Page 88 of My Only Luna

The ground is muddy asfifty men from our pack, who will be joining us to face Zidane’s pack, are all ready to leave.

I am in the back of one of the cars with Elijah and Marcus, a pack warrior. Liam is driving and Aaron is in the passenger seat.

“We should get to the Black Storm Pack in another hour and a half,” Marcus says, looking out at a passing signboard.

“Oh, and the other packs are on their way. Two have already reached there,” Aaron says, tapping his knee as he looks ahead.

“How many men are we in total with the backup?” Liam asks, his face serious. He’s in full warrior mode and you can tell he knows what he’s talking about. He’s one of the best in this pack. We knew the rough number, but some things changed after Alpha Daniel had chickened out at the last moment.

“We’re looking at close to 600 wolves,” Elijah answers.

“That’s a good amount, considering how many of his men he kills off. The pack is strong but the numbers aren’t great. Wewill still be enough to handle him and his pack,” Aaron says, referring to Zidane. He isn’t wrong. When Candice was able to give us all the details, it was lower than what we expected. There were far more women and children than men. “With the setup of our squads, the pack layout, and taking everything into account, we still shouldn’t suffer too many casualties,” Aaron continues.

As Beta, he is the strategic one, but like Liam, I haven’t seen this side of him.

I don’t add to the conversation, my mind flitting off to the things I have learned about Zidane and what we saw when we went there. For many years, his pack had had plenty of rogue attacks, but soon his ways of ruthlessly torturing any trespassers became well-known and even the rogues backed off. I remember Grandma Amelia saying me being a part of the Blood Moon Pack is a blessing and helps keep the rogues away. That woman really does have faith in me. Zidane’s reign is one that needs to end.

Knowing I am getting closer and closer to facing him makes me once again wonder if I’ll be weak in front of him. Will I be able to do this? Am I strong enough? The fear and doubt are trying to claw through me, but I refuse to let them win.

Elijah’s arm tightens around me, and I know he can somewhat sense my emotions.

I feel guilt gnaw through me. Although I fight my nightmares, trying to squash them, it’s an unpleasant, unwanted, unpromised curse that he now has to share them with me.

I can see it in his eyes, the pain he feels for me, the regret he couldn’t be there, the anger that it happened at all. He tries to pretend that he doesn’t see them, but I know he does. A heart doesn’t lie and neither do the eyes.

Although I try to stay awake, he’s always determined to put me to sleep before he sleeps, and somehow it works. AlthoughI can’t word how I feel, I try to show him through my actions. This silent understanding between us is never spoken, but I appreciate it.

“Everything is going to be alright, I pro-” He is cut off when something slams against our car with such force that we are pushed off the road, but it’s worse for the car that made impact, I see it thrown up into the air. The screech of metal crashing fills my ears as the car flips over and explodes, making me shield my face.

Another car smashes into ours as I hear one of the boys shout something, but my ears are ringing. Pain searing through my back, and it feels as if my head is about to split open.

The smell of gas, fire, and blood fills the air and coats my tongue. A strong sense of déjàvu overcomes me as I remember the first time Cade had come for me. My heart pounds loudly when I catch the scent of several werewolves that I don’t recognise.

Fuck.

They’re here.

The Clash

Elijah

“We need to get out of the car! It’s going to blow!” Liam shouts as he punches through the roof. It takes a few pushes before he shifts and slams into the roof before he rips the side of the car off.

None of us needs a second warning. I scoop Scarlett up, lift her out of the car, jump out and place her down on the ground before I turn to face the twelve large werewolves with gas masks that are now facing us. Before anyone from our group can even attack, they throw something on the ground, and Scarlett gasps as she stumbles back. The strong smell of wolfsbane gas fills our lungs, burning our eyes, and I can taste blood in my mouth.

Fall back!I shout through the mind-link. I’m not sure if they can hear me. If the gas has gotten to them, they may not be able to hear me, but I’m in no state to talk, feeling choked.Scarlett!I reach out for her but she’s nowhere near me. Fuck! She was right beside me! Where is she?Red!

I’m okay, I’m-She is cut off and my senses spiral, worry for her filling me.

Scarlett!I call, trying to find her without sniffing her out;if we inhale too much of this lethal concoction we will die. I can feel it burning my insides as my body fights it far faster than it usually would because I am mated to someone who heals so fast.

I run forward trying to find her and shift, trying to follow any sign of Scarlett. I leap from the smoke, trying to locate her scent. Someone moves towards me and I rip his heart out, scanning the area. Desperation claws through me, the urge to find her intense.

Scarlett!I shout again. That’s when I see her being thrown inside a car before it zooms off the moment the door shuts.NO!

Rage, fear and panic fill every inch of my body, just like the gas that surrounds us. The only difference is the gas tried to cripple me. My rage fuels me.

I can’t lose her. I won’t lose her.

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