<h4>Chapter 55: Chapter 55: Celeste’s Redemption</h4>


    The nes circled overhead like metal vultures. Their searchlights swept through the broken ceiling, sending harsh white beams across the chamber where everyone stood frozen. "Attention werewolves," the voice yelled again. "You have thirty seconds toply." Derek grabbed his radio. "All packs, defensive ces. Do not attack unless fired upon." "They have weapons we’ve never seen," came the sizzling reply. "Silver shots, but something else too. The air smells wrong." ra felt her new power growing, ready to protect everyone. But before she could move, footsteps echoed from the entrance tunnel. "Don’t move," came a familiar voice. "Any of you." Everyone turned to see Celeste Rivers step into the room. But she looked different—her usually perfect hair was messy, her dress torn. Blood stained her hands. "Celeste?" ra whispered in shock. "Hello, Luna," Celeste said, and there was no mocking in her voice. Only tiredness.


    "What are you doing here?" Kael demanded, his new Guardian senses ring. "Saving your lives," Celeste answered simply. Ronan snarled. "Like you saved us when you tried to kill ra? When you worked with our father?" "I made mistakes," Celeste said, her voice breaking. "Terrible mistakes. But I’m here to fix them." "Why should we trust you?" Darian asked coldly. Celeste looked straight at ra. "Because your father isn’t the real threat. Mine is." The room fell silent except for the helicopter des above. "What do you mean?" Derek asked sharply. "Beta James Rivers," Celeste said, spitting the name like poison. "My father. He’s the one who made the deal with the people. He’s the one who gave them our ws." "That’s impossible," Tobias said. "James has served this pack for twenty years." "Twenty years of nning," Celeste amended. "Twenty years of waiting for the right moment to destroy us all." She pulled out a small device from her pocket—a recording yer.


    "Listen," she said, hitting y. James Rivers’ voice filled the chamber: "The monsters must be eliminated. Everyst one. My daughter knows this. She’s been feeding me information about pack movements, about their strengths and ws. When the Moon Alpha appears, we’ll use her power to find every pack in North America. Then we strike." Another voice responded—human, cold: "And your daughter? She knows the n?" "Celeste thinks she’s helping me protect humans from werewolf attacks. She doesn’t know the truth—that we n to kill them all, including her." The recording finished in heavy silence. "He’s using me," Celeste whispered, tears running down her face. "He’s been using me my whole life." "This could be fake," Marcus said from where hey pinned by silver light. "It’s not," Celeste said strongly. "I have proof." She pulled out a tablet, showing military ns, weapon schematics, and precise maps of every werewolf territory in the country. "The humans aren’t just surrounding this ce," she added. "They have teams positioned at every big pack location. This is a nned attack on our entire species." "How do you know all this?" Sarah asked. "Because I helped n it," Celeste admitted, her voice full of shame. "I thought I was saving innocent humans from dangerous werewolves. My father told me stories about werewolf attacks, about children being killed. I believed him." "But you don’t anymore?" ra asked softly. Celeste looked up with red-rimmed eyes. "I saw what they did to the Riverside Pack three hours ago." "What happened?" Derek demanded. "They tried their new weapons. Silver smoke that burns through werewolf lungs. Sonic frequencies that disrupt our ears. Electrics that stop our healing." Celeste’s voice shook. "They killed forty-three beasts. Including children." "Children?" Ronan’s voice was deadly quiet. "A five-year-old girl. Her name was Emma. She had pigtails and a stuffed wolf toy." Celeste wiped her eyes. "She asked them to stop. Theyughed." The chamber exploded in angry growls from every pack leader present. "That’s when I knew," Celeste continued. "This isn’t about safety. It’s about destruction. My father lied to me about everything." "So you came here to warn us?" ra asked. "I came here to help you survive what’sing next." Celeste’s face hardened. "Because the attack on this location? It’s just a distraction." "What do you mean?" Kael asked.


    "While we’re all here fighting, they’re moving on the real targets. The pack schools. The nurseries. The safe houses where families hide during fights." "No," Sarah breathed. "They wouldn’t." "They would. They are." Celeste showed them more files on her tablet. "Operation Clean Sweep. Kill the children first, then the adults have nothing left to fight for." "How long do we have?" Derek asked quickly. "Twenty minutes before the first strike teams reach the schools." "We have to warn them," ra said, her power ring with defensive instinct. "How?" Tobias asked. "The humans are jamming all ourmunications." "Not all of them." Celeste pulled out a military radio. "I still have ess to theirwork. I can send fake orders, buy us time." "Why would you help us?" Darian asked suspiciously. "After everything you’ve done?" Celeste looked directly at ra. "Because I finally understand what it means to be Luna. It’s not about power or status. It’s about saving your people, even when they hate you." "I don’t hate you," ra said softly. "You should. I tried to kill you. I worked with your enemies. I helped them n your destruction." "But you’re here now," ra responded. "That’s what matters." "I don’t deserve forgiveness." "Lucky for you, I don’t give people what they deserve. I give them what they need." ra stepped forward and put her hand on Celeste’s shoulder. Silver light flowed between them, and Celeste gasped. "What did you do?" "Broke the conditioning," ra stated. "Your father’s been using betamands to control your mind since you were small. Making you believe his lies, follow his orders without question." Celeste’s eyes widened as memories rushed back—real memories, not the twisted versions her father had nted. "He killed my mother," she whispered in horror. "She found out about his ns and tried to stop him. He made me watch. Then he made me forget." "I’m sorry," ra said genuinely. "She died protecting werewolves," Celeste continued, tears falling easily now. "And I’ve been helping her murderer for eighteen years." The radio in Derek’s hand crackled: "Strike teams, you are go for Operation Clean Sweep. Repeat, you are go." "We’re out of time," Derek said sadly. "No, we’re not." Celeste grabbed the military radio and switched channels. "Strike Team Alpha, this is Command. Abort n. Repeat, abort n. Return to base immediately." "Confirm abort order," came the reply. "Confirmed. False scare.


    Target location taken by friendly forces." She switched to another channel. "Strike Team Beta, abort task. Stand down and return to base." One by one, she called off the attacks on the schools and safe ces. "That won’t hold them for long," she warned. "Maybe an hour before they realize the orders are fake." "An hour is enough," Derek said, already nning. "We can evacuate the children, get them to the mountain caves." "What about the humans surrounding us?" Ronan asked. "We fight our way out," Kael replied simply. "No," ra said. "We don’t fight. We do something they won’t expect." "What?" everyone asked. "We surrender." "ra, no," all three of her friends said at once. "Listen to me," she said earnestly. "They want the Moon Alpha. They think if they capture me, they can use my power to find every pack. But what they don’t know is that the link works both ways." "What do you mean?" Tobias asked. "If I join to theirwork, I can track them too. Find all their bases, their tools, their ns." "It’s too dangerous," Darian argued. "Everything we do now is dangerous," ra responded. "But this is our best chance to save everyone." "I’ll go with you," Celeste said suddenly. Everyone stared at her. "They still think I’m working for them. I can get you inside theirmand center." "Why would you risk that?" Sarah asked. "Because I have eighteen years of deception to make up for. And because Emma deserved better than what they gave her." The radio crackled again: "Command, this is Colonel Martinez. We’re not getting word on the abort orders. Requesting verification." "Time’s up," Celeste said. "They’re getting suspicious." "Strike teams, disregard previous abort order," came a new voice—James Rivers. "Mission is still go. Operation Clean Sweep continues as nned." "Dad?" Celeste whispered into the radio. "Celeste, where are you? You were supposed to be at themand post." "I’m... I’m here, Dad. Everything’s going ording to n." "Good. Phase Two starts in fifteen minutes. Make sure you’re clear of the st zone." "st zone?" ra asked quietly. Celeste’s face went white. "They’re not just nning to take you. They’re going to nuke this entire area." "What?" Derek roared. "A small tactical bomb.


    Enough to kill every monster in a five-mile radius. They’re calling it ’necessary coteral harm.’" The helicopters above suddenly changed formation, going farther away from the building. "They’re pulling back," Ronan noted. "Because they know what’sing," Celeste said desperately. "We have to get everyone out. Now." "There’s no time," Tobias said grimly. "A five-mile radius? We’ll never make it." "Yes, we will," ra said, her strength beginning to surge. "Everyone hold hands. Form a circle." "What are you doing?" Kael asked. "Something that’s never been done before," ra responded. "Mass teleportation using moonlight." "That’s impossible," Derek argued. "A lot of impossible things have happened today," ra pointed out. "Celeste, I need you to guide us. Where’s the best ce to go?" "The old mine caves twenty miles north. My mother used to take me there when I was little." "Perfect." ra’s eyes began to glow silver. "Everyone grab someone’s hand. Don’t let go no matter what." "What about Marcus and Thorne?" Ronan asked. "Theye too," ra said firmly. "I won’t leave anyone to die." "Even after everything they’ve done?" Darian asked. "Especially after everything they’ve done. Justice doesn’t mean leaving people to nuclear fire." As the group formed, Celeste grabbed ra’s hand. "Luna, I need to tell you something. About the real reason they want you." "What?" "It’s not just about getting the packs. They’ve been studying Moon Alpha blood for decades. They think it can make people immortal." "That’s impossible." "Is it? Your healing power, your connection to lunar energy—they think your blood is the key to defeating death itself." The moonlight above them began to intensify, reacting to ra’s call. "There’s something else," Celeste whispered anxiously. "My father mentioned a name. Someone who’s been funding this whole scheme. Someone who’s been hunting Moon Alphas for over a century." "Who?" "Victor Thorne. " Everyone turned to stare at the Council member they’d caught. "That’s impossible," Tobias said. "Thorne’s only forty years old." Thorne began tough—a cold, ancient sound that made everyone’s blood freeze. "Forty years old?" he said, his voice changing, bing heavier and older. "Try four hundred." As they watched in horror, Thorne’s appearance started to shift. His hair turned white, his face aged, and his eyes became pools of ck. "Hello, granddaughter," he said to ra. "I’ve been looking for you for a very long time." The moonlight above them suddenly turned blood red, and ra felt a chill that had nothing to do with the night air. "You’re not human," she whispered. "No," Thorne—or whatever he really was—replied with a smile full of old malice. "I’m something much older. Much hungry.


    And I’ve been feeding on Moon Alpha blood since before your great-grandmother was born." The nuclear timer on Celeste’s tablet showed thirty seconds. "ra," Kael said quickly. "Whatever you’re going to do, do it now." But as the silver light began to circle them, ready to transport them to safety, Thorne’s true form broke free from the silver chains that had been holding him. "You’re not going anywhere," he growled, lunging toward ra with ws that looked like they were made of shadow. The moonlight flickered. The countdown hit zero. And somewhere in the distance, a nuclear weapon started its final approach.