The Last Spirit Wolf (Elena Norwood)

-Vera-

The loud ticking of the clock off to the corner of Alpha Silas's room keeps me awake; a constant reminder of the time passing by and our deadline coming up.

Despite racking my brain all night about what other options I have, I haven't come up with a single feasible plan; I haven't even figured out what to do if Alpha Silas wakes up and starts wondering if that horrible vision he had is real or not. Best case scenario, he won't remember anything, or at least think the whole thing was just a horrible nightmare. Worst case scenario, he will remember everything that happened down there.

I sigh loudly, leaning back on the chair and crossing my arms. I can't even go back to the archive room without being detected; not at this time, and not after we found Alpha Silas. Surely, Alpha Elliot and Alpha Samael will be keeping a close eye on all of us until we leave.

I failed him. I failed Noah.

There's nothing else I can do for him anymore, and this was the most important part of the plan. Without this document proving that he is King Alexander's legitimate son, all of his support could crumble before he even makes his move against the Council. And what then?

We return to my home and live there for the rest of our lives?

And what happens to his people? Eli, Lucas, Ezra, Ethan... all of his friends and supporters would surely also be exiled... or worse.

Deep down, I know Noah would never leave them to fare for themselves. They supported him when he needed it the most, he won't abandon them just like that. And it's not like they could just come live with us at Dark Moon; as much as Sofia and the rest of the pack wouldn't have a problem with them, the rest of the Clans would. Housing one lycan is risky enough, but several? It would isolate us from the rest of the Packs and make us enemies to the Council as well.

Noah's loyalty to his friends is one of the things I love most about him, but it's also what could plunge us into a full blown war with the Council.

I rub my temples, trying to ease the headache I've had for the past few hours.

I feel tears well up in my eyes out of pure desperation.

Without this document, the Council would probably be able to sway Noah's supporters in their favor, alluding to his lack of political experience and shady parentage.

Not to mention, if there is a real divide within the lycans, like the one this war would create, Alpha Samael and the Goldmoons would take the opportunity and attack, too. Someone knocks on the door.

I stare at it, quickly dabbing my eyes with my sleeves.

Dr. Owens comes in.

"Vera, you've been at it for hours, go take a break, walk around, take a shower. The sun will rise soon."

"Okay." I say with a smile, really needing something to distract me from my dark thoughts, *are we still leaving at sunrise?* I ask him via mind link in case someone is listening.

*No, Sofia wants to stay here until Alpha Silas is awake, just in case. Not to mention, we are the only actual doctors in the entire pack house.*

I nod, getting up from the chair I had been sitting on for hours now, and stretch my legs.

Before leaving, though, I touch Alpha Silas's forehead, trying to get any read on his condition.

I get nothing, no tingling, no magical sensation, no clammy or cold skin. Maybe he is actually doing better.

*It seems like he's just asleep,* I mention to Dr. Owens.

*It seems that way, let's just hope he wakes up soon.*

With this, I leave Alpha Silas's room and head to my own. I notice that guards have been put in place at his door and corridor, which isn't surprising considering how this entire visit has turned out. *There are guards at Alpha Silas's room and corridor. Any idea why that is?* I mind link Sofia.

*No, but I have the burning suspicion that it's Alpha Samael calling the shots here,* she says, how is he doing?*

*He's fine, just asleep.*

*Good. As soon as he wakes up and we make sure he's fine, we're out of here.*

"Copy that."

I enter my room, where all of the warriors are already awake and getting their bags ready.

They all look up when I come in, nodding in my direction.

I nod back, and head straight into the bathroom with my bag.

I take a quick shower, momentarily appeasing my mind. I try to meditate and clear my head for

a few minutes as a way to control my anxiety and disappointment.

To say it didn't work is an understatement; it probably made it worse.

Coming out of the shower with a towel wrapped around me, I go to my bag, looking for some clothes.

I settle for simple jeans and a t-shirt, as usual, knowing it won't matter in a few hours when I'm running in my wolf form.

As I pick up my bag, however, something comes tumbling out.

Again.

Elden's wooden box.

I open it again, looking at the tiny piece of jewelry inside.

It's an earring.

It's quite beautiful, actually, but it struck me as odd that Elden would give me this in the first place; if he wanted me to wear it, he would've given me *both* of them, not just one.

Examining it more closely, I notice it's very elaborate. It has a ruby up top, followed by a dangling tear pearl. It looks old, too, and in need of a thorough cleaning.

"What in the Goddess's name were you thinking, old man?" I ask myself.

I sit on the lip of the bath, intently looking at the earring.

I close my eyes, trying to focus on it. It's probably the lack of sleep, but I can't help but feel that

it isn't a coincidence that this thing has literally fallen on my lap twice already, almost as if demanding attention.

After a minute or two, I still can't figure out this earring.

Then, I think to smell it. Elden can't see this piece, he can only touch and smell it, so maybe that's what drew him to give it to me?

I put the earring to my nose, inhaling deeply a few times.

It...

It smells like...wolf?

I mean it's been with me this whole time, so it makes sense; but it doesn't smell of lycan in the slightest.

I take another deep breath, really capturing the scent on it.

Then, I get a flashback.

A vision of Ellie playing her flute in the abandoned tower.

I gasp, opening my eyes to examine the piece with a new understanding.

Could this have been... Ellie's?

I place the earring in my pocket, quickly putting on my shoes and walking out of the bathroom.

I toss my bag on my bed and leave the room without offering anyone an explanation; Jeremy just looks at me curiously.

Turning into the corridor where Alpha Silas's room is, I vaguely notice that the guards are gone. I'm in too much of a hurry to wonder why the sudden change, but when I enter the room, it becomes clear.

The door is slightly ajar, so I come in without knocking, expecting Dr. Owens to be alone with a sleeping Alpha Silas. Instead, I find Dr. Owens held up against a wall by one of the guards, and Alpha Silas's Luna, Irene, standing over him.

The rest of the guards rush towards me, making a circle around me as I hold my hands up, showing I'm no threat.

"What's going on here?" I ask, remaining calm.

"Well, if it isn't the other doctor," Irene comes forward.

*This woman is crazy!* Dr. Owens mind links me, his face pressed against the wall by the guard.

Luna Irene is a beautiful woman; elegant just her daughter was. As she comes closer, I also notice this is where Noah gets his eyes from.

My heart constricts at the reminder of Noah and how I've failed him and everyone else back at the Castle.

"What's going on?" I ask again.

"I want to know what Dark Moon was doing down at the archive room, because Silas hasn't been down there for decades."

"I wouldn't know," I reply, completely calm, "we found him in the kitchen, unresponsive."

"Is that so?" she says, retrieving Alpha Silas's shoe.

Shit.

That's the shoe he threw at me. I completely forgot about it.

"You see, I found this down there, and interestingly enough, a scent I do not recognize. It can only mean it isn't someone from our pack. Also, Silas may be a drunk, but he's not a sloppy drunk. Three decades of him being completely intoxicated every night and not *once* has he caused trouble like this."

She's coming closer to me, threateningly.

When she's close enough, though, something catches my eye.

Realization dawns on me.

Her necklace.

The earring.

They're the same.

That's why her necklace seemed vaguely familiar to me before.

She keeps talking, accusing me and all of Dark Moon, but I've become fixated on her necklace.

Slowly, I retrieve the earring from my pocket, causing the guards to move closer to me, but I don't back away. Instead, with the earring on my hand and without taking my eyes off her necklace, I step closer to her.

For some reason, the guards let me pass, and I stop right in front of Luna Irene.

I grab her pendant with my hand, lifting it up to me as I open up my other hand, placing both the earring and the pendant side by side.

They're the same piece, only Luna Irene's has been turned into a pendant.

I look up at her, a silent tear slipping from her eye.