ECLIPSE

Chapter 9

Hey guys, I’m really sorry for the late update and disappearing this past week. I know it’s my fault and thank you for sticking with me 😁

“You remind me of someone I used to know,” Xavier said with a small, knowing smirk. David, standing beside him, gave a faint nod, his own lips curving into a subtle smile. The werewolves and the hybrids exchanged confused glances.

“What do you mean by that, sir?” Atlas asked, the confusion clear on his face. “Your eyes… and your scent,” David replied calmly, “they remind us of someone from the past.” “May I ask who?” Daphne pressed gently.

Xavier’s gaze unintentionally shifted toward Emily. She had been watching the interaction closely, but the moment his crimson eyes met hers, she felt something flicker in them. Relief. Or perhaps she imagined it.

“Edward Castillo,” Xavier said.

Emily’s eyes widened instantly. Her breath hitched. Before the hybrids could ask anything further, Lily stepped in quickly. “We need to move somewhere safe before someone ambushes us again.”

Everyone agreed. Without another word, they moved—fast. Not walking, but running through the forest, deeper and deeper until they reached the most forbidden place of all.

The Black Hollow.

The deepest part of the northern woods, where no light touched the ground. A place abandoned long ago, feared by all. Even the bravest creatures avoided it. Here, no one would think to look for them.

Emily suppressed her pheromones further, masking her presence. She signaled Lily and Atlas to do the same. Once they reached the center, they finally stopped. Silence returned.

Then, without warning, Emily spoke. “What really happened in the war twenty-one years ago?” Her golden eyes locked onto Xavier, then shifted briefly to David. Her face was completely expressionless.

Xavier and David exchanged a glance. “Why do you want to know?” Xavier asked, his voice steady—yet his eyes told a different story, one only Emily seemed to catch.

“There are two sides to every story,” Emily replied. “I’ve heard one since I was a child. But there were always things that didn’t add up.”

David exhaled slowly. “Then you deserve to know,” he said. He glanced briefly at Xavier, who gave a silent nod.

“We don’t know why the werewolves attacked that night,” David began. “Usually, conflict begins when one side kills someone from the other. But that night… it was different. It was sudden. Brutal.” He paused.

“The kingdom was grieving.” “Grieving?” Atlas asked aloud, echoing everyone’s thoughts. David nodded. “We had just lost our queen Natasha Valtair. Xavier’s mother.” “What happened to her?” Lily asked. “Why have we never heard her name?”

“She had an incurable illness,” David replied. “She died the day before the attack.” Silence fell again. “Our queen was the mind behind the kingdom,” David continued. “King Richard led, but she guided. After her death and the war that followed people stopped speaking about her. Over time… she was forgotten.”

Emily cleared her throat softly, urging him to continue. David nodded. “King Richard couldn’t accept her death. He lost his wife… the mother of his children. And then, during the attack, we lost him too.” His gaze shifted briefly to Xavier. “That night, Xavier became king.” Xavier remained silent. “Three weeks later,” David continued, “we struck back under his command. The battle lasted nearly a month. Xavier intended to kill Harold Castillo—the Alpha King.”

Emily’s posture stiffened slightly.

“But he never got the chance,” David added. “Because of a young warrior,” Xavier said quietly, stepping in. His eyes met Emily’s. “He was around eighteen. Jet-black hair. A brilliant strategist.” Emily already knew. “Edward Castillo.” Her brother. The one she had never met.

“Crown Prince of Golden Valley,” Xavier continued. “Second-in-command. And nothing like his father.” There was a faint respect in his voice. “He was… admirable. He earned my respect.” A small, almost nostalgic smile crossed his lips. “He gave me a hard time. We fought for days without either of us gaining ground.” Xavier paused.

Then his expression darkened.

“I used a technique—something non-lethal. A move meant to blind the enemy temporarily. But before I could act again… we heard screams.” Everyone remained silent. “When the fog cleared… many werewolves were dead or severely injured,” Xavier said. “And Edward…” He stopped. “…was gone.” “What happened to him?” Daphne asked.

“We don’t know,” Xavier replied. “His blood was on the ground. As if he had been stabbed. But his body was never found.” Emily’s thoughts spun. “So the werewolves thought you killed him?” Atlas asked. Xavier nodded. “They withdrew. They believed I had killed their prince.”

“Two months later,” David added, “we faced Harold Castillo again. This time, Harold Castillo came for revenge. And Xavier came for the same reason.” “Revenge.” The word hung heavy between them. “In that battle,” David said, “the vampires had the upper hand. But Xavier didn’t kill Harold.” Lily frowned. “Why?”

Everyone looked at Xavier.

“Because of Eliana Castillo,” David said. “Harold’s mate. She was pregnant. She had already lost her son. Losing her mate too… would have destroyed her completely.” Silence followed.

Emily’s breathing grew uneven. Her head lowered, her hair falling forward to hide her face. Her golden eyes burned red at the edges, holding back tears. Lily gently rubbed her back, but Emily raised her hand stopping her. She didn’t want sympathy.

Then a hand gently touched her head. The contact was soft. Emily froze for a second, her breath catching. But the touch calmed her in a way she couldn’t explain. Xavier. Without a word, he stepped back, signaling David to continue.

David noticed and continued. “After the war,” David said, “the Golden Valley kingdom fell apart.” “What do you mean?” Lily asked. “People stopped believing in the same future,” David replied. “Most of the wolves had left… built new packs, new rules.” “And the rest?” Atlas asked. “Very few stayed,” Xavier answered. “They remained loyal to Harold.”

“And later,” David added, looking directly at Emily, “we heard he had a daughter… expected to lead what remained.” Silence followed.

Then Daphne spoke. “Can you describe that young warrior again?” Xavier narrowed his eyes slightly. “Why?” “Just… confirming something,” she said. After a moment, Xavier spoke. “Edward Castillo. Ocean-blue eyes. Jet-black wavy hair.”

Emily spoke before anyone else could. “The Castillos have sharp features and amber-gold eyes,” she said softly. “But Edward inherited  mother’s eyes—blue. Warm. Kind. He carried her gentleness.” Lily looked at her, surprised. Emily didn’t notice.

Daphne slowly turned toward Atlas. “Hey… doesn’t that sound familiar?” “Which part?” Atlas asked. “My uncle,” Daphne said. “Edward Blackwood. Your father.” “Oh…” Atlas blinked. “I forgot.” “Idiot,” Daphne muttered. Lily chuckled softly. The others, however, just shook their head at their interaction.

Atlas crouched down, pulling out his phone. “Wait… I have something.” The vampires and werewolves watched in confusion. “Found it,” he said, showing something to Daphne. Her expression changed. Then she looked up straight at Emily.

Does she look like Uncle Eddie? Daphne asked in Atlas’s mind. Atlas followed her gaze. His eyes locked onto Emily.

“…You look exactly like my father when he was younger,” he said slowly. “Same hair. Same features. Same eyes…” He stopped. Realization hit him. “Miss… may I know your name?”

Emily met his gaze, her voice calm and steady.

“Emily Castillo.”

Hey guys, my exams are coming up, so I won’t be able to upload new chapters for a while. Don’t worry, I’ll be back by the first week of May. Bye, take care and have a good day 😁