radicalducati Chapter 60
Chapter 60
Katrina’s POV
A wave of raw, electrifying energy pulsed through me as I stood on four legs, my silver wolf form trembling beneath the weight of it.
The power wasn’t just inside me, it was me. It moved like lightning through my limbs, hot and relentless, setting every nerve ablaze.
Around me, the courtyard had gone still. The pack watched in frozen disbelief. The glow that radiated from my fur flickered against the stone, casting sharp, shifting shadows that made everything feel warped, like the entire world was holding its breath.
The moonlight intensified, drawn to me, bathing my form in its pale light. It made the silver of my coat shimmer like a blade.
I could hear everything.
Every staggered breath. Every whisper passed from one mouth to another. Every heartbeat that thumped with fear, awe, or anger. Their emotions hung heavy in the air, thick, choking.
"This is a trick!" Cassandra’s voice tore through the silence, shrill and shaking.
All eyes turned to her.
She looked feral, like something had snapped inside her. Her face was flushed with fury, her hands curled into claws at her sides. She turned on her father, gesturing wildly. “She must’ve done something! The ring belongs to me!”
Her voice cracked at the end, a betrayal of the panic rising beneath the rage.
I focused on keeping my legs steady, even as my muscles trembled. My body was still adjusting, still burning.
The Lunar Flame coursed through me like molten light, but I didn’t know what to do with it. I didn’t know how to control it. It hummed beneath my skin, powerful and unfamiliar.
Then, movement caught my eye.
Adolphus.
He stepped forward slowly, his eyes fixed on me with something that made my chest tighten. Not fear. Not hesitation. But reverence. And then, he dropped to one knee.
He bowed his head, one fist pressed to the ground. “Katrina is the true heir,” he said, his voice strong, unwavering, echoing through the courtyard. “The ring has chosen her.”
A ripple of sound rolled through the crowd. Some voices rose in protest, others in stunned agreement. Confusion buzzed between the pack like a hive of unsettled bees.
The murmurs grew louder as the weight of Adolphus’s words settled over them.
Then something incredible happened.
A handful of elders, men and women known for their wisdom and age, stepped forward. They didn’t speak. They didn’t question.
They simply knelt beside Adolphus, heads bowed in solemn submission. A quiet, collective acknowledgment of what they had just witnessed.
But not everyone followed.
Others hesitated, their faces clouded with doubt and fear. The old ways had ruled this pack for generations, and this moment was shattering all of it.
The Alpha stood stiffly at the base of the dais, his expression twisting into something darker, more like rage laced with disbelief. His voice thundered through the still air.
“This is nonsense!” he roared, slamming his fist against the stone throne beside him. The sharp crack echoed across the courtyard. “You expect me to believe she is the rightful heir to the Lunar Flame? That she alone was chosen by the Eclipse Moon Bound?”
I swallowed hard. My heart pounded like a drum in my chest. I didn’t know why the ring had come to me. I hadn’t asked for it.
But I could feel it, its presence, its purpose. It pulsed against my skin, whispering truths too old for words. Even if I didn’t understand it yet, I knew.
Adolphus rose to his feet. His voice cut clean through the Alpha’s fury. “The proof is right before your eyes.”
“The prophecy is a myth,” the Alpha snapped. “A tale for fools and dreamers. I will not be deceived by a girl who was a prisoner not moments ago.”
Cassandra stepped forward, eyes gleaming, venom in her every word. “And what a convenient time for this power to show itself, hmm? Right when I was meant to take my rightful place?” She sneered at me. “If you truly carried the Lunar Flame, where was it before? Why wait until now?” She stepped closer, her gaze hard and cold. “You’re a fraud.”
My wolf growled low, deep in my chest.
I could feel the power rising again. Not in anger, but in clarity. In truth. I opened my mouth, but before I could speak, an older voice rose, silencing everything.
“Enough.”
The crowd quieted immediately.
An elder stepped forward, a woman with long white hair woven into a thick braid, her presence commanding. Her back was straight, her eyes clear and sharp.
“The prophecy,” she said, her voice steady, “spoke of the Silver Wolf. The one who would rise not from privilege, but from trial. The one chosen by the Eclipse Moon to restore balance to the pack.” She turned her gaze to me, and for the first time, I saw something in an elder’s eyes and I realized it was hope.
“I’ve lived long enough to know this,” she continued. “Fate does not make mistakes. The ring chose her. The power answered her. The Silver Wolf has returned.”
The courtyard was silent.
And I, still glowing, still trembling, stood in the center of it all.
No longer the outcast. No longer the prisoner.
But the one destiny had marked.