All Chapters of A Vengeful Luna. Three Alphas : Chapter 171 - Chapter 180

Derek’s POVThe hall had not yet recovered from the last test when the elders stood again.I felt it before the shift in the air, the tightening of something old and merciless. This was not a test of wisdom. Not of memory. Not even of restraint.Rovan’s staff struck the stone once. “There remains one final trial.”My spine went rigid.“A critical one,” another elder added, his voice stripped of warmth. “One that has crowned Alphas for centuries.”Servants entered, carrying three swords.Steel caught the torchlight. Too sharp. Too real.“You will fight,” Rovan said. “Among yourselves. Only one will stand victorious.”The words slammed into me like a blow to the chest.“No.” The sound tore out of me before I could stop it. I stepped forward, heart pounding. “There must be another way. You’ve tested our minds, our judgment, this is unnecessary.”A murmur rose, but the elders did not waver.“This test cannot be skipped,” Rovan said calmly. “An Alpha must be prepared to face even those clo

Derek’s POVElise lay on the long table where council judgments were usually passed, her body too still, too quiet. Blood had been washed from her skin, but I could still see it when I closed my eyes, how it had poured from her, how it had soaked my hands, how warm it had been while her breath grew shallow.The sword was no ordinary blade.Everyone knew it.The elders whispered it openly now, no longer hiding behind ritual or pride. A blade forged for war against beasts and traitors, enchanted to tear through flesh and spirit alike. A sword meant to kill quickly. Permanently.And Elise had stepped in front of it.I stood at her side, unmoving, my fingers wrapped around hers even though she could not feel it. Her skin was cool. Too cool. My wolf curled inside my chest, whimpering like something wounded beyond repair.“She’s not waking up,” someone murmured.I didn’t look at them.“She has to,” I said quietly. “She just has to.”The royal physician hovered nearby, his face pale, eyes ri

Elise’s POVDarkness did not frighten me.What frightened me was the silence inside it. The darkening silence that was threatening to swallow me whole. I was floating in an endless expanse of black, the darkness suffocating me. It pressed in on all sides, heavy and oppressive, making it hard to breathe. I couldn't see my hand in front of my face, couldn't feel anything but the crushing weight of the void.And then, I saw it. A tiny spark, a pinprick of light in the distance. It was faint, barely there, but it drew me like a moth to flame.I reached out, my arm stretching into the darkness, my fingers straining towards the light. It was so close, yet so far. I could almost touch it, could almost feel its warmth.I tried to move towards it, but my legs were stuck, trapped in the darkness. I kicked and struggled, but it was like swimming through tar. The light flickered, growing brighter, and I redoubled my efforts.I had to reach it. Had to escape the darkness.My fingers brushed again

Elise’s POVRecovery did not arrive gently, the way the healers had sworn it would. It came in fragments, moments stitched together by pain, silence, and the constant awareness that I had survived something meant to end me. I drifted in and out of consciousness, the pain a constant hum in the background. Derek's face swam in and out of focus, his eyes filled with a mix of relief and sorrow."Elise," he whispered, his voice like a gentle caress. "You're going to be okay."I tried to speak, but my throat was parched. Derek lifted a cup to my lips, and I sipped the cool liquid, feeling it soothe my dry throat.I remembered the feel of the sword slicing through my side, the shock of the impact. I remembered the darkness, and the light."Derek," I whispered, my hand reaching out to touch his face. "I saw you."He caught my hand, his eyes searching mine. "What do you mean?"I struggled to remember, the details slipping away like sand between my fingers. "A dream...I saw you. I was trying

Elise’s POVIn the days leading up to the council’s decision, silence became the only thing Derek ever gave me.Damon visited often, always with purpose sharpened into kindness checking on my strength, speaking of the pack, reminding me gently of the burden resting on my shoulders. Drake, on the other hand, sent messages through servants and guards, asking for private moments, for explanations, for reassurance that whatever lay between us had not dissolved with blood and steel. He was restless, desperate to be seen, to be heard.But Derek never came.At first, I told myself it was pride. Or restraint. Or perhaps the elders had ordered him away from me until the final decision was made. Each excuse fit neatly enough to keep the ache in my chest from swelling into something unbearable.Yet as the days passed, it became clear, Derek was choosing distance.When we crossed paths in the corridors, he bowed respectfully, his expression unreadable, his eyes never lingering on mine. When the p