Eclipsed Destiny

The night was chillier now, the feel of the blood moon still clinging to the air. Though the red light of the moon was dying above, its power, which Celia had touched, continued through her like a living force. She could feel it deep within her bones, that constant hum beneath her skin, as if the very earth itself were alive with it.

Are you sure you're all right?" Aziel's voice was low but concerned as he took another step closer, and his hand gently brushed against her arm.

Celia looked at him. Her breath still came out shakily, a product of the effort of containing the power of the blessing. "I'm fine," she lied. "It was just. overwhelming. The power. The moon. I don't even know how I did it.

Aziel stretched out for her, his fingers closing around hers with a sure, soothing hold. "You had no say in it," he said quietly. "The moon heightened everything the blessing, the link between us. But you held it in check. You restrained it. The energy of the blood moon still lingered in her, so strong it was like a flood breaking over a dam. For an instant, she had feared that she wouldn't be able to stop it. She wasn't even sure now how she had.

"I didn't feel like I had control," she admitted quietly. "It felt like I was being pulled in a thousand different directions.

Aziel's gaze eased, filled with something indescribable. He looked at her as he said softly, "You held it, Celia. You are stronger than you could ever have conceived. The blessing-it's meant for you, and you are learning to hone it. The pack believes in you, and I do.

The sincerity in his voice enveloped her like a shield, but the unease in her chest didn't dissipate. The rogue lieutenant's words kept echoing in her mind. "The true test begins now." What did that mean? What was coming? "Aziel," she began, her voice tight, "the rogue lieutenant, his warning-it feels like there's more to it. Something bigger than just this battle. Do you feel it too?

Aziel's expression darkened, his jaw clenching. "I do. There's something off about this entire situation. The rogue's attacks, the way he's trying to tear us apart-he's playing a game, and we're just pawns."

Celia's heart knotted in her chest. She yearned to believe in the strength of the bond, in the power of the pack, but the doubt lingers. What if the lieutenant was right? Maybe everything they thought they knew was a lie? Aziel, I don't know if I can hold all of this together," she confessed, the weight of her responsibility pressing down on her. "What if the pack turns on me? What if they betray us?

Aziel reached closer to her, his hand grazing her cheek in a gesture of comfort. "They won't," he said firmly, his voice unflinching. "You are stronger than this, Celia. The pack needs you. They trust you. And I trust you.

She swallowed hard, the weight of his words settling over her. She had to be strong, for him, for the pack. But fear of failure clung to her like a shadow, haunting her every step.

"I'm scared, Aziel," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "What if I fail? What if I can't protect them? Protect you?"

Aziel's eyes softened and his fingers cradled the curve of her chin, lifting her face up to meet his. "You won't fail, Celia. I know that. The bond between us-it's stronger than you think. We'll face whatever comes together. You don't have to carry this alone.

For a moment, she allowed herself to lean into his touch, the warmth of his presence offering her a fleeting moment of peace. But the weight of the responsibility she carried still lingered in the back of her mind, like a storm on the horizon, waiting to strike.

"I won't let you go," Aziel said suddenly, his voice raw with emotion. "I'll protect you, Celia. You're mine. And I swear to you, I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe."

The vow in his voice sent a shiver through her, and for the first time in days, she allowed herself to feel something other than fear. It was a vow, a promise she could believe in. And that was enough to calm her heart.

\---

The day after the blood moon, everything felt different. The camp had sunk into a grim stillness, but the atmosphere was charged with expectation. The rogues hadn't launched another attack-at least, not yet but something loomed over the pack like an unspoken threat. The council had met once again, their faces etched with concern, their voices low as they debated what to do next.

She sat at the table, hands clenching together in her lap as she listened to the murmurs that arose. She could feel the eyes of the council on her, weighing heavy upon her shoulders with the pressure of their expectations. The blood moon fear had gone away, but the tension remained, woven into the camp itself.

"They'll come again," Marcus said, his voice low and grim. "We're being hunted. We know it, they know it. The question is, when?"

Aziel stood at the head of the table, his expression tight, his gaze fixed on the map laid out before them. "We don't wait. We make the first move."

Celia's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean?"Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

Aziel turned to her, his eyes burning with determination. "We take the fight to them. We don't let them control this anymore. We'll find where they're hiding and destroy their forces before they can strike again.

The council murmured their agreement, but Celia's chest seemed to tighten. She could sense the unease radiating off the others; she sensed that the pack was divided, uncertain. Not even Aziel's plan to take the fight back to the rogues could remove the doubt that had settled into the air.

"We need to be ready," she said, her voice level though the turmoil inside. "We can't afford mistakes.

Aziel looked at her, a flash of pride in his eyes. "Exactly. We'll move swiftly, together."

But Celia could feel the cracks in the shield, the doubt, the unease that no amount of battle plans could erase. The rogue lieutenant had already planted the seed of suspicion within their hearts. And no matter how many victories they won, that seed would continue to grow.

"I'll go with you," she said quietly, her resolve hardening. "We do this together."

Aziel's gaze softened, but his nod was firm. "Together."

\---

The tension in the pack only grew stronger as the days passed. Celia and Aziel led the charge, rallying the wolves for what would likely be their final stand. The southern perimeter was still under threat, but there were whispers-whispers that perhaps the rogues were preparing for something much bigger than just another attack. They were coming for the pack, for the blessing, for Celia.

And the question hung in the air like an insidious fog: Would she betray them, or would they betray her?

7---

The camp was starting to gear up to make their next move, when Celia stood at the edge of the forest alone with her hand resting on the hilt of her blade, looking up into the sky, her breath shallower than ever before a figure emerged in the distance-the silhouette slipping silently out from behind the trees.

It was him. The rogue lieutenant.

And he was holding something in his hand-something that glittered in the moonlight.