REVENGE OF THE BETRAYED WOLF

Five years later...

"Boox, put me down, please." A cheerful voice asked one of the orcs, her faithful friend. Metis had been born frail and sickly; as a baby, she'd had constant fevers and difficulty coordinating her movements. By the age of five, she was barely walking, and Boox had become her mainstay and support for long distances.

Carefully, Boox lowered him off her sturdy back and gently settled him on a stone, from where he watched his two brothers at play. "Come, my little puppy, let me help you dive into the water," Freya offered tenderly.

"Mommy, where's our daddy, don't you think Ajax, Psyche and I deserve to know more about him and why he's not with us?

Freya holds back a sigh and swallows as she recalls the difficult situation with Metis. When the little ones were born, she noticed that Metis cried a lot and had difficulty moving. Despite her attempts to help her exercise, the baby would only cry, which worried her greatly. In secret, Isis took her to a doctor who diagnosed motor problems. The doctor assured her that, with proper care, she would be able to walk and lead a normal life.

The revelation of Metis' condition shocks Freya, who postpones her revenge on Pallas and Eris, whom she blames for her daughter's problems. Despite her dismay, Freya forced herself to smile at the difficult question about Cronus.

"My little wolf, I've already told you that your daddy can't be with us right now. There are things between mommy and daddy that you can't understand at your age. I'm just asking you to wait a little longer. I'm getting things ready for you to meet him".

"It's okay, Mom. I really want to meet my daddy," Metis replied with a pout. In secret, the young girl has been researching her father; she knows his name is Crono and that he's an alpha. She hasn't told her siblings, but wants to go on a trip with Boox to find him and ask him to explain why he abandoned them.

Freya sat down next to her little she-wolf, hugging her tenderly. She knew it was time to come out of hiding and face her enemies, so that her children could have a peaceful life without being trapped in this part of the forest. Her father's herd had been attacked twice by Pyrrhus, and thanks to the intervention of Isis and Cronus, they had succeeded in driving off the Kelpies. Métis' health had prevented him from leaving the refuge.

Watching her daughter, Freya was happy to see her move her legs, overcoming one of the most difficult challenges that Métis faces.

In the Apka Pride office, Crono was examining documents when Palas burst in angrily.

"Crono, I can't stand your mother anymore. Give me my place as mistress of the house, I'm entitled to it as your fiancée. I can't stand being scorned in this manor any longer."

Crono squinted and watched her carefully. Since Freya's disappearance, he had ordered an investigation into Palas, but had found nothing to confirm his suspicions. The revelation of their divorce had been an unexpected blow to the region and his pack, and the other alphas had urged him to take Palas as the new moon of their leadership. Palas's arrival and the divorce had created tensions, and he'd agreed to leave Palas at the manor, but his mother had made sure the she-wolf stayed away from him.

"I've already told you, Palas. Freya is the only one who deserves to be the moon of this pack. You're just a wild card the alphas imposed on me to keep my leadership from declining. You've caused enough damage in my life."

Palas frowned, clenching his fists in frustration. He had sought the support of some alphas, trying to convince them that Crono should moon the she-wolf who had been his love in the past. Despite his attempts to enter Crono's room and persuade him to marry her, his efforts had been in vain.

During pack events, Damara, clinging to her son's arm, would enter, leaving Palas in the shadows. Damara had expelled Eris from the pride, and she had been forced to run to Pyrrhus to tell him of Palas' plans, in a desperate attempt to gain his support. Palas, destitute and without allies, had to endure the constant humiliations of Damara and Crono.

"If you don't give me the place I deserve in this manor and in this pack, I'll slander you. You know that your greatest supporter was Agamemnon, and now he's your enemy. It suits you to have me as an ally. I know many things about Pyrrhus that could help you defeat him," threatened Pallas.

"I don't care what you have to say about Pirro, I don't believe anything that comes out of your mouth. You're in this mansion because I can't afford to have the alphas against me," Crono replied coldly. "You'll pay for this, Crono. You're going to pay for this humiliation," Palas declared angrily as he left the office.

At nightfall, in a tent on the border of the northern region, Bastian fell asleep in his bed. He awoke suddenly with a feeling of being watched. When he opened his eyes, all he could make out was the silhouette of a woman. With a smile, he asked curiously.

"Why won't you let me see your face?"

"You can't see my face. If you do, these meetings will end and we won't be able to see each other anymore," she replied fearfully, hiding her identity for fear of being rejected as a witch. For the past five years, Isis had visited her companion during the dark nights and disappeared at dawn.

Bastian accepted her condition. He was a warrior accustomed to dealing with wolves, but the presence of this woman, whose face he didn't know, brought him peace and happiness. It no longer mattered who she was; every evening, he eagerly awaited her arrival. Some days, impatience got the better of him when he didn't see her, but this longing dissipated when he felt her presence, like a comforting effervescence that calmed his demons.

"Come, come closer and lie against me. I want to feel your warmth. I don't care what you look like, I just need you to be next to me and hear your voice," Bastian said, making it clear that what he really valued was her presence. Isis moved closer and settled on the bed, snuggling against his chest to watch over his sleep. As soon as she saw him for the first time, Isis fell madly in love with her companion, forgetting her mission and deciding to visit him every night.