The Injured Luna

Lunas Visions

Chapter 21

Anna’s Point of View

The ground trembled beneath my feet as I rose from my trance, still gripping the threads of the vision. My pulse was racing, my mind spinning with the chaos of the night’s discoveries. Candace and the others had rescued the boy, but something gnawed at me. The marsh girl—she had vanished into thin air. And the shadow figure, who had come for them, still lingered in my senses, like a dark stain on my soul.

"Anna?" Lacy’s voice was gentle, but there was a sharp edge to it. "Are you with me?"

I blinked, bringing myself back into the present, but the ache of the connection remained. That dark figure—the collector—hadn’t just been hunting the gifted children. He’d been marking them, preparing them for something far worse than just capture.

"I'm fine," I said, my voice unsteady as I rubbed my temples. "But I can't shake it, Lacy. He's still out there. Watching us."

The others were gathered around, waiting for the next move. Richard stood beside me, his brow furrowed with concern, but there was something else behind his eyes—an urgency. I could feel his power, the protective, alpha energy that surged in him. He wasn’t just worried about the boy anymore. He was worried about me.

"He'll come for them again," I said softly, meeting his gaze. "And when he does, we won't be ready. Not if we don’t understand what we’re dealing with."

Candace was the first to speak. Her voice was low but firm. "We can’t afford to wait. I’ll take Johnny and Charlie, and we’ll track the marsh girl. She could be in danger."

I nodded, feeling the weight of her determination settle over me. The urgency in her words mirrored my own thoughts. The girl wasn’t just hiding. She was in hiding because she knew something was wrong, something that none of us fully understood.

"I’ll come with you," I said quickly, standing up, despite the lingering dizziness from the trance. "I can still sense her, I think. But this time, I need to lead you. I’ll focus on her energy."

Richard’s jaw tightened, his protective instincts flaring. "You can’t do this alone, Anna. Not after—"

"I’m not alone," I interrupted, my voice stronger than I felt. "You’ll be there. And so will Lacy. The others can’t be spread too thin."

Lacy nodded, her steady gaze unwavering. "We’ll be ready."

Richard hesitated, clearly torn between his need to protect me and the urgency of finding the girl before it was too late. "I don’t like this," he muttered under his breath.

I reached for his hand, squeezing it tightly. "I’m not asking for permission. I’m asking you to trust me."

For a long moment, he said nothing. Then, finally, he sighed, his shoulders relaxing. "I trust you, Anna. But if you start feeling overwhelmed, you pull out. We don’t risk losing you to this."

"Promise," I said, nodding firmly.

Candace gave a quick, sharp nod to Johnny and Charlie. "Let’s move."

---

The pack was already in motion when we reached the outer woods. The moon hung high, casting an ethereal light over the darkened landscape. There was a quiet urgency in the air, and my senses were on edge, each rustle of the leaves or crack of a twig sending a ripple of tension through me.

Lacy stayed close by my side, her presence a comforting anchor as we walked deeper into the forest. I focused, reaching out through the bond, letting my mind drift on the currents of the soulstream. The energy was faint, but I could still feel her—the marsh girl, her fear and defiance tangled together. She hadn’t gone far, but her power was beginning to spike, uncontrolled and wild.

I closed my eyes, steadying myself.

Stay calm, I whispered to the girl in my mind. You’re not alone. I’m here.

The silence of the forest was deafening. Every step we took felt like a drumbeat echoing in the night. And then—there it was. A flicker of movement in the distance. A dark figure, blending into the shadows.

My breath caught in my throat.

No… I thought, panic rising in my chest. It can’t be him.

But there he was, standing just beyond the tree line. The shadow figure.

The collector.

And he was waiting.

I turned to Richard, my heart pounding in my chest. "He’s here. He’s following her."

"What do you see?" Richard asked, his voice steady, despite the fury I could feel rolling off him in waves.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my thoughts. "He’s waiting for her to show herself. He knows I’m close."

Lacy stepped forward, her eyes sharp. "Then we don’t give him that chance."

I nodded. "We move fast. Candace, Johnny, and Charlie will head east. I’ll lead you toward the marsh. We’ll trap him there."

With that, the pack split, each of us moving with purpose. The tension was thick in the air, like the moment before a storm broke.

As we neared the marshes, the scent of wet earth filled the air. The moonlight barely touched the surface of the water, leaving shadows that seemed to move of their own accord.

I reached out again, feeling the girl’s energy just beyond the trees. She was close—too close to the shadow figure.

I’m coming, I whispered again. You don’t have to hide anymore.

But then, a sudden coldness flooded through me. A chill so deep it cut to the bone.

The shadow was moving, and he wasn’t alone.

I gasped, stumbling as the ground beneath me seemed to shift. My vision blurred, and for a moment, I couldn’t tell if I was still in the marsh or somewhere else entirely.

A voice rang through my mind, sharp and cold.

You cannot protect them, Luna. Not from me.

My breath hitched in my throat as the world around me went dark.