Chapter 8

The words hung over the clearing.

“Bring us the girl, Blackwood.”

Celine felt every muscle in her body tighten.

Damon stepped forward, blocking her completely from view.

“You came a long way to make a demand,” he said.

A low laugh answered from the darkness.

“You know why we're here.”

“I do.”

“Then hand her over.”

“No.”

The answer was calm.

Almost too calm.

Celine looked around Damon and saw the Blackfang warriors spreading between the trees. There had to be at least twenty of them, maybe more. Their dark clothing blended into the forest, while the silver markings on their weapons caught the moonlight.

Her father's warriors stood opposite them.

For once, Silvermoon and the rogues had the same enemy.

Wolverine raised his weapon.

“Everyone, stay ready.”

The Blackfang leader finally stepped into view.

He was older than Damon, perhaps in his early forties, with long dark hair pulled back from his face. A thin scar ran from his left temple to his jaw. Unlike the other rogues, he wasn't wearing armor.

He didn't need to.

There was something about him that made the warriors around him keep their distance.

His eyes settled on Celine.

“Come here, girl.”

Celine's stomach turned.

Damon's shoulders stiffened.

“You heard me,” the man continued. “You don't know what you're carrying.”

Celine instinctively touched her pendant.

The man's gaze followed the movement.

“There it is.”

Damon shifted slightly.

“Don't.”

The leader smiled.

“You still think you can protect her?”

“I know I can.”

“That's what you thought before.”

Celine looked at Damon.

Before what?

The stranger seemed to notice her confusion.

“Ask him about Blackwood.”

Damon's jaw tightened.

“Leave her out of this.”

“You've already brought her into it.”

The man's eyes moved toward Celine.

“Your mother made the same mistake.”

Celine stepped around Damon.

“What do you know about my mother?”

Damon turned.

“Celine, don't.”

But she ignored him.

The stranger smiled.

“More than your father ever told you.”

Her father's voice came sharply from behind her.

“Don't listen to him.”

Celine turned.

“Then tell me the truth.”

Wolverine didn't answer.

Her frustration boiled over.

“Everyone keeps telling me not to listen. Nobody tells me why!”

The Blackfang leader laughed quietly.

“That's the problem with packs. They think hiding the truth makes it disappear.”

Wolverine raised his weapon.

“Enough.”

The stranger looked at him.

“You've kept the secret for eighteen years.”

Celine's eyes widened.

“Eighteen years?”

The man nodded.

“Since the night your mother brought you into this world.”

Celine's breath caught.

“What are you talking about?”

He didn't answer.

Instead, he looked at Damon.

“You really haven't told her?”

Damon's eyes narrowed.

“I don't know what you're talking about.”

“Liar.”

The word came softly.

Then the stranger raised his hand.

The Blackfang warriors moved.

“Protect Celine!” Wolverine shouted.

Everything happened at once.

The first wave of attackers rushed forward.

Silvermoon warriors met them halfway.

Steel clashed.

Wolves shifted.

The forest erupted into chaos.

Celine stumbled backward.

Damon grabbed her hand.

“Stay with me.”

He pulled her toward the southern trail.

“I thought you said we were going to fight.”

“We are.”

“Then why are we running?”

“Because you are the reason they're here.”

“That doesn't make sense.”

“It will.”

A rogue appeared from the side.

Damon pushed Celine behind him and blocked the attack.

The two men collided.

Celine watched as Damon fought with frightening precision.

He wasn't simply strong.

He knew exactly where to strike and when to move.

The rogue swung.

Damon ducked, grabbed his arm, and threw him into the ground.

“Go!”

Celine ran.

She made it only a few steps before someone grabbed her from behind.

A hand clamped over her mouth.

She kicked violently.

“Stop struggling.”

The voice was unfamiliar.

Celine bit down hard on the attacker's hand.

He cursed and released her.

She spun around.

A Blackfang warrior stood over her.

He raised his weapon.

Before he could strike, a blur crashed into him.

Damon.

The rogue went flying.

Damon grabbed Celine.

“Are you hurt?”

“No.”

“Good.”

He looked at her hands.

“Then keep moving.”

They ran again.

Behind them, Wolverine shouted orders.

Celine could hear the fight getting closer.

“Where are we going?”

“There's an abandoned watchtower south of here.”

“Will we be safe there?”

“No.”

She looked at him.

“You could have just said no.”

Damon almost smiled.

Then the ground beneath Celine's feet suddenly shifted.

She screamed.

A hidden root caught her ankle.

Damon grabbed her before she fell.

The pendant around her neck flashed.

Both of them stopped.

The forest became strangely quiet.

Damon stared at the pendant.

“What's wrong?”

Celine touched it.

“It's doing it again.”

“What?”

“It's warm.”

Damon's eyes narrowed.

“Take it off.”

She shook her head.

“I can't.”

“Why?”

“I tried once when I was younger. It wouldn't come off.”

Damon looked unsettled.

“Your mother knew.”

“What?”

“She knew the pendant was bound to you.”

Celine stared at him.

“You knew that?”

“No.”

“Then how do you know?”

“I've seen something similar.”

“Where?”

Damon hesitated.

“On your mother.”

Celine's heart skipped.

“You knew her.”

It wasn't a question anymore.

Damon looked away.

“How?”

“I met her once.”

“When?”

“Years ago.”

“Before I was born?”

“Yes.”

“What happened?”

Damon's expression became distant.

“She saved my life.”

Celine stared at him.

“My mother saved you?”

“Yes.”

“From what?”

Damon looked back toward the trees.

“From becoming the man I am now.”

Celine didn't understand.

“What does that mean?”

Before he could answer, the pendant flashed again.

This time, a wave of silver light spread across the ground.

Celine stumbled backward.

A symbol appeared beneath her feet.

A crescent surrounded by strange markings.

Damon stared at it.

“That's impossible.”

“What?”

“That symbol hasn't been seen in generations.”

Celine looked down.

“What is it?”

Damon crouched beside the glowing markings.

“It belonged to an ancient bloodline.”

“Which bloodline?”

He didn't answer.

“Damon.”

He looked up.

“The Moonborn.”

The word meant nothing to her.

“What is a Moonborn?”

“An old bloodline connected to the first wolves.”

Celine shook her head.

“I'm just Celine.”

“No.”

His voice was quiet.

“You've never been just Celine.”

A sudden pain tore through her chest.

Celine cried out and dropped to her knees.

Damon caught her.

“What is happening?”

“I don't know.”

Her body trembled.

Then something inside her roared.

Not a sound she heard with her ears.

Something deeper.

Something that seemed to come from her bones.

Her vision blurred.

She saw a forest.

But it wasn't the forest around her.

It was ancient.

The trees were enormous, their trunks covered in silver markings.

A woman stood in the center of a clearing.

Celine knew her immediately.

Her mother.

But she looked younger.

Much younger.

Beside her stood a man Celine didn't recognize.

His eyes were silver.

He wore a black cloak marked with the same crescent symbol as her pendant.

The vision shifted.

Celine saw a baby wrapped in white cloth.

Her.

Then she saw her mother running through the forest with the baby in her arms.

Behind her, wolves were chasing them.

Then a voice echoed through the vision.

She must never awaken.

Celine gasped.

The vision disappeared.

She opened her eyes.

Damon was holding her shoulders.

“Celine!”

She stared at him.

“I saw her.”

“Your mother?”

She nodded.

“She was running.”

“From whom?”

“I don't know.”

“Did you see anything else?”

Celine swallowed.

“A man.”

Damon went still.

“What man?”

“I don't know his name.”

“What did he look like?”

“Silver eyes. A black cloak.”

Damon's expression changed.

“You're sure?”

“Yes.”

He stood abruptly.

“We need to go.”

“Why?”

“Because I know who he is.”

Celine grabbed his arm.

“Who?”

Damon looked toward the northern forest.

“The first Blackfang king.”

Celine stared at him.

“But he died centuries ago.”

Damon's eyes hardened.

“That is what everyone was supposed to believe.”

A howl echoed in the distance.

Damon looked back at her.

“Your vision wasn't a memory.”

Celine's stomach tightened.

“Then what was it?”

He took her hand.

“A warning.”

Before she could ask another question, a deep voice came from behind them.

“She's awake.”

Damon spun around.

The Blackfang leader stood between the trees.

But this time, he wasn't looking at Damon.

He was staring directly at Celine.

And he was smiling.

“You finally found your wolf.”

Celine froze.

“What?”

The man's smile widened.

“Look inside yourself, little Moonborn.”

Damon stepped in front of her.

“Don't listen to him.”

But Celine could already feel it.

Something was moving inside her.

Something that had been silent for eighteen years.

Something that was no longer willing to sleep.

A low growl rose from deep within her chest.

And this time, it wasn't coming from Damon.