Page 75 of Luna's Forgotten Vow

The nights she visited. The wolfsbane made it hard to focus on anything, but her voice was a light in the darkest of tunnels. Her tiny laughter as she went over the plans with me, repeated over and over, until it was drilled into my head.

"Three turns left. Five right. Take the stairs. Servants quarters. The nursery's in the second wing. The exit by the infirmary is the least guarded. Take it. Wait for Eric. When Baldwin arrives, there'll be a red flare in the skies. Take Landon. Only Landon."

"I'm not leaving you behind."

"Ronan won't hurt me. Besides, we need another reason to force my father's hand. Holding a Head Alpha's daughter captive is a declaration of war."

"I'm not leaving you behind."

A small laugh. Hands reached through the bars, cupping either side of my cheeks. "Clingy. I really like it".

I snarled, but the little action caused me a violent headache. "I'm not leaving you behind." Broken record. Couldn't form more words. Losing feeling in my hands. Legs?—

"I need you to trust me." Blue eyes search mine."Can you do that?"

She was distracting me. But she was looking right at me. Like she saw me. Like she wanted me. It was all I'd ever wanted. I nodded, entranced by her."Whatever you want."

"Repeat it to me again."

"Red flare. Three turns left." I exhale. "Five right. Stairs. Servant quarters—" She strokes my cheeks lovingly, urging me on."Nursery. Landon.Only Landon."

It was all that rang against my ears, over and over. Night after night of fighting the poison spreading through my body, killing me slowly. Tiny doses. Slow death.

Sweat and blood—belonging to the guards that had been manning the nursery—sticks to my skin as I hold Landon closer, limping past the tree lines. Howls echo through the night, violent calls. Had I been able to shift, or even feel Kaelin, I might have howled back.

My senses are frayed and I can't trust myself to do anything other than walk.

I stumble over a branch, jagged stones tearing the underside of my foot. I barely feel it. Landon makes an uncomfortable noise but goes right back to sleep. I smile a little.Lucky kid.

Another howl echoes through the night, much closer this time and I whirl to the sound of branches snapping. My senses might be muted, but I catch the foreign scent before a shadow pulls away from the tree trunk.

Beta Dean.

Gunfire echoes rapidly in the distance, excruciating screams filling the air. It's begun too early. Fuck. Tova's scheme must not have worked.

Finding Tova in the nursery after killing the guards outside might have been a surprise, but it was more a blessing. She handed me Landon. Told me she had noticed the red flare and knew I was coming. Had hugged me fiercely and made me promise to be safe. I hadn't. I had promised I would be back for her. For both of them.

"Hand the boy over," Dean orders, eyes searching behind me with calculation. When he realizes I'm alone, he smiles, assured that he can take on an Alpha drugged out of his mind.

He is a fool.

He doesn't make it past the first step before I have his jaw in my grasp, slamming his head down hard against a jagged stone. Bones crunch. Blood splatters. He doesn't rise again.

I pick up on the shuffle of more sets of feet, the foreign scent that follows, and I sigh.

Ten bodies later and a fresh pint of blood staining Landon's shawl, Baldwin's group finds me.

"You look worse for wear," Quinn says in a manner of greeting, jerking his chin towards the men behind him in a silent order and they disappear through the same path I came. "You haven't happened to see my silly sister around, have you? Father is losing his mind. Mother wouldn't let him come. Something about being too old to—" He notices Landon for the first time. "Why, hello there, little one."

I hadn't noticed the boy was awake, watching us with brilliant eyes. He giggles at Quinn like he is amused by him. Must be the new hair dye. It's green.

"What the fuck took you so long?" I ask, pushing Landon into his hands.

Quinn scrunches up his nose, holding Landon awkwardly. "After Seraphina left, the courts dipped into chaos, like she predicted. Helping Eric purge the traitors and maintain stability took more men and time than we estimated—where the fuck are you going? You can barely stand."

"Seraphina's still back there with him," I throw over my shoulder as I lean down, searching the dead guard for pistols. I find three and shuck them in my pocket. "If I don't make it back soon, it'll become a hostage situation. How many strong?"

"Enough," Quinn growls. "Eric's leading the left flank towards the Eastern entrance. I strongly advise you wait?—"

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