His Cursed Luna

15. Corrupted Soul

"Happy birthday, Princess," he said with a deep bow. "You look radiant tonight."

Penelope smiled warmly at him. "Thank you, Alpha Elijah.”

“Forgive my boundaries, Princess, but may I offer you my companionship for the evening?” Elijah made his move again.

Penelope chuckled inwardly. He pursued her the same way in her past life. Her eyes quickly looked for Isabella. Her cousin was standing afar, in a corner, hiding away from the most. Her image was demolished after the banquet at Silverknight. The perverted Lycan King got off easily and Isabella was blamed in the end for seducing him. She wondered what Elijah thought of the situation. After all, they were fated mates.

“That is so kind of you, alpha. I would love that,” Penelope smiled, hiding her true intention.

“I will be the Queen of this Realm one day and I should learn more about my territory. Alpha Elijah, wouldn’t you introduce me to your Beta?” The princess spoke innocently.

“Of course, Princess. I will be honoured,” Elijah’s eyes sparkled.

Penelope stared at the Alpha in his eyes. She could tell he was mind-linking someone and her suspicion turned out to be true when a tall, muscular man walked near her table. She knew him well from her past life. He was Hykin, none other than Elijah’s Beta. Hykin came to his pack as an orphan in his teens and he worked up to be the Beta using his skills.

“Princess, this is Hykin, my Beta. He is the closest person I have and my entire pack rely on him a lot,” Elijah introduced him to the Princess.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Beta Hykin,” she smiled.

An announcement stopped the conversation. Penelope saw her uncle on the stage, holding a glass of champagne, proposing a toast, “thank you everyone for gathering here to honour my beloved niece, Princess Penelope Nicholas Adalbert, first of her name. Please raise your glasses to join me on a toast to the princess’s good health and prosperity. Happy birthday, my sweet Princess.”

The guests raised their glasses too, joining the Lycan King in the toast.

Penelope stared at Bridget and she nodded in understanding. Bridget passed two glasses of alcohol to Elijah and Hykin as she spoke, “here. Please drink for our princess.”

“Thank you,” Elijah thanked her, taking the glass, and so did Hykin.

As everyone raised their glasses to toast to the name of Princess Penelope, there was an air of joviality and merriment in the room. The atmosphere was festive, with laughter and chatter filling the space. Princess Penelope, with a beaming smile, raised her glass in return and took a small sip.

However, the joviality was short-lived as a sudden groan caught everyone's attention. A cry of distress echoed through the room, causing a commotion among the guests. Elijah, with a look of horror on his face, screamed as he saw his friend Hykin on his knees, writhing in agony.

Hykin’s body began to convulse violently, his limbs jerking unnaturally as if something inside him was fighting to break free. The once calm and composed man seemed to be fighting a battle with himself, his face contorted in agony. His skin, which had been a normal, healthy tone just moments ago, now darkened rapidly. The change was so sudden, so horrifying, that it sent a chill through the onlookers, who were now frozen in shock and terror. His complexion deepened into an unnatural, ominous shade of blackish-grey, as though some dark force had seized control of his very being.

The transformation continued, escalating with terrifying speed. The guests watched in a mix of awe and horror as Hykin's body stretched and twisted, his muscles bulging grotesquely. His human form seemed to tear at the seams, the fabric of his existence unraveling as he was consumed by something otherworldly. His mouth gaped open, the sound of bone and sinew shifting within him, and then, with a sickening c***k, his human features disappeared entirely. Where once stood a man, now knelt a monstrous creature, a grotesque, demonic being whose appearance sent a wave of terror through the room.

The creature’s skin, now mottled with patches of black and red, glistened under the chandelier’s light, slick and unnatural. Its eyes, once a soft, familiar brown, were now glowing a hellish shade of crimson, burning with an inner fire that seemed to pierce through the souls of everyone who dared to look. Its claws, long and razor-sharp, dug into the wooden floor as it let out a guttural snarl, sending a ripple of fear through the crowd.

But that was not all.

Strange, twisted markings began to appear on the creature’s hands and chest—symbols that writhed as though they were alive. The markings twisted and coiled over his skin, glowing faintly with an eerie light, their shapes shifting in ways that defied logic or reason. They appeared to pulse with an energy of their own, as though they were somehow feeding off the creature's transformation. These were not mere tattoos or scars; they were a part of him—an inscription of something far darker.

The room fell silent, with everyone frozen in shock and disbelief. The air was thick with tension and fear as they looked on in horror at the monstrous creature that had replaced their friend. Elijah, petrified, stood aside, unable to comprehend the situation unfolding before him.

The transformation of Hykin was something none of them had ever seen before. It was a terrifying sight, and they were unsure what to do. The guests looked at each other, uncertain and afraid, as they tried to make sense of the situation.

Despite the chaos and confusion, the room remained eerily quiet, save for the occasional snarl and growl from the demonic creature that had once been Hykin. The guests, all of whom had been enjoying the festivities, were now faced with a frightening and unprecedented situation. The air was thick with tension and fear as they watched the demonic creature in awe and trepidation.

Penelope's heart raced as she watched the events unfold before her. She had orchestrated this moment for weeks, carefully plotting and planning to exact her revenge on those who had wronged her. And now, as she watched Elijah struggle to come to terms with his Beta, she felt a sense of satisfaction wash over her.

She had known all along what was happening to Hykin. He was a corrupted wolf who had chosen the path of darkness, and the markings that appeared on his hands and chest were proof of that. But she had hidden her knowledge behind an innocent mask, waiting for the right moment to strike. The golden scroll she found in the library the other day talked about a herb, Vervon, that was poisonous to the dark witches. She planned cautiously and added the dust of Vervon to Hykin’s drinks, forcing him to shift to his true form.

Despite her inner glee, Penelope maintained her innocent façade, playing the part of the concerned princess. "What is happening to your Beta, Alpha Elijah?" she asked, feigning concern.

However, her words fell on deaf ears, as Ancient Maya stepped forward, shielding Penelope from the creature. "Stay away from her, princess," she warned. "He is a corrupted wolf who has chosen the path of darkness."

Elijah stood in silent disbelief, unable to comprehend what was happening to his Beta. He never imagined that his trusted companion would be exposed in such a manner before everyone. As the situation escalated, Penelope seized the opportunity to further her agenda. She pointed out the markings on Hykin's body, drawing attention to the similarities between his transformation and that of her own father.

“Look, uncle!" she exclaimed. "Aren't those the same markings we saw around father after he... he..."

Penelope stammered and hid her face in Bridget's arms, which only served to further convince those around her of her innocence, but inside, she was revelling in the chaos she had unleashed. Lycan King William, her uncle, was visibly uneasy, and Penelope knew that her actions could lead to his demise as well.

As the creature snarled and growled, the Lycan King William stepped forward. He was a formidable figure, and his presence alone was enough to intimidate even the most fearsome of creatures. But as he raised his hand to strike, the creature lunged forward with lightning speed, catching the king off guard.

“Seize him,” Ancient Gerald took quick action as he stepped, forwarding a fatal blow to Hykin, making him stumble on the floor. Ancient Maya quickly build up a shield by raising both her arms and the creature was sealed away.

William stood up. His hand was bleeding from the attack. His eyes fell on Elijah, clearly displeased. Another surge of fear appeared in his mind as Penelope mentioned the death of the late Lycan King Nicholas. If the investigation moved further, the Ancient Assembly might uncover the truth about his alliance with the dark witches.

Ancient Gerald stepped in adding fuel to his fear, “Elijah, was he your subordinate?”

His voice shook the alpha from inside. After all, Alpha and Beta always share a rare bond and they possibly couldn’t hide a fact like this from each other.

“We are arresting you as well for further questioning,” Ancient Maya asserted.

The room fell into silence as Ancient Maya's words hung in the air. The Lycan King's face was a mask of anger, and Elijah's expression was one of shock and disbelief. The situation had escalated far beyond what anyone had anticipated, and the consequences were dire.

Penelope watched with a mixture of satisfaction and apprehension. Her plan had worked perfectly, but now the stakes were higher than she had anticipated. The Alpha was under suspicion, and soon her Uncle would join him. She knew that the fallout from this could be catastrophic.

“That’s right. We will hold you accountable unless you can prove your innocence. Until then, we need to find someone to take care of your pack,” Ancient Gerald added.

Penelope knew this conversation would occur. William’s eyes glistened as he tried to make his way to find another pawn to be alpha but the princess had already thought this through.

“How about his Gamma? He can serve as the acting alpha for now,” Penelope suggested.

She knew Benjamin, Elijah’s Gamma, well from her past life. The young werewolf was very capable and uncorrupted.

“That will suffice,” Ancient Gerald concurred with the princess, making things more difficult for William.