Semua Bab STAINED BY THE MOON : Bab 51 - Bab 60

GAVIN'S POV "Gavin, what are you…""Quiet."I shove her toward the center of the training yard. She catches herself, whirls to face me."What is this?"I didn't answer. Instead, I walk to the iron cage at the far end. The beast inside stirs, sensing movement.It's a shadowhound. Bred for hunting. Trained to kill."Gavin," her eyes widened I unlock the cage.The hound emerges slowly. Black fur, muscles coiled. Eyes glowing amber in the morning light.It fixes on Lily immediately."Gavin, please…""Survive." I step back, cross my arms."What?""You heard me. Survive."The hound growls. Low and deep.Lily backs away, hands raised. "I can't…I don't know how to…"The beast lunges.She barely dodges. Rolls to the side. The hound's claws scrape stone where she stood."Move faster!" I call out.She scrambles to her feet. The hound circles her, teeth bared."Gavin, call it off!""No."It attacks again. She throws up her arms, defensive, panicked.The hound's jaws snap inches from her throat

LILY'S POVThe shadow wolf's jaws snapped inches from my throat.I threw myself sideways. Hit the ground hard. Rolled.Violet eyes tracked me through the darkness.I scrambled backward. Hands scraping rock. Boots sliding on loose gravel.“This is the end.” The thought settled in my chest like stone.The largest wolf's muscles coiled. Ready to pounce.I closed my eyes.Kreeeeeeaaaa!The screech tore through the air like a blade.My eyes snapped open.The owl dove from above, massive, wings spread wide, talons extended.It struck the ground between me and the wolves.The impact sent dirt spraying.The owl stood there. Golden eyes blazing. Feathers ruffled.Then…Bones cracked.Wings folded inward, lengthened into arms. The body shifted, grew, straightened. Feathers receded like water pulling back from shore. Skin spread. Dark hair cascaded down in waves.Hazel stood before me.Naked. Unbothered. Facing down three shadow wolves with nothing but a smile.The corner of her mouth curled up

LILY'S POV I struggled to keep up with Hazel's owl form as she wove through the trees. Hazel landed in the upper branches of an ancient pine at the edge of a clearing. I pressed myself against the trunk below her, peering around it."Beautiful creature," Hazel murmured above me.The white stag stood in the center of the clearing, nearly eight feet at the shoulder, dwarfing even the largest wolf. Its coat was pure white, its antlers were like crystal, branching and rebranching into points that gleamed like blades."They're going to kill it," I whispered backSix huntresses in wolf form circled it. One lay motionless near the tree line, her body twisted at an unnatural angle, blood pooling beneath her."Or it kills them." The owl's tone was completely unconcerned. "Either way, not our problem.”“The stag had already killed one of them.”Senna's grey wolf form limped badly, blood streaming from a gash along her flank. The other huntresses darted in and out, trying to find an opening, b

MIREILLE'S POVI sat by the window, one hand resting on the small swell of my stomach.Eleven weeks now.The door opened. Tahlia slipped inside, face pale."My lady, they've arrested Aria."My blood ran cold. I stood too quickly, dizziness washing over me. "When?""This afternoon. Lord Lucas suspects the salve was sabotaged." Her voice dropped. "He's questioning her now. In the dungeons."Aria.Nineteen years old. A junior healer I'd recruited into my resistance network. Sweet, earnest, eager to help."How long has she been down there?""Three hours. With Dr. Ashford.""I need to get to Niamh.""My lady, Lord Lucas ordered you to rest…""Damn what Lucas ordered." I moved toward the underground. "That girl is suffering because of me."Tahlia nodded. "The passages?""The passages."***Stone passages built into the castle walls. Known only to my ex-husband.Perfect for a resistance movement.I stepped into the darkness, Tahlia following with a lamp. The passages were narrow, the air col

KIA'S POV The letter was brief. Too brief. ‘Kia, The cure worked. I am recovered, thanks to the stag's heart your Alpha provided. Please convey my gratitude to Gavin Emberfang for his generosity and mercy in our time of need. Time to come home. —Father I read it three times, each word cutting deeper than the last. I crumpled the letter in my fist. "She's becoming indispensable," I hissed to the empty room. A soft knock interrupted my fury. "Come," I called, smoothing my expression. Nira slipped inside, closing the door quietly behind her. "My lady, I have news from the Hunt." "Tell me." "Lily survived. More than surviving, she thrived." Nira's voice held a note I didn't like. Almost... impressed. "There was an eclipse during their return. The pack is calling it an omen. A blessing from the Moon Goddess herself." My nails bit into my palms. "And the next trial?" "Four days. The Trial of Spirit in the sacred caves." "Thank you, Nira. That will be all." Sh