Page 74 of Luna's New Reign

And then I see it.

It’s crawling through a rip in the veil, slithering like oil over water—thick, black tendrils of magic devouring the shimmering threads of light that protect us. It’s not justdarkness.It’s alive. Hungry. Corrosive.

I swallow hard, my pulse pounding in my ears as I tighten my grip around Nepheline, who’s curled in my arms like she’s the only thing tethering me to this world. Her face is peaceful, even as magic crackles faintly over her skin, rising and falling like the rhythm of her breath.

“Not yet, sweetheart,” I whisper, brushing my lips against her hair. “Hold on just a little longer.”

She stirs faintly, her brow furrowing as if she can feel it too—the battle, the darkness, the thin thread of magic keeping everything from unraveling.

Because sheisthe magic. The veil pulses with every soft rise and fall of her chest, a faint hum of life that threads itself through every corner of the packlands. I can feel it now, clearer than ever—her power is the glue that holds it all together.

And if the magic dies…she dies with it.

The realization slams into me like a physical blow, stealing the breath from my lungs. I don’t knowhowI know, but I do, and it terrifies me more than anything I’ve ever felt in my life.

Through the mindlink, I hear Mateo’s snarl.>>> Push them back! Do not let them cross!

River’s growl follows, sharp and clipped.>>> The veil is holding, but barely. We need to end this before it tears completely.

Another voice—one of the previous Alphas from the pack of the Forbidden—grunts through the link, his tone heavy with exhaustion.>>> There are too many. How are they this strong?

I close my eyes briefly, steadying myself as I look through their eyes again—throughhereyes. Nepheline’s magic pulses brighter now, like the veil itself is trying to stitch the cracks back together. The threads shimmer, fragile but unyielding, as if she’s fighting alongside them even in her sleep.

“She’s fixing it,” I whisper to no one in particular, my chest tight as I brush my thumb across Nepheline’s cheek. “But it’s not enough.”

The magic pulses harder. The tendrils fight back. I see a shadow—him—lurking on the other side of the veil, his molten gold eyes gleaming like twin suns in the darkness. The First Alpha. He’s pushing against the barrier, clawing at it, trying topullher to him.

My pulse spikes. I can’t let this happen. Iwon’tlet this happen.

Through the mindlink, I push out with everything I have.>>> Keep fighting! The veil is holding, but if they break it, we lose everything.”

Mateo’s voice follows, steady as stone.“You heard him. Hold the line!”

The wolves fight harder. Their movements blur into one another—silver, black, red, and gray streaks of power and rage and desperation. They’re not just fighting for the pack. They’re fighting forher.

And then, finally, I feel it.

A ripple. A shift.

The magic surges, rushing through the veil like a tidal wave, and the darkness recoils, hissing as it’s forced back. The crack begins to close, the shimmering threads stitching themselves together with a burst of brilliant light.

I hold Nepheline tighter as she stirs again, her fingers twitching against my chest. “That’s it,” I whisper against her ear. “You’re doing it. Just a little more.”

The magic flares one last time, and the rip in the veil seals shut with a sound like thunder crashing through the night.

Silence.

I feel it—we all feel it.

The darkness is still there, lurking just beyond the edges of the packlands, but it’s been pushed back—for now. The bond goes quiet, filled only with the sound of exhausted breathing, of wolves limping back to their feet, of victory that doesn’t quite feel like a win.

Through River’s eyes, I see Mateo shift back into his human form, his chest heaving as he surveys the battlefield. “It’s not over,” he says, his voice carrying through the mindlink. “But we bought ourselves time.”

Time. That’s all it is. A reprieve. A single breath before the next storm hits.

I open my eyes slowly, staring down at Nepheline’s face as the magic around her settles again. Her expression softens, her breathing steady, and I let out a shaky breath of my own.

“You saved them,” I whisper, pressing my lips to her temple. “You savedus.”