I should drink it or not, I opted not to take it since it could make me ill.

Yes, I need every ounce of energy left within me to break Melody’s curse. Focus on that first, then the rest.

Unable to walk alone, Shade helped me into the shower, where I quickly washed, trying to get rid of any traces of where I was. After that, I dressed as I always did, ensuring every part of me was covered.

It was no use letting her see my body's changes or the new bruises and scratches I had picked up because of Fenris. Even though everything had changed, anything he had done to me was still present. Luckily, it wasn’t anything my clothes couldn’t hide.

After I was fully dressed, with Shade's help, I grabbed Melody’s phone. My heart dropped when I saw over twenty missed calls and many more messages.

Crap, they’re all from Fenris.

The messages all wanted her to make me get on the phone as soon as possible. Although he appeared kind in them, I knew the fury behind those words.

If everything works out, I’ll make sure he knows who to be angry at, Mel. I promise he won’t kill you, but he might murder me.

Shivers went down my spine, and I didn't want to know what would happen when he laid eyes on me. Not wanting Melody to know what was happening, I pocketed her phone before finally waking her.

Grabbing onto her hand, it triggered her eyes to fly open. She sat up faster than I could’ve imagined. Disoriented by the spell I had undone, she glanced around the room, trying to understand what was happening.

"What, where? What happened?" Melody asked me.

Clueless is good for the time being.

I giggled, "I just finished preparing to break the curse.”

My voice was still hoarse from the night, triggering me to reach for my throat.

Damn… I forgot to drink water. Not that it’ll take it all away.

However, the tone triggered Melody to tilt her head upon noticing it. She was just as sharp as Liam, making me want to run and hide. Luckily, there were more pressing matters in her mind as well.

"Wait? The sun’s out? When did I fall asleep?" She continued her query, standing up from the bed and glancing outside.

When she last remembered it darkening, the sun was in plain sight. At least Fenris’s rage wasn’t visible from where we were, yet I had to thread carefully around this wolf.

"Don’t worry. Everything was a success." I assured her, taking out the red stone that was once whitish blue.

She reached for it, only for me to tug it away; it wouldn't have been ideal if she had touched the stone before the incantation.

Any impurities can make spells go haywire.

"Oh, right... Sorry, I forgot. I can’t touch it until the ritual.” She mumbled, shaking her head, “So I missed the moon, damn it, I wanted to see it.”

“There’s always next time,” I assured her.

She shrugged, “Was it hard to get it?"

Her simple question caused me to cackle nervously, as I knew fully what I had to go through to get this for her.

Ah... well, there’s no turning back anymore.

"No... No, it wasn’t too bad." I avoided her gaze as she approached me again.

Grabbing onto her hands, I tried to lead her towards the center of the room, but I lost my balance. Luckily, she saved me from falling.

"Hey, are you okay?!" she worried, holding onto me.

"Yeah, the spell just left me a little battered. Don’t worry, though," I assured her.

Instead of dropping it, she narrowed her eyes, studying me closely.

"I-it’s only temporary. Come, we don’t have time to waste," I added, leaving Melody to sigh and follow me along.

Once in the middle of the room, we sat down as we had rehearsed. Taking off my inhibitor again, I placed it next to me, preparing for the ritual we were about to do. This wasn’t something I found or wrote. Magic needed direction, and words usually simplified that, so I devised a small ritual to do with her—a first of its kind.

"Is this really going to work?" Melody’s hands trembled, much like her voice.

There was no way to know if it would work or not. But instead of instilling doubt, I tried to reassure her. After all, it had to work. Or Fenris would hate me for nothing.

"Yes, it will. Although whoever cast it won’t be too happy about it breaking." I smiled.

“They will know?" Her tail wagged as her eyes glittered.

"Probably. We witches bond ourselves to curses. So, when they break, the energy goes back to them. It’s why curses go away if the witch is slain. Usually," I informed.

Shade joined us, sitting next to me and observing everything we did.

"Good. I wish I could see their faces when they feel it break." Melody smirked as her tail wagged faster than before.

Cute. Why are Lycans gifted with the ability to look adorable whenever they want? I’m jealous!

Clearing my throat, I readied myself for the next stage of my plan. The easy part, or so I thought.

I mean, anything after the red moon has to be easy, right?