Page 57 of Fat Forced Mate

The hallway outside my room churns with paNiced activity—pack members rushing toward the central building, parents carrying sleepy-eyed children, teenagers helping the elderly. The scent of fear hangs thick in the air, metallic and sharp.

"Luna!" Ruby appears at my elbow, her face pale. "It’s the Cheslem pack. They've breached the eastern perimeter. The Elders are gathering everyone in the main hall."

My mind races. The eastern perimeter—where my parents died defending the pack. Where their wards have been weakening for fifteen years.

"The ward markers," I say, the realization crystalizing. "That's what I need to reach."

Ruby grabs my arm. "Are you insane? The fighting is worst at the boundaries. Nic has ordered everyone to stay here—”

"I can help." I pull away, certainty growing with each second. "My mother's journal—the ward restoration—I have to try."

"You don't even know how!"

"I'll figure it out." My magic pulses beneath my skin, responding to my determination. "I have to try. For everyone."

For my child, though, I don't say this aloud.

Ruby's expression shifts from fear to resignation. "Luna—"

Whatever she planned to say is lost as the front doors burst open. Pack members stream in, some supporting theinjured. Blood streaks the marble entryway, stark against the white stone. Among the wounded, I recognize Theo Ennes, Thomas’ little brother, his arm hanging at an unnatural angle, and Melissa Blackwood, a deep gash across her forehead.

"Get to the basement!" someone shouts over the growing panic. "Everyone to the safe rooms!"

I move against the current, pushing toward the doors, driven by growing certainty. My magic feels different tonight—stronger, more purposeful, guiding me toward something I don't fully understand but can't ignore.

A large figure, a solid wall of tension and authority, suddenly blocks my path.

Nic.

His clothes are torn, smudges of dirt and what might be blood marking his face. His eyes lock onto mine with laser focus even amid the chaos.

"Where do you think you're going?" His voice cuts through the noise.

"The ward markers." I straighten, meeting his gaze. "I can help. Ineedto help, so don’t get in my way."

"You're staying here where it's safe." He grips my upper arm, not painfully but firmly enough to make his intention clear. Even that touch burns. Some part of me wants him to never let me go. "Get to the hall.Now. This isn’t a discussion."

There’s real fear in his voice and eyes for the first time in my memory.

"I can strengthen the wards," I insist, trying to pull away. "Like my parents did. I want to finish what they—”

"Your parents died doing exactly that." His face hardens. "I won't lose you the same way."

The raw emotion in his voice makes me pause, but only for a moment. "If I don't try, we could lose everything. The pack, the territory—"My child's future,I add silently. "Let me help, Nic."

"You don't even know how to access the ward system."

"My mother's journal has notes. And I have her magic." I step closer, lowering my voice despite the chaos around us. "You know I'm right. You know we need this. I have to try, Nic. It’s what they would have wanted me to do.”

It’s the only justification I can give him. We both know I’m not doing this for Silvercreek. For Ruby, perhaps, my oldest and only friend—or for James, who is trying to fix our relationship, and for Thomas, who has been nothing but kind to me. Maybe even for Nic, though we both know I’d never say it to him.

His jaw clenches, conflict clear in his eyes. For a moment, I think he might actually listen. Then a massive crash from outside shakes the building, and screams erupt from the eastern wing.

"They're inside the perimeter!" Thomas's voice carries over the din. "Nic, we need you!"

Nic's attention splits for just a fraction of a second—enough for me to twist free of his grip. I back away, our eyes still locked.

"I'm sorry," I tell him. "But I have to try."

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