Lunara’s POV
Chapter Twenty Five
“Keep your eyes closed,” Killian murmured softly behind me, his voice deep and husky with anticipation.
I groaned playfully, my bare toes curling into the soft moss beneath my feet. “Come on, just a peek?”
“No,” he chuckled. “So impatient for a Luna.”
I rolled my eyes behind the veil of darkness. “You’re lucky you’re cute.”
He huffed out a laugh. “Alright… open them.”
I blinked and gasped. We were standing on the cliffside of Blackstone Peak, overlooking the endless stretch of the moonlit valley. The clearing had been transformed–soft glowing orbs floated in the air like fireflies, illuminating a circle of white fur rugs and low stone tables laden with platters of roasted meats, forest berries, and goblets of moonflower wine. Glowing runes shimmered faintly in the stones around us–protective magic, old and powerful.
The scent of rosemary, meat, and magic wrapped around me. I turned to Killian, my Alpha, my former fake fiancé–and possibly something more. He stood there in dark robes, his dark hair tousled from the wind, eyes glowing faintly with his wolf’s golden light.
“Killian…” I breathed. “You did all this?”
He smirked, that familiar arrogance softening under my stunned gaze. “I may not cook, but I have omegas who owe me favors.”
I laughed, warmth blooming in my chest. “It’s beautiful.”
We sat on the rugs, our knees brushing as the night stretched before us. For the first time in weeks, there was no talk of territory wars, no whispers of betrayal or power plays. Just us. Killian refilled my goblet and watched me with an intensity that made my wolf stir.
As the moon rose high above, casting silver shadows over his face, Killian grew quiet. His fingers tapped idly on the goblet, brows furrowed as if battling something inside.
“I’ve been thinking,” he said at last, his voice unusually soft.
“I noticed.” I smiled, nudging him with my elbow. “It’s loud in there when you think too hard.”
He didn’t laugh this time. Instead, he turned to me fully, his wolf barely contained in his gaze.
“We were bonded under false pretenses,” he said, his jaw tense. “Our engagement–our alliance- it started as a way to get back at Ronan and Ashira. Revenge.”
I stiffened, lowering my goblet.
“I won’t lie. That’s how it started. But it’s not why I’m still here.”
His voice dropped lower, as though afraid the wind might carry his truth away. “I don’t want to pretend anymore. I don’t want this to be about her. Or him. Or anything else.” He looked me in the eye, raw and open. “I want to do it for real.”
I blinked, unsure I heard him right.
“You mean…?”
Chanter Twenty Four
3/3 85.7%
4:45 am 6
AM
“Marry me, he said, leaning forward, “No hidden agendas. No schemes, to war plans, Just you and me, Lunara”
My lips parted, stunned into silence. My heart raced as his wolf reached for mine, brushing the edges of my aura with a sincerity that made me tremble
He held up his hands. “You don’t have to say yes. Not now. But I need you to know–I’m not doing this because i need to. I’m doing it because i want to
His voice cracked, just slightly. “There’s something between us. I feel it. So does my wolf. And don’t want to lose it.”
The bond between us thrummed with something ancient and new all at once. I opened my mouth to speak–but then his comm device buzzed sharply at his waist,
Killian growled low in his throat, clearly annoyed. He ignored it the first time. But when it buzzed again, his jaw clenched,
“I’m sorry” he muttered, yanking it off his belt. He glanced at the screen–and stilled
My wolf sensed the shift in energy. Tension rolled off him in waves.
“Killian?” I asked, rising slowly to my fest.
He answered, “What?” His voice was sharp now, commanding
A long pause followed. His hands clenched into fists
‘How the hell did that happen?” he snarled,
My stomach dropped He ended the call, breathing hard. I stepped closer
‘What’s going on?”
He turned to me, his face grim. “Ashira escaped”
My heart plummeted. “What? How?”
‘We don’t know. The witch wardens guarding her were found unconscious. Someone used blood nagic.” His eyes burned with fury. “We underestimated her before, after she lured you into that rap. That won’t happen again.”
My thoughts spun in a thousand directions, Ashira had always been cunning–driven by jealousy, wisted by her own insecurities. Now she was free. And dangerous.
I have to go,” Killian said, but paused, looking back at me. His gaze softened. “This conversation
sn’t over”
And then he was gone, shifting mid–step into his wolf–a massive, sleek black beast–before lisappearing into the forest like a shadow.
Days passed, Ashira’s trail remained cold.
Cillian returned each night more restless, darker under the eyes, his wolf pacing beneath the surface. He barely slept, barely ate, always pouring over maps and old spellbooks, searching for
hint of her location.
How’s the search going?” I asked, handing him a steaming mug of wolf’s root tea.
de sighed, shaking his head. “Nothing. No trace. No scent. It’s like she vanished into the void.”
bit my lip. “What if she doesn’t want revenge anymore? Maybe she just wants to disappear?”
4:45 am
He scoffed, staring at me like I’d grown a second head. “You’ve known your sister longer than I have. Do you really believe she’s capable of letting go?”
I sighed, lowering my gaze. “No. I don’t.”
Just then, his comm buzzed again. He answered, tense–but this time, his expression changed. Eyes lit with hope. A smirk tugged at his lips.
“Good. I’ll be there shortly.”
He ended the call and turned to me with renewed energy. “We’ve found something–a trail.”
Relief and dread warred in my chest. “Be careful.” *
‘I’ll come back soon,” he said, brushing his lips against my forehead.
And then, once more, he shifted and vanished into the night, chasing danger… and leaving me with a heart full of fear–and something else.Hope.
