Kasia's gaze were fixed on the men and women working tirelessly to hammer and hoist the beams back into place. The air was thick with sawdust and the scent of pine, a stark contrast to the acrid smell of smoldering ruins and blood that had filled the air only a day before. Ethan stood at the heart of it all, directing efforts.
They hadn't spoken since the night of the celebration, each focused on their own ocean of responsibilities and unspoken tensions. Yet, Kasia could feel the weight of his presence in her mind, checking on her, coaxing her to ensure that she ate and slept.
As dusk crept across the sky, painting it in hues of burnt orange and fading blue, Kasia retreated to the solitude of her room. There, huddled around a cluster of flickering candles, sat the witches, their faces grave as they pored over ancient texts.
"Anything?" Kasia's voice broke the rhythmic hum of their chants.
One witch, her silver hair reflecting the candlelight, shook her head. "The curse is old, woven through him like roots. Queen Eliane was correct. This is dark ancient magic. We can contain it, perhaps delay... but to remove it completely...the wielder must be culled."
Kasia's jaw clenched. "So be it then."
"It is safe to assume she will attempt to curse you during the challenge," the witch added. "You still have the kiss of fae breath on you. It will provide some protection. I recommend a swift defeat. Do not relish in the hunt."
"Understood," Kasia said with a nod.
"Apologies if I am being too forward, but we have occupied your room for a day now. We are thankful for your hospitality, but you need to rest."
"There is too much to be done," Kasia replied.
"And it will get done. You need to learn to delegate," the witch scolded and ushered for her sisters to gather their belongings to leave. "Rest. All will be resolved tomorrow."
Kasia lay in bed later that night, her body still but her mind racing. Her thoughts then turned to Lana, her sister, the one person whose absence felt like a missing limb. Lily's words, that Lana was safe and with Milo, were meant to help, but instead, it only increased Kasia's anxiety. Where had they gone? And why hadn't they returned?
The first rays of dawn filtered through the curtains, casting a pale light on Kasia's solemn face as she sat by the window. The silence of the room was a stark contrast to the clamor of construction outside, where the pack worked tirelessly to mend what had been broken.
A sudden knock brought her out of her thoughts. "Enter," she called out.
The door creaked open, and there stood Lana. Relief surged through Kasia, propelling her to her feet and into Lana's waiting arms. They embraced fiercely.
"Where have you been?" Kasia's question came out muffled against Lana's shoulder.
"Hidden away with Milo," Lana replied.
Kasia drew back slightly, studying Lana's features for hints of change. "With Milo?"
"It's a long story," Lana said.
"Explain, I have time," Kasia said motioning for Lana to sit down on her bed.
"Well, Milo was getting overwhelmed and I couldn't think of anything else to do but to use…"
"…Don't tell me you took the pills," Kasia said.
"Worse,"
"How could there be something worse?!"
"I used a syringe. It had vampire venom in it, and I guess I became a vampire. I saved Milo and took him to one of his safe houses," Lana blurted out.
"I swear I leave you alone for a moment and everything goes to hell," Kasia groaned. "I'm just glad you are okay, but why did it take you so long to come back? I've been looking for you everywhere."
Lana's lips curved into a smile. " Milo and I... we're mates now."
Kasia squealed in glee as she pulled Lana into another hug. "FINALLY! The sexual tension between you two has been ridiculous."
"Wait, you knew? I thought you liked him and vice versa,"
"Uh, no. Milo has always been a big brother to me. And hell, I knew you had a thing for him when you were like 16. You practically drooled over him whenever he worked out without a shirt," Kasia teased. The thought of their time as teenagers reminded Kasia that Lana needed to hear the truth about their parents.
"What's wrong?" Lana asked.
"Listen, Lana, I need to tell you about our parents," Kasia began, her tone turning somber. She recounted what Victor told her of their hometown, of the twisted experiments, and of their parents turned into monstrous pawns.
Lana's response was a gasp, a hand flying to her mouth in horror. "Did you- did you avenge them?"
"I did," Kasia confirmed. "Victor, those scientists, even that idiot Austin – gone. I made sure of it."
"Then I can deal," Lana whispered.
A heavy silence enveloped them- a testament to lives irrevocably altered, paths. They sat together, shoulder to shoulder, each lost in their own thoughts.
"Never would've thought our lives would have turned out like this," Kasia murmured, her gaze distant. "My little sister might as well be married and the new advisor of the Alpha King. A shame what happened with Janet."
"Neither did I. Yeah, I didn't see that coming either," Lana agreed, her voice no more than a breath in the stillness of the room. "And look at you, you're the Alpha Luna."
"I really don't like that title, but it is what it is," Kasia groaned.
"Stop that! You always do that. You're deserving of this," Lana said, pushing Kasia's shoulder. "You of all people deserve a happy ending, so don't stay upset with Ethan for too long."
"How…how do you know I was upset with him?" Kasia asked.
"Hey, you're not the only one that people talk about and he looks like a sad lost puppy right now," Lana answered. "Lily also filled me in about Aimee. Are you sure you're ready for this? Three days hardly seems enough to recover from what you went through," Lana continued.
Kasia stood, flexing her muscles. "I keep telling everyone that I'm okay. I'm more than ready," she replied. "I have to be."
A knock on the door interrupted them, and the face of an omega peeked through. "The Elder Council has arrived," they announced.
With a nod, Kasia turned away. She reached for her combat attire. A full bodysuit to allow agility. Kasia pinned her hair up into a bun. Lana watched her sister as she prepared thinking that this would be the final chapter to close of their previous life.
"Let's go," Kasia said, and Lana followed Kasia out of her room.
The training field thrummed with anticipation as Kasia emerged. A crowd had gathered, their murmurs rising and falling like the tide. In the center stood Aimee, restrained but radiating malice from every pore.
"Attention!" The voice of the Elder Council cut through the air, commanding silence. "This is a fight to the death. Only your natural strength may be used. Interference will result in disqualification. The victor shall rise as Alpha Luna. Do you accept these terms?"
Kasia nodded. "I do."
"So do I," Aimee agreed with a smirk and a warrior released Aimee from her restraints.
Ethan's voice filled Kasia's mind. "Be careful."
Kasia didn't reply as her attention was focused on Aimee. She stood in front of Aimee. "You should've let Kenneth have you. Now, I am going to show how much of lowly bitch you are in front of everyone before I rip your throat out," Aimee growled.
"It seems that you'll never learn. You were beneath me even when I was human and you still are," Kasia responded earning another growl from Aimee.
With a feral snarl, the two women lunged forward, their bodies colliding with the ferocity of colliding storms.
They were evenly matched, trading blows that could fell trees, their movements a blur. But Kasia's experience gave her the edge. She anticipated Aimee's strikes, parried and countered with hits sounded like thunderclaps as she easily broke bones.
Desperation clawed at Aimee as she collapsed to the ground, coughing up blood as she was sure a few ribs were now broken. "Get up," Kasia growled. "Aren't you supposed to be teaching me a lesson?"
Aimee's lips curled as she began speaking incantations, dark magic reaching out like tendrils of shadow. But it fizzled against Kasia. Enraged, Kasia shifted into her lycan form. Her streaks of red fur glistening in the sun.
"Pathetic! You have no honor," Kasia snarled as she circled Aimee.
In a last, frantic bid for control, Aimee's gaze snapped towards Ethan, seeking to ensnare his will. Yet he stood unyielding, his brown eyes clear.
"How?! What have you done?" Aimee exclaimed as she pushed herself to her feet. She attempted to shift but her body would not do what she wanted.
"Protecting what is mine," Kasia responded.
With a howl of rage, Aimee rushed Kasia. Kasia easily dodged Aimee's attacks. With a series of swift, brutal strikes, she brought Aimee to her knees as she gripped her stomach as blood gushed forward as she attempted to keep her organs from falling out.
"This…this is not over," Aimee choked out. "I…I made a deal. I can't die."
"Then, you got a shitty end of it because you will die here, Aimee, for your betrayal of the Alpha King and your own kind. As Alpha Luna, it is in my duty to deal out this justice," Kasia said firmly. The intensity of the words and her Alpha aura causing everyone to bow to her.
"No, no, this cannot be. He said I would win. He said…" Aimee screamed as Kasia grasped her hair, dragging her towards the guillotine.
Aimee flailed, her cries piercing the hush that had fallen over the field. But this was happening no matter how Aimee tried to fight it.
"Any last words?" Kasia asked.
"You'll get what is coming to you," spat Aimee, venom in her voice.
"May the Moon Goddess show you no mercy," Kasia replied, her hand steady on the lever.
With a single motion, she released the blade. It descended with the finality of fate, severing head from body.