THE REJECTED LUNA

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 8

The wolves burst from the dark edge of the ruins. Their eyes glowed yellow in the low firelight. I jumped to my feet fast. My heart slammed hard against my ribs. Dust kicked up under their paws as they ran straight at us. Kade moved first. He stepped in front of me and met the first wolf with a hard shove. The wolf flew sideways and hit a stone pillar.

I turned quick. Another wolf leaped at me from the left. Its teeth flashed white. I dropped low and rolled away. Dirt got into my mouth. I spat it out and pushed back up. My legs shook for a second but held. The wolf spun around and came again. This time I did not run. I stepped forward and slammed my shoulder into its side. It stumbled back with a yelp.

Stay close to the ground, Nythera said inside my head. Her voice stayed steady. Use their speed against them.

More wolves poured in. Five. Six. I lost count in the dark. Kade fought two at once. His fists moved fast. One wolf bit at his arm but he twisted free and kicked it hard in the ribs. I heard bones c***k. The sound made my stomach turn but I kept moving. A big wolf came at me low. Its shoulder hit my leg and knocked me sideways. Pain shot through my knee. I landed on one hand and scrambled up.

Kade yelled over the noise. “Back to the arch! Use the stones!”

I ran toward the tall broken arch. My breath came short and fast. Wolves chased right behind me. One snapped at my heel. Its teeth grazed my boot. I reached the arch and ducked behind a fallen pillar. The stone felt cold against my back. I peeked out. Two wolves circled the other side. Their growls filled the air.

They hunt as a pack, Nythera said. Break their line.

I took a deep breath. My hands pressed flat on the stone. The silver light came back around my fingers. It glowed brighter this time. I stepped out fast. The first wolf lunged. I dropped to one knee and drove my elbow up into its jaw. The hit made its head snap back. It fell to the side. The second wolf jumped over its friend. I turned and caught its front legs. We rolled together on the ground. Dirt and rocks dug into my back. I kicked hard with both feet and pushed it off me.

Kade appeared beside me. He grabbed one wolf by the neck and threw it into another. They crashed together and stayed down. “You okay?” he asked quick. Blood ran from a cut on his cheek.

I nodded. My knee throbbed but I could stand. “More are coming,” I said. My voice sounded rough.

We backed up together toward the center of the ruins. The fire we made earlier still burned low. Shadows danced wild on the stones. Three more wolves came from the trees. They moved slower this time. Careful. Like they learned from the others. One was bigger than the rest. Its shoulders looked heavy. Scars marked its face. It stared right at me and growled low.

The bond flared hot in my chest all at once. Drax. I felt him sharp and clear. He stood somewhere far away but the connection pulled tight. His wolf Varkon pushed forward. Anger rolled through the bond. Not just at me. At the wolves attacking. At the mess he could not control. His hands slammed down on something hard. The sound echoed in my head.

He knows,Nythera whispered. He feels the hunt.

I shook the feeling off. No time to think about Drax now. The big wolf charged. Its paws pounded the ground. I planted my feet wide. When it jumped I stepped to the side at the last second. My hands grabbed its fur. I used its own weight and swung it around. It hit the ground hard on its back. The air left its lungs in a whoosh.

Kade took down another one. He moved smooth and fast. But the wolves kept coming. A smaller one slipped past him and ran straight at me. Its claws raked across my arm. Hot pain burned down my skin. Blood welled up fast. I hissed through my teeth and kicked it away.

My arm stung bad. Warm blood dripped onto the ground. I pressed my hand over the cuts. The silver light glowed under my palm. The pain eased a little.

We heal faster now, Nythera said. But we still bleed.

Kade pulled me behind a half-broken wall. “They want you,” he said. His breathing was heavy. “Not me. This is not random.”

I nodded. My heart still raced. “The Council. They want me gone for good.”

We stayed low. The wolves circled the wall. Their eyes glowed in the dark. Growls mixed with the crackle of the dying fire. One wolf jumped on top of the wall. It looked down at us with teeth bared. Kade shoved me aside and met it head on. They fell together on the other side. Sounds of fighting filled the night.

I stood up alone for a second. My legs felt weak but I locked my knees. The bond pulled again. Stronger. Drax’s worry mixed with rage now. He paced faster. His voice barked orders somewhere far away. I felt the words even if I could not hear them. “Find her. End this.”

My hands shook. Not from fear. From the power building inside. Nythera pressed forward hard. Silver light glowed brighter around me. It lit up the stones nearby. The wolves stopped circling. They stared at the light. One stepped back. Then another.

They feel it too, Nythera said. Stand tall.

I stepped out from the wall. My back straightened. My chin lifted. Blood still ran down my arm but I did not hide it. The big scarred wolf faced me again. It lowered its head and growled. But it did not charge right away. Its eyes flicked to the light around me.

Kade came back. He stood next to me. His shirt was torn. Fresh blood marked his shoulder. “Now,” he said quiet. “Show them.”

I took one step forward. The wolves watched every move. My heart beat loud in my ears. The silver light grew until it touched the ground around my feet. One wolf whined and backed up. The big one held its ground but its ears flattened.

Suddenly a new sound cut through the night. A loud howl rose from the trees beyond the ruins. It was not from these wolves. It sounded deeper. Stronger. More wolves answered from far away. The pack attacking us froze. Their heads turned toward the sound.

The big wolf looked at me one last time. Its eyes narrowed. Then it turned and ran into the dark with the others following fast. They disappeared between the stones.

Silence fell over the ruins. Only the low crackle of the fire remained.

Kade wiped blood from his face. “That was not the end,” he said. “That howl… it was a call back.”

I stared at the dark trees. My arm still bled. My knee throbbed. But inside me Nythera stayed calm. The bond tugged one more time. Drax felt everything. His anger burned hot. But under it I felt something new. Fear.

He is coming, Nythera said. Not just his wolves. Him.

My stomach dropped. I looked at Kade. Before I could speak, another sound rose. Footsteps. Heavy. Coming from the opposite side of the ruins. Not wolves this time. Something bigger.

Kade tensed beside me. “Get ready,” he whispered.

A shadow moved between the pillars. Tall. Human shape but not fully human. Eyes glowed silver in the dark. The figure stepped into the open. Moonlight hit his face.

It was Drax.