CHAPTER 10 ( Ariana's Influence )

The air got cooler as the hideous beast approached Lyra, its crimson eyes flashing with greed. Its hideous figure loomed above her, muscles pulsing under its blackened fur. Seraphina unsheathed a sword that glimmered slightly in the moonlight, her posture ready for combat.

Lyra clasped the sack hard to her breast, her pulse hammering. "What do you want with the crystal?" she questioned, her voice shaking but steady.

The beast gave out a deep, rumbling chuckle that shook the earth under her feet. "It is not what we want," it snarled. "It is what he wants."

"He?" Seraphina's voice was harsh. "Who are you working for?"

The beast did not respond, instead lunging forward, claws outstretched. Seraphina deflected its blow with a quick upward swipe, sending sparks flying as her sword struck its claws.

"Run, Lyra!" she said.

Lyra paused for too long, gazing in fear as the smaller animals started to surround them. One of them surged at her, fangs pointing for her neck. She acted on impulse and stabbed her dagger forward, catching it in the shoulder. It howled in anguish and fell back, but others were quickly closing in.

"This way!" Seraphina shouted, taking down another assailant and grasping Lyra's arm. They sprinted into the deep woodland, the noises of pursuit becoming louder behind them.

Back in Wulfgar, Jasper sat in the council room, the weight of his leadership bearing down on him. The elders spoke about border security and trade issues, but his mind was elsewhere—haunted by the image of Lyra's face when he had kicked her out.

"Alpha," one of the elders stated abruptly, jolting Jasper out of his meditation.

"What is it?" Jasper inquired, his tone impatient.

The elder hesitated to speak. "Lady Ariana requests an audience."

Jasper's jaw constricted at the sound of her name. "Very well," he responded, dismissing the council with a handwave.

Ariana entered the room with her usual forceful demeanor. Her flowing crimson robe enveloped her contours, and her golden hair fell down her back like a shimmering waterfall. Her smile was lovely, but her eyes had a hard, calculating expression.

"Jasper," she said softly, her voice full of desperation. "You look troubled."

"There's a lot on my mind," he replied unexpectedly.

She came closer, her fingers caressing his arm with expert care. "Let me help," she murmured, her voice almost soothing. "You've been bearing this weight on your own for far too long."

Jasper moved back, his expression cautious. "What are you after, Ariana?"

She feigned to be outraged, but her lips quickly curled into a sly grin. "I only want what's best for you… and for Wulfgar, of course."

"Spare me the pleasantries," Jasper retorted. "You're here for something. "What is it?"

Ariana smiled wider. "Very good. I have heard murmurs, Jasper. Lyra is said to have something powerful. "Something dangerous."

Jasper's eyes narrowed. "What do you know?"

"Only that she's being hunted," Ariana remarked, her voice full of false anxiety. "And that if she falls into the wrong hands, it could spell disaster for us all."

Jasper clinched his hands. "You're suggesting I should bring her back."

"I'm suggesting you reclaim what is rightfully yours," Ariana said, her voice full with encouragement. "You're the Alpha. Whatever influence she wields should help you, not endanger you."

Jasper paused, uncertainty flaring in his gaze.

"Unless," Ariana added, leaning closer and lowering her voice to a whisper, "you're afraid of her."

Her comments touched home, and Jasper's countenance tightened. "I fear nothing."

"Then prove it," Ariana urged, her eyes locked on his.

Lyra and Seraphina eventually emerged from the trees, stumbling onto a clearing drenched in soft moonlight. Lyra bent over, gasping for air, while Seraphina surveyed their surroundings.

"They won't stop," Seraphina said solemnly. "Not until they have the crystal."

"Why?" Lyra inquired, her voice shaking. "What does it do?"

Seraphina paused, her eyes narrowing as if deciding whether to speak the truth. "It's a key," she said eventually. "To a prison that should never be opened."

"A prison?" Lyra's mind whirled. "Then why would Damien want it?"

"Because he's a fool," Seraphina said plainly. "He believes he can control what is inside. "But if he succeeds..." She trailed off, her face gloomy.

Before Lyra could push her further, the air became too motionless. Seraphina tightened her hold on her sword when they heard the faint sound of footfall.

"Stay behind me," she instructed.

From the shadows, a man appeared. It was neither beast nor man, but something in between, with its body shrouded in a whirling mist that seemed to absorb the light.

The figure spoke, and its voice echoed oddly. "The girl must come with me."

"Over my dead body," Seraphina yelled, brandishing her blade.

The creature inclined its head, seemingly delighted. "If that is your wish."

Back in Wulfgar, Jasper stood on the castle balcony, looking out into the darkness. Ariana's words rang in his thoughts, causing a tempest of contradictory feelings.

"Alpha," Damien said, interrupting his thoughts.

Jasper turned to see his second in command arriving. "What is it?"

"We found her," Damien remarked, his tone bland.

Jasper felt his heart skip a beat. "Where?"

"Not far from the borderlands," Damien said. "But she's not alone."

Jasper's eyes narrowed. "Who is with her?"

"A protector," Damien explained. "And there's something more. "Something unnatural."

Jasper's grasp on the rail intensified. "Prepare the knapsack. "We leave at dawn."

Seraphina sprang at the mist-shrouded figure, but her sword slid through it harmlessly, hitting only air. The creature's laughing filled the area, sending shivers down Lyra's spine.

"You cannot fight what you do not understand," it stated quietly. Its luminous eyes focused on Lyra. "You're more essential than you think. And soon, he will come for you."

"Who?" Lyra insisted, her voice trembling.

The creature's grin broadened to expose rows of vicious fangs. "The one you fear most."

Before Lyra could react, the earth under her feet started to tremor, revealing a blinding light.