Since the previous night, it seemed like I was missing a puzzle piece. Rem had been crying without telling me a single reason as to why. Even begged me to not ask her. The previous days before that night, she had been her usual self. To the point of wanting to take a dunk in fucking lava. She always kept me on my toes, even in the safest of places, but it felt different this time.

While I sat on the forest’s ground, I tried to reflect on what had happened to get here. The first thing that came to mind was that I had grown soft. Rem made me softer than those marshmallows she forced down my throat in Niamoor.

I mean… they were deliciously soft, but not the point. I should have grabbed her by her little pretty face to shut her up. But I did not want to hurt her. Foolish of me. Rem was too stupid to understand. She never forced me to say that I loved her. I told her before the hot springs, too.

Sadly, she was too enticed by the surrounding butterflies to hear me. Though I had a feeling that even if she heard me, it would not have changed a thing. No, she was too fucking stubborn. But I knew how I would kick it into that silly little head of hers.

Whenever this stupid order ended, I would not be gentle at all. Oh, no... she did not deserve a soothing touch after what she did to me. No, I would make her hear me even if it were the last thing I did. Perhaps even fuck her in front of Lilith, if that was what it took for Rem to realize that she was my mate.

For the past months, ever since I met Rem in that lake, Lilith had barely been on my mind. Fuck, even before I got into this timeline, my anger and rage were first. The elf was more of a fuel for it. I could not deny that I wanted her, but to be realistic, I never knew what love was until I met Rem. My relationship with Lilith differed from what I had with this stupid little luma.

No matter how much I pushed her away or hurt her, she still came for me. She broke through every wall I had ever placed in my heart. Even saw my ugly side. Somehow, she still said she loved me. When she was crying for me in that cave, thinking I had died, I could not handle it. It felt like my heart wanted to let her in, no matter what I tried. Then when she kissed me, I could not help but respond, loving every minute.

I still, to this day, did not understand why Rem pulled away from me instead of letting me hold her. If she had not, then she would not have been in danger. A peril that showed me how precious she was becoming to me. I had never begged for help before. Not even when Lilith died or when I was a prisoner.

When I found Rem was under me instead of Lilith, after ingesting that drug, I felt happy. Though I was also angry because I did not understand why she would do that for me. It was the first time I ever felt a mix of emotions like that. I thought that after I told her what I went through, she would feel disgusted with me. Yet the little luma wanted me. Moaned for me.

I fell deeper for Rem. That was why when I thought of Wyatt touching her. It made me lose it to the point I thought I would hurt her. Even though I had killed a man in front of her, she opened her arms and accepted me again. It almost felt too good to be true, yet then came the night in the bioluminescent lake. That turned out to be magical.

I realized the feelings that were brewing within me for the stupid little luma in my arms. That was when I promised myself to live for her instead of my pain. I wanted to keep her close so she would feel none of the agony I felt. And it ended up being the happiest six months since I roamed this mortal world.

The night of the spring, I could not figure out why Rem acted so weirdly. Though I would find out soon after. Somehow, the little luma knew where to find Lilith. My only guess was that one ghost that plagued her told her. I should have forced Rem to come into that bathroom with me. A mistake I would not allow again.

Stupid girl, I’m fine leaving the elf dead. I forgot the promise until a couple of hours ago.

To be honest, I did not care about it anymore. It became irrelevant with the more time I spent with Rem. Though I felt some responsibility for saving Lilith. It was I who caused her death. But that was where my feelings ended for her. I found it interesting that for years; I dreamt of the day being reunited with her. Yet when I saw her, all I felt was nothing.

The elf was just another body I had slept with. In the months I was with Rem, I felt happier than I had the two years I spent with the elf. As I said, she never treated me like the little luma did. No, Lilith never cared for me. She even hated when I got too affectionate with her. We only fucked with our clothes on.

Usually, it was in the clinic where she would spend most of the time. It was what I found attractive of her when all other women were jumping me because of what I was. To be truthful, I was hesitant to tell Rem how I felt about her because if I ever saw Lilith. I thought I might have felt something.

Part of me did not want to get the little luma’s hopes up, yet when I saw her in that forest. With all those beautiful butterflies flying around her. It was like I was staring at a goddess. The words slipped out of my mouth before I realized what I said. Of course, she asked me to repeat it like she had not heard me.

And stupid me had to back off like the idiot she made me be. It was foolish of me to think that. No, the biggest mistake I had ever done. I did not feel a thing when I saw Lilith. Even then, by that time, Rem had become an essential part of my life. Ever since I came to this era, she had been there, and I wanted her to stay.

When we came to Allora, I felt like I wanted to get the fuck away from here. Why? Well, I did not have fond feelings for this continent. However, the real reason was because of an awful feeling that was growing in my gut. Something told me to take Rem away from here, but the stupid little luma did not listen to me. It was similar to what I felt the day they killed Lilith.

Back then, Lilith denied leaving with me, too. Though for her, the clinic was always first. I always came in second. For Rem, she placed me before herself.

It seems the women of my life never listen to me.

No, instead of telling me why we were there. Rem ordered me to go forward into the unknown. An awful feeling gripped my core and would not let go. And then I spotted Lilith in the village we used to live in. It was like seeing just another partner I had fun with once upon a time. A fucking ghost.

Though, her clinginess to me was what was annoying. And worse yet, Rem avoided me. What worried me was my little luma. I should have been more vigilant with her. I knew she was hurting before we got to Allora, but I could not have guessed it was because of Lilith.

That stupid luma should have let me talk. I would have assured her right in front of the elf of my feelings for her. When Rem bolted away from us, Lilith held me back. It caused me to snap at her for holding onto me so much. Especially when she never did that before being revived.

I honestly could not care if it was a life revelation or something else. All I wanted was to go after Rem and she was being more than a hindrance. If only I had not caused her death. I…

"Let me go!" I growled at Lilith, who held onto me.

It tempted me to rip myself from her, but she was an elf who had died because of me. Perhaps Rem made me softer than I realize. I guess a marshmallow was not good enough to compare. Lilith had never been like this before, and it weirded me out beyond belief, though.

Usually, I was the one chasing her in my youth. I was only eighteen when I met her. Young and dumb, like the elders named me when they caught me once I was twenty. The memories that flowed into me when she held me were not pleasant. This elf's touch would never compare to the little luma.

Perhaps if I had never known what love was like… then I would have accepted her.

"Don't go!" Lilith clung to me, something that she had never done in the years I knew her.

If death had changed her, it was too late for that. My heart already belonged to someone else who warmed it beyond belief. It belonged to the little luma that was running away from me. To the girl who cared more about my happiness than her own.

This fucking elf… I have to catch her!

My eyes shifted towards where Rem bolted. Lilith's touch used to be all I wanted, but it was nothing but a hindrance to me. All these years, I had been idolizing her. Hiding all the bad parts of our relationship. After all, back then, she never wanted me.

No, if she truly loved me. I would have been her number one priority like I was for Rem, but for her. It was her job. Lilith refused to leave it and died for it. Even if it meant opening her clinic elsewhere. Her presence in my heart vanished. Replaced by Rem, who loved me for me. Flaws and all.

Not because I had power, not because of my genes, not because of my appearance, but for me. It reminded me of the time when I sensed Rem's mother come into this world. Was it even her who I felt? When I was stuck in that timeless prison, the past, present, and future were all merged into one. They trapped me right in the middle.

Thus, Time was irrelevant to me. Well, while I was there, so maybe what I felt was Rem. They both had a similar essence, too. Something I was reluctant to see when I met the little luma. I mean, they were both mother and daughter. It felt like I was forgetting something important, though.

I had enough of everything. Lilith was getting in my way since she got here. She even tackled me into that building when the chains sprouted and kept me from Rem. It annoyed me and I wanted nothing more than for her to stop touching me.

"What the fuck, Lilith!? Let me fucking go already!" I yanked my arm out of her fingers hard enough to hurt, but not to rip them from her.

I did not want to harm her. After all, I had already taken her life once. I had also once cared for her. She seemed utterly shocked by what I had said, though. In her memories, she probably remembered me all over her, not this. Her expression did not affect me though, even though we had laid together many times.

Something felt off about the elf. Perhaps I had been blinded by my obsession with her, but those binds were off. Even if it were not, I still would not return to her side. Not after having a taste of what genuine affection was. Something I never had with her.

Why did I love you in the first place? Or were you a trophy I won when everyone else kept telling me what to do?

An act of rebellion.

"But we have to-" Lilith tried to reach for me.

I took a few steps back from her. Everything was so messed up since Rem and I got to Allora. My little luma was acting out of character and losing herself to her curse. I was right, we should have never come here. Rem was the only thing in my mind, even when I was alone with the person I wanted for as long as I could remember.

That sealed the deal for me. My feelings for the little luma were undeniable. Lilith had become to me what I was to her so long ago. Something replaceable, while Rem was not. No one could substitute her. And that was why I had to end whatever Lilith felt for me. Even if it was something as simple as I reminded her of home. I did not care.

The elf was no longer mine or I hers. Rem was mine, though. And I was hers. I had to make sure she knew it. Of course, I had failed miserably before. That much was clear, but I would try to fix that. First, I needed to end this.

"Look, a lot of time has passed since I last saw you. The reason I won’t hurt you for getting in my way is because of our past. I’m sorry. That’s all it’ll ever be.” I snapped, taking a few more steps away from her.

Her gaze at me was one of shock.

“Keep getting in my way, and I’ll rip you out, too. I’m not the man you knew either way, and it’s better that way. So, live your life, without me." I finished, not leaving Lilith a chance to speak to me.

I shifted, bolting after Rem. Luckily, she was easy to find. Her scent was so familiar to me I could tell it apart from everything around us. She was also slower than me, thanks to my inhuman speed. It seemed like she had stopped running, facing a giant shroom.

Shit… we got into the illuminance mushroom forest. Surely, she knows…

For a moment I wanted to go to my little luma, but when she broke down crying, I could not move. I fucking froze when I noticed I could not do this halfheartedly. Like I had done the entire time I had been with her. No, I had to figure out how to convey to her what I felt. Even though my words most of the time always came out backward.

Even when they came out, it seems they did not reach her. Twice I had told the luma how I felt, and both seemed to have rolled off her. It seemed everything I ever did was lacking in some aspect. Or perhaps she did not believe me. This was probably the hardest thing I had ever done, and it was terrifying.

When Rem cried her questions, I closed my eyes, trying to fight the urge to hug her. Sadly, it would have ended in a fight if I did not find the right words to say.

However, thinking about it. I’m just as stupid as Rem. I should have run at that moment to hold her and never let her go.

Instead, I was afraid of hurting her, so I stayed put. That was until she... was Rem, throwing a rock at a poisonous mushroom. At first, I could not believe how she stared at the spores like they were not dangerous. I mean, they are beautiful, but they were too fucking close to her. Then I remembered it was Rem.

The luma probably did not know what the fuck she was doing, which ended with me getting pissed off at her ignorance. Lycan temper, I guess. Sadly, we were both like this. Though, if I had not been there. Obviously, it was not the right move, but I could not help but think if I had not been there, she would have died.

Though I ended up in a worse position than I could have ever thought of, thanks to my anger. I would find out just how ludicrous Rem could be. And the answer was very. If this little luma wanted to assault someone and make it look like rape. She should have stopped crying the whole time she was doing it.

Even in my humanoid form, I could smell her tears.

Really, like what kind of rapist cries while they assault their victim?

I mean, I would not put it past anyone, but it was a first for me to have someone cry while 'attacking me'. After being on the receiving end for two years of my life, this was a welcome change. Though, of course, she forgot what I had said to her the previous night. My consent, I never took it back.

While I sat where Rem ordered me to wait after regaining my senses. I planned to get my payback for those bites. Especially that little naughty kiss. Instead of making her cry in pain, though, I would make her unable to live without me. So... that little luma would never dare think of giving me away again.

Even though I wanted to take off what blinded me, all I could do was fix my clothes as she wanted. But they soon would come off either way. And if she wanted my pup, I would gladly put one in her womb. Or ten. I still had not decided how many, sitting there pondering on my future actions. Though when Rem ordered that, it was probably to make me hate her.

Stupid girl was readable.

This morning’s kiss… I wished she would have allowed me to touch her. The silly girl got startled when I opened my mouth to let her in. Like I would ever bite to hurt her. Though, ordering me to sit there for an entire hour was overkill. At least it gave me time to collect my thoughts and answer every ridiculous question she threw at me.

Every one of them replayed in my mind. I could not respond to her then, but once this order was done. She would hear me.

'Why... Why are you here?!? Do you need to tell me so badly you don’t love me?!? That you need to be freed! Don't worry, I’ll free you as soon as I see Vera!'

So stupid, I love you. That was why I was there. I fucking love you. Fuck! I don’t want you to free me. I want to be with you for a lifetime!

'Ah... I don’t understand! Why are you here? Where is Lilith?! I really don't understand.'

I’m here because you are. Fuck Lilith, all I want is you. Don't you get it? How many times do I need to tell you that? The only reason this world is still standing is because of you!

‘You have loved her for thousands of years! So why are you standing in front of me when she is back there waiting for you?!? Is it because of the bond?! Is it because I forced you into this relationship we had? Don't worry, I always knew it was physical for you even when I professed my love for you!'

It was never physical for me. Not from the moment I held you after I snapped out. Not from when I kissed you back in that cave. Lilith is nothing compared to you. I’ve been smitten by you since I saw you dancing in that lake. The only crazy girl that would ever love me for me. The girl that puts me first, no matter what. I love you, Rem!

‘I’m not as stupid to think I could replace her, which was why I kept my promise and brought you to her! I’ll release you. Fuck! I’ll let you go, my love! I won’t be your captor anymore! Or hold your leash! I’ll free you so you can be happy!'

Oh, you’re stupid, my love. So very foolish. You’ve been the best captor I’ve ever had. I don’t want you to let go of my leash. If you want me to be happy, then don’t let me go, Rem!

Why did that luma order me to not speak? It angered me. I was so close while she was crying, trying her best to make me hate her. All it did was the opposite. Such a horrible evildoer she was. Next time I got my hands on her, I would make sure she would know how to do it correctly.

Especially going down on me like that, not letting me see her face. That was unforgivable. Along with what came afterward. I would pay her back for that. I could feel the anger surge within me, but it was mostly because of me. For not getting through to that thick-headed luma sooner.

I knew she struggled with the women from my past, but I thought she knew I loved her from the way I held her every night. Fuck, I had never done that with Lilith. Rem had gotten so deep into me. I neglected to reassure her she was the only one for me. Well, not that it would have mattered when she was so adamant that I would be happy with Lilith.

Because of that, the stupid luma did not notice how happy she made me. How cheerful I already was traveling around with her. I had to fix that so she would never think of that again. And I had to make sure that she knew she became my world.

No, Rem. I’ll never destroy a world where you live.

That was something I would not have done for Lilith, though. But if at one point Rem vanished. I could not hold on to this hate that surged within me. One she filled with her love. A couple of more moments passed before I suddenly felt like I could move.

It surely had not been an hour. It had been maybe half at most.

So how...

A gut-wrenching feeling arose came when I remembered what Rem said the previous morning.

'Nothing will happen to you if I die...'

I thought she was being irrational. But was she serious? She would not dare. Taking off my cloth, I saw the little gardenia scrunchy I had gifted Rem in front of me. I froze briefly before picking it up in my hands. It felt like my heart had stopped.

A second later, I stuffed it in my pants, bolting towards the cave faster than I had ever done in all my life. I did not even tie my hair. In a flash, I made it back to the cave, where surely Rem would have gone. There, I saw a scene that would be burned into my mind for the foreseeable future.

Lilith stood next to Rem, who was on the ground in a pool of... Before I could even realize what it was. The elf turned to me with the most wicked smile I have ever seen. And I had seen plenty.

"Alijah, I have freed you!" Lilith smiled at me with open arms.

Her hands full of... My heart pounded against my chest when a familiar scent hit my nostrils. I almost froze in place. Luckily, the second I heard Rem mumble something almost audible, I knew she was still there. Instantly, I closed the gap between us, ignoring Lilith.

My priority was saving Rem. Grabbing onto her shoulder, I tried to assess how bad it was. Though my heart dropped when I saw what she had embedded in her abdomen. I had only ever seen them from afar, but I recognized them instantly. It was the reason I had to go to Allora, where I met Lilith.

A God Artifact... The pack wanted to grab hold of more of them. They were supposed to be these rare things in my time, though.

How did one get here?

 My mind was a blur. Could barely get a thought straight.

"Alijah?" Lilith called, confused about why I was on Rem instead of her.

I sat down on the ground, picking the little luma up into my arms. Her trembling hands were holding onto the hilt of the blade. She was weakly trying to pull it out, but would that have saved her? Once a god artifact activated, it was impossible to stop. Yet I did not care.

The impossible had to happen if I was to save Rem. There was no way she could die. Not in my arms. Not ever. If she did... This world was...

'Please spare my family...'

Rem's words repeated in my mind. I grabbed onto the hilt of the blade as hers loosened around it. Her eyes struggled to stay open, mumbling my name. I never wanted to hear it coming like that from her.

"If... you want me to spare your family then fucking live, Rem!" I snarled, tears running down my cheeks.

I did not think I ever cried. Not when Lilith died. Not when the elders did all those things to me. I allowed no one to see me shed a tear until this moment, but I could not hold them back. The fear of losing Rem consumed my soul. Her hands fell off the hilt when I tried to yank it out of her. It barely gave a centimeter.

I would not allow the gods to take Rem from me. No one could take her. She was mine and mine alone.

"I... sorry..." my little luma mumbled, blood dripping from her wound and mouth.

Her breathing was becoming shallower with each second that passed, yet I could not pull out the god damn dagger for her to heal. Even though she had been healing slower than usual. 

No... don’t allow those thoughts in. Focus...

The ground below me felt like it was about to give out before I could pull the damn thing out. But it was slowly coming. Though it was not fast enough. Lilith took a few steps from us. My full focus was on Rem, though I could hear her in the background. She was all that mattered at this moment. The words that replayed in my mind irritated me so much that... I could not handle it.

"I’ll never forgive you if you die. Do you hear me? I’ll fucking kill everyone in this world." My voice broke.

I could not help but almost weep when Rem's eyes were closing. By the gods, I was going to lose her, and I could not handle it. Suddenly my little luma grabbed onto my hand that held the dagger. Her hands were so cold. Her body was being drained of every ounce of blood in her.

"Don't... cry..." Rem slurred, not listening to me.

Her eyes struggled to stay open. Pulling her closer to me, I tried my hardest to yank the damn thing out, only for it slightly to dig itself deeper. I had never cried as I had. My voice felt like it was not mine. I was desperate to save her, and it showed.

"I’ll fucking follow you to death! You hear me?!?!" I swore to Rem, breaking.

She seemed to slip from this world.

"Rem!" I cried out to her as my aura went out of control.

It felt like I was about to self-destruct myself, as well as everything around me. The moment she stopped breathing, so would this world. The only thing that stopped me was the sudden appearance of a blue portal that appeared behind Lilith. Instantly, the elf ran into the cave.

A silver wolf with red eyes emerged from it with a girl on its back. She had silver hair and purple eyes. I knew right away who it was. Rem's description of them was accurate, so I could take a wild guess and be right. The girl was Vera. While the wolf was probably Fenris.

He seemed way more mature than Rem, and she was twenty. This made her brothers younger than me and less likely to be as old as the wolf standing in front of me. The old me probably would have tried to take a jab at him, but right now all that mattered was Rem. Any blood feuds would have to wait.

Instantly I turned my gaze back onto my luma, who was barely conscious anymore. Vera along with her familiar mounted off Fenris before running, crashing right in front of us. The fear in her eyes was refreshing. From what Rem had said, it seemed like Vera hated her, but all I saw in her eyes was love and dread of losing her sister.

I was secondary.

"D-dad... this is bad!" Vera announced to Fenris, who had shifted to reveal his silver hair reached his waist.

Those crimson orbs scanned our surroundings, only to stop in the cave where Lilith had run to. Had he spotted her? It did not matter. His attention shifted back to us. Another portal appeared soon after. This time, three wolves emerged. Two silver males and one black female.

"Don't you dare let go of that dagger!" Vera declared fearlessly, staring at me.

I could not help but shake my head in disbelief. How could she even think I would let go?

"Never," I answered her worries, voice still trembling.

She cast a spell soon after. I would soon find out why she said that. The moment she started her god damn incantation, I could feel my hand burn from the energy that radiated from the blade. This pain was nothing compared to losing Rem. Though burns were the worst type of wound to get, even as a Lycan.

"Rem!" The twins Caden and Aiden yelled upon seeing her limp body in my arms, running towards us.

They were almost identical to their father, although younger. Such a dumb girl. This family loved her. Why would she ever think she was a burden to them? The pain that radiated from the blade into me became more than a little bother.

A sharp groan left my mouth, hand trembling. It was a useless body reflex that wanted to take hold of me when the pain became somewhat unbearable. Noticing it, Vera turned to me. Fear of something going wrong was so apparent in her eyes, but I did not care. She was nothing to me. But what she was trying to do was much more than I could provide.

"Don't you fucking stop." I snapped at Vera; voice shaky.

I probably was a mess. Less than menacing, too. But the harshness in my tone caused her to flinch a bit. It was never my intention, but it seemed she was not as fearless as Rem thought. Suddenly Fenris grabbed onto my shoulder, causing me to get startled.

For a moment, I thought it was to pull me away from them, but that was not the case. His hand tightened on my shoulder when his body radiated the same aura that I was. The pain that was making my hand tremble slowly dulled soon after.

"Keep going, Vera," Fenris reassured his daughter.

Her brothers gazed at each other, grabbing my other shoulder, and doing the same as their father had done. It almost felt like they were sharing their energy with me. The power that the moon had given them was so different from mine, though.

It was almost intriguing to want to explore, yet all that mattered at the moment was Rem. The dog looking familiar that had come with Fenris and Vera. Ruzgard wrapped his tail around the hilt of the blade under my hand.

Another portal revealing someone I did long to see, but not for the reasons I used to. Though at this moment I could not appreciate it. The human Lilith emerged from there. The weird cat, who had to be Shade, grabbed onto the hilt, too.

Lilith wasted no time in joining next to Vera, grabbing onto her daughter's hand. The sting from where I held the hilt came back, but it was not for long, because a second later, I wrenched the dagger out of Rem.

Instinctively, I threw the blade towards a forest, even though my hand was in agony like I had never felt before. I grabbed onto my little luma's face and called out for her, only for there to be no response. That was when I noticed she was gone. The color had drained slightly from her face. Her skin was losing warmth by the second. I lost it.

My sudden surge in aura repelled everyone around me. It was self-destructive. I intended to take the entire world with me if she did not open her eyes. A world without her had no meaning. It was the first time I had ever felt like this. When Lilith died, it was painful, but it could not compare to this.

Back then, I wanted to make everyone suffer, not destroy the entire world. Her family could barely withstand my energy, struggling to not be blown away by me.

"Wake up! Please!" I pleaded, grabbing onto Rem's hand, only to receive no response from her.

I refused my last memory with her to be what we had the previous night. She did not deserve her last moments to be that. Tears ran down my cheeks, burying my face in her chest. I did not think I had ever screamed as loud as I did at that moment.

Suddenly, something grabbed onto me from the distance, a black tail. Of course, the familiar would be the one to stop me. But instead of trying to hurt me, its hold on me seemed tender. Was it the dog or the cat? I could not tell.

"Alijah!" Lilith screamed from where she was.

The wolves seemed ready to pounce on me if they had the opportunity. Not that they had a chance. I glowered at them, since they seemed ready for a fight. I would gladly give it to them in the mood that I was in.

"If you care about her, you’ll calm down!" She suddenly announced, tears coming from her eyes as well.

In fact, all of them seemed ready to burst. Vera already was. All I felt was my anger and pain. I could not care about their feelings.

"Calm down?!? She is gone!" I snarled at Lilith, only for those blue eyes to turn tender.

A soft, bitter smile rose on her lips, attempting to calm me.

"She might not be." She suddenly announced, triggering everything that was causing me to lose control, suddenly to stop.

Rem... is not gone?

I could only stare at Lilith, bewildered by what she said to me. My energy died down to the point I felt like a child staring at her. Her brown hair reached past her shoulders, and she seemed older than what I remembered her to be.

So did the wolf that was her sworn lover. But unlike him, time seemed to have been good for her. She seemed more mature and less troubled. The other one was an old fart in my eyes.

"What?" I mumbled, holding onto Rem's limp body close to me.

It allowed the opportunity for Lilith to run to us. Well, the moment I calmed down enough to be approached. With no hesitation, she lifted Rem's shirt, exposing her abdomen. The twin boys were being comforted by the girl Lycan that had come with them. I sensed something about her but could not care enough to figure out why.

My only focus was on Rem. I watched her mother touch her. Lilith slowly assessed her daughter's wound, which seemed to seal up. Much to my surprise. A sigh of relief came from her lips, suddenly turning to Fenris, who had hands clenched into fists. He was refusing to gaze towards his daughter's limp body.

"Fenris, she is coming back," Lilith announced, leaving me utterly lost.

The alpha wolf, who had not opened his eyes since I had calmed down, shook his head, fighting off the tears. Rem always said her closest bond was with her father. The pain in his expression said it all. He thought he had failed his little girl, but we all had.

Usually, pure breeds hated hybrids, but he was not like the ones I knew. No, he loved his little girl.

"Boys... Get ready." Fenris announced to his sons.

One of them pulled away from the girl Lycan. The other pleaded for her to go back to Silverant. I could not tell the twins apart. Vera stood up and slapped her cheeks, trying to get a grip. They all seemed to get ready for a fight. And it left me utterly bewildered.

That was when Lilith turned to me. In her eyes, there was something I did not quite understand. Determination? Hope?

"Alijah, you have to let go of her,” she suddenly declared.

I stared at her like she had gone crazy. Because she had, I would never let go of Rem. If she was coming back, I wanted to be the first person she saw. There was so much I had to tell her. I would not wait a moment more.

Though my feelings were clouding my judgment. I should have been aware that something was wrong for her family to act like this.

"Are you insane?" I growled, not wanting to let go of Rem for a second.

Lilith tilted her head, confused.

"Rem, did not tell you?" she asked.

I could not figure out what the fuck this family was on. They all seemed to get ready for something, though. I wanted to take Rem far away from there.

Wait... how did they even get here?

"Tell me what?" I growled, wanting to know more.

It was obvious; I was in the dark about something. But before Lilith could answer, Rem suddenly radiated a purple hue from her body, as well as the darkness that tainted her. In an instant, Fenris yanked me away from my little luma. Shade snatched away Lilith, too.

Throwing me on the ground behind him, he turned towards his daughter. Shade placed Lilith down gentler than I had been treated.

"And our tango begins!" Shade announced.

Everyone seemed ready for battle. All while I did not know what was happening. Were they about to attack Rem after saving her? To be truthful, everything felt surreal. How could Rem come back from the dead? I was sure she vanished from this realm. I felt her go.

Yet... there she was, slowly getting up from the floor. Though, something was wrong. I could tell that much from the start, but I would never have guessed what was truly wrong until much later. It would be nothing like what had happened in the raider's cave.

"Rem," I called out to my beloved luma, standing up from the floor.

Fenris placed his hand in between her and me, preventing me from taking another step forward. Something unacceptable. I growled at him as his head turned slightly at me.

"Don't, unless you want to lose your head." He cautioned, shifting his eyes back to Rem.

I stood there, confused.

Is that fear in his voice towards his daughter? Just what’s going on?

"Hey... Baby sis, are you there?" One of the twin boys, the one with a pair of golden earrings on his ears, asked Rem.

The other seemed to get annoyed by it. His accessory reminded me of my own, though the ones I used were silver. They were also the last thing I had to remember my father. He died long before the events that led me here.

"Shut up, Aiden. That isn’t Rem. You know that very well." The annoyed twin, with a pair of blue-colored earrings on his ears, hissed.

Caden, I assumed. Aiden clenched his hands into fists. What he had said, though, troubled me.

How can’t that be, Rem? She’s right there in front of me.

Though that dark aura continued to radiate out of her even more intensely. Her chest glowed red through her shirt like that time in Azear too. Was something like that happening again?

"It’s worth the try. I don’t want to hurt her." Aiden argued back.

Rem seemed out of it, slowly turning to them.

"I would be more worried about you," Caden growled.

The luma stood there with a blank expression. Vera seemed to want to cry from witnessing how her sister was. Everyone else seemed to want to do the same. But hid it better. Though the twins were about to break. Suddenly Rem formed her hands into fists, releasing them before raising them to her face.

"What a fool... So, this is what a full merger would be. Stupid girl, why did you do that?" Rem mumbled in a weird tone.

I could not understand what she meant by that.

Merge? What the fuck does that mean?

Even though I was confused, that voice was not hers. It lacked all the warmth that hers had. Even when she was angry or sad, my luma never sounded like that. Something was not right, and I did not know what the fuck it was.

"Shit! It can speak?" Caden assessed.

Aiden turned to the girl that was with them.

It can speak. What? Why wouldn't she be able to speak?

"That didn’t happen last time," Aiden mumbled, grabbing onto the girl that was next to them.

"Sophie, go back to Silverant now, please." He pleaded harsher this time.

His voice was all full of dread.

"No, I can’t leave you guys or her like that!" the girl named Sophie argued.

Aiden seemed to not like her answer, though. His brows were all scrunched up.

"Mom!" he yelled at Lilith, shoving the wolf into a portal.

His mom summoned soon after hearing Aiden's call. Vera, even though her eyes were full of tears, her anger was showing.

"Give her back!" she demanded from whatever was standing in front of us.

I was slowly catching on to what was happening. It was like what had happened in Celestelia, but different.

"Shit! Of course…" Rem sighed, shaking her head, turning to Vera with a wicked smirk on her lips.

It almost seemed like she was enjoying the distress in her sister's voice. In everyone's voice.

"Oh... dear, why would I do that?" Rem questioned her sister.

It pissed Vera off even more, though. And the little luma knew it.

"Rem?" I called out to her, only for her to chuckle, turning to me slightly.

The white in her eyes was turning black. Like that beast, I had fought in Azear.

"Your Rem isn’t here. Seems that dagger sealed her soul away within her body. Or it might have been her emotions. Pity, I kind of liked it when she tried to resist me." Whoever was in front of me informed.

I took a step back to analyze everything. Her family seemed to know what was going on, though. Even though I wanted to force them to tell me everything, this was not the time or place.

The revelation that whoever was inside of that body gave me was not ideal. If Rem's soul was sealed in her body. Then...

How will we get it out? Just how and why did that happen? The dagger? Emotions? Shit! There isn’t enough time!

I could not figure it out soon enough. Rem smiled at us, twirling in the same spot.

"It feels great to be in flesh once again, without dumb Rem trying to get back into the seat. I’ll miss our cat-and-mouse game, Remi." She clasped onto her shirt where the red was glowing.

I felt no sorrow behind her words. It angered me.

Is this what Rem was dealing with? Why did she not tell me? Why, Rem!?

Those were questions only she could answer.

"And who are you?" Lilith asked, stepping in to draw more information on what we were facing.

For a moment, Rem clicked her tongue, turning to face Lilith, smirking.

"You were successful in your mission to create the perfect candidate for us. And for that, I’ll answer your questions. Though the curse you failed to remove seems to make this body unstable. An easy fix once my brethren join me." Whoever was the pilot of Rem's body started.

Successful mission?

"Midna is my name. The former goddess of death. Well, before being killed by my father. Does that answer your question? Oh, dear vessel, for the gate to our prison." She continued.

Her eyes seemed void of any expression. My little luma was not there.

"And how are you going to get your brethren here?" Fenris asked, arm still extended so I would not go for Rem or Midna.

I still could not wrap my head fully over what was happening. It was just too confusing.

Midna? Rem? What’s happening to her?

It quickly reminded me of the raiders when Rem came to rescue me. It was almost as if she was not there fully. Was that all part of her curse? Or whatever was standing in front of me? It called itself a god, though.

Wait... are gods invading Rem's body this whole time?

I knew nothing of her struggles.

"How nice of you to ask that second father." Midna snickered once again, turning to Fenris and me.

She raised her arm into the sky, triggering a pulse of energy to come from it. In the distance, a loud screeching sound came. Aiden, Caden, Fenris, and I could barely handle it without covering our ears. It almost felt like it would burst my eardrums, like back at the airship. If it was not for Rem.

Shit!

A few moments later, the blade that I had sent into the forest came back to Midna. She caught it with her hand with ease.

"To think the witch almost destroyed us with this. Seems she is a thorn in my side and will have to be eliminated. Though it's amusing for her to think that book will truly aid her. Or has it?" Midna ranted a bit, finally showing some emotion.

The noise stopped, allowing us to breathe. She stared at the dagger that had left my hand bleeding and stinging. My healing seemed in disarray because of it. Though localized in my hand.

"And to answer your question, Fenris. I’ll take the lives of every hybrid alive and offer their bodies to the dead gods. It’s amusing how easy that will be, seeing how they all live in Celestelia, the land bathed in our blood! The irony!" she declared, snickering the entire time.

However, when she suddenly stabbed the dagger into her hand, purple flames unexpectedly erupted from it. It was almost blinding. Though she pulled it out of her hand, converting the blade into a sword with one swipe.

"Let you be reborn, sister of the stars." Rem mumbled, triggering the blade to shine white.

It almost appeared as if she had created a sun in her hands, though not as blinding. However, the entire event turned parts of my vision temporarily blue. The moment it dimmed; Rem was standing there with a god artifact I had never seen before. Was it even a god artifact anymore?

The blade seemed to be the cosmos itself. She smirked at me, noticing my awe at it. Well, everyone's amazement. The only one who snapped out of it quickly was Vera, who was ready for a fight.

"You are crazy." Vera quipped.

Ruzgard shifted into a bigger shape than he was original. His appearance also changed from non-threatening to one of a bloodhound. Horns sprouted from his head while spikes appeared around his body. Shade appeared large enough to want to compete with a lion or tiger.

Though her fangs, claws, and strength were surely more than that.

"You say I am crazy?" Midna chuckled, slicing into her arms.

It triggered me to want to leap to her only for Fenris to get in the way again.

"Not yet," Fenris warned, eyes locked on the rogue goddess.

It made it clear to me they were waiting for something. Her blood dripped down her arm and onto the sword, causing it to glow red. Much like Rem's chest did when she took that beast into herself. Even now, through her shirt, it shone.

‘Good, it’s compatible with you.’

A voice noted, causing me to startle.

What the fuck?!

"You think I’m crazy! What was crazy was how you mortals used our souls for your needs!" Midna snapped at Vera, stabbing the sword onto the ground.

It caused cracks to form around it.

'Not yet.'

The same voice announced. For a moment, I felt her stare at me before she turned to everyone again.

"For that, now, we’ll rule over you!" She yelled, raising her hand to the sky, turning it red upon doing so.

‘If they win…’

There was a blinding light once again. Midna chanted something in a language I never heard before. It was not elven, either. However, it was soon followed by a scream from her. The light dimmed once again; black lightning surrounded her body.

Vera had somehow cast a spell on her, which interrupted the incantation that Midna was trying to invoke. However, a sly smirk was on the goddess's lips the moment it happened before she quickly shifted her expression.

"I said to give back my sister!" Vera demanded, eyes glowing, a purple aura radiated from her.

Even though she had not uttered a single word out loud, a spell was active. How did this girl cast a spell without reciting a verse? That was a first for me. Her hand, though, was bleeding. It seemed she still needed sacrifices. By now, Midna's smirk was gone as a frown replaced it.

"What the fuck did you do, girl?" the goddess questioned, feeling something off in her body, glancing at her hands that shook a bit.

"Just a little contingency plan I had on my baby sister. I won’t let you do as you please with her!" Vera declared with a smile on her lips.

‘Heh… I was right. He is…’

Was the previous expressions of hers an act, or was she happy that what she had done worked? Feeling trapped, Midna turned to me. Even though part of me wanted to believe that was Rem, her eyes were not.

"Alijah! Help me!" she yelled at me.

It caused all eyes to fall on me. I still did not understand most of what was going on, but it had to do with the soul cairn and the dead gods that lived in there. Rem had filled me in on what was going on in the world when we traveled together. Back in the village, I did not know what I fought until she told me about it.

Back in my time, the elves and witches were secretive about what the soul cairn was. Though Rem informed me that what I fought was a fallen god or one of its minions. Though it did not matter. I, at that time, had not gone all out because of the bond Rem bound me with. It prevented me from doing anything that could endanger people's lives.

From a simple glance around, it almost seemed like her family had a plan to get her back, or at least stop this god from going rampant. Even though I wanted to run and protect her from everything that could harm her. What was in front of me was not Rem.

That voice, though, was confusing me.

"I don’t give a shit of what you want, Midna," I answered her, taking a step forward.

Fenris watched me closely. He did not fully trust me, nor did I trust him. None of them did, but they had to. They would need me to get their daughter/sister back. In the end, that was all I desired as well. After this fight, another reckoning would come, but I did not care for it.

All that mattered was getting Rem back.

"Ouch, Alijah. You should be grateful. If it weren’t for me, you would have been-" Midna began, only for me to not let her continue.

What she was about to say was something unacceptable.

"How dare you even try to take credit for that?! That was not you! It was Rem! So, shut up and give her back to me!" I snarled, feeling my energy overflow.

For the first time, I was about to use it to save someone rather than destroy them.

'Good, I like that feistiness. Even though you don’t know what you are speaking about. You might reach her.'

The voice again radiated through my mind. I would not fail her. No, Rem would be with me until the end of time.

"Ungrateful piece of shit. Too bad Rem will never come back. She locked herself up." The goddess smirked at me.

Vera suddenly screamed in pain. Weird markings appeared on her skin, even though Midna had not moved from where she was.

"Linking yourself to me was a mistake. Thank you for playing right into my hand." The goddess chuckled, gazing at Vera.

‘For later…’

She stopped for a moment, shaking her head, and gazing up at the sky.

"So be it. I was going to let you all live in slavery because of how important you were to her, but if you will be a thorn in my side. You might as well vanish!" Midna declared, covering herself in darkness.

She was going to reveal her true form.

'Show me... What you mortals who adore him too can do. Don’t disappoint. Or I won’t let you have him! Including you Valdios!' The voice declared.

I shook my head a bit, not knowing if I had somehow gotten exposed to the hallucinogenic mushrooms. No one else was saying anything. So, instead of paying attention to it, I pushed forward. The energy that surrounded Rem's body transformed into a gigantic bird. It closely resembled a phoenix I once saw in a ruin I went to back in Allora.

That was back in my era when I was with the pack. The tail feathers were long and had both red and blue circles at the tips. Her eyes were the same as my little luma's orbs. The dark aura that came from her made me wonder if it was even the curse that made Rem want to hurt people. Or if it was Midna.

That would be another mystery that needed to be solved, but for now, getting Rem back was all that mattered. Though, the whole situation made me realize the little luma was more complicated than I thought.

Why didn’t you tell me everything that bothers you, Rem?

Anything she asked of me, I always answered her straight on. So why did she hide this from me? I had so many questions that only she could answer. Her mother said she was not gone. And even the goddess stated the luma was still there, locked up. So, I had that hope to cling to.

I would do anything to achieve that. And then... when I saw Rem's stupid smile again, I would not let it go for anything. First, though, we had to get rid of Midna and reclaim Rem's body. If a fight was what she wanted, then so be it. I would give her something to bite into.

"Oh, am I supposed to fear you?" I started clenching my fist.

Midna continued her transformation. Somewhere in all that darkness, Rem was there. Though where exactly, I did not know. I had to find that core at all costs.

"How dare you be so rude to me, little grumpy wolf?" she snickered.

Her words caused me a slight headache. I moved past it. Nothing else mattered. Not even the agony that my hand was in.

Rem... I’m coming for you.

"Why shouldn't I be? You are an oversized, glorified bird! Well then, if you refuse to give her back, come at me!" I challenged, hesitating no longer.

I shifted into my beast form soon after. The battle of our lives was about to begin. One where everyone would push to the limit.

"Fools, I’ll make it a merciful death for Rem's peace!" Midna snarled at us.

Fenris and the boys soon followed in my footsteps. I was never much of a team player, but on this occasion, I would try to be. Shade was the first to land a blow on her. While we had to figure out where Rem's physical body was. The whole thing smelled of magic.

This allowed us, Lycans, to tell that the bird was an illusion made from it. The problem was that although it was an impression. It was one with a physical form. So, any blow from it would hurt any of us.

Sadly, I was the first to receive a blow from her tail when she swept the surrounding ground, making everyone retreat. My injured paw was in agony, trying to move to dodge it. Though the tail was not what struck me. No, a rogue feather that sliced my cheek slightly, only to be repelled by my aura soon after. I was rusty.

The sharpness of Midna's feathers was surprising. The pain it caused was nothing compared to what Rem had felt when that elf plunged the dagger into her. It barely caused me to flinch. I climbed up her tail and back, only to be grabbed by Shade's tail.

The cat suddenly yanked me away from Midna as she glowed. A second later, her feathers shot out from everywhere in her body. Ruzgard retrieved the twins while Fenris dispelled everything with a shield he created. His power truly differentiated from mine. It was another thing I could never accomplish.

A slight chuckle left my lips. No one had ever dragged me like that. I never thought they cared if I injured myself or fell dead. I guess Shade seemed to have read into my reaction. She huffed herself up.

"I only did that for Rem." Shade assured me, caring less about my wellbeing.

 I broke into a larger laugh. This familiar had a spark to her. No wonder Rem called her mischievous.

"Doesn’t matter. That wouldn’t have killed me." I announced, freeing myself from her grip.

Rushing past Fenris's shield and his family, I dove into the onslaught of attacks. Everywhere around me was being destroyed by Midna. Not just that, but the ground itself seemed to have been dying off, or was it being burnt off. It did not matter to know.

The moon's power allowed me to repel her deadly touch while the familiar kept the witches safe. Taking a leap of faith, I launched myself to Midna's back and onto her head. Swiftly and effortlessly, I shifted into my humanoid form, smashing my hands down on her.

 It destabilized the surrounding magic. I could never truly cancel out Rem's essence. Even now, I feared hurting her, which made me withhold back my true potential. A mistake I never did before this moment. Midna's attacks suddenly stopped, allowing Vera and Lilith to both sent out chains from the ground trying to bind the bird.

Her brothers and Fenris caused the goddess to lose balance when she was still in shock from my blow to the head. The chains yanked Midna onto the ground, allowing me to shift back into my beast form, leaping off her.

For a minute, it seemed we somehow subdued the rogue goddess. Taking the opportunity that she seemed less hostile. I jumped back onto her. Her full focus was trying to free herself from the bindings. They gave off a blue hue. In Lilith's hands, there was a weird device, but at this moment, I could not analyze it further.

Though it was one of those items she had developed to fight the shadow demons that roamed our world. She was a genius in her art, mixing it with the humans and elves to create so many useful things. The cuffed I had endured was one of them. Though she had created them to protect peacekeepers.

None of that mattered, though. After all, I needed to find the core where Rem was. However, before I could take a step forward towards locating it. The scent of blood filled the air when Lilith bled from her nose and ears. It seemed holding onto Midna was too much for her body to bear.

"Mom!" Vera cried out to her mother.

She and the boys were all distracted because of it. I mean, who would not be, however, Fenris and me, who knew what war was truly like. We did not take our eyes off Midna for a moment. I tried to sprint to find the core. It was a matter of seconds before everything went erroneously.

"I’m fine. Concentrate!" Lilith warned Vera and the boys.

The twins were holding onto Midna's legs with something similar to what Fenris had done. But it was too late. Midna only needed a moment, and she got it. Fenris, who had joined me on the top of her body, seemed wary. The device in Lilith's hands had turned into ashes, leaving behind only a light purple flame.

In that instant, the oversized bird broke from the chains that bound her. She released a screech. Her tail almost crushed one twin. A second later, her movement threw Fenris and me off, but not before I saw a light purple glow come from her chest. It was near her neck.

Lilith fell to her knees, causing Shade to rush to her side. Fenris, even though he wanted to run to her too, could not. Instead, he kept his eyes locked onto Midna, who got back on her feet. On the side, Caden rushed to Aiden, who had received a nasty blow to one of his legs.

He was lucky she did not cut it in half. In seconds, a gust of wind rushed past us from the flap of her wings when she took flight.

"Shade... don’t hold back," Lilith huffed in discomfort.

The cat nodded in response. Black orbs appeared around her before it sent steady beams of light into Midna. Vera joined her mother to help her, triggering Ruzgard to meet Shade in her magical assault. He shot a blue beam out of his mouth.

In seconds Midna responded in kind, but by sprouting a purple fire from her mouth and into them. Ruzgard and Shade created a barrier around their witches. Though, it was not sure if the familiars could keep them up for long. However, this was the only opening I could see.

They fully caught Midna’s attention, making her ignore us, Lycans. Though one of us was down, leaving only three mobile. It also appeared like I was the only one who saw the shine in her chest. None of them seemed to know where to attack anymore.

For a moment, I wondered if the voice I heard was coming from the connection Rem and I shared. Before it was suddenly shattered. If we were still connected, then... I...

"Launch me to her chest!" I commanded at Fenris and Caden, who stared at me confused for a moment only to catch on quickly.

Aiden sat behind them with a broken leg. It would heal soon, but not fast enough. Without giving it a second thought on how wrong this could go, I bolted to them and shifted back into my humanoid form. Jumping towards them, they used all their strength to launch me up into the sky and towards Midna.

 Fire suddenly surrounded the oversized bird. I remained like a projectile, headed to her. Once in the air, I did not have to hold back anymore. The only things here were Midna and me. I let myself smash through her fire and slam into her chest. This was going to be a first for me.

I had only ever used my power for destruction. So, I was not sure if I would destroy Rem along with Midna's body. But all I wanted was to have her back. With that hope and goal in mind, I pressed onward.

Upon impact, my hand had somehow dug itself into her chest, allowing me to feel a loose arm at the end. Somehow, instead of destroying Midna's body, I had phased through it enough to reach her core. All around me, it was as if time had frozen. Even the fire seemed to have stopped in its tracks. It was a weird sight, even beautiful.

Tearing my eyes off the scenery, without hesitating, I yanked what I grabbed hold out of Midna's body. The instant I saw what was emerging out of it, relief washed over me. I saw Rem's face come out of the dark body that dissipated.

The color that had vanished from her face had returned. Even though we were in free fall, all I cared about was that she was in my arms and breathing.

Rem, I’m never letting you go!