Part of the pact

Luna's POV “They might be part of the pact,” he said. “Or just rotten. Either way.”We turned left at a split because left was narrower and Kael likes narrow when he’s being hunted. I liked narrow because it made me feel held, even if the hands were stone.Another sound slid along the passage - the wrong, soft step of a shadow made of wet night. My breath sped up. Kael lifted a hand without looking back - breathe with me - and I matched him. It steadied me enough not to trip.The floor dropped in a shallow, slick ramp. Kael took it first, bracing one hand on the ceiling to slow. I followed, boots sliding. My shoulder hit the wall. Something moved there - cold and sticky. I jerked away with a hiss.“You okay?” he asked, voice low.“Yes.” My heart said no.We kept moving. The tunnel narrowed into a choke point. Stone pressed my shoulders; the ceiling skimmed the top of my head. Kael turned sideways, passing through like a letter slipped under a door. I went after him, chest scraping

Old wounds

Luna's POV The tunnel narrowed, then opened into a wide, echoing chamber. The air here felt older, heavier, like it had been waiting centuries for someone to disturb it.Our boots crunched over layers of dust and grit as we stepped inside. Faded moonlight spilled in from a crack in the ceiling, just enough to show the walls.I froze.“Kael,” I whispered, pointing.The walls weren’t plain. They were painted - no, carved and painted. Figures moved along the stone in a sequence, like a story frozen in time. Wolves. Moons. Blood. And in the center, a circle of people standing around a blazing mark on the ground.Kael moved closer, brushing away the cobwebs with the back of his hand. His voice was low when he spoke. “It’s a mural. Moonborn work. Very old.”I took a step toward the nearest panel. The figures were robed, their faces shadowed. One held a dagger, the blade dripping into the mark on the ground. Another - smaller - stood with their hands raised to the sky as the moon above th

Careful

Luna's POV The ruins felt different in daylight. The cold stone that had whispered of ghosts last night now hummed with something… alive.Kael said it was the moon. Even though it wouldn’t rise red until nightfall, the air was already thick with its pull.We worked in silence most of the morning, gathering herbs from the overgrown gardens behind the main hall. My fingers brushed over purple moonfern, the leaves shivering under my touch. The scent was sharp - metallic, almost - and it made my mark ache faintly.“Careful,” Kael said from a few feet away, crouched over a patch of silverroot. “Too much contact and the mark will start reacting.”I straightened, brushing my hair from my face. “Feels like everything makes it react these days.”He glanced up at me, the sun catching in his eyes. “That’s because we’re close. It’s not going to get easier from here.”I tried to smile but it came out thin. “Comforting.”We filled our pouches - moonfern, silverroot, dusk petals, and a small bundl

Just scared

Luna's POV The Blood Moon was almost here. The sky above the ruins had bled from silver to deep crimson, the light spilling into the cracks in the ancient walls like fire. The herbs were laid in a perfect circle. The silverroot glistened faintly, the moonfern trembling like it could feel what was coming. Kael knelt in front of the circle, striking flint over the dried dusk petals. “Once the fire catches, there’s no going back,” he said without looking up. “I know.” My voice was steady, but my hands weren’t. He finally glanced at me, his eyes sharp. “Stay inside the circle no matter what. You hear me?” I nodded. “And you?” He gave a half-smile. “I’ll be wherever you need me.” The first curl of smoke rose from the herbs. My mark flared with heat - not pain, just an insistent throb like it was aware of the ritual starting. I took a step toward the circle. That’s when I heard it. The sound of boots against stone. Kael stiffened instantly, his hand going to the hilt of his bl

Behind me

Luna's POV The first howl split the night like a blade. It came from the shadows beyond the ruins - low, guttural, and close enough to make the hairs on my arms stand up. Kael didn’t hesitate. His sword was in his hand before I could even breathe. “Stay behind me,” he said, his voice sharp as steel. “I’m not-” “Luna.” His eyes locked on mine for a heartbeat. “Behind me.” The growl of approaching footsteps was the only warning we got before Magnus’s fighters broke through the crumbling archway. They moved like wolves even in human form-fast, coordinated, eyes glowing with the Blood Pact’s silver light. The mark on my arm flared, heat rushing up my veins like fire. My knees almost buckled, but I forced myself to stay up. Kael stepped forward to meet them. The first fighter swung, and Kael blocked, their blades clashing with a metallic scream. Sparks lit the air. He spun, cutting low, his movements so fast they blurred. I backed toward the ritual circle, my pulse hammering.

All Chapters of The Rogue's Forbidden Luna: Chapter 41 - Chapter 45

Part of the pact

Old wounds

Careful

Just scared

Behind me