Rejected And Reborn As The Alpha King's Luna

Chapter 45: Corrupted Heart

POV: Thelma

The world was too bright, too loud, too much. Every sensation crashed into me with overwhelming intensity. The cold air on my skin felt like knives. The sound of Xavier's labored breathing was deafening. And underneath it all, a darker current pulled at me, whispering terrible things.

Drain him. Take his life force. He's weak. You could make him strong. Or you could consume him entirely.

Morgana's voice, coiled in my mind like a serpent.

"Thelma?" Xavier was trying to sit up, his face pale and blood-streaked. "Is it really you?"

I wanted to run to him. Every fiber of my being screamed to close the distance between us, to hold him, to feel his warmth and know he was alive. But I could feel the dark magic churning inside me, eager and hungry.

"Stay back." My voice came out strained. "Please, Xavier. Don't come near me."

He ignored me, of course. Pushed himself to his feet despite Luna's protests and stumbled toward me. The mate bond flared between us, stronger than ever, almost painful in its intensity.

"Xavier, no!" I held up my hands, backing away. "I'm not safe. The magic inside me, it wants—"

He reached me before I could finish. His hands cupped my face, and the moment his skin touched mine, everything exploded.

The dark magic surged, racing toward him through our connection. I felt it trying to pour into him, trying to drain his life force to feed the corruption inside me. Xavier gasped, his eyes going wide with pain.

I jerked away, breaking contact. My hands were shaking, the dark veins pulsing visibly beneath my skin.

"I told you to stay back," I said, my voice breaking. "I can't touch you. Can't touch any of you. The corruption, it wants to feed. And it will use me to do it."

"Thelma." Theo approached slowly, hands raised. "How are you feeling? Really feeling?"

Everything. I was feeling everything.

The joy of seeing them alive. The terror of what I'd become. The love I had for Xavier, so intense it hurt. And underneath it all, Morgana's hatred, her hunger, her centuries of dark desires bleeding into my consciousness.

"I can feel her," I said. "Morgana. She's not just magic inside me. She's consciousness, personality, will. She's trying to take control." I looked at my brother. "And sometimes, I can't tell where I end and she begins."

Luna stepped forward carefully. "The Oracle said you have two days. We need to get you to someone who can purge the corruption before—"

"Before I become her completely." I finished the thought. "Yes, I know. I can feel the timeline too. Feel her growing stronger inside me with each passing hour."

But even as I spoke, I felt something else. A pull, a direction. The dark magic knew where Morgana was, could sense her like a compass pointing north.

"The Blood Moon Temple," I said. "That's where she is. Where she's preparing the ritual."

"The Blood Moon Temple?" Elena's face went pale. "That's three days journey from here."

"Then we move fast." I started walking, keeping careful distance from the others. "We have forty-eight hours. Maybe less."

"Thelma, wait." Xavier fell into step beside me, not quite close enough to touch but near enough that I could feel the heat of his body. "We need a plan. We can't just charge in—"

"Why not?" I looked at him, and I knew my eyes were still glowing with that terrible dark light. "I have all of Morgana's power inside me. All her knowledge, her magic. I know her weaknesses because they're my weaknesses now. We find her, I confront her, and one of us doesn't walk away."

"And if the corruption takes you before we reach her?" Theo demanded. "If you become Morgana's puppet?"

"Then you kill me." The words came out flat, certain. "You kill me before I can hurt anyone else."

"Thelma—"

"Promise me, Theo." I stopped, turned to face him fully. "You're an Alpha now. Act like it. If I lose myself, if Morgana takes control, you end it. Quickly. Don't hesitate."

His face twisted with pain, but he nodded. "I promise."

The mate bond pulsed with Xavier's anguish. I could feel his love, his terror, his desperate refusal to accept that outcome. It hurt to feel it, but God, it was beautiful too. After the numbness, after the emptiness, feeling his emotions through our bond was like coming home.

"Xavier." I caught his gaze. "I need you to promise too."

"No." His voice was hard. "I won't promise to kill you."

"Then promise you'll let Theo do it. Promise you won't interfere."

"Thelma—"

"Please." My voice broke. "Please, I need to know you're safe from me. All of you. The things Morgana is whispering, the urges I'm fighting, they're getting stronger. And if I hurt you because you were too close, because you couldn't let go, I'll never forgive myself. Not even in death."

He stared at me for a long moment. Then, finally, he nodded. "I promise. But it won't come to that."

"You don't know that."

"Yes, I do." He smiled, though his eyes were bright with unshed tears. "Because you're the strongest person I know. You survived death, betrayal, a cursed heart. You'll survive this too."

I wanted to believe him. Wanted to feel his certainty. But Morgana's laughter echoed in my mind, mocking and cruel.

We started moving again, heading toward the Blood Moon Temple. The terrain was treacherous, but we pushed hard, eating up ground despite our injuries and exhaustion.

As we walked, I became aware of my emotions in a way I'd never been before. The curse had taken them away, and now having them back was like rediscovering parts of myself I'd forgotten existed.

I felt the love I had for Xavier, deep and consuming and precious. Felt the complicated bond with Theo, love mixed with regret for all the years we'd lost. Felt gratitude toward Luna for her help. Even felt a strange sympathy for Elena, carrying her guilt like a physical weight.

But I also felt Morgana's emotions. Her rage at being trapped. Her hunger for power and immortality. Her contempt for "lesser beings" and her willingness to destroy anything in her path.

Sometimes, the line between us blurred dangerously.

"Stop," I said suddenly. "I need a minute."

Everyone halted. Xavier stepped toward me, then caught himself.

"What's wrong?" Luna asked.