Page 34 of Luna's New Reign

“Darius…” I begin softly, my voice breaking the quiet. “He doesn’t feel connected to the Sapphire wolves.”

Remi hums in acknowledgment, his chin resting against the top of my head. “Yeah. He mentioned that to Asani.”

I tilt my head back slightly, letting the words come slowly as I try to explain the thought that’s been circling my mind since yesterday. “I think I know why. It’s because of the way Betas work in a pack.”

Remi doesn’t say anything, just listens, and that’s what I need. It makes it easier to keep going.

“When a Beta joins a new pack, they cut ties to everything,” I continue. “Their family. Their old life. They adopt the Omega. Fully. Completely. They’re not just protectors, not really. They becomeours—they belong to the pack. That’s their role.” I pause, my gaze unfocused as my fingers trace faint patterns across the surface of the water. “It would explain why Darius doesn’t feel anything toward the Sapphire wolves. Even if he wants to, even if he remembers pieces of his life with them… his wolf already chose me.”

Remi hums again, his hands trailing gently over my arms. “I guess that makes sense. It probably makes it easier for him to do his job.”

“Yeah,” I murmur, falling into silence as my thoughts turn heavier. Easier. It’s easier to let go of who you were than to become someone else. But why does that thought make my chest ache?

The silence stretches again and for a while, I let myself relax against Remi. His breathing is steady, his presence grounding, but that uneasy feeling has started to crawl back into me. It’s faint at first, like an itch at the back of my mind.

And then I hear it.

A whisper.

Come here… heed my words… obey, and nothing else will go wrong.

The voice slithers through my head like a shadow, curling around my thoughts, dripping with something sinister. My body tenses instinctively, the soft crackle of magic whispering under my skin.

“Stop,” I mutter under my breath, squeezing my eyes shut.

Remi stiffens behind me. “Neph? What’s wrong?”

The voice grows louder, more insistent, as though it’s coming from everywhere and nowhere all at once.

Come here.

“Stop it,” I say again, my voice cracking as I bring my hands to my temples.

Remi shifts, his arms tightening around me as he tries to turn me to face him. “What are you doing?”

I shake my head violently, the tears welling up as the voice pushes deeper, clawing at me like a thousand little needles. “It’s in my head,” I choke out, my voice breaking. “Remi, there’s something wrong with me. The voice is back. I think the magic—” My words catch on a sob, the tears falling freely now. “The magic feels tainted. There’s somethingin me.” I’ve tried to keep that part on the down low but I’m sure all of my mates have figured it out and are just waiting for me to talk about it.

His hands are on my face, cupping my cheeks as he forces me to look at him. His emerald eyes are wild, desperate, as he searches mine. “There’s nothing wrong with you,” he says fiercely. “We’ll figure this out. Whatever it is—whatever’s happening—we’ll fix it. I swear to you, sunshine. We’ll protect you.”

But I’m not hearing him anymore.

The voice comes again, sharp and suffocating, like a cold wind scraping through my mind.

Come here.

And this time, there’s something else.

Another presence.

I feel it before I hear it—something dark and heavy, pulling at me, clawing its way through the whisper. And then, as if someone has dropped a stone into my chest, I know.

Locke.

My brother’s name bursts through my mind like a thunderclap, the presence of him unmistakable. The tears streaming down my face turn frantic as I gasp, clutching at Remi like he’s the only thing keeping me tethered to the ground.

“The voice has him!” I cry out, my body trembling violently as the cold seeps deeper into me. “It has Locke!”

Remi’s face pales, his hands steadying me even as panic flashes across his features. “What are you talking about? Who—who has him?”