109 

ael’s POV_ 

Morana worked in complete silence. 

Her cabin was dim. It was lit only by the flickering flames of tall black candles. The shutters were closed, and the scent of sage, iron, and old ash filled the air. It clung to my throat. 

I stood near the door, watching her move around her space. She was fast and efficient. She was pulling vials, bones, herbs, and powders from high shelves. Her hands didn’t tremble. She moved like someone who had done this a thousand times before….but there was a 

tension in her shoulders she couldn’t hide. 

Finally, she turned to me. “I’ll need more of your blood.” 

I frowned. “Again?” 

She looked me dead in the eye. “Yes. If you want to survive what we’re walking into.” 

Valric stirred in my chest. We don’t like this. Her magic stinks of old things. Dangerous things. 

I didn’t argue. I exhaled slowly. “Why?” 

Morana gestured to the table. Two long black cloaks were laid out across the wood. They shimmered faintly, not with light, but with movement….like shadows shifting just beneath the surface. 

“These are cloaks of illusion,” she said. “Woven from shaKdow–thread and stitched with fae blood. I added my own to bind the enchantments. They will hide your scent, your heat, even your voice. You’ll be invisible to most spells and eyes, especially those of witches and warlocks.” 

I walked closer. The cloaks didn’t look like much, but standing near them made the hair on my arms stand up. They pulsed faintly, like they were breathing. 

“They work on Fenric’s warlocks?” I asked. 

Morana nodded. “Yes. As long as you don’t speak loudly or make physical contact. If you bump into someone, or disturb the energy of a ward, the illusion will fail.” 

Valric growled. So don’t be a fool. 

I glanced at the second cloak. “And both are for us?” 

“Yes,” she said. “Your men will come with us through the forest. That much is necessary. We’ll need them to watch the perimeter, keep the path clear, and prepare for battle if things go wrong.” 

I lifted the cloak. It was heavier than it looked. It was thick with layered magic. It felt like it absorbed the light from the room. 

Morana continued. Her voice was lower now. “But once we reach the ruins, you and I go in 

alone.” 

I turned to her. “Ruins?” 

She nodded. “In the vision, I saw a fortress. It was made of stone cracked by time. There were broken towers swallowed by vines. That’s where Lisa is. Somewhere deep inside. Fenric has cloaked it in ancient magic. Your warriors would be torn apart at the gates.” 

I gritted my teeth. “I’m not leaving them behind.” 

“You won’t,” she said calmly. “They’ll hold the outer boundary. If we fail, or if Fenric senses us, we’ll need them. But inside… only you and I can pass unnoticed. The cloaks won’t work on a 

crowd. The illusion is delicate.” 

I hated how true it all sounded. I hated that she was right. 

“So if we mess up…” 

“They’ll sense us,” she said. “And it’ll be over.” 

I nodded slowly. “Then we won’t mess up.” 

She gave me a thin smile. “Let’s hope.” 

She stepped closer and held out a silver needle. “Your blood. Just a drop.” 

I rolled up my sleeve without argument this time. “Do it.” 

She pricked my arm and let the blood drip onto the edge of the cloak. It hissed softly as it sank into the fabric. The material shimmered brighter for a moment, then darkened again. 

“Now it’s bound to you,” she said. “It’ll recognize you. It’ll hide you.” 

She moved to the other cloak and repeated the process with a shallow slice across her own palm. Her blood was darker than mine, thicker somehow. 

“These cloaks will get us through the first wall of wards,” she explained. “After that, I’ll rely o the mirror spells and decoys.” 

I raised a brow. “Mirror spells?” 

Morana turned to a small wooden chest on the floor and opened it. Inside were rows of vials. There were glowing liquids, black powders, stones wrapped in silver thread, dried petals, and something that looked like bone dust. 

She packed several into a worn leather bag, then lifted a chain from the bottom. It was a 

small iron amulet with a rune etched into the center. 

“This is for you,” she said while holding it out. 

I took it. It felt cold against my palm. “What does it do?” 

“It repels dark magic. If someone tries to curse you, the spell bounces back to the sender. But it only works once. After that, it burns itself out.” 

“Noted,” I muttered while slipping it around my neck. 

Valric snorted. This is better than nothing. 

Morana tightened the bag at her side and turned back to me. “We leave in one hour. Tell your men to pack lightly. After the first five miles, the terrain will turn wild. Cars won’t make it. We go on foot.” 

I nodded. “Jared and Alex will lead the rest. I’ll tell them to be ready.” 

“And Kael,” she said as I turned to leave. “One last warning.” 

I looked back. 

“This forest isn’t just protected by magic. It feeds on regret. On fear. It will show you things. Things you think you’ve buried. You’ll need to fight through it.” 

I stiffened. “Like hallucinations?” 

She nodded. “More than that. The forest bends reality. The deeper you go, the more it’ll try to break you.” 

I clenched my fists. “Let it try.” 

We set out before sunrise. 

Jared and Alex rode with me in the lead SUV. Behind us were three more vehicles filled with warriors from the Nightshade Pack. All of them were armed, alert, and ready for battle. 

The drive started smooth, but after two hours, the road ended. 

“This is it,” Morana said. “We go on foot from here.” 

The forest loomed ahead. It was dense and dark. It didn’t feel like any normal woods. The trees were gnarled and ancient. Their trunks were twisted with thick vines. Mist clung low to the ground. The air felt wrong. It was thicker and colder. 

We parked and shifted into wolf form. 

My body tore through my skin as the change took over. Valric surged forward, muscles stretching and bones cracking. In seconds, I was no longer a man but a beast. 

Morana remained in her human form. She was floating slightly above the ground. Magic shimmered around her like a veil. 

The pack followed silently. Their eyes were glowing in the dim light. 

We entered the forest. 

It didn’t take long before the path vanished. 

Even in wolf form, I felt disoriented. The air shifted. Sounds came from directions that didn’t 

exist. Shadows moved without cause.. 

Then, the hallucinations started. 

At first, it was whispers. My name, carried on the wind. 

Then I saw her. 

Roxanne. 

She stood in the middle of the path. She was covered in blood and her hair was matted to her face. She held something in her arms….a bundle. 

I froze. 

Valric growled. It’s not real. It can’t be real. 

But I stepped closer. 

“Roxanne?” 

She looked up at me. Her eyes were hollow. 

“You did this,” she whispered. 

I shifted back. I was trembling. “No…” 

She unwrapped the bundle. 

It was a baby. Pale. Lifeless. Blood stained the cloth. 

“You poisoned me,” she said. “You killed our child.” 

My knees gave out. I dropped to the forest floor. 

“Stop,” I whispered. “Please… I didn’t have a choice. I didn’t mean for…” 

She knelt beside me. Her face was twisted in grief and rage. 

“You didn’t want her,” she hissed. “You wanted to be free. You wanted me gone.” 

“I was scared,” I gasped. “I thought it was the only way.” 

She held the baby out to me. “Hold her. Look at what you did.” 

My hands shook as I reached out. 

The baby’s eyes opened. They were black and empty. Her mouth opened wide, and she screamed. 

The sound pierced through me. I screamed with her and clutched my head. 

Valric howled inside me. Kael! It’s not real! Fight it! 

But I couldn’t. I felt like I was drowning in guilt and blood. 

I collapsed on the ground, screaming. 

Everything spun. 

Then everything went black. 

“Kael.” 

There was a soft voice. A hand on my chest. 

I opened my eyes. 

Morana was kneeling over me. Her hand was glowing with soft golden light. 

I was shaking and sweating. My body ached like I had been ripped apart. 

“It got into your mind,” she said softly. “The forest fed on your regret.” 

I tried to sit up, but she pressed a hand to my shoulder. “Don’t. Just breathe.” 

Claim 

Chapter 109 

I sucked in air. My throat was raw. “I saw her. Roxanne. The baby.” 

Morana nodded. “The forest shows you your worst sins. Your deepest guilt. That’s how it traps you.” 

“It felt real,” I whispered. “It felt so real.” 

“That’s how it kills,” she said. “You let your mind believe the lies, and your body gives up.” 

Valric was quiet. For once, even he had no words. 

Morana held her glowing hand to my chest. I felt warmth flood through me. Like sunlight cutting through fog. 

“You’re stronger than this place,” she said. “Don’t let it win.” 

I nodded slowly. My hands were still trembling. 

“Come on,” she said. “We’re close. We need to move.” 

Claim 

I stood with her help. The others stood nearby. They were watching me. Jared’s wolf eyes were wide. Alex looked shaken. 

“I’m fine,” I said. My voice was hoarse. 

Morana handed me the cloak again. I slipped it on. The shadows wrapped around me like 

armor. 

She looked into the forest. “The veil is thinning. We’re almost there. Lisa is close.” 

I nodded. 

“Then let’s finish this.” 

Because no hallucination, no curse, no monster would keep me from her. 

Not even my past.