Chapter 252: Changed my queen

Azura’s POV

The entire pack house was buzzing with a strange, heavy tension. Everyone was preparing for whatever storm was coming next.

Rhydor’s father had already left earlier in the morning with a handful of his most trusted warriors. They were heading deep into the woods to find the old witch, the one who had given the prophecy weeks ago.

She was an old friend of Genevieve’s, and Arthur hoped she could use her sight to tell them exactly where Genevieve had been taken.

I was preparing, too, but for a different reason. I had not seen my aunts since I returned from the dead. I needed to see them.

Before the battle started, before everything fell apart, I needed to stand in front of them, hug them, and let them know with my own voice that I was alive.

I made my way down the long hallway toward Rhydor’s study. The door was slightly open, and I could hear the murmur of voices inside.

Silas, Axel, and several other senior warriors were gathered around the heavy oak desk with Rhydor, surrounded by maps of the territory. They were discussing war strategies, trying to map out every possible route the enemy might take.

I pushed the door open and walked in.

Everyone stopped talking immediately. They turned their heads toward me, stepping back from the table. They felt my presence in the room before they even saw me.

My energy was completely different now. It was no longer the faint, timid pulse of a girl struggling to find her place. It was heavier, stronger, and far more lethal.

They bowed their heads in silent unison. Every single man in that room lowered his eyes. All of them, except Rhydor. He just stood behind his desk, his dark eyes locked onto mine.

"Luna," the warriors murmured, their voices carrying a deep, genuine respect.

I gave a polite nod, feeling a sudden wave of awkwardness wash over me. I was still not used to people bowing to me or calling me by that title. It felt strange on my shoulders, like wearing a coat that was just a little too large.

I walked right past the men, stopping at the edge of the desk across from Rhydor.

"I want to go see my aunts," I said softly, keeping my voice low so only he could hear the weight behind it.

"I haven’t seen them since I came back."

Rhydor looked at me for a moment, then gave a firm nod.

"I’ll get my horse. We can go together."

I shook my head, taking a small step back.

"No. I mean... I want to go alone, Rhydor."

He straightened up immediately, his dark eyebrows pulling low over his eyes as he looked at me.

"Do you think I will let you go out there alone?" he asked, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"Stop thinking like that. If you think I will actually let you go anywhere by yourself right now, you are out of your mind."

A faint, small smile touched my lips. Despite the heavy darkness hanging over us, his stubborn protectiveness felt warm and familiar.

"Fine," I murmured. "Let’s go."

****

We rode together through the quiet forest trails, the steady thud of our horses’ hooves echoing against the damp earth.

The sun was partially hidden behind thick gray clouds, casting long, pale shadows across the path.

When we finally reached the small clearing where my aunts lived, my heart sank. The little wooden hut stood in the middle of the trees, but something was terribly wrong.

The front door was swinging uselessly on its top hinge, slightly open and clearly kicked in with massive force.

I frowned, my chest tightening with sudden worry.

Rhydor dismounted his horse first, moving with swift, practiced grace. He stepped over to my side and reached up, his large hands catching me around the waist to help me down.

His grip was firm and steady, grounding me for a brief second before my boots hit the grass.

We stood together at the foot of the small wooden porch. I stared at the dark opening of the doorway, a cold knot forming in the pit of my stomach.

I looked up at Rhydor, and the grim expression on his face told me he felt it too. Something terrible had happened here.

I didn’t wait for him to clear the perimeter. I rushed straight up the wooden steps and pushed through the broken door.

The inside of the house was completely scattered. The small living space was a total mess. Cooking pots were thrown across the floorboards, chairs were smashed into splinters, and the curtains had been ripped clean off the walls.

There were no pools of blood, which meant there had not been a full massacre, but the deep, ragged claw marks gouged into the wall told the whole story. They were wolf marks, broad and ruthless.

Something had taken them. Someone had dragged my aunts out of their home by force.

My breathing grew heavy and sharp, my chest heaving as a sudden surge of heat boiled beneath my skin. My energy flared outward in a sudden, violent pulse, rattling the broken glass scattered on the floor.

I was furious. Pure, unfiltered rage washed over my mind. I knew exactly who did this. The Alpha King.

He was coming after my bloodline, testing my patience, and tearing away every single person I cared about.

Rhydor stepped up behind me, placing a heavy, warm hand on my shoulder.

"Calm down," he said softly, his voice a steady anchor in the storm of my anger. "Keep your mind calm, Azura."

Before I could answer, the air in the room grew icy cold. The hair on the back of my neck stood up as a terrifying, ancient pressure settled over the cabin.

I felt something standing directly behind us.

---

Aethryx’s POV

I opened my eyes.

The dark stone ceiling above me was familiar, its high, ancient arches casting long shadows down the walls of my chamber.

I shifted slightly, turning my head toward the side of the bed.

It was empty.

I sat up slowly, running my hand over my face to rub the faint traces of sleep from my eyes. Long strands of my pure white hair fell around my bare shoulders.

I looked around the silent room, taking in the quiet stillness of the atmosphere.

I stood up from the bed, my boots making no sound against the cold floor. I reached for my dark silk robe hanging near the wall, wrapping it loosely over my chest.

I was only wearing shorts, the cool air biting at my skin, but I hardly felt it.

I walked forward.

Three steps. That was all it took. Before my foot hit the floor on the third step, the reality around me folded inward.

I vanished into the shadows, stepping through space without thinking, like walking through an invisible door that wasn’t there a second ago.

I reappeared instantly inside Liona’s private quarters.

She was fast asleep in the center of her massive bed, looking small and peaceful under the heavy furs.

I walked over to the side of her bed, my movements light and fluid. I reached down, gently touching her forehead with the tips of my fingers, brushing a loose strand of dark hair away from her face.

She had changed so much since Azura’s death. She was quieter now, distant and restrained. She complained far less than she used to, no longer sparking the chaotic arguments that used to fill these halls.

She simply did what I commanded, living a quiet, hollow life.

I stared down at her sleeping face for a long time, feeling a quiet pang in my chest. I missed the old Liona. I missed the chaotic one.

Leaning down, I pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

Before she could stir or open her eyes, space folded again, and I appeared back inside my own room.

I didn’t waste any time. I dressed quickly, putting on my heavy armor and pulling a thick dark coat over my shoulders.

I reached for my long sword resting against the rack, strapping the heavy scabbard across my back. The blade was massive, broad, and nearly as long as a full-grown man.

Heavy. Deadly. Crafted for utter destruction.

With a simple thought, I vanished into thin air.

I materialized out of the shadows right behind Rhydor and Azura, stepping smoothly into the ruined cabin.

In a split second, both of them spun around to face me. Azura’s eyes flared with a brilliant, fierce blue light, her ancient power snapping awake beneath her skin like a weapon raised to strike.

I stood firm in the doorway, taking in her appearance. I had felt her presence the moment she returned to this realm.

Though the ancient bond in the pendant she used to carry was destroyed, I still felt her presence. A month ago, after the war, I felt the ancestral bond between Azura and me begin to fade, piece by piece, day by day.

When she finally woke up from her sleep, she had completely severed that bond. She had broken the connection without letting the magic kill her, reclaiming her full independence.

I looked at her now, watching the ice-cold, steady glare in her glowing blue eyes.

"I see you are awake," I said, keeping my voice calm and even.

Azura stared right back at me, her gaze unyielding.

"What are you doing here?"

I shifted my stance slightly, resting my palm near the hilt of the broadsword strapped to my back.

"I had a feeling," I replied simply. "You are going to him."

She didn’t deny it. The fierce resolve in her posture stayed firm.

"Yes."

I nodded slowly, a low, dangerous snarl tearing through my chest as my dragon instincts flared with raw, burning wrath.

"Then let us go," I spat, my voice dark with promise. "That old man crossed the line when he changed my queen. And I was waiting for your return."