Court of Aether and Shadows (Crowned Monster Trilogy #1)

7. The Wolf Dilemma

The Wolf Dilemma

~LIAM~

“ T here we go.”

I helped Sparrow settle onto a fallen log, my hands lingering on her shoulders longer than strictly necessary. She was still trembling slightly, her eyes wide and unfocused.

The scent of her fear and confusion hung heavy in the air, setting my wolf on edge. It had been a while since I experienced these unnerving emotions from Sparrow.

Years actually.

She’d come so into herself as a woman, moving through life’s hills and valleys so effortlessly, I dare forget when she ever felt a shrivel of fear.

It wasn’t until she got shot a few weeks ago that I felt the vivid spirals of emotional turmoil taint the atmosphere with its polluted scent. I knew many creatures enjoyed the scent of fear.

Some got a high out of it.

I — and my wolf — despised the scent.

Guess I could see why my fellow pack mates enjoyed mocking me for being the most humanistic wolf on the block.

That the “human” I’ve been guarding all my life is rubbing off on me to the point I’m becoming a soft piece of shit.

Would it be bad to admit they may be right?

They don’t grasp my role in this world. My duty and how it intertwines with this so-called “human” they thought I was wasting my life on because I loved her.

Okay…they weren’t completely wrong there, but I didn’t deem this as a waste of my lifespan.

I’d do it for all eternity if it meant remaining at her side.

Romantic.

A shame, Sparrow has no fucking clue.

"It's okay," I murmured, crouching down in front of her. "You're safe now. Just take a deep breath and tell me what happened."

She’s as pale as a ghost and her exhaustion after that madness is obvious. I hate seeing her in this state, but I need to do something to at least calm her down.

To maybe make her understand what she possibly just experienced.

If she can wrap her mundane mind around the various laws of physics she just broke enjoying a ‘casual run in the forest’.

"I don't even know where to start, Liam," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Everything's so confusing. I was just running, enjoying the trail, and then... it was like I stepped into another world."

My poor Omega…

She doesn’t understand it. Understand this. I can’t blame her for not being able to comprehend what was stripped from her. Her reaction is valid, but I want to show some sort of support.

Even if I have to act like a naive fool.

"Why don’t we talk it out?” I suggest.

“You’ll think I’m insane,” she whines, looking defeated.

“If that was the case, I doubt we’d still be best friends after all these years,” I note the obvious. “Talk to me, Sparrow. Even if it sounds absolutely insane, know I won’t judge you. I’ve proven that, yes?”

“Well…” she pauses and stares into my eyes. “I guess you’re right,” she mutters in defeat. “Except for that time I got wasted and puked on that billionaire that tried to send his whole damn mafia army after us.”

“Admit it. Funny as fuck,” I tease because god, that was a funny night of madness. “You just had to vomit on the prettiest man we’ve ever seen who so happened to have a roulette of suited mother fuckers to chase us, which aka was me hauling your dead weight ass, across town.”

“He was a stubborn ass,” she grumbles, and yet she’s fighting hard not to smile. “And I’d do it again.”

“Of course you would,” I groan because I know Sparrow. She rarely felt guilt in instances where she knew she fucked up. Not even surprising. “Just admit you thought he was hot.”

“I mean he was hot,” she whines, though I try to ignore how her admission makes me want to grunt. My wolf doesn’t like hearing that at all. “But cocky as fuck acting as if he was a King himself. I’d never be a bitch just because I had some royal blood. The man wasn’t even a prince and acting like he ruled the entire town.” She shakes her head. “He needed a brief wake-up call.”

“And loads of laundry,” I conclude with a smirk. She shares a look at me before we’re laughing at the memory.

Life was tough back then, but there was a balance.

A hint of joy amid the madness.

I listened intently as she described her experience – the vivid childhood memory, the impossible speed at which she had run, the near-fatal fall.

With each word, I felt a growing sense of unease. Not because I didn’t know what she’d be capable of when her powers awakened once more, but because she was tapping into different varieties of power all at once.

Which isn’t good…

That meant two things: she was going to be a lot more powerful than predicted, and two…her awakening was on the horizon.

It should have been blessed news, especially for someone like me, who’s destined to serve and protect her.

The problem is, I’d be lying if I pretended I wouldn’t miss this.

Us.

Enduring the chaos and life-threatening situations together like the duo we are.

When you ignore Marco, who's useless most of the time.

The changes she was describing...they aligned too closely with the ancient prophecies I had sworn to observe and protect all those who would potentially be affected by them: her included.

The one I keep praying she’s not intertwined in…

Deciding to hold my tongue, I convinced myself that we still had time. We had to have more time. These changes won’t ignite to the max so suddenly. That brought a bit of ease, but it was when she started talking about her dreams that things really got interesting.

"There's this... man," she said, a flush creeping up her neck. I, on the other hand, am trying not to act as if any mention of another man is nagging at my need to growl in dismay. "Or, well, not a man exactly. He's something else. Something powerful and ancient and..."

She trailed off, her cheeks now bright red.

Why is she blushing so much? Who’s this man?

I couldn't help but tease her a little, trying to lighten the mood.

"Sounds like someone's got a supernatural crush," I said with a wink. "Should I be jealous?"

Sparrow laughed, swatting at my arm. I can see hints of tension and worry ease out of her frame.

"Shut up," she grumbled, but there was no real heat in it. "It's not like that! It's just... when I'm with him, in the dreams, I feel... complete?” She sounds unsure as she looks in the distance. As if she’s trying to envision him before her. “ Like I've found a piece of myself I didn't even know was missing."

Her words sent a spike of jealousy through me, hot and bitter.

I fought to keep my expression neutral, but inside, my wolf was howling. Or growling menacingly like we’d just been rejected. Though, maybe this kind of felt like one.

Not being acknowledged by the woman you’ve had a hard crush on for years.

She is OURS. Not for some shadowed creature or ethereal being. Ours to protect, ours to love, ours to claim!

I gritted my teeth, pushing back against the primal urge. Of course, my wolf just has to nag my subconscious to get some sort of reply at the worst time.

Not now. It's not time. We have a duty to protect her, to guide her until she's ready to know the truth.

And when will that be? When she's already been stolen away to a realm we cannot reach? When it's too late?

I have to bite my lip to stop myself from answering out loud.

My wolf may be throwing a mini temper tantrum in my mind, but he was speaking facts. Notable facts I’ve been desperately trying to ignore all this while because my duty was important.

Vital to ensure the present is preserved and the future bright…

Yet, I didn’t like this.

The idea of her being taken from me. For these days and moments to end, and her being so far away, that I can no longer enjoy her warmth.

No longer listen to her slow heartbeats as she slept. Enjoy her scent that always seemed to mesh and blend with every atmosphere. No more peaks of fanciful laughter, or quiet moments where all we needed to do was sit and stare at the starry sky in wonder.

No more drunk foolishness that leads to us creating such vibrant memories.

And…no more instances where for a few seconds, I get to enjoy the raw taste of her lips against mine.

"Liam?” I blink and look at Sparrow, seeing her pouting expression. “Are you okay?"

I realized I had been quiet for too long, lost in my internal struggle matched with my wolf’s frustrations.

I forced a smile, hoping it looked more reassuring than it felt.

"Yeah, sorry," I said. "Just thinking about what you said. It's a lot to process."

“See! I told you all this shit was crazy,” she groans in misery.

“No, no,” I reassure her. “I believe you. No matter how crazy it may sound to anyone else. Besides, it would explain some of the cuts and bruises on your body. I know those didn’t just come out of the blue.”

She nodded, seemingly satisfied with my explanation., looking deep in thought.

"I know. I can hardly believe it myself. I wish I could talk to that medic again – Elenore?” I’m intrigued why she’s bringing her up, but I did sense something off with that medic. I only allowed her to be alone with Sparrow because Vincent was drilling my ass for information about what the fuck happened. “She mentioned something about her grandmother's stories, about other worlds and beings that could cross between them. I wonder if-”

Sparrow's voice suddenly cut off, her eyes going wide and unfocused.

I watched in horror as intricate patterns began to appear on her skin, glowing with an eerie red light. It was beautiful and frightening all at once – and absolutely not what should have been happening.

"Sparrow?" I called to her; my voice tight with concern.

When she didn't respond, I grabbed her shoulders, giving her a gentle shake.

"Sparrow! Can you hear me?"

Nothing.

She stared right through me, looking as if she was seeing a whole different scenario playing before her line of vision. Her stillness was haunting while her breathing became increasingly labored.

The red glow of the markings intensified, pulsing like a warning beacon. Goosebumps rushed up my skin, as strings of familiarity filled my mind but I couldn’t grasp what was happening.

All I could recognize was this was a bad sign.

She's being pulled into the Otherworld . We have to act NOW!

For once, I didn't argue, because I now recollect on why those warning sigils on her flesh were dangerous.

Signs of pulling one’s spirit into the otherworld — a dangerous act of tainted magic that Fae enjoyed using to pull their prey into situations that normally led to their demise.

I could feel the wrongness of the situation, could sense the foreign magic trying to claim what was ours to protect. Without conscious thought, I let my wolf surge forward, taking control.

I couldn’t recall when I had last tapped into this energy of primitive glory. In fact, it had been so long, it took me a few seconds to realize the shift in power dynamics.

When we spoke about wolves, most thought of shifter creatures. Beings of the paranormal plane who shifted their bodies entirely with cracking of bones into different inhumane places and become an animal that’s on the balance of feral and highly intelligent dog.

Most didn’t get to see the true shift of power and how we dove into the realms of magic within our souls and tugged it outward until weaving that magic around our wolf entity forces a “shift".

The summoned magic matched with the kindled switch of power dynamics triggers the wolf to take over while we’re given a backseat to our more “mundane” aspects.

Overall, being this Fae wolf beast was a blessing and a curse.

A blessing to be powerful and diverse, but a curse because many Alphas in my position were assigned the duty of protecting an Omega, and 99% of the time, they never ended together.

I wanted to be that single 1%.

My hand shot out, wrapping around Sparrow's throat. In other instances, it would be deemed “hot” in the realms of possessive men validating the control and power they have over a “frail” woman, but I need to pull her out of whatever spiritual hold was attempting to consume her.

To kill her…

I applied pressure – not enough to truly hurt her, but enough to shock her system. It was an ancient technique, one used to pull packmates back from the brink of losing themselves to the feral moon's call.

"Come back to us, Little Bird," I growled, my voice deeper and rougher than usual. "Fight it. Find your way home."

For a terrifying moment, nothing happened.

Seconds felt like minutes as my woman dazed into nothingness.

Then Sparrow gasped, her eyes blinking rapidly as she sucked in a desperate breath. The red glow faded from her skin, leaving her pale and shaking. She’s looking around, completely confused while trying to figure out who was around her.

"L-Liam?" she whimpered, confusion and fear evident in her voice before her wild eyes met mine. "What... what happened?"

God, I wish I could answer.

I try to speak, but she’s panicking looking around, as if ready to fight whomever is trying to hurt her.

“Where did he go?” she snarls and rushes to stand up. “I can face…” she trails off while I scramble to my feet. Before I can even get a word out, I catch onto how her eyes roll back while her body slumps forward.

“Shit!” I curse immediately, catching her with ease before cradling her unconscious form to my chest. “I got you, Sparrow.”

I know she won’t respond to me as exhaustion plagues her into unconsciousness, but I already crave her voice while my heart is hammering against my chest.

A low growl rumbled through me as I scented the air.

The lingering trace of Fae magic was unmistakable now — ancient, powerful, and utterly foreign to this realm. My wolf snarled, baring his teeth at the empty forest around us. It was taking far too much restraint to keep him from jumping into a physical form, woven by shadows and the essence of light around us.

"If you touch her again," I growled, my voice a mixture of human speech and animal rage, "I will hunt you to the ends of every realm. I will tear down the very walls of your kingdom and rip your throat out with my bare hands."

It had been a long time since I’ve allowed my wolf energy to embed itself into my voice, but if I didn’t make my intentions crystal clear, this ‘guest’ would think I’m joking.

And I don’t play around with what’s mine to protect.

A laugh echoed through the clearing, seeming to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. It was a beautiful sound, like crystal wind chimes in a storm, but there was a cruel edge to it that set my teeth on edge.

"Oh, Fenris," the voice said, using a name I had not heard in centuries. "Still playing at being human, I see. How quaint."

I stiffened at the use of my true name, the one known only in the highest courts of the Fae realms. Those were the years when I was respected wholeheartedly. Many bowed at the scent of my approach, while wolves howled in the distance honoring my presence.

I was nothing like I am today.

Many would deem me “soft” if they could recognize me in this human form.

"Show yourself, trickster," I demanded, letting my voice rumble with a glimpse of my power. I’m in full-on protective mode, especially with Sparrow in my grasp. I’d die before anyone dared to lay a finger on her flesh. " Or are you too cowardly to face me directly?"

Another laugh erupts around us, this one tinged with genuine amusement.

"Face you?” The immense mockery in their tone made me grit my teeth. “Oh, my dear Fenris, why would I bother? You've made yourself irrelevant in this little game. Nothing but a neutered watchdog, bound by oaths and duty."

The words stung, but I refused to let it show.

"I am her protector," I snarled. "Chosen by powers older than you can comprehend. You have no right to interfere."

"Interfere?" The voice continued to belittle me. "I'm merely hastening the inevitable. The girl is meant for greater things than your little human world can offer. She is the key to everything – the bridge between realms, the catalyst for the war that will reshape all of creation."

I held Sparrow tighter, my wolf howling for blood.

"She's not ready," I insisted, allowing my power to seep back in warning. I wasn’t retreating from the obvious threat at hand, but if this conversation continued with such elemental projections laced in our words, the conversation would carry far and wide to those who didn’t deserve to listen to our treasured secrets. "You'll destroy her if you push too hard, too fast."

"Ready or not, the game is in motion," the voice replied, all traces of amusement gone now.

I realize they’ve gotten the message on pulling back the power embedded in their voice, but if they were smart enough to know the air can carry our secrets, it meant they had to be out for something.

Something involving my Sparrow.

"The courts are stirring, the ancient prophecies unfolding. Not even you, mighty Fenris, can stop what's coming," they declare in triumph as if their declaration has been written in destiny.

A shimmering appeared in the air before me, coalescing into the form of a being of impossible beauty and terrible power.

He – for it presented as male, though such concepts meant little to the Fae – stood tall and proud, his skin the color of moonlight on snow. Hair like spun silver framed a face of angular perfection, marred only by eyes that swirled with galaxies.

"You know who she truly is," the Fae said, gesturing to the unconscious woman in my arms. "What she's destined to become. Why fight the inevitable?"

I growled low in my throat but didn't deny his words.

How could I, when the proof was literally in my possession?

The Fae's lips curved into a cruel smile.

"She will be glorious," he said, his voice filled with a terrible joy. "A queen to reshape the very foundations of reality. Princess Lirael of the Twilight Court, the Crowned Monster who will bring chaos and rebirth to all the realms."

There it was.

A revelation that I haven’t heard in many centuries.

The use of her true name – a name she didn't even know herself – sent a shock through me.

"You go too far," I snarled, trying my best to figure out who this Fae was. Why he knew so fucking much. . "She's not ready for this knowledge. You'll break her mind if you force it on her now."

The Fae laughed again, the sound like shattering icicles.

"Oh, Fenris. Still so protective, even when you know she'll never truly be yours.” How those very words ignite a burn of agony through my clenched heart. “How does it feel, I wonder? To be bound to her, to love her with every fiber of your being, knowing that in the end, she's destined for another?"

His words were like knives, cutting deep into wounds I had tried so hard to ignore.

Because he was right.

I had known from the moment I first scented her, first felt the pull of the mate bond, that Sparrow – Lirae l – would never truly be mine.

My role was to protect, to guide, to love from afar. To let fate set in motion and watch her unlock the blessings bestowed from the birthright of her Father while experiencing the blossoming beauty of her Omega qualities given from her Mother.

She was an anomaly that was destined for many, and yet to be loved by very few.

My duty was to remain by her side and shield her from the trials ahead.

Nothing more.

"It doesn't matter," I said, my voice rough with emotion but shimmering with resolve. "My feelings are irrelevant. I will do whatever it takes to keep her safe, to help her fulfill her destiny on her own terms. Not yours, not the courts', not anyone else's."

The Fae's expression softened slightly, a hint of something almost like respect crossing his features. "Noble sentiments," he confessed and yet smiled. "But ultimately futile. The wheels are in motion, Fenris. The war is coming, whether you – or she – is ready for it or not."

With those ominous words, the Fae began to fade from view, but just before he disappeared entirely, he fixed me with a piercing gaze.

"A word of advice, old friend," he said, his voice echoing as if from a great distance. "When the time comes – and it will come soon – don't fight it. Let her go. It will be easier for both of you in the end."

And then he was gone, leaving behind only the scent of ozone and winter roses.

I stood there for a long moment, Sparrow cradled protectively against my chest.

The breath I’d been holding finally left my mouth’s clutches, making me realize just how fast my heart had been beating. My mind raced, trying to process everything that had just happened.

The Fae's words, the implications of what was to come, the weight of the secrets I had been keeping for so long...

Sparrow stirred in my arms, a small whimper escaping her lips.

I looked down at her, my heart clenching at how vulnerable she looked.

If she knew what was happening, maybe it wouldn’t have gotten this bad. She wouldn’t have been so easily taken over. If she knew the truth, she wouldn’t have left without me being right next to her.

I could protect her the way I was entrusted to, without holding back a pinch of magic.

That would prove to our hidden vigilantes that we’re not easy prey.

We need to tell her. Not everything, not yet. But enough. She deserves to know what she's up against.

For once, my wolf didn't argue.

He understood, as I did, that the game had changed.

The Fae courts were moving, the prophecies unfolding faster than anyone had anticipated. If we didn't prepare Sparrow – prepare Lirael – for what was to come, we risked losing her entirely.

With a heavy sigh, I began the trek back to civilization, my precious woman held close. I didn't know what the future held or if I was making the right choice.

I did know one thing: I would stand by her side, fight for her, and protect her, until my dying breath.

Even if it meant watching her walk away from me and into the arms of her destined mate.

Even if it meant sacrificing my own happiness for her safety and the future of all the realms.

Because that's what it meant to truly love someone.

To put their needs, their destiny, above your own desires.

As we emerged from the forest, the first stars of the evening beginning to twinkle overhead, I sent up a silent prayer to the Moon Goddess that watched over us Shadowed Alphas.

Give her strength. Give her wisdom…and when the time comes, give her the courage to face her destiny — whatever it may be.

The wind whispered through the trees, carrying with it the faint scent of another realm. Of shadow and starlight, of power beyond imagination. And I knew, with a certainty that chilled me to my core, that our time was running out.

The war was coming.

The Crowned Monster was awakening.

And all the realms would tremble in her wake.