Rejected And Reborn As The Alpha King's Luna

Chapter 49: The Possession Fight

POV: Theo

My sister was dying in front of me. Not from wounds or poison, but from the inside out as Morgana's consciousness consumed her piece by piece.

"There has to be another way," I said, blocking Kael's path. "We're not killing her."

"Then you're killing everyone else," Kael replied coldly. "When Morgana takes full control, she'll open the demon portal. Millions will die. Your sister is already gone, boy. Accept it."

"She's not gone!" I could feel her through our twin bond, a flickering flame fighting against the dark. "She's still in there, still fighting."

"For how long?" Kael demanded. "You heard the message. One hour. Maybe less."

Thelma fell to her knees, clutching her head. "Theo, please. It hurts. She's everywhere. I can't, I can't hold her back much longer."

The Oracle stepped forward, her blind eyes somehow seeing everything. "There is one way. A dangerous way. But it might work."

"Tell us," Xavier said immediately.

"The twin bond." Cassandra looked at me. "Theo can enter Thelma's mindscape, find her consciousness in the chaos, and help her fight Morgana from within. While he does that, Kael performs an exorcism on her physical body."

"Exorcism?" Luna moved closer to Thelma protectively. "That will tear her apart."

"Yes," Cassandra said simply. "It will hurt more than anything she's ever experienced. But if Theo can keep her anchored, keep her fighting, she might survive it."

"Might?" Xavier's voice was sharp.

"There are no guarantees. Morgana's consciousness is deeply embedded. Ripping it out could destroy Thelma's mind completely. Or she could survive but lose herself in the process." The Oracle's expression was grave. "But it's the only chance she has."

I looked at my sister, my twin, the girl I'd spent twenty-three years hating for something that wasn't her fault. Dark veins covered her skin completely now, pulsing with Morgana's corruption. Her eyes flickered between glowing purple and their natural color.

"How do I enter her mind?" I asked.

"Blood magic. A twin bond ritual." Cassandra gestured to the ritual circle. "Lay her in the center. Cut your palm and press it to hers. I'll speak the words. The bond will do the rest."

"And if it doesn't work?"

"Then you'll both die, consciousness trapped together while Morgana consumes you both." She smiled that terrible smile. "No pressure."

I knelt beside Thelma. "Hey, Thel. I need you to listen to me."

Her eyes focused on my face, and I saw the fear there. The exhaustion. The desperate hope that this nightmare would end.

"I'm going to come inside your head," I said. "We're going to fight her together. You and me. Twins against the world, right?"

"Theo." Her voice was barely a whisper. "I'm scared."

"I know. Me too." I helped her to her feet, guided her to the ritual circle. "But we're going to do this anyway. Because that's what our family does. We fight."

Xavier caught Thelma's hand before I could lay her down. Through their mate bond, I saw the connection flare, saw the love they had for each other burning bright.

"Come back to me," he said. "We have a life to live together. Children to have. Years to spend annoying each other. Don't you dare let that witch take that from us."

"I'll try," Thelma promised. Then she looked at me. "I'm ready."

I laid her down in the center of the circle. Her body was shaking, the corruption fighting her every second. Kael moved to stand at her head, his hands beginning to glow with exorcism magic.

"This is going to hurt," he warned. "Both of you."

"Just do it," I said.

Cassandra handed me a knife. I cut my palm without hesitation, then took Thelma's hand and cut hers. Our blood mixed, hot and red, and the twin bond roared to life.

The Oracle began to chant.

The world dissolved.

I was falling through darkness, tumbling through memories and nightmares. Images flashed past me. Thelma as a child, laughing with parents she thought were hers. Thelma discovering the truth. Thelma dying from poison. Thelma waking up with a second chance.

Pain. So much pain. Every betrayal, every loss, every moment of agony she'd endured in two lifetimes.

Then I landed.

I was standing in a twisted version of our parents' house. The walls were bleeding, the furniture rotting. And in the center of the room stood two figures.

Thelma, looking small and exhausted.

And Morgana.

The witch appeared as a beautiful woman with dark hair and cruel eyes. She circled Thelma like a predator, whispering in her ear.

"Why keep fighting?" Morgana said, her voice honeyed and persuasive. "You're so tired, little Alpha. So broken. All those betrayals, all that pain. Wouldn't it be easier to just let go? Let me take over. I'll use your body well. I'll make them all pay for what they did to you."

"No," Thelma said, but her voice was weak.

"Yes." Morgana smiled. "Think about it. No more pain. No more fear. No more responsibility. Just rest. Eternal rest. You've earned it, haven't you? After everything you've suffered?"

I saw Thelma waver, saw the temptation in her eyes. And I understood. She was exhausted. Not just physically, but soul-deep tired. The weight of two lifetimes, of constant betrayal and suffering, was crushing her.

"Thelma," I called out.

Both figures turned to look at me. Morgana's expression turned furious. "You. The twin. You don't belong here."

"Wrong. This is my sister's mind, which means I absolutely belong here." I walked toward them, keeping my eyes on Thelma. "And I'm not letting you have her."

"Theo?" Thelma's voice was small. "You shouldn't be here. It's not safe."

"Nowhere's safe. Might as well be somewhere useful." I stood beside her, facing Morgana. "You know what I realized? I wasted twenty-three years hating you for being born first. For carrying the Alpha gift. For being the one our parents loved."

"Theo—"

"Let me finish." I kept talking, kept my eyes on my sister. "I was wrong. About all of it. You didn't steal anything from me. You didn't choose to be born first or to carry that power. And our parents, they would have loved us both equally if they'd had the chance."

Morgana laughed. "How touching. But it changes nothing. She's mine now."