Chapter 25: Blood For Blood

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*Chapter 25: Blood For Blood*

20 minutes.

We stood at the gates.

Me. Kieran. 

And behind us, 200 pack wolves.

In front of us, Rafe and 50 Shadow Moon wolves.

Rafe stepped forward. Smiling. “Well, well. The happy couple.”

His eyes landed on me. “And the traitor.”

Mae walked up next to me.

Everyone gasped.

She was out of the infirmary. Still bruised. Still bleeding from one cut on her arm.

But standing. 

Head high.

“Hey, Rafe,” Mae said.

Rafe’s smile dropped. “What are you doing?”

“What I should’ve done months ago.” Mae looked at me. Then at Kieran. “I’m choosing my sister.”

Rafe laughed. “You’re choosing the omega who stole your Alpha?”

“No.” Mae’s voice was steel. “I’m choosing the woman who forgave me when I didn’t deserve it.”

Silence.

Rafe’s face twisted. “Fine. Then you die with her.”

He lunged.

Kieran met him mid-air.

The fight started.

Chaos.

50 vs 200. Claws. Teeth. Blood in the snow.

I didn’t shift.

I didn’t need to.

The gold on my neck flared.

One of Rafe’s wolves came at me.

I raised my hand.

Gold fire shot out and threw him back.

“Stay back from my sister,” I said.

Another came. Same thing.

I was protecting. Not attacking.

Until I saw him.

Rafe had Kieran pinned. Claws at his throat.

Just like before.

And Mae was running at them.

“MAE NO!” I screamed.

Rafe turned at the last second and backhanded her.

Mae flew and hit a tree. Hard.

Something in me snapped.

The gold exploded out of me.

Not fire.

Not a shield.

Light.

It covered the entire battlefield.

Every wolf stopped. Blinded.

When it faded, I was standing between Kieran and Rafe.

My hand on Rafe’s chest.

“Get off him,” I whispered.

Rafe snarled. “You can’t—”

The gold poured into him.

Rafe screamed.

I wasn’t hurting him.

I was showing him.

Every bruise he gave Mae.

Every time he called her weak.

Every time he used her.

“Feel it,” I whispered. “Feel what you did.”

Rafe collapsed. Gasping. Crying.

I turned.

Mae was on the ground. Not moving.

“KIERAN!”

We both ran to her.

She was breathing. But barely. Ribs broken.

Kieran was already tearing his shirt to make a bandage.

“Stay with me, Mae,” he said. Voice rough.

Mae opened her eyes. Looked at me.

“Did we win?” she whispered.

“We won,” I said. Crying. “Because of you.”

Mae smiled. Weak. “Told you... I could be a good sister.”

“Don’t talk,” I said. “Save your strength.”

I put my hands on her.

The gold came out of me and into her.

Slowly.

Healing the broken ribs. The bruises. The cuts.

It took everything I had.

When I was done, I collapsed.

Kieran caught me.

Mae sat up. Fully healed.

Staring at her hands. “What... what did you do?”

“I told you,” I said, exhausted. “Gold bonds heal.”

The battlefield was silent.

Rafe was gone. Ran when the light hit.

His wolves too.

Only us.

Mae looked at Kieran. Then at me.

Then she did something I never thought I’d see.

She bowed her head to me.

“Luna,” she whispered.

I pulled her into a hug.

She stiffened. Then hugged me back.

Behind us, the pack started howling.

Not in war.

In victory.

Kieran kissed the top of my head. “You did it, Mrs. Blackwood.”

“We did it,” I whispered.

The gold bond pulsed.

Warm. Safe. Home.

For the first time, all three of us were free.

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*END OF CHAPTER 25*