Chapter 158
Nathan’s POV
We crouched along the upper balcony, overlooking the inner courtyard of the Rogue King’s castle.
Below us, thousands of rogues packed the stone arena shoulder to shoulder beneath the Blood Moon. The entire courtyard glowed a deep, ominous red.
At our feet lay three rogue bodies, their necks twisted at unnatural angles. No noise. Total precision.
Marcus and Liam leaned over the balcony rail, staring down at the ritual circle.
“Well,” Liam muttered, a low whistle escaping his teeth. “Emily definitely understood the assignment.”
I shot him a lethal glare. “Watch it.”
Liam smirked, not even bothering to look away from the crowd. “What? I’m complimenting her.”
“You’re talking about your Luna.”
“Relax, Alpha.” Liam raised both hands in a mock surrender. “I am highly invested in keeping my head attached
to my neck.”
Marcus ignored our bickering, his sharp eyes scanning the sea of enemies below.
“How are we doing this?” he asked, his voice barely a murmur. “There’s no room to move down there. The second we step into that crowd, we’re cornered.”
I kept my eyes locked on Emily. On that sheer black dress that covered next to nothing. On the transparent barrier trapping her inside the circle. And on Declan, who was watching her like a prize he’d already won.
A brutal wave of fury coiled through my chest, my wolf clawing at my ribs to get out.
“They haven’t noticed us yet,” I muttered darkly.
Right on cue, the Blood Moon fully broke through the clouds. A beam of crimson light crashed straight onto the itual platform. Emily suddenly arched backward, her body going rigid before she collapsed onto the black carpet.
The entire crowd roared, a deafening sound of bloodlust.
“Well,” Liam sighed beside me, “at least the psycho had the decency to give her a soft landing.”
I smacked the back of his head. “Focus.”
“I am focused. I’m focusing on how much I want to burn this whole castle to the ground.”
Zynair stepped closer.
“The crystals should work once they shatter,” she whispered. “The empathy wave will spread through the crowd and break Varga’s mental hold on the lower–ranking rogues.”
2:04 pm P P
“Should?” Marcus repeated, his voice dropping to a dangerous edge.
“They’re small!” Zynair hissed back defensively. “Emily only managed to charge for portable ones before everything went sideways. Two we used while getting to you.”
I stared down at the endless crowd. Thousands of bloodthirsty rogues.
“Then we work with what we have,” I said, turning to them sharply. “Liam, take Zynair and circle around the
eastern balconies.”
Liam’s grin turned wicked. “Finally. The fun part.”
“She’ll mask your scent,” I continued, my mind mapping out the attack. “The second the chaos starts, you hit hem from the opposite flank.”
“And you?” Liam asked.
“I’m going for get back wat belongs to me.” I looked back down at the ritual platform, my eyes locking onto Declan’s throat. “Marcus and I go straight through the center.”
Marcus muttered a curse under his breath. “Of course we do.”
Before we could leap, movement below caught my eye. Two heavy guards dragged another figure toward the platform, pulling them straight through the shimmering barrier.
My chest went tight. Mom.
Meredyth looked deathly pale under the crimson glow of the Blood Moon.
Dark blood soaked the side of her dress where Cindy’s blade had pierced her. She couldn’t even hold her head up. Her body was completely limp as the guards dropped her right beside Emily on the black carpet.
Asher exploded inside my skull, unleashing a vicious, deafening howl.
I lunged toward the edge of the balcony, ready to dive headfirst into the sea of rogues. Marcus caught my arm, his grip locking like iron before I could take the leap.
୮
“Nathan, wait!”
“LET GO OF ME!” I growled, baring my teeth as my claws began to slice through my skin.
“You can’t just rush them!”
I tried to fling him off, my wolf completely losing his mind. My mother was dying while Declan sat on his throne, watching it like some sick theatrical show.
“Control it,” Marcus hissed, throwing his full weight into holding me back. “You lose your head now, and we all die before we even touch the courtyard floor.”
I could barely process his words over the thunder of my own pulse. I wanted blood. I wanted Declan’s head on a
spike.
2:04 pm P P
But then, a rogue guard suddenly dropped without a sound on the opposite balcony, his body vanishing behind the stone railing. A second later, a hooded figure peeked over the edge.
Liam.
He gave us a quick, cheerful wave from across the courtyard. Idiot.
Then, Liam’s gaze shifted down toward the ritual platform. Toward Meredyth.
Every ounce of humor vanished from his face, his features turning completely stone–cold. I watched from across he gap as my brother’s eyes locked onto the guards below, his inner wolf coming right to the surface.
The fun was officially over. My brother looked ready to tear the world apart.
***
Emily’s POV
“A choice?” I repeated, my eyes darting between the ancient Lunas. “What kind of choice?”
The silver light from the tree branches danced across my mother’s face. She stepped closer, taking both of my
hands in her warm grip, her eyes shining with a strange, heavy sadness.
“The power of the Eight Moons requires a balance, Emily,” my mother said softly. “To fully awaken the endless ife force inside you and claim immortality, a spark of living magic must be given in return. A trade.”
I frowned, a bad feeling growing in my chest. “A trade? What do you mean?”
The oldest Luna stepped forward, pointing toward a still, clear pool of water reflecting the silver leaves at the
base of the tree. “Look.”
I walked over and looked down. The water rippled, and the vision of the courtyard appeared. I gasped, pressing a hand to my mouth. Right there, lying on the black carpet next to my empty physical body, was Meredyth. She was leathly pale, covered in blood, and barely breathing.
“Meredyth,” I whispered, my voice breaking.
“She is the one who became dear to your heart,” the oldest Luna said flatly, her voice echoing beneath the canopy. “She loved you like her own blood. To unlock your full awakening and save yourself from Declan, you must
ake her remaining life force. Her soul will feed the tree, and your power will awaken fully.”
I stepped back from the pool, horrified.
“And if I refuse?” I demanded, my voice shaking.
My mother squeezed my hands tightly. “Then your power remains limited, and Declan will drain you dry within weeks. You will die, Emily.”
I looked back down at the water, staring at broken Meredyth.
2:04 pm P PTM
My mind raced, weighing the impossible choices..
If took the power, I could finally destroy Declan. I could save our world from a madman who called himself the
Rogue King.
But the cost… I would have to murder the woman who had loved me like a mother.
And Nathan? He would never forgive me for killing his mom. Our bond would be shattered forever.
“You have to choose now, Emily,” the oldest Luna urged as the silver leaves above us began to rustle violently. “The Blood Moon is reaching its peak. Your time is running out.”