Page 59 of Luna's New Reign

Maverick sighs as we reach the pack house. “We need to get Kehlani tested. If there’s even a chance he could be infected with the serum, he needs to know. The least we can do is give him a choice.”

There’s not going to be a good choice. Either he loses his wolf after using the anti-serum or he lets it fester and then we have to kill him. One is a death sentence to himself and the other is a death sentence to his mates.

Just another problem that I have to add to everything else.

28

DARIUS

Nepheline is pacing.

Her bare feet move over the worn floor of the living room, her magic trailing behind her in restless tendrils, crackling like heat lightning in the air. I sit on the edge of her nest helpless as I watch her unravel right in front of me. Her eyes, dark as the midnight sky, flicker with something more dangerous than anger. It’s desperation.Hurt.

And I don’t know how to help her.

“Asani said the wolves were there, right?” she demands, her voice shaking. Her arms move as she speaks, hands curling into fists and releasing like she’s trying to keep her body from exploding with energy. “Locke was there. Isawhim. I felt him.”

“Bambi,” I start as I carefully choose my words. “You need to slow down.”

She snaps her head toward me, those starry eyes locking onto mine with such force that it feels like a punch to the chest. “Slow down?” she repeats, almost mocking. “My brother isout there,Darius! Out there withthem.At first, I thought it was in my head but Isawhim. You want me to slow down?”

The shadows of her magic pulse around her, brushing over the edge of the nest as if testing its boundaries. I want to stand, to approach her, todo something, but one wrong move might set her off.

“Nepheline.” I try again, softer this time. “We need to think this through.”

Her head tips back, a bitter laugh escaping her lips, but there’s no humor in it—just pain. “Think this through?” She spins to face me fully, hands trembling. “While we’rethinking, Locke could be—” Her voice cracks before she swallows hard, her expression hardening again. “He’s alive, Darius. He’s alive and you want me to sit here like I don’t know that?”

I push to my feet carefully, keeping my movements slow as if I’m approaching a cornered wolf. Because I basically am. “You’re not wrong,” I admit, stepping closer. “But you’re not alone in this either. We all want Locke back. We’ll get him back,together.”

“Together.” She spits the word like it’s acid, her magic flaring in response. “Then let’s go right now. Let’s—”

“Stop,” I cut in, sharper than I mean to. Her magic presses against me like a physical weight, but I don’t care. I take another step forward, holding her gaze. “You need to think about the baby.”

The moment the words leave my mouth, I regret them. Her magic freezes, the tendrils curling back toward her like smoke. The stillness that follows is dangerous. “Don’t you dare,” she whispers, her voice shaking with rage as she glares at me. “Don’t youdaresay that.”

“Nep—”

She cuts me off, pointing a trembling finger at me as tears pool in her starry eyes, her voice breaking. “Locke is mybrother. He’s more important than—”

“Neph!” Asani’s voice rings out before she can finish, his tone sharp but soft enough to pull her attention away from me.

I exhale hard, my hands falling uselessly to my sides as Asani strides across the room. He doesn’t hesitate, doesn’t wait for her to fight him off as he wraps his arms around her, pulling her tightly against his chest.

“Nepheline,” he murmurs, his voice steady and warm as she trembles against him. “Stop.”

She struggles at first, her hands pushing weakly against him, her voice muffled as she says, “Let me go, Asani. I need—”

“You need to breathe,” he says firmly, his voice dropping into something almost commanding. “You’re shaking, Neph. Look at me.Breathe.”

I sink back into the edge of the nest, guilt clawing its way up my throat as I watch her break in Asani’s arms. I shouldn’t have said it. I shouldn’t have—

“I hate this,” she whispers against Asani’s chest, her voice raw and small. “I hate all of this. I don’t understand why we pulled back. This doesn’t make any sense.”

I can already see this is going to be a point of contention, especially when the rest of her mates barrel through the door, each one looking worried and confused. Nepheline shimmies out of Asani’s arms, bringing up her thoughts once again.

For a moment, there’s just silence.

And then the chaos starts as everyone tries to tell Nepheline that she’s not going anywhere, that her health is more important. A small, selfish part of me feels better that I’m not going to be the only one to weather her wrath so I just sit back and watch as they fight our beautiful Luna. She’s definitely not going anywhere—we’ll all make sure of that.