The Luna Choosing Game

Chapter 0323

My wolf stepped another inch closer to me, and then, inexplicably, it stopped.

I peeked open my eyes.

It had entirely frozen, eyes on mine. It panted its breath. Its muscles tensed like it was holding itself back.

I didn’t dare hope but…

“Do you… remember me?” I asked.

It stepped back and a whimper escaped the back of its throat.

“Oh, my wolf,” I sobbed. “I’m so sorry. You are so good, fighting so hard.”

It closed its eyes and turned from me. I couldn’t see inside of its head, but I imagined it was fighting with Jane for control.

My heart broke for my wolf. How many terrible things had it been forced to do at Jane’s command? Had it resigned itself over the years? Or had it always fought back, trying and failing again and again to keep Jane from being the terrible person she was.

My wolf was good. It was as pure-hearted as they came. For it to have to fight, to hurt… orworse…

My wolf shuffled on its feet. It was struggling. I didn’t know if it would win this fight.

“I’ll find you,” I promised. “I won’t rest until we are back together again.”

The wolf reared its head and howled, loud and crisp. The sound echoed in the empty spot in my chest. That’s where the wolf belonged.

“Then we’ll never be separated again.”

Then, at once, the wolf collapsed. Slowly, I watched as the fur disappeared into smooth skin. Before long, Jane was there and my wolf was no longer.

It had saved me and fought against Jane’s command to the point of exhaustion. When it had collapsed, it had taken Jane down with it.

They were still alive. Jane’s chest rose and fell with steady breaths.

I wanted to drag her into one of the cages and keep her there, a prisoner of our own, until we could remove wolf from woman. But to do that, I would need to waste time. And nearby, Nicholas and Julian were struggling.

With a cry of agony, I forced myself to ignore Jane and my wolf, and ran instead to Nichola s’s down his face and off of him completely.

His reaction was immediate. He threw back his head and roared. Strength returned, shooting through his body with such a strong force that I felt the power of it-radiating off of him in waves. It was enough to send me down onto my backside.

At once, he tore forward, giving Julian some much-needed backup.

The shouts of the attackers became more panicked and less sure. Behind us, one of them scooped up Jane into their arms. I made a grab for them, but a different attacker grabbed me around the waist and yanked me back.

Nicholas had their throat in his jaws before I knew what was happening. I stumbled but didn’t fall, as the attacker was ripped away.

att ered or were left wounded or worse on the ground. Nicholas and Julian both shifted back into their human forms. Both were covered in blood. I hurried to their sides and looked them over for wounds. Julian seemed okay. Nicholas had many wounds but they were all rapidly healing without that dam ned collar confining his powers. He held out his hand for me and I slid mine into his. “Nick” The tears continued to fall. I was grateful and relieved that he and Julian were safe, but the confrontation with my wolf weighed heavily on me. I couldn’t do much more at that point than s ob. Nicholas pulled me into his arms. I didn’t care about the stench of blood, or the

In another life, my wolf would have never left me. I would be here in Nichol a s’s arms as a full person, and not the husk of the woman I’d became.

I pressed my face into his chest. His pajamas were already ruined. What did it matter if my tears were added to the mix? 2

He brushed his fingers through my hair. He didn’t say anything, but I felt his concern in the tightness of his arms around me, and the rapid beat of his heart. He dropped a tender kiss to

I knew in my heart he would have held me forever if I needed it. Maybe I did. Maybe I wanted to bury my way inside of him and never leave him again. But that was never in the cards for us. This moment, just like everything else between us, was only ever meant to end.

I pulled back, enough to look up at his face.

“Don’t say it,” he said.

“Say what?” I asked.

He quirked a tiny smile. “Don’t say anything.”

There was blood on his teeth. He was something out a nightmare standing there, holding me so close, in a landscape of carnage. Yet under the grief over the loss of my wolf, all I felt was affection for him and appreciation for what he’d done.

I dropped my head back against the hard plain of his chest. I clawed at his pajama shirt. I wouldn’t say what I wanted to. I’d let my body speak for me.

Please keep holding me. Don’t leave me. Even when this is over, keep me close.

It was selfish. I couldn’t dare to say the words aloud.