Eleven Nights to Ruin Me

Chapter 60: Unleash The Beast

Rodrigo stood in front of the Moonshrine, his eyes fixed on the building for so long that even the guards at the entrance had stopped looking at him.

The shrine stood silent beneath the gray sky, the stone walls pale against the cold.

Seven stayed beside him quietly.

"If you are not ready," he said after a while, "we can return another time."

Rodrigo did not move.

"We can find the Earthstone first."

Rodrigo’s jaw tightened once.

"No," he said finally. "I have avoided this for too long."

Then he stepped forward.

Seven watched him for a moment before following behind.

The servants in the courtyard bowed immediately when they saw them. One of them hurried inside at once, nearly tripping over herself in the process.

Rodrigo barely noticed.

His gaze remained dark and distant as he walked through the shrine halls.

The familiar scent of incense hit him almost immediately.

It brought back nothing.

Or perhaps too much.

He pushed the thought away.

By the time they reached the reception hall, Rodrigo already looked irritated by being there.

He sat down without a word.

Seven remained standing beside him.

A servant entered quietly with a silver tray of tea. Her hands trembled slightly as she placed it down between them.

Neither Rodrigo nor Seven touched it.

A few moments later, the doors opened.

The High Priestess stepped inside.

The servants immediately lowered their heads and left the room.

She stopped when her eyes landed on Rodrigo.

For a moment, she simply stared at him.

Then she crossed the room slowly.

"Alpha," she greeted softly. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm

Rodrigo lifted his eyes to her.

The High Priestess studied his face carefully before speaking again.

"I presume I know why you are here."

Rodrigo held her gaze.

There was no point denying it.

"Are you certain you are ready?" she asked quietly. "Once the memories return, you will not be able to bury them again."

Rodrigo’s expression remained still.

"Yes," he replied after a moment. "I cannot restrain it any longer."

The High Priestess watched him silently for a few seconds. freewebnσvel.cøm

Then she nodded once.

"I have waited for this day for a very long time."

A faint smile crossed her face before she turned away.

"Wait here."

She disappeared through the doors behind her.

The room fell quiet again.

Seven glanced once toward Rodrigo but said nothing.

Rodrigo leaned back slightly into the chair, his eyes fixed ahead.

His father’s face flashed briefly across his mind.

Blood.

Snow.

Screaming.

His jaw hardened immediately.

The doors opened again.

The High Priestess returned carrying a small stone vial carefully between her hands.

She stopped in front of Rodrigo and held it out to him.

"Drink this tonight," she said. "It will begin unlocking your memories."

Rodrigo took the vial slowly.

The stone felt strangely cold against his palm.

"But I will warn you," she continued, her voice lowering slightly, "the nightmares will return worse than before."

Her eyes searched his face carefully.

"So will the sleepless nights."

Rodrigo stared down at the vial silently.

"Are you still certain?"

He did not answer.

The High Priestess smiled faintly, as though she had expected that.

"It is not instant," she explained. "The memories will return slowly."

Rodrigo’s brows pulled together slightly.

"How slowly?"

"That depends." She paused briefly. "A few days. A few months." Her eyes rested steadily on him. "It depends on how deeply your mind buried them."

Rodrigo breathed slowly through his nose.

Seven stepped forward quietly and took the vial from the priestess before Rodrigo crushed it in his hand from thinking too hard.

Rodrigo stood after a moment.

He turned toward the doors.

"Alpha."

The High Priestess’s voice stopped him.

Rodrigo paused but did not turn around.

"Take the potion at night," she said carefully. "It has... side effects."

Seven frowned slightly.

The priestess hesitated.

"You will want to remain indoors when it begins."

Rodrigo’s eyes lifted slightly at the warning.

Then he walked out.

...

The potion sat untouched on the table for hours.

Rodrigo stood by the window staring at it in silence.

Outside, darkness had swallowed the estate completely.

Winter had arrived early.

Cold wind rattled faintly against the glass.

Rodrigo’s jaw tightened.

Strangely, it had been winter the night his father died too.

His eyes lowered slowly to the vial.

For a long moment, he simply stared at it.

Then he picked it up.

The stone felt colder now.

Rodrigo uncorked it and swallowed the contents in one motion.

The taste hit immediately.

Ash first.

Then something bitter.

It burned slightly going down his throat.

Rodrigo grimaced and placed the empty vial back onto the table.

Nothing happened.

For a moment.

Then suddenly—

Heat spread violently through his body.

Rodrigo’s brows furrowed sharply.

The sensation started low in his stomach before spreading outward rapidly.

His breathing changed immediately.

He blinked several times as the room blurred faintly around him.

The floor tilted slightly beneath his feet.

Rodrigo grabbed the edge of the table.

His breathing turned heavier.

Then the heat shifted downward.

His jaw tightened hard.

"What the hell..."

Rodrigo shook his head once, trying to focus, but his thoughts were slipping apart too quickly.

Every instinct inside him sharpened violently.

Animalistic.

Restless.

Hungry.

His eyes darkened immediately.

Rodrigo forced himself toward the drawer near the desk and yanked it open roughly.

Inside was the small black box Seven had given him days ago.

Urge suppressants.

Thankfully, he had listened.

His fingers moved quickly as he opened the box and swallowed one of the pills dry.

For one second, relief hit him.

Then suddenly the urge worsened.

Rodrigo froze.

His breathing turned ragged almost instantly.

His hands gripped the edge of the desk hard enough to crack the wood slightly.

"What..."

The suppressant had made it worse.

The heat spreading through him became unbearable.

Rodrigo dragged a rough hand through his hair, his breathing uneven as he fought to stay in control.

But he was losing badly.

His wolf was rising fast beneath his skin.

Rodrigo staggered backward before dropping heavily to one knee.

A low growl escaped his throat.

Then—

A knock sounded at the door.

Rodrigo’s eyes snapped toward it instantly.