The Rogue Luna

Chapter 15 – Blood and Ash

Aria's Pov

The morning after the fight with the hunters, I woke up sore all over. My arms ached when I moved, and my palms still burned where glass had cut into them. My sleep had been broken and restless, as I kept seeing knives flashing in the dark, men’s voices shouting, and Caleb’s growl shaking. I told myself the worst had passed, that the day would give me a little peace. But I was wrong.

When I reached the tavern, Jonas was standing by the door, already dressed to go out. His coat was on, and his hair was still damp, like he had washed in a rush.

“Morning,” he said, tugging at his boots. “Got to run for supplies." Won’t be back till evening.”

I blinked at him. “So early?”

“Best time to get what I need,” he answered. Then he looked at me. “I need you to stay here and watch the place.”

“Me?” I asked, pointing at myself like he might be joking.

You don’t have to pour drinks or anything. Just keep the fire going, maybe sweep a little. If someone comes by, tell them Jonas will be back later. Think you can do that?”

I hesitated. My first thought was no. I didn’t know how to run anything, not even for a few hours. But another thought pushed back. Being inside the tavern all day, with thick walls and no hunters in sight, sounded safer than wandering the streets. So I nodded.

Jonas gave me a quick pat on the shoulder. “Good girl.” Then he pulled the door open and stepped out.

The tavern grew quiet the moment he left. Without the hum of voices, the clink of mugs, or the sound of his footsteps moving around, the space felt hollow.

I busied myself sweeping the floor, wiping the counter, and stacking mugs. Anything to keep myself from thinking too much. My body still hurt, and part of me wished I could just crawl back to bed. But I kept moving.

Hours passed. The silence felt heavy, but nothing happened. For a while, I thought maybe the day would slip by without trouble.

Then I heard it.

A growl.

At first, I thought I had imagined it. Maybe it was the fire popping, or a dog out on the street. But then it came again, louder, and deeper. The sound seemed to vibrate through the walls, making the wood under my hand tremble.

I froze. My heart kicked up fast.

Slowly, I walked toward the door. My fingers shook as I pushed it open and peeked outside.

The street looked empty. But then a shape moved in the corner of my vision. From the shadows, something stepped forward.

A wolf.

Not like Caleb, not like the wolves from my pack. This one was… wrong. Its fur was patchy and dirty. Its ribs were stuck out like sharp bones under its skin. Its eyes glowed red and wild. The way it moved made my stomach twist—jerky, and twitching like something broken inside it was forcing it forward.

A rogue.

My knees almost gave out. Fear flooded me so fast I could hardly breathe. I slammed the door shut; my heart was pounding in my throat. Almost instantly, the wood shook as the wolf slammed into it from the other side.

Think, Aria. Do not freeze.

I grabbed the heaviest ale bottle I could find. My hands were sweating as I wrapped both palms around it. The wolf hit the door again, hard enough to c***k the frame. Snarling and scratching, it clawed at the wood.

The door split. A piece of the plank broke, and through the gap I saw part of its face.

My arms were shaking as I lifted the bottle, ready to swing.

Then another growl came. Not the rogue’s.

It was deeper, louder, and familiar.

Caleb.

He came from the side alley, slamming into the rogue with so much force that the wall rattled. The two wolves hit the ground in a blur of claws, fur, and snapping teeth.

I stumbled back against the counter, clutching the bottle like it was the only thing keeping me alive. Caleb was fast, his strikes were sharp and brutal, but the rogue didn’t move like a normal wolf. It twisted and snapped as though pain meant nothing to it.

Then I saw blood.

Caleb’s side split open under the rogue’s claws. Blood spilled down his shirt. He gritted his teeth, still pushing forward, but I saw the way his body faltered.

“No!” The word came out of me.

I ran forward and smashed the bottle against the rogue’s shoulder. The beast snarled, jerking its head toward me with a wild roar.

“Over here!” I shouted, scrambling for another bottle. My voice cracked, but I forced it louder. I couldn’t let fear pin me to the ground.

The rogue lunged toward me. But before it could reach me, Caleb dragged it down again. They hit a table, breaking it apart with a crash. Wood splintered and scattered across the floor.

I grabbed another bottle and hurled it. It hit the rogue’s back, bursting apart. My hands shook, but I didn’t stop. Bottle after bottle, whatever I could reach, I threw. I screamed, shouted, did anything to split its focus.

Caleb’s roar shook the air as he slammed the rogue down with a final strike. The beast staggered, panting raggedly. Its eyes burned with hate, but then something in it broke. It whimpered, shifted into a filthy, broken man, and stumbled backward into the street. Then it was gone.

Silence filled the tavern.

The place was destroyed, the chairs were broken, the bottles were shattered, and blood smeared across the floorboards. My hands still gripped a shard of glass, my whole body shaking like it didn’t know how to stop.

Caleb leaned against the counter. His breathing was hard, and one hand pressed onto his bleeding side. His face was pale, but his eyes stayed clear.

“You’re hurt,” I said, running to him. My voice came out sharp and panicked.

He gave a small, weak laugh. “You should see the other guy.”

“Don’t joke.” I tore a strip from my sleeve and pressed it into his wound. Blood soaked through quickly. My hands trembled as I held the fabric tight.

He winced but didn’t move away.

My throat tightened. My chest hurt. “I thought I’d lose you.”

“You won’t,” he said, his voice was rough but steady.

For a moment, we just looked at each other. His eyes locked on mine, steady even through the pain. My hands were pressed to his side, warm with his blood.

“You stayed,” he said finally. His voice was quiet, almost like he didn’t believe it.

“I couldn’t run,” I whispered.

His lips curved into the faintest smile. “And you fought." You didn’t freeze.”

The words hit me harder than I wanted. I thought of the bottles smashing, my own voice shouting, and the way I kept moving even when fear clawed at me. I hadn’t stood aside. I hadn’t let him fight alone.

Hours later, Jonas returned. By then, the tavern looked whole again. Tables were upright, bottles were replaced, and the floor was spotless. People filled the space, drinking and laughing like nothing had happened.

Because Caleb had fixed it.

I had seen wolves with speed and strength, but never like this. He had pressed his hand onto the broken wood, and the splinters pulled back together. He swept his hand across the floor, and the shards of glass disappeared. When he was done, it was as if the fight had never touched the tavern at all.

I sat in my usual corner, trumpet in hand, playing while humans clapped and raised their mugs, never knowing how close death had come to their table.

But I knew.

That night, lying in bed, I couldn’t escape the memory. The growl, the blood, and Caleb’s voice saying I was stronger than I thought.

And for the first time, I believed him.