All Chapters of MINE BEFORE THE BLOOD MOON : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

The creature smiled. Every instinct screamed: Run. The Stone Wraith took a step forward. Cracks spread across its stone skin. Black smoke leaked from its eyes. Around us, the frozen victims stayed motionless, trapped between life and death. Auren’s sword was already in his hand. Diana began chanting. Kael stepped in front of me instantly. Protective. Always protective. The mate bond surged, warm and powerful. The Stone Wraith laughed, the sound echoing like breaking bones. Then it attacked.Everything happened at once. Auren charged. Silver steel collided with stone. Diana unleashed moonlight. The clearing exploded into chaos. The creature moved impossibly fast. One moment it stood twenty feet away. The next it was reaching for me. “Thea!” Kael lunged. His arm wrapped around my waist. We hit the ground as claws sliced through the air where I’d been standing. The impact knocked the breath from my lungs. For one frozen moment I was trapped beneath him. Golden eyes. Ragged breathing. His

“He’s dying.” The words echoed through the tunnel. Nobody moved. Nobody breathed. The monstrous wolf stood before us, golden eyes gleaming. Behind him, dozens of nightmare creatures watched silently. Waiting. Judging. My pulse hammered. The First Wolf. Dying? Impossible. The creature who terrified gods. Who created wolves. Who held the first monsters prisoner. How could something like that die?Beside me, Kael stepped forward, placing himself between me and the creature. The bond surged, warm and possessive. Mine. I wasn’t sure if the thought was Kael’s or his wolf’s anymore. The giant beast looked amused. “You guard her fiercely, Alpha.” Kael’s expression darkened. “Stay away from her.” The creature laughed, a sound that shook dust from the ceiling. “I could tear you apart before your next heartbeat.” The threat hung in the air. Kael didn’t flinch. Didn’t move. Didn’t back down. Something like respect flickered in the creature’s eyes. Interesting.Auren stepped forward, silver eyes n

Silence consumed the cavern. "If she refuses... every monster imprisoned beneath this world will be free." The Hollow King's words hung in the air like a blade over my head and everyone was looking at me. Kael, Diana, Auren, The First Wolf, even the monsters gathered beneath the silver tree. Waiting, watching, judging, as if my entire life could be reduced to a single decision. Sacrifice yourself or doom the world. Simple, except it wasn't.I was tired of sacrifices, tired of prophecies, tired of ancient people deciding what my future should look like. The anger came suddenly, hot, sharp, alive. "No." The word cracked through the cavern. The Hollow King blinked, Auren frowned, Diana looked surprised, and the First Wolf merely watched. I stepped forward, the silver mark on my wrist glowing brightly. "No," I repeated it louder, stronger. "I refuse." The Hollow King's smile slowly returned. "Refuse?" "Yes." I pointed at him, then at the First Wolf, then at every ancient creature in the c

The chamber fell silent. "But two can." Lyra's words echoed through the ancient room and neither Kael nor I moved, neither of us spoke. The bond between us pulsed wildly, silver and gold light intertwining around our joined hands. The Crown of Balance hovered above its pedestal, glowing brighter with each passing second, as though it had been waiting. Waiting for us, for centuries."No." The word escaped me before I could stop it. Lyra's expression softened. "Thea" "No." I stepped backward, my heart hammering, because I already knew where this was going. Another sacrifice, another burden, another destiny, just divided between two people instead of one. Kael immediately reached for my hand, grounding me, steadying me, and the bond warmed. Not forcing, never forcing, simply reminding me I wasn't alone."Thea." His voice was calm, gentle, dangerously reassuring. I looked at him and golden eyes met mine, certain, fearless, completely insane. The man was looking at a crown capable of impri

The silver light pouring from my wrist refused to fade. Instead, it spread across the cavern floor in delicate patterns that resembled roots weaving through stone. Ancient runes carved into the walls answered the glow one by one, awakening after centuries of silence. The mountain itself seemed to breathe. No one spoke. Even the Hollow King remained still, his silver eyes fixed on the mark blazing against my skin. Pain pulsed through my arm, but it wasn't the sharp agony I had felt before. This was different. It felt familiar, as though something sleeping inside me had finally opened its eyes."Thea." Kael's voice reached me through the chaos. He stepped beside me, his fingers brushing mine, and the instant our hands touched, the burning eased. The mate bond wrapped around us like warm moonlight, calming the storm raging inside me. "You don't have to face this alone," he said quietly. I looked into his golden eyes. A few weeks ago, I would have laughed if someone had told me the Alpha