Dreven Academy: I seduced the Alpha king for revenge.

”He said that before he could even reach you, the rogues had already taken your body away while the remaining ones stayed behind to attack him. He claimed he could only fight the rogues that came after him, and by the time he had killed them all and went after you... your body had already disappeared.”

Master Mayeel’s voice grew heavier with every word.

”He even brought the bodies of those rogues back to the pack as proof. Everyone believed he was telling the truth.”

A surge of fury coursed through me. Of course. What had I expected?

After everything Harry had done to me, spinning a web of lies would have been the easiest part.

”Those rogues were there to attack me,” I said, struggling to keep my voice steady. ”That part is true.”

I drew in a deep, shaky breath. ”But I killed them.”

”I sensed their presence the moment I entered the temple grounds. They were strangers... foreign wolves. My instincts immediately recognised them as threats.”

The memories came rushing back with painful clarity. ”I...” My voice caught in my throat as I fought to keep my emotions under control. ”I was about to kill their leader when Harry came up behind me...”

The room suddenly felt suffocating. ”...and stabbed me,” I said as a tear escaped my eye.

Silence settled over the room. I lowered my head, desperately trying to keep myself composed.

”I never even sensed him.” A bitter laugh escaped me. ”My wolf never considered him a threat.”

Why would she? He had been the person I trusted more than anyone else.

Slowly, another tear rolled down my cheek.

”But after that...” I whispered, my voice breaking, ”he looked me straight in the eyes... and stabbed me again. It was as though everything we’d ever shared had meant absolutely nothing to him.”

The tears I had been holding back finally spilt over. One after another, they streamed down my face.

It hurt, even now... Remembering it hurt. Remembering the look in his eyes hurt. Remembering how coldly he had discarded me hurt even more.

”Athena...” Damian’s gentle voice reached me through the haze of memories.

I felt his hand cover mine. His fingers tightened around it in silent reassurance. When I looked at him, his eyes were filled with nothing but concern.

”He’s not worth your tears.”

I managed a faint shake of my head. ”I’m not crying for him, Damian.” I wiped my tears away with the back of my free hand, though they refused to stop falling.

A dull ache spread through my abdomen once more. The pain was becoming more noticeable now. Mother Elena’s medicine... Its effects were beginning to wear off.

”I’m crying...” I whispered, ”...for the relationship I thought we had. For the trust. For the dependence. For everything I believed was real.”

I took a slow breath before forcing myself to look toward Master Mayeel again. There were still answers I needed. I wanted to know what more lies Harry had spun around my death.

”Master Mayeel...” My voice had grown quieter now. ”Harry took the Alpha Tally from me that day.” I clenched my fists at my sides. ”Does that mean...he’s claiming to be the Alpha of our pack now?”

A deep sigh escaped the elderly man’s lips. His shoulders seemed to slump under the weight of guilt.

”I’m sorry, my child.” His eyes remained lowered, unable to meet mine. ”I tried everything within my power...” His voice cracked ever so slightly. ”...but I couldn’t stop him from becoming the Alpha.”

”Harry claimed that before you took your last breath, you entrusted the Alpha Tally to him and asked him to become the next Alpha,” Master Mayeel said, bitterness evident in his voice. ”Even though several members of the council and I refused to acknowledge his claim until your body was found, he ignored every objection.”

His expression darkened as he continued.

”Anyone who openly opposed him was immediately placed under house arrest. When I refused to preside over his ascension ceremony, he threatened one of my subordinates into conducting it instead.”

A weary sigh escaped him. ”From that day onward, I was confined to this room under the pretence that I was too ill to leave.”

”What?” I exclaimed, unable to control the anger rising inside me. ”How can he do that?”

My voice echoed through the room. ”It’s completely illegal under pack law! How are the council elders and the pack members allowing this to happen?”

Master Mayeel slowly shook his head.

”Placing people under house arrest was only the beginning, my child.”

His eyes filled with sorrow. ”After he became Alpha, he changed everything about our pack.”

He paused for a moment before continuing. ”Even if people wish to question his succession, no one dares to speak against him anymore.”

Confusion settled over me. Just what had Harry done to make everyone so terrified?

”What do you mean, Master Mayeel?” I asked, leaning forward. ”What exactly did he do?”

”He has associated our pack with some strange people, they are hundreds and all just warriors, filled with werewolves who know dark magic, they have been taken to reside in our pack and in return they act as the dark warriors Harry has at his fingertips.”

”He allied himself with a group of very strange people,” Master Mayeel replied gravely.

”There are hundreds of them... perhaps even more and they’re all warriors.”

His expression became increasingly grim.

”Werewolves who practice dark magic.”

The words sent a chill down my spine.

”They’ve been allowed to settle within our pack, and in return, they serve as Harry’s personal army.”

He looked away, his face filled with helplessness.

”Some people believe the ones living openly among us are only a fraction of their true numbers. They say the rest remain hidden somewhere.”

His voice lowered to almost a whisper.

”No neighbouring pack would dare provoke them. Let alone our own people.” A bitter smile crossed his face. ”We’ve become second-class citizens in our own pack.”

I fell silent. Dark magic... The words stirred something deep inside my mind. Could it be...

”Could they be the ones who gave Harry that dark magic-infused dagger?” I murmured, more to myself than anyone else.

Everything suddenly began falling into place. If they truly were behind that weapon... Then it explained everything.

The dark magic within that dagger had been so powerful that even Damian’s pack - a pack that had mastered illusions and ancient magic for generations - had been unable to remove its effects completely.

If those mysterious werewolves possessed magic capable of creating weapons like that... Then they were far more dangerous than one could imagine.

”...A dark magic-infused dagger?” Master Mayeel’s face instantly lost all colour. His eyes widened in horror as he stared at me.

”Do you mean...” His voice trembled. ”...Harry stabbed you with a dagger infused with dark magic?”

”Yes, Master Mayeel,” I answered.

Seeing the colour drain from his face, I quickly tried to reassure him.

”But don’t worry. Anna managed to suppress the dark magic before it could kill me.” A faint smile appeared on my lips despite the heaviness in my heart. ”Even though she had to sacrifice herself to do it, she’s still alive. I’m sure you’ll be able to bring her back.”

”What... Did you just say?” Master Mayeel’s voice rose sharply. He shot to his feet so abruptly that both Damian and I instinctively stood as well.

”Master Mayeel?” I asked, panic creeping into my voice. ”What happened?”

He looked even paler than before. His hands slowly curled into tight fists as though he were trying to steady himself.

”This... this is not good, my child.”

My heartbeat quickened. ”What do you mean?”

He took a slow, uneasy breath before looking directly into my eyes. ”Your wolf is exceptionally powerful, Athena.”

His expression was grave. ”If even Anna had to sacrifice herself just to suppress the dark magic... then this can only be Netherbane Magic.”

The unfamiliar name sent a chill down my spine. ”Netherbane Magic?” I repeated softly.

Master Mayeel nodded.

”It is one of the oldest and most forbidden forms of dark magic ever known. It doesn’t simply wound its victim...It consumes them.”

The room fell into a suffocating silence.

”And...” He hesitated, as though struggling to say the words.

”And what, Master Mayeel?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. I could feel my heart lodged painfully in my throat.

His eyes filled with sorrow. ”Even though your wolf managed to suppress the magic and save your life for now...” he said quietly, ”...the dark magic hasn’t disappeared.”

”It is still inside you.”

I instinctively placed a hand over my abdomen where the dull ache had been growing stronger throughout the day.

Master Mayeel noticed the movement.

”It will continue spreading from within, little by little, feeding on your life force. The seal your wolf created can only hold it back for so long.”

Every word made my chest tighten.

”If a cure isn’t found...” He closed his eyes for a brief moment before forcing himself to continue. ”...the magic will eventually break free.”

His gaze met mine once again. There was nothing but grief in his eyes. ”My child, if you cannot find a cure...”

”...you have only one year left to live.”