Chapter 91: The First Challenge
The howl came again, and this time it was answered by dozens of others.
They surrounded the farm from every direction. "Rogues," Alpha Magnus growled, his eyes flashing gold. "But they smell... wrong." Elara’s new Luna senses kicked in.
Through the mate bond, she felt her triplets’ reactions—Kael’s tactical mind already planning defense, Ronan’s excitement for war, and Darian’s careful observation of everything around them. But she also felt that nagging worry. Which one would betray her? "They’re not just rogues," Tobias said sadly, sniffing the air. "They’re dream-touched. The lost Primordial has been busy."
From the treeline, shapes started emerging. Wolves, but not quite right. Some had too many eyes. Others moved like liquid shade. A few shifted between wolf and nightmare forms. "How many?" Kael asked, ice already forming around his hands. "Fifty. Maybe more," Elara answered, her enhanced senses counting heartbeats in the darkness.
"They’re surrounding us." "Good," Ronan grinned, flames dancing along his arms. "I was getting bored." "This isn’t a game," Darian warned. "Something’s controlling them. Look at their eyes." Elara focused on the coming creatures.
Their eyes glowed with swirling colors that hurt to look at directly—like looking into someone else’s dreams. "Dream magic," Luna Evelyn whispered, still weak from the blessing process. "The missing Primordial is using them as puppets." "Can we break the control?" Elara asked. "Not without finding Dream itself," Tobias answered.
"But we can fight them." The first wave struck without warning. A massive wolf with silver fur and rainbow eyes jumped straight for Elara. Kael stopped it with a wall of ice, but the creature passed right through like it wasn’t there.
"They’re part dream!" he shouted. "Physical attacks won’t work!" Elara ducked at the last second, rolling across the ground. The dream-wolf’s claws left gouges in the stone where she’d been standing. "If they’re dreams, then we need to think like dreamers!" she called out, her mind rushing. In dreams, belief meant more than reality.
If she believed her Luna power could hurt them— Silver light erupted from her hands, hitting the rainbow-eyed wolf. The thing shrieked and dissolved into mist. "Belief!" she shouted to her friends. "Believe your powers can hurt them!" Ronan’s flames suddenly burned brighter, no longer just fire but pure will made visible. When he hit a shadow-wolf, it screamed and vanished.