LOGINAnton and I spend the day at the pond—though "day" feels generous when most of it passes in tense silence. He never went back in the water after almost marking me. Just stayed on the bank, watching me like I might dissolve if he looked away.I want to ask Ekaterina why she stopped him. Why she burst out of the trees at that exact moment, her voice sharp with panic? But every time I catch sight of her red hair through the trees, she finds a reason to be somewhere else.She's avoiding me.The thought sits heavy in my chest as I wade toward the shallows. My body feels different now—stronger, steadier. The bone-deep chill that had me shaking earlier is gone, replaced by something warm and grounded. My throat doesn't ache anymore when I swallow, and the fever fog has lifted from my mind.Ekaterina's spell worked. Whatever she enchanted into the water pulled me back from the edge.I stop at the pond's edge and mouth the words carefully, making sure Anton can see: "I think I'm feeling better
I wake to cold seeping into my bones—the kind of cold that has nothing to do with temperature and everything to do with something being fundamentally wrong inside my body.My muscles refuse to cooperate when I try to sit up. Sweat drips down my forehead despite the chill wracking through me, splashing onto my trembling hands. I stare at my palms—slick, glistening, and confusion crashes through my foggy mind.Why am I sweating when I'm freezing?I manage to push myself halfway up before my arms give out. I collapse back against the cave floor with a soundless gasp."Eveline, what's wrong?"Anton's voice cuts through the haze. Then he's there, dropping to his knees beside me, his hands hovering over my shoulders like he's afraid to touch me.I try to sign, but my hands shake too violently to form coherent shapes. My phone—where's my phone? I pat weakly at the ground beside me, searching, but my fingers are clumsy and uncoordinated. Every movement sends fresh waves of pain through my bod
I don't know how many hours we've walked, but I'm exhausted. The sun is setting, and we haven't arrived in vampire territory yet. We set off in the morning and traveled all day. I feel like we're walking in circles.My legs ache with every step, my shoulders burning from the weight of my duffel bag. I spot a large rock ahead and make a beeline for it, dropping down heavily and letting my bag slide to the ground. My chest heaves as I try to catch my breath.I pull out my phone—battery at fifteen percent, and show Anton the screen: Ekaterina, are you sure we're going the right way?Anton relays the question."We should be, but I'm starting to think we might be lost," Ekaterina admits, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment."Really?" Anton's voice sharpens. "You think? Or we are?""Hey, don't take that tone with me." Ekaterina whirls on him, her brown eyes flashing. "It's been ages since I went into vampire territory.""If you didn't remember the way, why did you say you did?""I though
Once we're all seated in the living room—Ekaterina and I on the couch, Anton in the armchair across from us, I pull out my phone and type: Explain."As I said, I'm a witch, and I'm here to help you enter vampire territory," Ekaterina says, her brown eyes steady on mine.I got that part, but I don't understand why you would help us. If anything, you shouldn't want to help the werewolf Alpha's mate find her aunt.Anton glances at my screen, then relays the message to Ekaterina."I know a normal witch wouldn't," Ekaterina says, nodding. "But I'm not just any witch. I'm a witch who's alive because of Anton."My fingers fly across the keyboard: Tell me how that's possible."I saved her from near-death," Anton says, his tone clipped, like he doesn't want to elaborate.I stare at him, my eyebrows shooting up. Really? You saved a witch?It's shocking, given everything his mother did. I assumed she must've passed down her hatred before she died."It's surprising, right?" Ekaterina says, smili
After Anton makes sure I've eaten my fill, he disappears into the kitchen and returns with a glass of water and two white pills in his palm."Take these." He holds them out.I stare at the pills, then type on my phone: What are they?"Pain medication. Human painkillers work faster than waiting for your wolf to heal everything."I take them from his hand and swallow them with the water he shoves toward me. The cool liquid soothes my throat, and I drain the entire glass.Thank you, I mouth, setting the empty glass on the table.He nods once—short, clipped—and walks to the living room without another word.I follow, settling onto the couch across from his. My body sinks into the cushions, and I grab the remote from the coffee table, flicking on the TV. The food and the bath have chased away some of my exhaustion, and I'm not ready to sleep yet.I glance at Anton, who's leaning back in his chair, arms crossed, watching me instead of the screen.I pull out my phone and type: Do you have so
ANTONI carry Eveline inside the cabin, and the bruises covering her body make my jaw clench. Purple marks bloom across her ribs, her arms, the side of her neck where Xavier caught her too hard during combat training. Each one is a reminder of how brutal I've been.I didn't mean to hurt her like this. But the training is necessary—essential—if she's going to survive what's coming. I can't risk another vampire attack. Can't risk finding her with fangs buried in her throat, her blood soaking the ground, her heartbeat fading while I'm too far away to save her.My wolf would destroy me if I let that happen again.I lay her on the bed as gently as I can, then head to her bathroom. The tub is old-fashioned, deep and claw-footed, and I turn on the faucet, letting warm water pour out. Steam rises as I add the scented oils I found under the sink—lavender and something floral I can't name. She needs this. Needs to soak the soreness from her muscles, needs sleep that isn't interrupted by pain.W





![LUNA OF ASHES [THE MOON GODDESS RISES AGAIN]](https://acfs1.goodnovel.com/dist/src/assets/images/book/43949cad-default_cover.png)

