Batista's POV
I don't even know why I bothered with the whiskey.
Five damn bottles. Five. And not a single drop did shit for me. Wolves aren't built to stay drunk long, but hell — I thought maybe tonight it'd be different. Maybe tonight the burn would be enough to drown out the sound of her crying… Rain's voice in my head, those eyes staring right through me like I was a goddamn ghost.
I laid there, tossing, turning, cursing at the ceiling. Every time my eyes shut — there she was. Screaming. Bleeding. Calling out my name in that broken, desperate way that makes your stomach twist up like it's trying to strangle itself.
"Shit," I muttered, sitting up in bed. My throat was dry. My soul felt worse. I grabbed one of those heavy-ass pills Doc Prescott gave me for emergencies. The kind that's supposed to knock out a charging grizzly, let alone an Alpha.
Down the hatch.
And sleep finally came.
It felt like morning.
I was on the balcony of the pack mansion, leaning against the rail, watching my people. The air was crisp. Smelled like pine and summer. I saw the kids laughing, chasing each other around the field. The teenagers were showing off — playing football shirtless, flexing every time one of the girls walked by. Same old shit.
The elders sat by the fire pit, arguing about whose soup recipe was better or whose grandkid was more good-for-nothing. It was peaceful. For a second — one second — it felt like maybe life was still worth something.
I let out a breath, long and heavy.
At least the pack's safe, Batista.
If I couldn't have Rain, at least I still had this.
Then came the thunder.
A sharp crack split the sky like it was made of glass. I looked up, expecting maybe rain or a storm. But it wasn't rain. It wasn't a storm.
The sky… it was red.
Blood red.
Like somebody'd spilled the guts of the heavens all over the world. Thick, dark clouds swirling like smoke from a funeral pyre.
"What the… what the hell is this?" I muttered.
Then came the screams.
High-pitched. Agonized. Not the kind you mistake for anything else.
I jerked my head down — and the ground… Jesus Christ… the ground was soaked in blood. People were on their knees, wailing over bodies. Over kids. Lovers. Warriors. My people… my family.
"No—no no no," I stumbled back from the rail. "Who did this?! Who fucking did this?!" I roared, but nobody looked at me.
It was like I didn't exist.
I ran inside. The halls were lined with bodies. Blood painted the walls. My Luna… all my concubines… my little girl…
I dropped to my knees, my voice breaking.
"Goddamn it… no. Not them. Not them."
Then, from the shadows — two figures stepped out. Clad in black, their faces hidden behind wolf masks. Cold. Silent.
"Who are you?!" I shouted, my voice trembling now, heart pounding against my ribs like it wanted out. "Answer me, you cowards! Did you do this?!"
They raised matching daggers. Long, curved, gleaming with fresh blood.
I took a step back.
"Come on then!" I roared. "You think I'm scared?!"
They moved toward me.
And then everything snapped.
I was running.
Through the woods, the branches slapping against my face, tearing at my skin. I looked back — they were still there, faster than any wolf I'd ever seen. No sound. No growl. Just death, closing in.
I tried calling Jax, my wolf.
Nothing.
It was like he'd abandoned me too.
My legs felt heavy, like I was trying to move through wet concrete. I stumbled. Hit the dirt. And before I could get up — they were there, looming over me, daggers raised.
I braced for it.
But instead, everything around me changed again.
Now I was by a river. Familiar. The one behind my old man's house.
And there he was.
My father.
Standing there like he hadn't been dead for fifteen years. Same weathered face. Same proud, stubborn scowl.
"Dad…" I choked out, sprinting toward him, collapsing at his feet like a broken kid. "They're gone. I couldn't save them. I—I failed…"
I felt his hand on my shoulder. Gentle. Steady. Like when I was a boy and the world went sideways.
"Get up, Batista," he said quietly. "Listen close."
I stood. He wiped my tears like he used to. But his face was grave. Eyes cold.
"Everything you just saw," he began, "is coming to pass. It's written. Nothing you do can stop it."
"No…" I shook my head. "No, I can fix it. I can fix this."
"You can't." His voice cracked. "The ones closest to you… they'll be the ones holding the blades. They'll kill the pack. Your family. And they'll come for you too."
"Who?! Why?!" I shouted.
"They serve the Dark One," he whispered.
"The… dark what?"
"When the sky bleeds and the moon weeps tears of blood… the Fallen Alpha will rise. The world will crumble beneath his shadow. Only the last child of the stars… the one forsaken by her own… can wield the blade to break his curse."
I was shaking my head, lost, angry. "What the hell are you talking about?! Who's the child?! Where do I find her?!"
He gave me this sad little smile.
"You'll know. Soon."
Then he reached out, touched my forehead
And I woke up.
I was back in my room.
Chest heaving. Sheets twisted. Sweat clinging to my skin like a second damn layer.
I immediately sat up, pressing a trembling hand against my face.
"What the hell was that?" I muttered under my breath, my voice hoarse and dry, throat burned raw from whiskey and whatever nightmare just gutted me.
The room was too dark, too quiet. I could still hear the cries from the dream—the blood, the sky, the faces of the dead.
A sharp knock at the door snapped me out of it.
I flinched. "Who is it?" I barked, a little too loud.
"It's me, my lord… Cain."
Cain. My personal guard. Always loyal. Always up too damn early.
I blew out a breath, trying to steady my nerves. "Come in."
The door creaked open, and Cain stepped inside. Dude looked rattled. His usual stoic expression was tight, like he'd just seen a ghost and was too proud to admit it.
"What is it?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.
"The Seer's here. He's demanding to see you."
I frowned, glancing at the clock on the wall. 6:02 AM.
Seriously?
"This early?" I grumbled.
"He says it's urgent," Cain added, and I could see in his eyes whatever this was — it wasn't good.
I sighed and waved a hand. "Alright… go tell him I'll be down in a minute."
Cain hesitated.
"What?" I snapped, already annoyed.
"He's… already at the door," Cain admitted. "Says he needs to speak to you in your chambers."
That made my stomach drop.
I shot up from the bed, grabbing the shirt draped over a chair and pulling it on. "Fine. Bring him in."
A beat later, the door opened again, and the Seer stepped through.
Old man looked worse than I'd ever seen him. Skin pale, eyes sunken and hollow, like Death itself had whispered something in his ear.
I motioned to a chair. "Morning, good Seer. What brings you to my room this goddamn early? Hope you've got good news."
"There's no need for that," he said curtly, waving off the seat and pacing the room like a man on the edge. "Alpha Batista… I saw a vision."
I swallowed hard. My shoulders tensed.
"I saw the pack… plunged into darkness," he continued, voice low and cracked like brittle wood. "And you… in a pool of your own blood."
I stared at him for a long second.
"Well… hell," I whispered, sitting back down on the edge of my bed.
That was exactly what I saw too.
The old man's head snapped up. "What did you say?"
"Nothing," I muttered. "Go on."
He took a shaky breath. "I pleaded with the Moon Goddess. I begged. But what's coming… it can't be stopped. The only chance you have — is to leave. Take your family and go, Batista."
I ran a hand through my hair, my heart pounding against my ribs. The thought of leaving… abandoning my pack, my people — it made my stomach twist. But the thought of watching my Luna… my children… my lovers die in front of me… I couldn't take it.
"What are you thinking?" the Seer asked, pulling me out of my spiral.
"You're right," I said quietly. "If staying means they die… then I'm gone. But where would I even go?"
"I have a brother," he said quickly. "A Seer too. In Texas. Big pack. Well-fortified. Alpha Toby rules it — a good man, better than most. He'll take you in."
"And you're sure about this?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.
"I'm sure. But you can't tell anyone. Not your friends. Not your soldiers. Only your blood."
I nodded slowly, feeling the weight settle in my gut like a stone.
"When?"
"Seven days from now. I'll arrange everything."
I exhaled, leaning forward, my elbows on my knees. "Alright."
The Seer turned to leave.
"Wait," I called out, stopping him mid-step. "One more thing."
He turned, his face weary.
"Do you… do you know anything about a prophecy? About a Fallen Alpha… a Dark One… and a child of the stars?"
The man's face changed. Fast. His expression went from tired to cold, his skin seeming to pale even more.
"Where did you hear that?" he demanded.
"Does it matter?" I shot back. "Is it real?"
He sighed deeply, stepping closer. "It's an old prophecy. Centuries old. One our ancestors buried, hoping to forget it."
"Tell me."
He hesitated. Then spoke.
"They say when the sky is drowned in blood… and the moon weeps tears of blood… the Fallen Alpha will rise. Azrath — a monster of his own making. A wolf so cruel, his own pack rose against him. Killed him. Burned his body. Threw his ashes into the Well of Mystery."
"Let me guess," I muttered. "Didn't stick."
"Didn't stick," the Seer confirmed grimly. "He clawed his way out. Came back worse. A demon wearing a wolf's skin. Took a hundred witches and elders a month-long battle to bring him down for good."
He shook his head, voice dropping lower.
"But the prophecy says he'll rise again. And only one… the last child of the stars, the one forgotten by her own, can end him. She'll wield the blade meant to sever his curse."
I felt a chill creep over me.
"Why does that feel like it's about to be my problem?" I muttered.
The Seer smiled, a thin, humorless thing. "Because fate has a cruel sense of humor."
He turned to go.
"One more thing," I called again. "You… you think this Azrath's connected to what's about to happen here?"
He didn't answer. Just gave me a look that said more than words ever could.
And then he left, the door clicking softly behind him, leaving me alone with the scent of death still clinging to my skin.
Seven days.
That's all I had.
I blew out a breath, staring at the red glow breaking over the horizon.
This pack was home. But it sure as hell wasn't safe anymore.