CHAPTER 3 ( The Blood Moon Gala )

The Blood Moon hung low in the sky, creating an ominous red light over the estate. Inside, the big hall bustled once again as the pack attempted to recover a sense of normality after the assault. Guards patrolled the perimeter, their presence stronger than before, yet anxiety hung in the air like a storm about to break.

Lyra stood on the edge of the room, her mind racing. The crescent moon tattoo on Ariana's arm bothered her. What may this mean? And how could Ariana possibly be linked to the cryptic warning?

Jasper approached, his green gaze searching her features. "Are you alright?"

"Define alright," Lyra said, her voice taut. "Masked attackers at a gala and cryptic threats..." It has been a fantastic evening."

He frowned. "Lyra, I need you to trust me. We will work this out. Together."

"Will we?" she responded, her tone harder than meant. "Because lately, it feels like I've been fighting battles alone."

Jasper opened his lips to answer, but before he could, Ariana appeared. Her arm was wrapped, yet her poise remained unaffected.

"Apologies for interrupting," Ariana replied, her tone deceptively charming. "But there's something you both should see."

Jasper switched his glance between the two ladies. "What is it?"

"Follow me," Ariana said, her voice low.

Lyra halted, a tinge of worry going down her spine. She didn't trust Ariana—not with her cryptic statements, her overly calm attitude, or her tattoo. But if there were answers to be sought, she couldn't avoid them.

The three of them passed through the hall and out onto the grounds. The once-serene region was cloaked in darkness, with the blood-red moonlight making the flowers seem scarlet.

Ariana paused by a stone fountain and turned to face them. "I overheard one of the attackers before they were subdued," she told me. "They muttered something about a buried artifact that was crucial to their goals. I suppose it's on the estate."

Lyra crossed her arms. "And you're just now sharing this?"

Ariana's lips twitched. "I wanted to be certain before causing excessive concern. Besides, I don't owe you an explanation, Lyra."

"Enough," Jasper said, his voice stern. "Where do you think this relic is?"

Ariana's attention flickered to the fountain. "Underneath. This fountain was erected years ago by the pack's first Alpha. It is supposed that he hid secrets under it to safeguard the pack's future.

Jasper nodded and stepped closer to the fountain. "If there's something here, we'll find it."

Lyra leaned forward Ariana as he started to examine the stone building. "You knew about this before tonight, didn't you?"

Ariana's eyes glittered. "Some truths take the right moment to reveal."

Minutes later, Jasper discovered a loose stone at the fountain's base. He pryed it open, exposing a concealed chamber.

Inside was a tiny, elegant box with a silver exterior inscribed with symbols Lyra couldn't understand.

Jasper held it up. "This must be it."

"What's inside?" Lyra inquired, her tone barely above a whisper.

Jasper stopped before gently opening the package. Inside was a single piece of polished obsidian, its surface gleaming with an ethereal glow.

When the box was opened, the air seemed to change, becoming heavier with an unexplained energy.

Ariana went closer, her eyes locked on the shard. "Do you feel that?" she muttered.

Lyra did. It seemed as if the shard were alive and vibrating with energy. Her wolf moved uncomfortably inside her, feeling something old and terrible.

"What is this?" Jasper inquired, his voice full of astonishment.

"It's a Bloodstone," Ariana said, her tone serious. "A lunar artifact. Legends believe it may bestow unfathomable power—or cause terrible catastrophe."

Lyra's breath caught. "And it's been hidden here all this time?"

Jasper's jaws constricted. "If the attackers were wanting this, it shows they understood its importance. "We need to secure it."

But before they could react, a deep growl rang around the garden. Lyra turned around to see a person emerge from the darkness. It was one of the invaders, with his mask off to show sharp, predatory features.

"You don't know what you're holding," the guy growled, his yellow eyes locked on the Bloodstone. "It doesn't belong to you."

Jasper stood in front of Lyra, strengthening his grasp on the relic. "It belonged to my pack. "You have no claim here."

The intruder laughed, producing a terrifying sound. "Do you think this is about your pack?" That shard is part of a larger whole. Without it, the equilibrium of the packs will collapse. You will doom us all."

Lyra felt her heart racing. "What are you talking about?"

The guy scoffed. "You're playing with forces you don't comprehend. The stone is one of three. They combine to produce the Lunar Seal, a potent artifact capable of controlling the moon's influence on our species. "But separated..."

He trailed off, his eyes darkening. "Separated, they bring chaos."

Before anybody could answer, Ariana moved quickly, drawing a dagger from her belt and thrusting it into the intruder's chest. He gasped, his eyes widening in horror, and collapsed to the ground.

"What are you doing?" Lyra shouted in horror.

Ariana wiped the blade on her sleeve, her face frigid. "He represented a menace. "And he knuch."

Jasper seemed torn, his hold on the Bloodstone tightening. "We could have questioned him."

"There's no time for that," Ariana said firmly. "If what he claimed is correct, others will come for this. We must act immediately."

Lyra glanced at Ariana, her suspicions growing. "You seem to be acquainted with all of this, Ariana. Can you explain?"

Ariana's eyes narrowed. "Lyra, I've spent years researching our past. Unlike you, I do not depend only on chance to preserve this pack."

"Enough," Jasper snarled. "We'll talk about this later. Right now, we need to get this shard someplace secure."

As they returned to the mansion, Lyra couldn't escape the sensation that something was amiss.

The Bloodstone's energy surged against her senses, and she remembered the intruder's words.

When they arrived in the main hall, Lyra halted Jasper, her voice quiet. "We can't trust her."

He frowned. "Ariana saved your life tonight."

"She's hiding something," Lyra asserted. "That tattoo on her arm is the same crescent moon that I've read in ancient books. She knows more about the Bloodstone than she admits.

Jasper paused, but before he could react, a tremendous smash echoed from the chamber where the shard was held.

They ran inside to see the safe smashed and the Bloodstone missing.

Standing in its place was a mysterious person dressed in black, their face concealed. The shard in their grasp glittered ominously.

"You should have listened to him," the creature stated in a warped voice. "The moon's betrayal has already begun."

As the shadowy creature departed, leaving behind a swirl of evil energy, Jasper collapsed, holding his chest.

Lyra raced to his side, but before she could reach him, his eyes sprang wide, illuminating a piercing, unnatural silver.

He rose slowly, his voice changed to a terrifying, unearthly tone. "The Alpha has fallen," he said. "And the Moon's reckoning begins with him."

Lyra stumbled back, her heart hammering with dread as she recognized the horrible truth: Jasper was no longer Jasper.

To be continued