Cursed Lycan's Scarred Mate
Chapter 80: The truth about the massacres [3]

Chapter 80: The truth about the massacres [3]

Ronan stilled to a halt when the Wickans drew closer; however, they avoided him and instead pursued Zachariah. In the distance, breaking through the treeline of the forest, several lesser wolves emerged.

Wary of the Lycan brothers, the lesser wolves banded together, enclosing around Ronan from every direction. Judging by the crescent moon mark tattooed onto the majority of the wolves’ foreheads, it was the despicable Moonborn pack that led the charge.

Ronan growled hostilely in response, his anger thrashing about at the forefront of all his grief he fought desperately to suppress. Why was he surprised by the appearance of Wickans? He should have known Moonborn was involved the minute he spotted the dark sorcerers.

The scent he smelt earlier in the air upon their arrival back to Frosthowl Frontier undoubtedly belonged to the Moonborn wolves, and judging by their blood-stained canines and fur coats, there was only one thing to conclude.

The Moonborn wolves and their allied shifters were the criminals who devoured his family and tore them mercilessly limb from limb.

Since the dawn of time in the current realm, Moonborn had always been in a state of endless turmoil and war with the Wolfsbane clan. For centuries, Moonborn, residing in the territory of ShadowFall, advocated for the elimination of the cursed Lycans.

However, since ShadowFall, Clawveld, and Sabre Coven were independent territories in the border land between the South and North, Moonborn garnered little influence. Their advocation was never agreed upon by the collective council, which was made up of high-ranking members from the three independent territories.

Thus, with Moonborn constantly instigating invasions into the Frosthowl Frontier over the centuries, the Wolfsbane clan evicted them from the ShadowFall lands, banishing them across the river further into the South, where they currently resided.

As it stood, the Wolfsbane clan forever stood as a threat against Moonborn.

Yet, that did not stop the spineless Moonborn pack from pursuing their advocation through their own means.

But little did they know they would come to greatly regret their decision to murder half of the Wolfsbane clan.

And now it dawned on Ronan. Regular wolves like Moonborn ones didn’t have any physical advantages, nor did they stand a chance at going head to head with a cursed Lycan.

Hence, they sought the assistance of Wickans, who would engage with dark and taboo magic to cripple the balance of control with Lycans from within.

Like what they’d done with Zachariah.

A monstrous roar sounding from Zachariah alerted Ronan, distracting him from the enemy ambush. The Wickans cast chain spells over the large Lycan, reining him in. Their dark influence and magical corruptions seemed to sow chaos within Zachariah, amplifying the effects of his curse.

He would never be the same again.

There wasn’t even an ounce of humanity left in him; that much was obvious when Callix halted dead in his tracks and glanced back.

He and Ronan answered their cousin’s roar with mournful howls, understanding that there was no return for him from the monstrous beast he’d become.

Ronan howled a signal to Callix to return to his side, deciding to ignore the situation with their cousin for now. Callix sprinted back, bolting over the wolves surrounding his older brother.

The Moonborn wolves didn’t attack immediately, almost as if they wanted the Lycan brothers to witness the torment their cousin struggled with right before their eyes.

Drawing closer, Callix stood up on his hind legs, a little shorter in height compared to Ronan’s Lycan form. He could see the hurt and rage swirling in his younger brother’s sorrowful eyes, and Ronan had wished he could have done something to swallow all the hurt and anguish into himself.

The Lycan Alpha fondly brushed his claw gently down his younger brother’s scruff, a gesture he often used to comfort the younger Lycan, but this time it did little to ease his brother’s grief.

"I will make them pay," Ronan promised darkly, his canines bared into a snarl. "I promise they will suffer worse than what they’ve done."

"Kill them," Callix growled back, sharing the same determination as his older brother. "We can both take them. They won’t stand a chance."

While that might have been true if not for the presence of four well-versed Wickans, judging by the expert incantations they used, Ronan didn’t want to risk a reckless charge, which could easily turn into a suicide charge.

"They’re only watching us for now," Ronan said, warily glancing around. The Moonborn wolves and other allied wolves with them made no effort nor showed any signs of lunging forward to attack. They were reserved, waiting. "They must have something planned, Cal. They wouldn’t be sitting around so confidently with two cursed Lycans in the middle without having any backup measures."

While Ronan recognised that there were many Lycan children that had been murdered, he noticed a lot of them weren’t among the corpses of his family members. Which could only mean one of two things: the other children fled and could have been nearby, or they were hiding underground beneath the estate.

"Then what should we do, brother?" Callix asked, his pained gaze darting back to where Zachariah fought and struggled under the Wickans, corrupting his soul with darkness. "They might use Zach against us, and I don’t think we both can handle him."

There was only one solution.

One cruel way to end it all.

Ronan never wanted to resort to such a method, but no matter which way he judged the situation, it always led to the same answer.

The current greatest obstacle needed to be eliminated.

Zachariah.

To protect his younger brother and the other Lycan children potentially still in the vicinity, Zachariah, who could easily become a killing machine on command, had to be dealt with.

And as if understanding his older brother’s thought process, Callix looked apologetically in Zachariah’s direction.

"Brother, is there really no other way?" Callix questioned with desperation in his voice, unsure if he could muster the courage to spill their cousin’s blood. "If we take him to Lunaris, they can do something to—"

A warning growl from Ronan immediately silenced Callix.

"There is nothing we can do for him," Ronan argued, claws clenched tightly. "He is at a point of no return. He will kill everything and anyone in his path, lest we kill him ourselves."

Callix gazed upon his older brother with pure disappointment. How could Ronan have been so cruel? Zachariah was their damn brother! A father figure they admired and looked up to! How could he think of killing him so easily?

"I will leave the Moonborn wolves to you," Ronan said, reaching out his claw to touch his brother’s shoulder, but Callix abruptly swatted it away, and Ronan’s expression fell. He didn’t press further. "I know you’re very strong, Cal. Clear a path for me. I will deal with Zach."

"I hate you," Callix remarked bitterly through gnashed canines, turning away from his older brother. "I will always hate you for this day." He cast one final glance over his shoulder at Ronan and sprinted forward, ripping apart any Moonborn wolf that came into his path.

Ronan dropped to all fours and ran past his younger brother, fending off the Moonborn wolves and allied wolves effortlessly.

Truth be told, Ronan realised it wasn’t the Moonborn wolves alone that were responsible for the Lycan massacre. Many of the deep, brutal wounds on the majority of the Lycans were caused by Lycan claws.

Lycan claws that belonged to Zachariah.

Ronan could scent his cousin on most of the bodies.

Under the Wickans’ influence, he’d become a killing machine who slaughtered his own family without even recognising they were of his own blood.

Thus, Ronan took it upon himself to eliminate their cousin.

Callix didn’t need to know Zachariah was majorly responsible for the killings.

At the least, everyone should remember Zachariah exactly the way they knew him.

Not as the monster Ronan had seen.

No one else needed to know what Zachariah had done.

Ronan would bury that burden with him when he took it to his grave.

The next parts of the dark memories were much of a blur for Ronan. It was almost as if his mind had censored his sin of killing Zachariah without mercy.

He couldn’t bring himself to share the rest.

And by the time he related the most of what he could, Vivian was a sobbing mess. She’d wept for the entirety of the story, hugging her knees to her chest as she mourned the deaths of the Wolfsbane clan members she never knew.

Ronan had chosen to share a dark sin and confession with her. Something he’d never revealed even to other family members, yet he trusted her with his painful secrets.

"I am so sorry for what happened," Vivian apologised, shifting around in his arms to cup his face. Her eyes were reddened from crying too much, and her cheeks flushed and damp with tears. "I’m so sorry you went through something so terrible and had to shoulder it alone."

Compared to what she had faced in her short life, Ronan’s suffering was far worse.

And there was only one thing Vivian could conclude after listening to Ronan’s story.

There was no way she could betray this man.