Page 100 of My Only Luna

I stand up slowly and turn away.

He doesn’t deserve even an inch of mercy. I hope you know that, Selene.

I feel a surge of power within me, feeling the pack-link snap into place. By default I am now Alpha of the Desert Storm Pack. A menacing growl leaves my lips.

Stand down! I am your new Alpha, and I command complete obedience,I say through the newly formed mind-link. I sense the confusion, fear, and relief, emotions seeping through me from different wolves.

Some congratulate me, some cry their thanks to Selene, some ask with fear in their voice about Zidane, and others are simply glad it is over.

“They will stand down, tell your men to apprehend those whocontinue to defy me,” I say to Rafael and Elijah.

Both nod and I know they’ve mind-linked them. Elijah then shifts back, pulling me into his arms tightly. Sparks rush through me and I feel as if a weight has been lifted.

“You did it,” he murmurs, kissing the top of my head.

I hear a low whimper from a wolf who had come rushing inside, only for Rafael to block him. Seeing the dead Alpha, he scampers back.

I wrap my arms around Elijah’s waist, appreciating the spark of our bond sizzling through me. The comfort I feel in his arms eases the pain in my heart slightly.

“Liam…” I say quietly. I know he probably saw the kiss, but I don’t regret it.

“I know, Kitten… I’m hurting too,” he whispers. Liam was the backbone of their trio – Elijah, Liam, and Aaron. Liam was the peacemaker, the one with the heart of gold. I can feel Elijah’s emotions through the bond.

His pain, his hurt.

I’m not sure if it’s the relief, the pain of our loss, or the exhaustion, but I am unable to hold back the tears. He caresses my hair, allowing me to cry silently into his chest.

He kisses the top of my head, inhaling my scent as he whispers, “It’s over. It’s fucking over.”

The Aftermath

Scarlett

After a few moments, we pull apart, reluctantly. “Let’s get out of here,” Elijah says. “I’ll get someone to collect our men.”

“Liam…” I say, tugging free as I look at the body of our friend.

Elijah moves away from me. Pain and sadness cross his face before he masks it and lifts the body of his friend.

He had his whole life ahead of him, and it was taken away so fast, with such ease. That is how easy it is to end a life.

“What do you want done with Zidane and his men?” Rafael asks, his usually warm, brown eyes hard.

“Toss them in the cavern and burn them,” I say coldly, not an ounce of remorse within me. They made their bed, so they can now lie in it.

The three of us leave the cavern together, with Elijah carrying Liam’s body. Rafael drags the last survivor of Zidane’s men from the cavern along with us.

Even after all the fighting, he has the strength to do so. I don’t know how. I’m exhausted.

We’re halfway through the trees when we come to an abrupt stop at the sight of the scene in front of us. One that makes my stomach churn as we observe the horror before us.

Blood and torn-up body parts cover the floor for metres around. An arm. Goddess, a head… even the torsos are ripped in half. My stomach curdles as I realise mixed in are wolf limbs too. Each mutilated the same as the human bodies.

I wretch, turning away, but I’m able to keep the contents of my stomach down. I turn back as Elijah swears under his breath. Whatever killed them was so fast that they hadn’t even been able to shift back to human form.

We’re frozen, as the more we stare at the brutal horror scene, the more we notice. Blood covers the entire ground, there are so many bodies. How many dead are here?

Then my eyes snap to the young man who is leaning against a tree, without a care for the sickening sight before him and completely unbothered by the fact he is naked. The only things on his tattooed body are the few chains that hang around his neck and blood… Lots and lots of splattered blood. He takes a drag from a cigarette, clearly looking completely at ease.

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