All Chapters of The Stand-In Luna: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

AshleyThe next morning, after the storm emerged a very fragile calm just waiting to shatter. Alicia had managed to successfully patch me up, and with the tinctures I took, the worst of my injuries had sealed up. There were still little scars strewn across my neck here and there, but they weren't prominent enough to cause any alarm. Besides, I already had bigger scars, and I wasn't ashamed of those either. Immediately I could that day, I went to Zane's room, where he was still unconscious. His eyes were closed, his long lashes pointing up to the ceiling. He looked peaceful, almost.We still didn't understand what exactly had happened with him back in the outskirts of the territory, but an assumption I had was that he had either used his powers too much, or it was simply a side effect of the curse itself. Either way, it didn't look good.With more urgency in my heart to find the relic, staying by his side didn't do anything to soothe my nerves. I was losing him little by little, and

ZaneThe realm of consciousness hit me hard and fast, brought to me by pain. Everything hurt, and nothing felt right with my body. Every breath, every second, and every twitch of my body hurt like a thousand needles. Immediately I became aware of my situation, I ran out of breath.Someone must have noticed my struggling, because a hand touched my arm gently. “Calm down, Zane. You're not alone.”I knew that voice very well. Alicia. I tried to turn my head, but it felt heavy, like someone had tied a huge rock to the back of it.“Shh, don't try to move. You're in pretty bad shape . . . It's a miracle we were able to stabilise you.” Her face appeared above me, fair and rounded, and usual. Seeing a familiar face reduced some of the worry in my heart.The last thing I could remember was my whole body locking up, and then a bright flash of light that ended it all. Ashley. Clara and Bryce trying to help.I closed my eyes and opted to mind-link Alicia, since my mouth felt sealed together. The

AshleyMy grip tightened on my blade. Its ridges pressed into the soft flesh of my palms. Cold ran over me from the top of my head to the soles of my feet as the violent memory of Amy's loss overtook me as the rogue cackled at his discovery.He had been one of the rogues that ambushed my team and I that terrible day. My tongue remained rooted to the bottom of my mouth in outrage, but my whole body felt ready to burst into flames. “You . . . Bastards took my wolf from me. All for what?” Guttural and raw, my voice emerged from my throat. “All for what!”The rogue didn't even seem phased. It was like we were discussing a simple trade. “It was nothing personal. We had orders, and we had to carry them how. You belong to a pack, you should know how it is. You can't say no to your Alpha.”“To what end?” I muttered, steadying my stance. In the new few seconds I planned on darting forward and slashing into his neck. He was going to die if he needed to. He needed to pay.The rogue shrugged and

Ashley “No, let me go!” I screamed, struggling against my attacker, who was still holding me off the ground. My torch fell out of my hand ans clattered against the stone floor, going off.“Shh. It's me.” Warm air brushed against my cheek. “”It's just me, Ashley.”As if commanded, my entire body went slack in his arms from shock. How was he here? “Zane?”“Yes, it's me.” He put me down gently and turned me around to face him. “See?”I stumbled around my words, trying to find the right things to say. My hands went to his face. His fresh stubble brushed against my palms. “What—how?”“I couldn't let you do this on your own, Ashley,” he said, hands gently resting on my waist. “I had to find you.”I pulled away from him, frowning. “But, the curse. You're not in good shape—”“I'm standing right here, am I not?” He cut in, giving me a meaningful look. “We go together, or not at all,” he said, leaning forward and pressing his forehead to mine. The simple contact filled me with incredible reli

Ashley “Jace, stop this madness,” I shouted at him when he didn't budge from our path. No matter how much I had grown to dislike him, the part lf me that watched him grow up to the man he was now still didn't want him dead. I couldn't say the same for Lucas, though. He'd always been despicable.Jace unleashed his claws, growling as his form started to shift into a superior lupine form. Either he hadn't heard me, or he just didn't want to listen. Stubborn, as always, putting his own wants above anything else. I used to admire that about him, but seeing how ruthless he had become, that admiration had turned into disdain. My hands involuntarily want to my neck, touching the scars that he'd put there. A reminder that there was no ounce of care left in his heart for me—or that he had become caught up in his own quest for revenge that he didn't recognise anything else. Both of them were bad options. Lucas followed suit, shifting as well. “No,” I whispered to myself, not because of them,