The Alpha's Luna, A Destiny Divided

Chapter 13

Callum's POV

The scent of unfamiliar territory hit me like a physical force as we crossed the border into Crescent Moon lands. Every instinct screamed at me to turn back, to protect my pack, to keep Luna safe. But the weight of her unconscious form in my arms reminded me why we had no choice.

"We need to move carefully," Nora murmured, her eyes scanning the shadows. "If Marcus's wolves catch us..."

I nodded grimly. "We'll head for the outskirts of their main settlement. With any luck, we can find help without alerting the entire pack."

As we moved deeper into enemy territory, I couldn't help but marvel at how different it felt from our own lands. Where Silver Creek was open and welcoming, Crescent Moon felt oppressive, the very air heavy with tension and fear.

Suddenly, Luna stirred in my arms. Her eyelids fluttered, and for a moment, hope surged through me.

"Luna?" I whispered, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Can you hear me?"

Her eyes opened, but the vacant look remained. Instead of focusing on me, her gaze seemed fixed on something in the distance. Her lips moved, forming words I couldn't quite catch.

"What is it?" Nora asked, moving closer. "What's she saying?"

I leaned in, straining to hear. Luna's voice was barely a whisper, but I managed to make out two words that sent a chill down my spine:

"The ritual..."

Before I could question further, a twig snapped nearby. In an instant, Nora and I were on high alert, our wolves rising close to the surface.

From the shadows of the trees, a figure emerged. A woman, older, with silver streaking her dark hair and lines of worry etched deep into her face. Her eyes widened as they fell on Luna.

"By the Moon Goddess," she breathed. "Luna? Is that really you?"

I tightened my grip on Luna instinctively. "Who are you?" I demanded, a growl edging into my voice.

The woman held up her hands in a placating gesture. "My name is Mira. I... I was Luna's mentor, before..." She trailed off, pain flashing across her features. "What happened to her? Why have you brought her back here?"

For a moment, I hesitated. This could be a trap, a ploy to let our guard down. But one look at the genuine concern in Mira's eyes made me reconsider.

"Something's wrong with her," I explained quickly. "She collapsed, and I can't feel our mate bond. We came here hoping to find answers, to find a cure."

Mira's sharp intake of breath told me she understood more than she was letting on. "Bring her," she said urgently. "Quickly, before anyone else sees you. I think I know what's happening, but we don't have much time."

As we followed Mira through the darkening forest, I sent up a silent prayer to the Moon Goddess. *Please*, I thought desperately, *let this be the right choice. Let us find the answers we need.*

Little did I know, the answers awaiting us would shake the very foundations of everything we thought we knew.

## Luna's POV

I floated in a sea of memories, each one more vivid and terrifying than the last. The ritual chamber, dark and foreboding. The ancient tome, its pages filled with forbidden knowledge. And at the center of it all, Alpha Marcus, his eyes gleaming with a madness I hadn't recognized until it was too late.

*"This will make us invincible,"* his voice echoed in my mind. *"With this power, no one will ever challenge Crescent Moon again."*

I had tried to stop him, to make him see reason. But he was too far gone, too consumed by his lust for power.

The memory shifted, and suddenly I was running, the precious tome clutched to my chest. I had to destroy it, had to keep this terrible knowledge from falling into the wrong hands.

But I had been too slow. Too trusting. The ambush had caught me off guard, and in the chaos that followed...

A jolt of awareness pulled me back to the present. I could feel Callum's arms around me, hear muffled voices nearby. But try as I might, I couldn't break through the fog that clouded my mind.

Then, a new voice. Familiar, comforting. Mira?

"The binding is breaking down," I heard her say, her voice tight with worry. "If we don't complete the ritual soon, she could be lost forever."

Panic surged through me. No, they couldn't complete the ritual. Didn't they understand the consequences?

I fought against the darkness with every ounce of strength I had left. I had to warn them, had to make them understand.

With a monumental effort, I forced my eyes open. The world swam into focus, Callum's worried face hovering above me.

"C-Callum," I managed to croak out. "Don't... the ritual... can't..."

His eyes widened. "Luna! You're awake. What about the ritual? What are you trying to say?"

But the effort had drained what little energy I had left. As the darkness closed in again, I clung to one thought, one desperate hope:

*Please, Callum. Trust me. Don't let them complete the ritual. No matter what.*

The world faded away, and I slipped back into the abyss of memories. But this time, a new determination burned within me.

I had run once before, too afraid to face the consequences of what I'd learned. This time would be different.

This time, I would fight.