Page 23 of Luna's New Reign

“I’ll talk to my Alphas,” I push out once I find my voice. The three of them bow as I close the door, my mates turning me around to address what just happened. Tears fill the corners of my eyes as I crumple to the ground, Darius dragging me into his lap. “I think I know where Locke is. If Ilara’s vision is right, if the pack of the Forbidden has this… weapon, then Locke might be tied to it. Undead wolves? What else could it be? And if that’s true, we have to find him.”

Neither of them say anything. They just hold me as the emotions brew and twist, the sorrow from losing Locke and the anger from finding out who was behind it—that it was just all part of fate. And now finding out someone is using him for their gain, I’m pissed.

No, I’m raging.

The last thing I hear is someone calling my name before my emotions take over.

Locke is not a fucking weapon. He’s my brother. He’smineand no one is going to fucking use him for their gain.

14

REMI

The cool air settles over my skin, the warmth of Mateo and Asani’s wolf pressed against me like a protective cocoon. Asani’s fur brushes against my arm, while Mateo’s steady breaths tickle the back of my neck. I lay between them, staring up at the reds and oranges that stretch endlessly above us as the sun rises. The world feels still, the tension from earlier fading into the quiet comfort of the moment.

River stands a few feet away, his broad frame silhouetted against the faint glow of the packlands’ veil in the distance. He’s scanning the darkened forest, always vigilant. He’s Mateo’s true guard, the one who keeps us all safe, even when the rest of us let our guards down.

A grin tugs at my lips as I prop myself up on my elbows, watching him. “You know, you’re allowed to relax sometimes,” I tease.

River glances at me, his expression softening just slightly. “Someone has to make sure we’re not ambushed while you’re out here playing pillow fort.”

I laugh, the sound light but genuine, and crawl out from between Mateo and Asani. The cool grass brushes against my knees as I make my way over to River, settling beside him with a quiet sigh. For a moment, neither of us speaks. The silence is comfortable, filled only by the distant rustle of leaves and the occasional chirp of a bird call.

“It’s been a hell of a few months,” I finally say.

“That’s an understatement.”

I let out a shaky breath, leaning back on my hands. “I still can’t believe she’s here. Alive. There were nights when I thought…” My voice trails off, the memory too raw to finish.

“When you thought we’d never see her again,” River finishes for me.

I nod, my throat tightening. “And now? Now it’s like she’s more alive than she ever was before. Stronger. Fiercer. But it’s terrifying, too. Like we’re always one breath away from losing her again.”

River shifts beside me, his hand coming to rest lightly on my shoulder. “We won’t lose her,” he says, his voice filled with quiet conviction. “Not again.”

His words should comfort me, but they don’t. Instead, a sudden pang of disappointment hits me square in the chest, sharp and unexpected. It’s followed almost immediately by a surge of fury so intense it steals my breath.

Something is wrong.

I sit up straighter, my heart pounding as I reach out through the mindlink.

>>> Nepheline?

Nothing.

The silence is deafening, the bond that should hum with her presence eerily quiet. I try again, my pulse racing.

>>> Sunshine, are you there?

Still nothing.

Then, I hear Darius’s voice.

>>> Come home.

The words are soft but urgent, carrying through the mindlink like a beacon. I’m on my feet before I even realize I’ve moved, the urgency in Darius’s voice lighting a fire under my skin. “Something’s wrong,” I cry.

River doesn’t ask questions. He’s already moving, his hand brushing against mine briefly as he shifts into his wolf, his dark coat blending seamlessly with the shadows. Mateo and Asani are awake now, their sharp eyes fixed on me as I explain quickly. “Darius. He said, ‘come home.’ I can’t reach Nepheline through the link.”