Chapter 35: The Scholar’s Discovery

Words : 1862 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

Chapter 35: The Scholar’s Discovery Caleb POV Dark magic slammed into the cave wall inches from my head, sending rock chips flying everywhere. I grabbed Lily’s hand and yanked her sideways just as another blast hit where we’d been standing. "Run!" I yelled, pulling her toward a crack in the cave wall I’d spotted earlier. The First Shadow’s laughter echoed behind us as we squeezed through the tight opening. My heart hammered against my ribs. All my life, I’d studied pack history and ancient tales, but I never thought I’d come face to face with something from those old stories. We fell out of the crack onto a ledge overlooking a deep valley. Below us, campfires dotted the darkness like falling stars. Hundreds of them. "Caleb, look," Lily whispered, looking down at the valley floor. My blood turned cold. It wasn’t just Shadow Wolves down there. Wolves from dozens of different packs sat around those fires - River Pack, Mountain Pack, Forest Pack, and others I recognized from diplomatic talks. But they all had the same empty, glowing eyes. "He’s been busy," I mumbled, my mind racing. "This isn’t just about our pack." "What do you mean?" Lily asked, but I was already thinking hard, putting pieces together like a puzzle. Something had worried me about the ancient cave paintings. The way the Shadow Wolves had been exiled, the symbols around that dark pool, the talk of the First Shadow needing a Triple Moon bearer. None of it made sense unless... "Oh no," I breathed. "Lily, I think I know what he’s really trying to do." Before she could ask, shouts burst from the cave behind us. The First Shadow had found our getaway route. "This way," I said, leading Lily along the narrow cliff. My head spun with terrible options, but I had to focus on getting us to safety first. We climbed down the rocky cliff face, using roots and ledges to avoid the main paths where Shadow Wolves roamed. Every few minutes, I got glimpses of the massive gathering below. There had to be a thousand controlled wolves down there, maybe more. "I’ve never seen so many different packs in one place," Lily said as we hid behind a rock. "That’s because it’s never happened before," I replied, my worst fears starting to prove themselves. "Not in recorded history." We found a small cave hidden by twisted tree roots. Inside, I pulled out my notebook - the one I always carried for jotting down historical facts and notes. My hands shook as I flipped through pages of notes I’d made over the years. "Caleb, what are you looking for?" Lily asked. "Proof," I said grimly. "Proof that this is much worse than we thought." I found the page I wanted - notes about the Triple Moon mark from Elder Iris’s old books. I’d copied down everything I could find about past Triple Moon holders. "Listen to this," I said, reading from my notes. "The Triple Moon shows only during times of great need, when the balance of wolf society is threatened. Each bearer has unique powers, but all share one shared ability." "What ability?" Lily asked. "They can break mind control magic," I said. "Not just for one or two wolves, but for entire packs at once." Lily looked at me. "That’s why he wants me. The First Shadow needs my power for something." "Not to use it," I said, the horrible truth clicking into place. "To steal it." I flipped to another page, one with information about forbidden magic techniques. "Look at this. Ancient texts describe a ritual called the Shadow Binding. It’s supposed to make mind control permanent and unbreakable." "Permanent?" Lily’s voice was barely a whisper. "Think about it," I said, my mind running ahead. "Right now, his power over those wolves takes constant energy. That’s why Shadow Wolves usually stick to small packs - they can’t keep control over too many minds at once." I pointed toward the valley full of tame wolves. "But if he could make the control lasting, he wouldn’t need to constantly focus his power. He could control thousands of wolves forever." "And he needs my Triple Moon power to do it," Lily finished. "Exactly. The ritual demands the willing sacrifice of a Triple Moon bearer’s power. Once he has it, every wolf in that valley becomes his slave forever. Then he can use them to attack other packs, control more wolves, and keep growing his army." The full horror of it hit me like a punch to the gut. "Lily, he’s not just trying to take over our pack. He’s trying to control every wolf pack in existence." She was quiet for a long moment, looking out at the valley of controlled wolves. "That’s why the old Triple Moon bearer fought them. She knew what they were planning." "And that’s why they were exiled instead of killed," I added. "The other packs couldn’t risk destroying them completely - they needed to keep the knowledge of how to stop them." A new thought struck me, making me flip rapidly through my notebook. "There has to be more. The ancient wolves must have left directions, some way to break the Shadow Binding ritual." But as I read through page after page of notes, my heart sank. There were references to the ritual, warnings about its dangers, but no clear directions on how to stop it. "Caleb," Lily said softly. "If I don’t give him my power willingly, what happens?" I didn’t want to answer, but she deserved the truth. "The rite doesn’t work if the power is taken by force. It has to be given freely." "So he can’t just kill me and take it." "No. But..." I paused, then forged ahead. "He can torture people you care about until you agree to save them." Lily’s face went pale. "Brock. Aiden. My friends in the nursery." "Everyone from our pack who’s been controlled," I confirmed. "He’s not just building an army down there. He’s gathering prisoners." A sound made us both freeze - footsteps on the rocks outside our hiding place. We pressed ourselves against the back of the small cave, hardly daring to breathe. A Shadow Wolf emerged at the entrance, his glowing eyes scanning the darkness. For a moment that felt like hours, he stood there looking straight at our hiding spot. Then he moved on. We waited until his footsteps faded before either of us spoke. "We have to warn the other packs," Lily whispered. "They need to know what’s coming." "How?" I asked. "Even if we could get past all those guards, who would believe us? And by the time we convinced anyone, it might be too late." "Then what do we do?" I looked at my notebook, filled with years of research and study. All that information, and I still didn’t have the answer we needed most. "I need to find the complete ritual," I said finally. "There has to be a way to stop it. The ancient wolves wouldn’t have just recorded the problem without leaving an answer." "Where would something like that be hidden?" "Somewhere the Shadow Wolves couldn’t find it. Somewhere only a scholar would think to look." I paused, an idea forming. "The Sacred Grove. There’s a library there, older than any pack area. If answers exist, that’s where they’d be." "The Sacred Grove is three days’ journey from here," Lily said. "And it’s crawling with Shadow Wolf patrols." "I know. But it’s our only chance." I closed my notebook and looked at her seriously. "Lily, I need you to promise me something. If I don’t make it back, if they catch me..." "Don’t say that." "Promise me you won’t give them your power, no matter what they threaten. Even if they hurt me, even if they hurt everyone we love. The fate of every wolf pack rests on you keeping that power away from the First Shadow." Tears filled her eyes. "I can’t promise that, Caleb. I can’t watch them hurt you." "You have to," I said, taking her hands in mine. "Because if he gets your power, everyone dies anyway. At least this way, there’s still hope." A new sound reached our ears - howling. Dozens of voices joining together in an eerie melody that made my skin crawl. The controlled wolves were calling to each other, planning for something big. "They’re moving," I said, looking out of the cave. "The whole army is getting ready to march." "March where?" Lily asked. I watched the patterns of movement below, my scholarly mind immediately analyzing the formations. "They’re breaking into groups. Some moving east toward River Pack territory, others going west toward the Mountain Pack." "They’re attacking multiple packs at once," Lily realized. "While keeping the strongest force here to guard you," I added grimly. "He’s forcing a choice - either you surrender to save the other packs, or you watch them all fall one by one." The screaming grew louder, more urgent. In the distance, I could see controlled wolves from our own pack - Brock, Aiden, Luna, and others - being arranged into attack patterns. "How long before they reach the other packs?" Lily asked. I figured quickly in my head. "Two days, maybe three." "That’s not enough time for you to reach the Sacred Grove and get back." "I know." I turned to face her, my heart breaking. "Lily, I think we’re going to have to split up." Before she could protest, a new voice called out from the valley below. The First Shadow himself, his words carrying clearly in the cold night air. "Little omega! I know you can hear me! I’m sending your friends to visit the surrounding packs. They’re going to send a message - surrender to me, or watch their territories burn!" He paused, letting his words sink in. "You have until the next full moon to decide. Give me your power freely, and I’ll let the other packs live as my servants. Refuse, and I’ll kill them all before I come for you." My blood turned to ice. The next full moon was only five days away. "And just so you know I’m serious," the First Shadow continued, his voice filled with cruel humor, "I’m going to start with the smaller pack first. The Sunset Pack has some very young pups, I hear. It would be such a shame if something happened to them." Lily gasped. The Sunset Pack was barely fifty wolves, most of them old or children. They couldn’t possibly defend themselves against an army of controlled dogs. "You have five days to save them all," the First Shadow called out. "Choose wisely, little moon bearer. Choose quickly." His laughter echoed through the valley as the massive army began to move out, moving toward innocent packs who had no idea what was coming for them. I looked at Lily, seeing my own desperation mirrored in her eyes. Five days to find a solution, save various packs, and stop an ancient evil from enslaving every wolf in existence. And we were just two wolves, alone and chased, with nowhere left to run.

Chapter 35: The Scholar’s Discovery

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