Page 79 of Luna's New Reign

The wolves exchange glances, their gazes flicking between me and each other. I can feel their hesitation, their doubt. It’s thick in the air, clinging to us like a storm waiting to break.

Bo steps forward first, his chin lifting as he meets my gaze. >>> We’re with you, Alpha.

Elias nods, his head bowing. >>>To the end.

One by one, the wolves affirm their loyalty, their resolve hardening as they stand taller. Even the Alphas from the pack of the Forbidden nod silently, their expressions unreadable but firm.

I exhale slowly, nodding.>>> Then let’s move.

The air changes as we officially pass through the veil heading north, the magic behind us fading into something colder, sharper. The forest feels alive in the worst way, the shadows stretching too far, the sounds too quiet. It’s like the world itself is holding its breath, waiting for something to snap.

>>> It’s spreading,Maverick says through the link, his voice strained.>>> The darkness… it’s crawling across the ground, consuming everything in its path.

My chest tightens as I pick up the pace, my wolf bristling beneath my skin. >>> Stay above it. Don’t get too close.

>>> You think I’m crazy?Maverick quips, but there’s no humor in his voice.

The group moves together, their steps silent but purposeful. Every crack of a branch, every rustle of leaves feels amplified, my senses on high alert as we push deeper into the forest.

Then I feel it.

A ripple. A shift.

The bond trembles faintly, like a warning shot across my mind. My wolf growls low, a deep, guttural sound that vibrates through my chest as the darkness thickens around us.

>>> We’re close,Asani murmurs, his eyes scanning the trees.

The air thickens as we approach, the stench of decay mingling with something colder, fouler—an unnatural energy that claws at my senses. The darkness here isn’t just an absence of light; it’s a living, breathing thing, wrapping itself around us like anunwelcome embrace. It pulls at my wolf, suffocating, trying to drag us under.

No one speaks. Even through the mindlink, the bond feels strained, every wolf focused on the task ahead. As we near the edge of what used to be a boundary between safety and chaos, I feel the first ripple of it—an oppressive weight pressing down on my chest, slowing my steps.

>>> Stay together,I murmur through the link, my voice tight.

The trees around us twist unnaturally, their branches reaching out like claws. The ground beneath my feet feels brittle, as though it might crack open and swallow us whole.

Then we see it.

The remnants of what might have once been a pack settlement lie ahead, though now it’s nothing more than a scar on the land. Barred cages line the perimeter, their jagged edges rusted and coated with something that reeks of blood and suffering. Inside the cages are wolves—or what’s left of them. Their forms are grotesque, twisted by the serum into something unrecognizable. Some are missing fur, their exposed skin raw and mottled, while others are unnaturally bloated or gaunt, their eyes glowing faintly with a sickly light. Ghastly howls echo through the clearing, mournful and filled with rage, sending a shiver down my spine.

>>> These must be the ones who used the first version of the serum.Asani says softly from beside me, his tone hollow. He doesn’t need to explain. These wolves are the experiments that didn’t work—abominations to nature, discarded like broken toys when they couldn’t serve their purpose.

The anti-serum we brought with us will kill them—there’s no saving wolves like this—but it’s better than leaving them to rot in these cages, their bodies and minds consumed by the serum.>>> Give them mercy,I command.

Two Beta Nightshade wolves carrying the anti-serum step forward strapped to their backs slowly slide off the straps and then shift to their human form. They both grab the short-barreled guns primed with enough shots to take down an army before aiming into the cages. I push forward, searching for any sign of Locke. To my relief, he isn’t here.

The cries that follow are horrific, echoing through the clearing like the wails of the damned. My wolf bristles beneath my skin, torn between the instinct to run and the need to fight.

Then, silence.

I exhale shakily, forcing myself to meet the gazes of the wolves who’ve completed the task. There’s no pride in their eyes, only a grim understanding of what had to be done.

We push deeper into the darkness, the weight of it dulling my senses, and I can feel it in the bond—every wolf struggling under the same crushing force. The shadows move around us, twisting and coiling like they’re alive, and the low growl of wolves in the distance sends a chill racing down my spine.

>>> They’re here,Maverick says.

I glance up, catching a glimpse of his crow form circling above us, his sharp eyes scanning the path ahead. The growls grow louder as we approach, a guttural, bone-deep sound that vibrates through the air. Then, out of the darkness, they emerge.

The wolves are massive, their forms rippling with unnatural strength. Their fur is slick with something dark and oily, their eyes glowing with that same sickly light as the ones in the cages. But these wolves are not broken. These are the successful experiments—the true super wolves.