Moonlit Bonds

Chapter 457 - 457: Lucas: Kellan's Message

LUCAS

Clayton has his arms crossed over his chest as he stares at the fabric ceiling of the debriefing tent, absorbing the

thirty-minute explanation of the last several months of our life.

"| didn't expect the Fae to be so..." He squints. "Prevalent? In this area. | only know of one in Aspen. She helped

keep sof our systems running. Ssort of magic hacker. She's just a kid, but she's got a good head on her

shoulders. A little squirrely, though."

"Squirrely?"

"The kid's terrified of getting caught by someone, but we don't know who she's running from. Guessing it's this

New Order."

"Join the club," | mutter. Westwood was always a strong pack, and | thought we could stand against any enemy.

Until we couldn't.

"It isn't just you," Clayton says with a sigh. "While they don't seem particularly bothered by our section of the

country, there have been others. Sterritories have merged completely. Pack wars are prevalent. It's

dangerous even to leave Aspen at this time, leaving it without an alpha."

Which only shows how important Ivy was to him.

| shake my head. "It's as if society's gone backw—"

A searing burst of pain slices through my skull, and | grit my teeth against the flash of agony. Kellan's voice,

urgent and strained, floods my mind through our pack link.

Vampires at the south ridge clearing! Send everyone you can—they cout of nowhere—

His voice cuts off with a howl, its mental echoes vibrating through my bones. Aurum surges forward inside me,

nearly breaking through my skin to take over.

My jaw clenches as | fight him back.

"Shit."

| throw out a wide call to every fighter in the compound. Assemble by the south gate. Kellan needs

reinforcements. Vampire attack.

"What is it?"

| shake my head with a groan, working my jaw against the pain. Kellan's injured. It must have been an ambush;

he would have made contact much sooner if he could. "Vampire attack to the south. My beta's in trouble."

Clayton's already on his feet, his eyes glazing as he speaks. "I'm coming with you."

There's no reason to deny his help. We need every fighter available. Vampires are a tough fight, and | don't have

any other details.

Reaching out to Kellan is impossible, not without putting him in danger. He needs to focus on surviving until | get

there.

My mind races through tactical options as | burst through the tent flap—and straight into someone.

A startled yelp. The familiar scent of coffee. It's Lisa, sprawled backward on the frozen ground.

"Shit," | mutter, reaching down to help her up. My body's already half-turned toward the battle, mind calculating

distances and time. "Sorry."

She grabs my hand, lettingpull her upright. "Lucas, I've been looking all over—I need to tell you about Pip. |

think she's being—"

"Later," | cut her off, scanning the compound. Wolves are already emerging from cabins, shifting on the run,

racing toward the forest edge. "Kellan's in trouble. | have to go."

Her eyes widen. "What? What's happening to Kellan?"

"Vampire ambush." | move to step around her, but her fingers lock around my forearm with surprising strength.

"Is he okay?" Raw fear laces her voice. "Lucas, is he hurt?"

The vulnerability in her expression catchesoff-guard. She's terrified. Of course she is. Kellan's her mate; I'm

sure their bond is screaming. "I don't know," | answer honestly, my tone softening despite the urgency. "But I'm

going to help him. Don't worry, Lisa."

"Alpha Westwood!" Magister Orion's deep voice cuts through the commotion as he strides toward us, his robes

whipping in the wind. "Why the sudden mobilization? Did something happen? Is Wolf's Landing in danger?"

"Vampire attack at the south ridge," | explain tersely, pulsing out another call to my fighters, with a five-minute

warning. "My beta's pinned down with a scouting party."

The Magister's expression shifts immediately from curiosity to grim resolve. "Then | shall assist. We Fae have our

own ways of fighting against vampires."

"I'm coming too." Lisa's voice is steel, her earlier fear transformed into determination.

"No." My response is automatic, protective. "It's too dangerous."

"Kellan's there." She says it like it explains everything. And in a way, it does.

| search her face, recognizing the stubborn set of her jaw—the sexpression Ava gets when she's made up

her mind. No wonder these two are friends.

"Fine." Every second we waste arguing is a second Kellan doesn't have. "Magister, keep an eye on her." The last

thing we need is for her to turn to the side of vampires. Then again, she's human; it isn't as if she can do much

harm.

Though Kellan might killwhen it's all over if she gets hurt.

Then again, he'll killfor bringing her along at all.

Oh, well.

The giant Fae nods, falling into step behind me. "Of course."

"I need my weapons," Lisa says. "I'll only be a minute."

The urgency pulses throughlike a second heartbeat. Aurum pushes against my consciousness, desperate to

run, to fight, to protect our pack brother.

"Five minutes," | say firmly. "We're leaving in five minutes, whether you're ready or not."

Lisa nods, already backing away. "I'll be ready." Her expression hardens with resolve as she turns and sprints

toward her cabin.

It doesn't take long for us to gather. Three hundred wolves stand ready. Half are already shifted. The others

remain human, holding bags filled with emergency supplies. Out of the corner of my eye, | can already see Lisa

running our way; she was true to her promise. It took only a minute for her to return.

"Half of the shifted wolves take the vanguard position. From you," and | point, "to you," pointing again, "Group

one. You'll spread in a quarter-mile radius. Watch for any signs of ambush. Group two, flank positions."

They respond instantly, splitting into organized formations. This is what we've trained for.

Magister Orion steps closer, his massive frblocking the wind momentarily. His voice drops to a soft rumble.

"| can cast an enhancement on myself and the human. You needn't worry about our pace."

Lisa appears by our side, slightly breathless but composed. She'd mentioned weapons, but | don't see any on

hand. Then again, she works closely with the gntinkerer, so anything could be dangerous.

"Thank you, Magister," she says quietly. Her eyes flick south, her brows wrinkling together.

I recognize the look. She's feeling the tug of her mate bond.

no [1 : :

Listen up," | call out, voice carrying

n

across the gathered forces. "We have

limited information. oS Ashppurme

and his patrol were ushed by

vieridires at the south ridge clearing.

| |

We don't know numbers. We don't

: '

know if they've called

reinforcements. All we know is our

[1 :

people need us." The content is on

novelenglish.net! Read the latest

chapter there!

My gaze sweeps across their faces—sdetermined, others anxious, all waiting for my command.

"Standard vampire protocols. Silver rounds for those with firearms." A luxury, provided by the old gnome. "Keep

formation. Watch your flanks. They're likely to be organized."

Movement at the edge of the

gathering catches my eye. Clayton

strides forward wap peeps m

er ial h man form,

: 1

dressed for combat. I'm not sure how

much experience they have with

vampires, but any help is better than

none. The content is on

novelenglish.net! Read the latest

chapter there!

| nod sharply at him before raising my arm.

"Move out!"

My command breaks the tension. The vanguard wolves sprint forward. Luckily, there's been no fresh snowfall in

days. The snow is hard-packed from wind and multiple cycles of refreeze.

Aurum pushes against my consciousness again, demanding release, but | shove him back. It isn't tfor him

yet.

Lisa and Magister Orion keep pace easily, as the Fae had promised, leaving one less worry off my shoulders.

"What's the terrain like at the ridge?" Clayton asks, falling in beside me.

| picture the clearing in my mind,

: : : [1

calculating strategic points. "Open

ground, maybe a hundred yards

across Treslipestafisal the

eligbs—dense to the north, sparser

southward. Rock formations line the

: |

eastern side. There's a shallow

stream cutting through the northwest

I" :

corner." The content is on

novelenglish.net! Read the latest

chapter there!

"Bottleneck at the stream?"

"Possible. It widens further south."

Clayton nods, digesting the information. "My wolves can cover the eastern approach if yours take west and

center."

"Good." | appreciate his tactical mind. "Watch those rock formations. Perfect place for an ambush."

We've covered nearly half the distance when a searing pain lances through my skull again.

Alpha— Kellan's voice, weak but present. They knew we were coming. Trap. Too many of them.

We're on our way, | respond, pushing strength through our bond. Numbers?

But he's gone again.