Chapter 24: The Heart of the Hollow

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Hours had passed since the collapse of the underground chamber, but the echoes of the Alpha of Shadows' roar still haunted Alex's mind. The Pack had returned to Deaton's clinic to regroup, bodies bruised, spirits frayed—but alive. The totem was safe for now, sealed once more beneath layers of warding spells.

Alex stood alone outside, leaning against the clinic's back wall. The stars shimmered faintly overhead, the night calm after the storm. But inside him, the war still raged.

"You did it, you know," Eira's voice called softly from behind.

Alex turned, finding her standing there, wrapped in a light jacket, silver hair loose and reflecting the moonlight. Her injuries were healing, thanks to her icy regeneration and Deaton's poultices, but the exhaustion in her eyes matched his own.

"For now," Alex murmured. "But Silva escaped. Kaelen's gone. And the Alpha of Shadows is still out there—somewhere."

Eira walked up beside him and gently touched his arm. "That wasn't just a battle. That was a message. You severed the link between Kaelen and the Shadow Alpha. That matters."

He looked down at her. "I just… I still felt him in there. My brother. Trapped. Hurting. Hating me."

"You gave him a chance to choose, Alex," Eira said, her voice firm. "He made his choice."

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then she reached up and rested her hand on his chest. "But you made yours too. You chose us. Me."

Alex's breath caught as their eyes met. For all the battles, blood, and betrayal—this moment was real. Soft. Vulnerable.

Eira leaned in, and he didn't pull away.

Their lips met beneath the stars.

It wasn't fiery or desperate—it was a quiet, tender connection. A promise made without words. That whatever darkness came next, they'd face it together.

Inside the clinic, Lydia was busy deciphering the lingering echoes of the vision she'd seen in Raven's Hollow. Maps, diagrams, and notes littered the table. Stiles and Kira worked beside her, arguing about ley lines and energy surges.

Scott sat quietly in a corner, watching his pack, pride and worry etched into every line of his face.

"We've lost too many already," he muttered.

Allison, sitting beside him, nodded. "But we've gained something too. Alex. Eira. Even you've grown. We're not the same kids who stumbled into werewolves and hunters anymore."

"We're warriors now," Scott said softly. "And war's not over."

Malia returned moments later, her shirt torn, claws bloodstained. "No signs of Silva. But I did find tracks headed east. Toward the Crescent Hills."

"Why would she go there?" Kira asked.

Stiles glanced at Lydia, who was flipping through a forgotten page of her notebook. "Because the Crescent Hills were the site of the final Purge."

Lydia's voice was distant. "Hundreds of years ago. A blood ritual sealed the last gateway to the Nether. And now Silva wants to open it."

Deaton, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke. "If she succeeds, the Alpha of Shadows won't need a host. It will cross over. Fully. Physical. Immortal."

A silence fell.

"We stop her before that happens," Alex said as he re-entered the clinic, Eira by his side. "We make our stand. One last time."

Scott stood. "Then we go to Crescent Hills."

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The sun hadn't yet risen when the pack moved out. This time, they didn't sneak. There was no room for subtlety now—only purpose.

The path to Crescent Hills was lined with memories. Fields once burned by war, now overgrown. Trees twisted by time. The wind whispered names long forgotten.

They reached the base by midday. The ruins of an ancient temple rested in the cliffs above—where the final Purge had been performed. It was there Silva waited.

They split into two teams again. Lydia, Kira, and Stiles would disrupt the barrier magic, giving Alex, Scott, and Eira a chance to face Silva directly.

But as they climbed toward the summit, something unexpected happened.

Fog rolled in—thick, black, and alive.

They could hear whispers in the mist. Voices from their past. Their regrets. Their fears.

Alex heard Kaelen's voice. "You think love can save you, brother? You think a kiss can undo what you are?"

Eira heard her mother's dying scream—cut down by Silva years ago.

Scott heard Allison's scream… the one from back then. The one he couldn't save.

But they kept moving.

Together.

At the summit, Silva waited.

She stood atop the broken dais, the final totem clutched in her hand. Her eyes glowed red, her voice echoing with the power of the bound Shadow Alpha.

"You're too late," she said. "I am the key. I am the gateway. And I will open the veil."

Alex stepped forward, claws extended. "Then we'll shut it in your face."

Silva raised the totem—and the air split apart.

A tear in reality formed above her. Black and red energies bled from it, casting unnatural shadows. From the void, monstrous shapes clawed to the surface.

Eira raised her hands and summoned a blizzard, driving the monsters back.

Scott transformed in a flash of golden eyes and fur, charging forward.

And Alex—

Alex leapt.

The final battle had begun.

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Next up: Chapter 25 – The Veil Breaks