The Alpha's Luna, A Destiny Divided

Chapter 17

Callum's POV

The cave was silent save for Luna's labored breathing. Marcus's words hung in the air, a temptation I couldn't afford to consider. A willing sacrifice. The thought made my wolf howl in anguish.

Suddenly, a commotion outside broke the tension. Nora burst in, her eyes wide. "He's gone," she panted. "Marcus. He just... vanished."

"What?" I growled, moving to the cave entrance. Sure enough, there was no sign of the deranged Alpha. "How?"

Nora shook her head, frustration evident in her stance. "I don't know. One moment he was there, the next... it was like the shadows swallowed him."

A chill ran down my spine. Even weakened, Marcus was clearly still dangerous. And now he was in the wind, no doubt plotting his next move.

"We need to go," I said, turning back to where Luna lay. "It's not safe here."

Mira looked up from where she was tending to Luna, her face drawn with worry. "She's not stable enough to move. The energy from the ritual... it's tearing her apart from the inside."

Desperation clawed at my chest. "There has to be something we can do. Some way to help her."

Mira hesitated, then said slowly, "There... might be a way. An old remedy, passed down through generations of healers. It's risky, but..."

"Do it," I said without hesitation. At this point, any chance was better than none.

As Mira set to work, mixing herbs and chanting softly, I turned to Nora. "We need allies. Marcus is still out there, and he won't stop until he gets what he wants."

Nora nodded, her eyes glinting with determination. "The Northern Alliance. If we can convince them of the threat Marcus poses..."

"Exactly," I agreed. "Prepare a small team. As soon as Luna's stable, we move out."

Hours passed in tense silence. Finally, as the first light of dawn broke, Luna's eyes fluttered open. Clear, cognizant, and blessedly free of that eerie silver glow.

"Callum?" she whispered, her voice weak but her own.

Relief flooded through me as I gathered her in my arms. "I'm here," I murmured, breathing in her scent. "You're safe now."

As I held her, I silently vowed to never let her go again. Whatever challenges lay ahead, whatever storms we had to weather, we would face them together.

But even as hope bloomed in my chest, a nagging doubt lingered. Marcus was still out there. And something told me this was far from over.

## Luna's POV

The world came back into focus slowly, like emerging from a deep, dark well. The first thing I became aware of was Callum's scent, his arms around me, grounding me.

"You're safe now," he was saying, his voice thick with emotion.

I wanted to believe him. But as memories of what had transpired in the sacred grove came flooding back, I knew better. This respite, however welcome, was temporary at best.

"Marcus," I croaked, struggling to sit up. "Where is he?"

Callum's expression darkened. "Gone. He escaped while we were... distracted."

Fear gripped me. Marcus loose, with even a fraction of the ritual's power? It didn't bear thinking about.

"We need to stop him," I said, my voice stronger now. "Before he can regroup, before he can finish what he started."

Callum nodded, his jaw set with determination. "We're going to the Northern Alliance. With their help, we might stand a chance of taking Marcus down for good."

As Callum filled me in on the plan, a part of me marveled at how far we'd come. From reluctant mates to partners facing an impossible odds together. The mate bond hummed between us, stronger than ever.

But even as I basked in the warmth of Callum's presence, a cold dread settled in the pit of my stomach. I could still feel the ritual's energy coursing through me, subdued for now but far from gone. And I knew, with a certainty that chilled me to the bone, that this was just the calm before the storm.

As we prepared to leave for the North, I caught Mira watching me, her expression unreadable. She had saved me, for now. But the look in her eyes told me she knew as well as I did: this cure, miraculous as it seemed, was not the end of our troubles.

It was merely the beginning.