Page 186 of King Luna

Before I can push my anxious body into moving again, a ginormous black blur whooshes past me, ruffling my fur and sending a chill down my spine. My instincts process before my mind, forcing me to hunker down and take cover in the bushes; this is a predator coming in for the kill.

Noah cracks Jack’s ribs beneath his paws as he pins him to the ground, his wolf’s growl is more of a roar. I crouch low, sneaking in to hunt Jack alongside Noah.

But my heart rips as I see Jack’s hunting pelt close up; multiple hides have been stitched into one reeking, pasted-together shape of a wolf.

Oh, Goddess, how many...?Noah mindlinks my exact thoughts, hesitating as he analyzes Jack’s wriggling form. I’m gutted by the aching, horrified disgust in our bond at the sight of the butchered wolf pelts, wishing Noah never had to witness this either. Yet Noah’s poor wolf huffs through heavy, distorted breaths like a snarling dragon, his claws digging into Jack’s skin through every layer of hardy hunting gear.

Instinct takes over my blurred, gray vision; the next thing I know, I’ve gathered the neck of Jack’s prized pelts between my teeth. Tearing the fur coat off Jack, I whine in agony as Noah holds Jack still for me, pinning him tight to the earth as Jack yelps. The stale furs in my mouth wring my stomach at how these wolves’ families must feel. Noah whines between snarls with me, our bond aching as the hides free themselves from Jack’s body with a loudrip. My wolf shakes her head in disgust as she spits them out, their sour taste lingering on my tongue. The furs fall into a discarded heap on the forest floor.

Exposed and cornered, Jack howls in fear—except it comes out scraping and wrecked from his bloody face, like a wolf bleating its final cry. Fur bursts from his skin, his wolf surfacing out of pure panic.

My stomach churns at the thought of Jack’s primal instincts kicking in. Noah has taught me time and time again to never underestimate a wolf’s willingness to survive.

If Jack is given the chance to kill first, our entire pack would be at this man’s mercy.

Deep down, I know Noah trains to defend us from Jack, and Jack alone. He’s fought harder than any wolf he’s met, and it shows—his skill crowning him King Alpha of the world. He’s strong, and everyone knows it. I know it.

I just never expected Jack to crumble so completely against Noah.

With a single flash of Noah’s fangs at Jack’s throat, I yelp, terrified Noah broke his own core rule. But as I blink at the aftermath before me, I’m stunned.

Jack’s frail black wolf lies limp in Noah’s mouth, but he’s not dead; Noah holds him by the scruff like he’s carrying a feeble pup, leaving Jack to whimper helplessly with exhausted, dangling limbs, his tail tucked so tightly that it nestles against his belly.

There’s no question; Jack has given up. A millisecond ago, he represented the unsurmountable fear, murder, and pain he created in Noah for years. All he is now is a heap of an old wolf, stripped of his prized pelt.

Chapter 42

Holy fucking shit, Aliya, you just kicked his fucking ass.Noah yipes with his mouth full of Jack’s scruff, hyper eyes beaming back.After all those years, we finally caught him! We don’t have to worry about this freak anymore—

A sharp, shrill wolf whine cuts Noah short. Whoever this crying wolf is, they bleat in pain, striking my chest with icy horror.

But Noah’s wild, adrenaline-soaked eyes zip between mine, spiking a primal thrill through me.

Oh, that bleating wolf wasme.

We don’t have time to discuss what we’re going to do with Jack next; my wolf shakes, hanging her head low as an odd sensation fizzles from the depths of me.

Holy shit, are you—Noah’s fur bristles as the heaviest contraction I’ve ever felt rips through my abdomen, cutting my frantic whine short.

White hot fear blasts through my chest. Am I going into labor?

Wait, no—have Ibeenin early labor for a while now, too distracted to recognize it?

As my body wracks with dull, aching waves of pain, I’m almost certain I’ve skipped a labor stage, launching us forward to the point where I can’t breathe through the cramping.

Golden eyes track my every move, Noah’s wolf on high alert.Breathe, Aliya. You’re not breathing.

I can’t—

The second my harsh contraction ends, I break into desperate, frantic whines between harsh panting.Oh, God, Noah. This can’t be happening. It hurts badly enough that I’m dying to shift back, but I can’t if we’re in danger. We finally have Jack, but what if he’s calling for backup? What if they take everything from us?

Aliya, look at me.

The second we meet eyes, I freeze; rustling blasts through the leaves from every direction. My fur stands on end. Was I right, and the Alpha-domination Super Pack is back for more?

But Noah doesn’t move.Don’t worry. Just look.

Plastering myself against his side, I’m tempted to sprint as what must be thousands of wolves approach. But when Noah settles Jack against the forest floor, howls erupt around us. At least twenty wolves snatch Jack from our paws, Yasmine and Dave leading the pack in dogpiling Jack to keep him contained.

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