Lahat ng Kabanata ng Luna's Rejection: Draven's Dirty Secret : Kabanata 21 - Kabanata 30

BUTTERCUP "What the hell is that?" I whispered, staring at the heavy presence filling the hallway as Seraphina turned the corner. My skin prickled and my heart raced. Draven and Asher moved fast, but Kai grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the side exit. "Come on, Buttercup. We're not waiting around for whatever she just did," Kai said, his eyes were sharp. "My safe house is ready. Let's get you out of here before more trouble shows up." Draven stepped forward, his voice was low and rough. "She's not going anywhere with you, Thorn. Buttercup, stay here." I pulled my hand from Kai's for a second and looked at Draven. "You had your chance to choose me publicly. You have forty-eight hours, remember? Right now I need air...real air. and Kai is taking me out." Kai nodded at Asher. "Watch Draven and keep Seraphina from doing anything stupid. We'll be in touch." Asher inclined his head calmly. "Keep her safe. The clock is ticking for all of us." We slipped out through a back passage

ASHER "Draven's going rogue." The words came through the link I maintained with the neutral watchers. I stood at the entrance of the ancient temple, the cool night air heavy with incense. My phone beeped again with updates from my contacts. "He's leaving his pack behind to chase after Buttercup. Kai's safe house is compromised. This is spiraling faster than I expected." An old temple guardian, an elder wolf named Elara with silver-streaked hair and sharp eyes, stepped out from the shadows. "Asher Kane, you feel it too. The bonds pulling tight. Why interfere now after all these years of watching from afar?" I walked inside, my steps marching on the ancient stone floor. Candles flickered, casting long shadows. "Because this Vessel can't end like my mate did, Elara. I swore an oath centuries ago to protect those with rare bonds. Buttercup carries that destiny in her bloodline. I've watched her since the day she was born under that alignment." Elara lit another stick of incense. Th

BUTTERCUP "Lila... no..." I whispered again as Kai carried me through the trees, his steps uneven from his own wound. My world continued to spin and everything hurt. The power inside me had gone quiet after the fight, leaving me empty and cold. Kai's breath came hard against my hair. "Stay with me, Buttercup. The neutral ground is close by. Asher's message said that we should meet there. Draven is coming too." I blinked up at him, his eyes were focused ahead. Blood soaked his shirt where the hunter cut him. "Lila... she took that hit for me. She's gone because of this stupid bond." "Don't say that," he grunted, adjusting his grip. "She chose to fight. Like the rest of us." The ancient stones appeared ahead, glowing faintly under moonlight. We are at the Neutral Grounds. There are no pack rules, no Alpha commands. Just open ground with old carvings on tall pillars. Kai set me down gently on a flat stone bench. My legs felt weak but I stayed sitting. Draven ran out from the

DRAVEN The trinity symbol on Buttercup's neck flared brighter as Lila stood over Seraphina's body on the ground. I stared as my wolf howling inside me. "Lila... you crazy woman. How are you still standing?" Buttercup turned to me, her eyes were wide. "Draven, the bonds... I feel all of you at once. It's too much for me." I pulled her against my chest, my hands shaking as the connection snapped fully into place. Her emotions flooded me...relief, fear, desire. Then something else. Kai's presence was protective, right there in my head like an unwelcome shadow. "What the hell is this? I can feel you, Buttercup. And him." Kai stepped closer, wiping blood from his side. "Yeah, I feel it too. I feel your anger, Draven. And her, all mixed up. This is weird as fuck." Asher stayed back a little. "The trinity is awakening. Give it a moment to settle." The pack warriors came through the broken boundary, Marcus cut in front. "Alpha! We tracked the dark magic here. Is Seraphina dead?" He loo

ASHER "The dark magic is spreading faster than I thought." I stepped forward from the cracked pillars, my voice was steady even as the ground still hummed with leftover corruption. Buttercup looked up at me, and her eyes were full of questions and a hint of hurt. Draven and Kai stood on either side of her, and their tension was thick.Buttercup rose to her feet, the trinity mark on her neck was still glowing softly. "Asher, you said your bond would come when I'm ready. But now you're holding back it completely? Then when?"I met her gaze directly, keeping my hands at my sides and thinking of the right response to give her. "I am ready, Buttercup. More than you know it. But completing the trinity right now would kill us all."Draven chuckled in a way that wasn't triggered by any humor. "Explain that fast, Kane. We just fought through hell and you're talking about waiting?"Kai crossed his arms, and smiled calmly. "Yeah, talk. Buttercup has been through enough rejections. So, don't add