Chapter 1: Prequel
It’s the final battle, and it seems as though all is lost. Bodies lie on the ground, cold and still, life no longer remains. The wind whistles and sings all around the night air. It feels as if time has slowed down, and this very moment has been frozen in time.
The moon shines bright in the sky, illuminating the battle that has passed. All that remains is the Luna Stella Knight, her goddess-gifted guardian, Terra Knight, and the Dark Lord.
Much has come to pass in the past five years. It all has led up to this very moment, the moment that would change the lives of so many.
Ava was forced to retreat before she was lost forever. The battle is lost, and the war just might be too.
Stella stands frozen over her mates’ bodies. Pain and grief are all that she can feel. Part of her has died, and she is left cold and empty. “It should have worked.” She repeats to herself.
The sword of light was finally found. They should have been able to defeat the Dark Lord at long last. “Stella, we must go now! He’s coming!” Terra yells to her friend.
Stella cannot hear Terra in her sudden grief. Stuck in her mind, she is angry and confused. They did everything right. The weilded the Sword of light, how could they lose?
“Three shall fall.” A familiar voice says to Stella. She’s heard this voice before. Stella shakes her heard not wanting to believe this was fate. ‘What was the point?’ She wonders.
Ryder, Noah, and Jonah are gone, and she is still here, meant to be the Dark Lord’s vessel. ‘Is this really my fate?’ Stella wonders. Was this really what the Goddess had planned for her?
“Trust in your faith.” The Goddess speaks to Stella once more. Stella’s faith has been shaken to the core, but she refuses to be swayed. She must trust in the Goddess that this is not the end. But if her triplet mates are not the ones to wield the sword, then who is?
Nothing is as it seemed. Stella looks up at Terra, “Let him come.” With a new understanding that her mates’ fate has been met, and her destiny is not over. Three remain to complete her destiny.
She was always meant to pave the path to victory. Her children were always meant to wear the crown of victory in this war. The battle has been lost, but the war has yet to be won.
Meanwhile, in the Moon Rider Pack, A woman named Lisa Carlisle lies in a hospital bed full of anguish and pain. Betrayed by her own sister, she is now forced to give birth to her child prematurely.
“Levi! Please believe me, just this once?” Lisa screams so her awaiting mate outside the room can hear her. Tears stream down her cheeks, filled with emotions she never thought she’d feel on the day of her daughter’s birth.
Little does she know the importance of tonight and what her daughter’s birth will bring. Without her knowing, her path has been paved.
Stella accepts her fate to pave the path for her children. Five years ago, she gave birth to three beautiful boys. Those three boys are the only thing left that is pushing her to fight.
Stella feared the worst and made her brother promise that no matter what happened, he would keep her boys safe. And so he did, he took them to his pack where they’d be safe. Decan hated to leave his sister, but even he knew they were their future, and someone needed to be there to guide them.
With the Dark Lord nearing Terra and Stella, allow him to come closer. Without saying a word, the two friends know what the other is thinking. They have explored their powers through the years and learned to use them together.
The Dark Lord comes face-to-face with Stella. Seconds before the Dark Lord can take her as his vessel, Stella uses her wind element to blow the water from the lake. She forces the wind to blow the water around them like a tornado.
Terra creates a shield around Stella and the Dark Lord, keeping the water and wind Stella is controlling. This catches the Dark Lord off guard for a second, but it isn’t long before he is back in control.
What the Dark Lord doesn’t know is that the wind isn't just any wind but arctic winds. The Dark Lord grabs Stella forcefully and kisses her on the lips. In doing so, he transfers himself into Stella.
Everything goes still. Silence is all that can be heard, not even the whistling from the wind. Only the faint cry of a newborn baby is heard, almost like a spirit of hope.
Stella’s body with the Dark Lord’s essence within her is frozen before he can do anything. They stand frozen in ice in the middle of the clearing in the woods. Terra is suddenly struck by a light as if from the gods themselves. This light trapped her in amber.
Silence and despair are all that remain in these woods. A child born on this night may bring back what was once lost.