All Chapters of Lilly Riverwood and the Moon Rose Ritual: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

"At least you're staying," Allischa pointed out pragmatically. "And now you know for certain that Kenny's not worth your time." Amali's eyes hardened. "There's something strange happening here. Kenny's rejection, Lilly's odd behavior, even that Blackthorn boy... they're all connected somehow." "What do you mean?" "I don't know yet," Amali admitted. "But I intend to find out. Emerald's been acting suspicious, too, disappearing with Lilly and Luka earlier tonight. She knows something." "Emerald always was too soft where Lilly's concerned," Allischa remarked dismissively. "But if you think there's something worth discovering..." "Oh, there is," Amali confirmed, her initi

Luka's face fell, but he quickly rallied. "I'm sorry, Lil. But the picnic is still on if you're willing. Everyone's waiting by the cars." Lilly hesitated, glancing toward her mother. The thought of socialising seemed exhausting, yet the alternative, sitting alone in her room, dwelling on her loss, seemed worse. "Go," Luna encouraged gently. "Fresh air and friends will do you good. Alpha Blackthorn said the photographs from Vienna should arrive by email this afternoon. We can review them when you return." With a reluctant nod, Lilly followed Luka to where their friends were gathered. Kenny and Axel stood slightly apart from the others, their postures relaxed, but their eyes immediately finding hers as she approached. The phantom sensation warmed with their proximity. 

Lilly nodded, positioning the instrument under her chin. The fit was perfect, as if made specifically for her. Taking a deep breath, she drew the bow across the strings for the first time.The sound that emerged was pure, rich, and hauntingly beautiful, but also somehow different from any violin she had played before. Where her grandfather's instrument had sung with the voices of generations past, this one seemed to vibrate with possibilities and bridging the new with the future that was yet to come.Lilly continued to play, testing the hybrid violin with a simple scale that evolved into a flowing melody. The instrument responded to her touch as if they'd been partners for years rather than moments. Each note resonated with a clarity that filled the study, drawing everyone present into a reverent silence.As she played, the phantom sensation on her finger pulsed in perfect rhythm with the music. Somewhere in the pack house, Kenny and Axel would be feeling this connection, experiencing

"Not just amplify," Lilly corrected thoughtfully. "Transform. Like the violin itself is becoming part of our bond." Axel's expression turned contemplative. "My father mentioned that Anton Bauer is rumoured to have Moon Goddess blood in his lineage. Maybe this instrument was created with some kind of... divine purpose." "A bridge," Lilly repeated her earlier thought. "Between tradition and innovation, between the past and future." She ran her fingers lightly over the violin's unique surface, feeling the perfect transition between wood and resin. "Just like our bond bridges our two packs." The phantom sensation warmed at her words, as if confirming this insight. All three unconsciously touched their ring fingers where the invisible mark pulsed in unison. 

Whatever challenges lay ahead, they would face them together, bound by something even more sacred than they had initially understood. “Kenny, your words ring true, though. If the Goddess speaks to you three, that means the Goddess herself blesses your union. To go against her wishes and will is a crime against our people.” Emerald stated. Kenny paused at Emerald's words, his expression thoughtful. "That's true. If word got out that the Goddess herself had spoken to us, had blessed our union specifically..." "It would change everything," Axel finished, understanding dawning in his eyes. "No wolf would dare oppose a divinely blessed triad." "But it would also put tremendous pressure on all three of us," Lilly pointed out