Moonlight Awakening

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

16: The Bond’s Cry

The cavern pulsed with an eerie energy, the torches flickering wildly as the hooded figures continued their ritual chant. Elena’s wrists burned where the chains dug into her skin, but she barely noticed. Her mind raced, grasping for any way to escape before the Blood Moon reached its zenith.

Marcus stood with his back to her, his hands outstretched toward the glowing symbols carved into the stone floor. The moon’s power was gathering, swirling in the air like an invisible storm, thick and heavy with potential.

Elena sucked in a sharp breath, focusing inward. She could feel something within her, something ancient and primal. It had always been there, buried deep, waiting to be awakened.

She closed her eyes, blocking out the cavern, blocking out Marcus’s voice, and reached for that hidden strength.

Then—

A roar shattered the night.

The air trembled as the sound reverberated through the stone walls. The chanting faltered. The torches flickered.

Marcus spun around, his smirk vanishing.

"No," he whispered. "Not yet."

A second roar, closer this time.

Elena’s heart leaped.

Kieran.

The bond between them flared to life, burning hot in her chest. She could feel his rage, his desperation, his singular focus—her.

The cavern shook as something massive slammed against the entrance. Dust rained down from the ceiling. The hooded figures scattered, their murmurs turning to cries of alarm.

Then the gate exploded.

Kieran burst through the opening in his wolf form, black fur matted with sweat and dust. His golden eyes locked onto Elena, and for a single heartbeat, everything else disappeared.

Then chaos erupted.

The robed cultists lunged forward, their bodies shifting, twisting into monstrous shapes as they attacked. Kieran snarled, ripping through them with a fury unlike anything Elena had ever seen.

Lila was right behind him, her silver fur flashing as she took down two wolves in a single leap. The rest of the Blackwood pack stormed into the cavern, howls and battle cries filling the air.

Elena struggled against her chains, her breath coming in sharp gasps. She needed to help, needed to fight.

"Hold on!" Kieran growled, dodging a lunging attacker.

But Marcus was already moving.

With unnatural speed, he closed the distance between them, grabbing Elena by the throat. She gasped, her legs kicking as he lifted her from the altar.

Kieran froze.

"One more step," Marcus hissed, his claws pressing against Elena’s pulse. "And I snap her neck."

The cavern fell silent.

Kieran’s breath was ragged, his muscles coiled with tension. The other wolves circled cautiously, their eyes locked on Marcus.

Elena felt the heat of Marcus’s grip searing into her skin, but she forced herself to remain still.

Then she saw it—the dagger at Marcus’s belt.

Her fingers twitched.

She didn’t think. She acted.

With all the strength she had left, she swung her head back, smashing her skull into Marcus’s face. He roared in pain, his grip loosening just enough.

Elena wrenched free.

Her fingers closed around the dagger.

And with a scream, she drove it into his side.

Marcus staggered, his eyes wide with shock.

Then Kieran was there, shifting mid-lunge. His claws tore into Marcus’s chest, sending him crashing to the ground.

The Blood Moon reached its peak.

And Elena felt the power within her ignite.

Her body trembled as a wave of energy surged through her, stronger than anything she had ever felt. The mark on her collarbone blazed with silver light, filling the cavern with a glow that sent shadows skittering.

Marcus gasped, his body convulsing. His blood stained the altar, seeping into the glowing symbols.

The ritual