Chapter 14

Celine stared at the warrior who had just entered the sanctuary.

The words echoed in her mind.

We were ordered to protect you from what he intends to awaken.

She slowly turned toward the silver-eyed man.

He didn't look surprised.

If anything, he looked amused.

“Who is he?” Celine asked.

The Moon Guard warrior's expression hardened.

“His name is Lucien.”

The name seemed to change the air inside the sanctuary.

Damon's hand tightened around his weapon.

“You're still alive.”

Lucien smiled.

“So are you.”

“You shouldn't be.”

“Neither should you.”

Celine looked between them.

“Stop talking like you know each other.”

Damon glanced at her.

“We do.”

“How?”

Before Damon could answer, Lucien spoke.

“He was the Alpha of Blackwood.”

Celine's eyes widened.

“I know that.”

“No,” Lucien said. “You know what people told you.”

Damon's expression darkened.

“Don't.”

Lucien ignored him.

“Blackwood wasn't destroyed by rogues.”

Celine looked at Damon.

He said nothing.

“Then who destroyed it?”

Lucien's eyes settled on Damon.

“Me.”

The word fell heavily.

Celine felt her stomach twist.

“You destroyed his pack?”

Lucien nodded.

“They refused to surrender their loyalty to the old blood.”

Damon stepped forward.

“You murdered them.”

“I removed those who threatened the order.”

“You call killing families an order?”

Lucien's expression remained cold.

“You were young. Angry. You challenged me.”

“And lost everything because of it.”

“You survived.”

Damon laughed bitterly.

“Is that supposed to make it better?”

Celine looked at the Moon Guard warrior.

“Why are you here?”

The warrior bowed his head.

“We have watched over the Moonborn bloodline for generations.”

“My mother?”

“Your mother was once one of us.”

Celine looked at her mother.

“Is that true?”

Her mother nodded slowly.

“I was.”

“Why did you leave?”

Her mother looked toward Lucien.

“Because I discovered what they were willing to do to protect the bloodline.”

Lucien's face remained emotionless.

“You abandoned your duty.”

“I chose my daughter.”

“And condemned everyone else.”

Celine felt the tension growing.

“What exactly do you want from me?”

The Moon Guard warrior stepped closer.

“We want to take you somewhere safe.”

“Where?”

“The Moon Temple.”

Damon immediately shook his head.

“No.”

The warrior looked at him.

“You don't command her.”

“I know.”

“Then let her decide.”

Damon turned toward Celine.

“Whatever they tell you, don't go.”

Celine frowned.

“Why?”

“Because the Moon Temple isn't a sanctuary.”

The warrior's expression changed.

“You've never been there.”

“No.”

“Then how do you know?”

Damon looked at Lucien.

“Because I was there once.”

Celine stared at him.

“What happened?”

Damon was silent for several seconds.

“That's where Lucien took me after Blackwood fell.”

Celine's eyes widened.

“You were imprisoned?”

“I was trained.”

“For what?”

Damon looked at Lucien.

“To become his weapon.”

Silence filled the sanctuary.

Celine looked at Lucien.

“Is that true?”

Lucien didn't deny it.

“He was powerful. His wolf was unusually strong. I wanted to see what he could become.”

Damon's voice was bitter.

“You wanted to control me.”

“I wanted to give you purpose.”

“I had a pack.”

“You had weakness.”

Damon took a step toward him.

Celine moved between them.

“Enough.”

Both men stopped.

Celine looked at Damon.

“Why didn't you tell me?”

“I didn't know if you'd believe me.”

“I believe you now.”

Something softened in his expression.

Lucien watched the exchange carefully.

“You're already attached to him.”

Celine turned.

“What?”

“The Black Moon responds to bonds.”

Damon's face hardened.

“Don't talk about things you don't understand.”

“I understand them better than anyone.”

Lucien looked at Celine's pendant.

“The Moonborn and the Black Moon were created as opposites.”

Celine frowned.

“Opposites?”

“Your blood carries the Moon's power. His carries the Black Moon's.”

She looked at Damon.

“So that's why my pendant reacted to him?”

Lucien nodded.

“It recognized him.”

Her mother immediately spoke.

“That is why I told you to stay away from him.”

Celine looked at her.

“You knew?”

“Yes.”

“You knew Damon carried the Black Moon.”

Her mother nodded.

“I knew.”

Damon looked at Celine.

“But I never intended to hurt you.”

“I know.”

The answer came quickly.

Damon looked surprised.

Celine didn't understand why she trusted him so easily.

Perhaps because when everyone else had told her what she was, Damon had simply stayed beside her.

He hadn't treated her like a weapon.

He hadn't called her weak.

He hadn't demanded anything from her.

Lucien interrupted.

“That trust will be your weakness.”

Celine turned toward him.

“No.”

Her voice was steadier now.

“My choices are mine.”

The Moon Guard warrior lowered his head slightly.

“Then choose carefully.”

Suddenly, a deep tremor passed through the sanctuary.

Dust fell from the ceiling.

Everyone looked up.

“What was that?” Celine asked.

Her mother went pale.

“The chamber below.”

Lucien's expression changed for the first time.

“It's opening.”

Damon looked at him.

“You said the guardian was asleep.”

“It was.”

“Then what woke it?”

Lucien looked at Celine.

“You did.”

Celine's heart dropped.

“I didn't do anything.”

“You awakened your wolf.”

The Moon Guard warriors immediately spread out.

“Everyone move away from the center.”

A crack appeared in the stone floor.

Silver light poured through it.

Celine's pendant grew hot.

Her wolf stirred inside her.

Not with fear.

With recognition.

A deep growl echoed from beneath the sanctuary.

Then another.

Something was coming.

Her mother grabbed her hand.

“Celine, stay with me.”

The floor suddenly broke open.

A huge shadow moved beneath them.

The Moon Guard warriors raised their weapons.

Damon stepped in front of Celine.

Lucien remained completely still.

“What is that?” Celine whispered.

Lucien answered quietly.

“The reason this sanctuary was built.”

A massive creature climbed from the chamber below.

It wasn't fully wolf.

It wasn't fully human.

Its body was covered in dark silver fur, and ancient markings covered its face.

Its eyes glowed pale blue.

Celine felt her wolf respond.

The creature stopped.

Then it looked directly at her.

Celine froze.

It lowered its head.

The Moon Guard warriors dropped to one knee.

Her mother whispered,

“The guardian recognizes her.”

Damon didn't lower his weapon.

“That's not a guardian.”

Lucien looked at him.

“What do you mean?”

Damon's eyes narrowed.

“I've seen that mark before.”

He pointed toward the creature's chest.

A black crescent was carved into its fur.

“That symbol belonged to Blackwood.”

Lucien's expression changed.

“No.”

Damon stepped closer.

“I know what I saw.”

The creature suddenly lifted its head.

A roar shook the sanctuary.

Celine's wolf answered.

Silver light exploded around her.

The creature stopped roaring.

Then, to everyone's shock, it bowed.

Not to Lucien.

Not to the Moon Guard.

To Celine.

Celine stared at it.

“What does it want?”

Her mother whispered,

“Only the Moonborn can command it.”

Lucien's face became unreadable.

“Then the awakening has gone farther than I expected.”

Celine turned toward him.

“What does that mean?”

He didn't answer.

Instead, the creature moved toward the cracked floor and revealed a narrow staircase descending into darkness.

At the bottom stood an ancient stone door.

A silver crescent was carved into its surface.

Celine's pendant began glowing brighter.

Her mother shook her head.

“No.”

Celine looked at her.

“What is behind that door?”

Her mother stepped forward.

“Your first memory.”

Celine's heart stopped.

“My first memory?”

“The truth about the night you were born.”

Damon moved beside her.

“You don't have to do this tonight.”

Celine stared down the staircase.

For eighteen years, everyone had decided what she could handle.

Her father had hidden the truth.

Her mother had hidden the truth.

Damon had hidden the truth.

Even Lucien seemed to know things she didn't.

She was tired of being protected by secrets.

“I want to see it.”

Her mother closed her eyes.

“I was afraid you'd say that.”

Celine took the first step.

Damon followed.

The Moon Guard remained behind.

Lucien watched silently.

Then Celine reached the ancient door.

Her pendant touched the stone.

The door opened by itself.

A warm golden light spilled into the passage.

Inside was a small chamber.

At its center stood an ancient cradle.

Celine stared.

There was something carved into the wall above it.

A name.

Her name.

CELINE WOLVERINE.

Below it were four words:

THE LAST MOONBORN HEIR.

Celine's breath caught.

Then a faint sound came from the darkness behind the cradle.

A baby's cry.

Celine stepped closer.

And suddenly, she heard her mother's younger voice.

“Please... don't take my daughter.”

Another voice answered.

Cold.

Familiar.

Lucien's voice.

“You should have known she was never yours to keep.”