Page 157 of King Luna

Mason attempts to roll over.

I don’t let him.

Pinning him to the floor, I bite harder, spitting his stringy fur over my shoulders. His cries echo through the forest, desperate pleas for life.

I swear I hear snarling, whining, and howls all around us, some even begging me to stop, but I don’t give a fuck. No one can hurt us like Jack and Steven again.

Mason’s wolf screeches, his body quivering beneath mine, but it’s not enough.

Luna, he's submitting! Stop!Noah mindlinks.

No! He almost killed you!

You don’t want to hurt anyone like this, Luna! Don’t abandon yourself because of him!

Noah’s words don’t make any sense to me.

Mason stands for everything that’s scarred us. And deep down, I know he’s the closest chance I’ll have to destroying Jack for what he did to Noah.

It’s only when a sharp pinch on the back of my neck yanks me off that I bite someone other than Mason, twisting as far as I can to nip the giant wolf lifting me like a pup.

Luna! It’s me!

I fall limp in an instant, allowing Noah to set me at his feet. He curls me beneath his massive wolf, plopping his huffing torso over me to use his body as a shield.

But no one comes to attack us.

I heave through pants, unable to stop whining. Dragging my snout from beneath Noah’s, I glance at our surroundings. Lying mere feet in front of my nose, Mason’s broken body quivers so badly that he can’t even hold himself up with one paw, let alone escape, forced to wriggle in the dirt with distressed whines.

As Viktor, Tane, and Reid approach, poking him with their noses in confirmation of Mason’s defeat, it’s over, and Mason knows it. He offers no resistance to their prodding, giving up.

Viktor grabs Mason by the scruff, dragging him through bloody leaves. He’s flanked by dozens more wolves by the second, a massive army of beat-up, furious Lycans howling and snarling in agreement at their hunted catch.

Every Alpha-domination wolf in sight is either tracked down, submitting, or too injured to flee.

But as Noah licks my bloody cheeks, calming my shaking wolf with soft whimpers, I only whine more.

It’s okay, my love. It’s over. You did so well.

Noah, all these pack leaders...My wolf gives a soft, despairing howl as we gaze out at the still forest together, horrified by what the day has become. Wolves whimper and howl throughout the forest, cries of pain echoing from every direction. My paws and lips reek of Mason’s blood, only heightening my heart rate.

Noah drops his head over mine, attempting to cover my eyes with his snout. We burrow into each other, shaking in silence.

It’s not until I’m smothered under Noah’s secure embrace that it finally sinks in: Mason’s sharp blood on me smells familiar.

Colliding within my skull all at once, images flash before my eyes.

Noah nuzzles me, nibbling my mark as he whimpers with me.What’s going on, Luna? You’re panicking.

Panting, I whine sharper with every breath.It’s all coming back. That was him. That was Steven. I remember the scent of his blood beneath my nails.

Noah freezes.

Then he seethes, vicious growls colliding with gutted whines.

Wrapping his paws tighter, Noah cradles me beneath his massive wolf, every strand of fur raised on end.

Opening my mouth, I pant harder in the face of Noah’s horror, my wolf’s tongue lolling to the side.I know why he didn’t kill me that night. I completely forgot I clawed into him—until now. He tried to strangle me, but he must’ve also wanted to mark me. And I... I became the wolf backed into a corner. He couldn’t hold her down anymore—not like he had been doing for years, belittling me until I was a quiet, shaking shell. But she was not quiet. She came out to kill him first, even as she shook, and he ran. He never came back... Not until you found me to finally take me home.

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