All Chapters of MINE BEFORE THE BLOOD MOON : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

The mountain groaned. Another roar thundered beneath the Fang, louder this time, powerful enough to shake loose chunks of stone from the ceiling. Dust filled the cavern. Every Guardian wolf sprang into action, forming a protective circle around the First Wolf. Their ears flattened, their fangs bared. Whatever was coming, even they feared it. "The Second Beast..." I whispered. The name alone sent a chill through me. Auren's silver eyes never left the widening crack in the cavern floor. "It should never have awakened.""What is it?" Kael asked, stepping in front of me. The Alpha's broad shoulders blocked my view of the growing darkness. Instinct. Always instinct. Auren drew a slow breath. "When the First Wolf imprisoned the ancient monsters, there were four powerful beasts he could not destroy." "The First Beast became the Guardian of the Fang." He glanced toward the giant wolf that had guided us here. "The remaining three were sealed beneath the prison." Diana's face paled. "If the Sec

The blue-lit passage descended deep beneath the roots of the silver tree. Each step echoed through the silence. Behind me, Auren and Diana followed cautiously, their weapons drawn. The First Wolf had remained above, too weak to descend, but before I left, he had given me one final warning. "The truth is heavier than any sword, Little Moon. Once you know it, you cannot unknow it." His words lingered in my mind as we reached the bottom of the staircase. The tunnel opened into a breathtaking chamber. Thousands of glowing crystals lined the walls, illuminating rows upon rows of stone shelves carved directly into the mountain. Ancient scrolls, weathered books, silver tablets, and crystal orbs rested undisturbed, preserved by powerful moon magic. The air smelled of parchment and wildflowers. It felt peaceful, as if war had never touched this place.Diana gasped softly, "This is incredible." "The Archive of the Moon Queen," Auren murmured. "I spent centuries searching for it." "You never fou

The world erupted in silver. The Moon Path expelled me into the center of Moonhold with enough force to crack the frozen earth beneath my boots. For a heartbeat, the battlefield fell silent. Snow drifted lazily through the air, glowing beneath the full moon's pale light. Then the screams returned. Fire consumed what had once been the eastern quarter of the village. Homes burned, warriors fought in blood-soaked streets, and shadow creatures prowled through the smoke like hungry ghosts. My heart twisted. This was Kael's home. Our home. The mate bond pulled sharply to my left. Pain, weakness, determination. He was still alive. Without thinking, I sprinted toward him.Shadow creatures lunged from the smoke, but before they could reach me, silver light burst from the mark on my wrist. Moonfire exploded outward in a brilliant wave. The creatures screamed as their bodies dissolved into glowing ash that scattered across the snow. The wolves nearest me stopped fighting. They stared in stunned

For three days the mountains sang. Howl after howl rolled down the ridges until the sound became thunder in the bones of Moonhold. At first it was distant, scattered, the calls of lone packs testing the wind. Then it grew closer, stronger, until the walls themselves seemed to answer back. Inside the fortress, something shifted. Warriors who had been hauling stone with clenched jaws now worked faster. Healers who had not slept in forty-eight hours lifted their heads when the sound echoed through the courtyards. Reinforcements were coming. The North had not abandoned them. Kael stood on the eastern ramparts with the Alpha Council despite the deep cut across his ribs that no poultice could fully close. He should have been in bed. Every healer had told him so. Every advisor had begged him. He ignored them all. If his people were standing, then so was he. Thea came to join him without speaking. She didn’t need to. When her hand brushed his, the mate bond flared warm between them, steadyin

Dawn rose over Moonhold with the sound of hammers. Blacksmiths worked in the courtyard with sparks flying. Healers packed herbs and bandages into leather satchels. Warriors sharpened blades and checked straps, their breath fogging in the cold. Everywhere, movement. But beneath it, tension.The silver compass sat on the stone table in the center of it all. It hadn’t moved since last night. The needle pointed past the gates, past the mountains, straight to the Frozen Lake. Kael stood beside it, armor already on. “We leave within the hour.” A murmur went through the gathered Alphas. “Only a small party goes,” Kael continued. “Thea. Diana. Auren. Myself. Four of Moonhold’s best. Two scouts, one from Riverclaw and one from Frostfang.” He met their eyes one by one. “If we send the whole alliance, we leave Moonhold empty. The Hollow King will see it. He’ll strike.”Alpha Garrick stepped forward. “Then the Keeper stays. If she’s what the prophecy says, she’s safer behind these walls.” “And if