<h4>Chapter 319: Chapter 319 </h4>


    ~Samantha~


    "No. Relic first. Sister second. Those are the terms."


    "Then we have a problem. Because I don’t trust you."


    "And I don’t trust you. Which is why we’re at an impasse." ck Moon’s hand moved. ws extended. Pressed against the girl’s throat. "Give me the relic or I kill her. Right here. Right now. Your choice."


    "Don’t!" L held up the pendant. "Don’t hurt her! I’ll give it to you!"


    "Then throw it here. Now."


    L drew her arm back. Prepared to throw.


    "Now!" Dominic’s voice roared from the ravine.


    We all moved at once. Burst from cover. Charged toward the mill.


    ck Moon reacted fast. Shoved the girl backward into the mill. Turned to face us.


    "You brought friends. How predictable." He raised his hands. Shadow erupted from the ground. Formed a wall between us and the mill. "Did you really think I wouldn’t prepare for this?"


    Dominic hit the shadow wall first. Bounced off like he’d hit concrete. "It’s solid!"


    "It’s shadow magic!" L was trying to w through it. "We need to break it!"


    "I’ll break it." I pushed forward. Let royal blood pool in my hands. Threw it at the wall.


    Silver light hit shadow. The wall hissed. Cracked. But didn’t break.


    "More!" Killian was beside me. "Use more!"


    I pushed harder. More blood. More power. The wall cracked wider.


    But ck Moon was already moving. Retreating into the mill with L’s sister.


    "He’s getting away!" L screamed. "Break through!"


    Dominic shifted fully. Threw his entire wolf body at the cracked section. It shattered.


    We poured through. Raced toward the mill entrance.


    ck Moon stood in the doorway. The girl copsed at his feet.


    "You want her so badly? Come and get her." He stepped backward into the darkness of the mill. Disappeared.


    "It’s a trap." Dominic shifted back to human. "He’s luring us inside."


    "I don’t care." L was already running. "That’s my sister!"


    "L, wait." But she was gone. Into the mill. Into the darkness.


    "Damn it." Dominic looked at me. "We have to follow her."


    "I know."


    We went in. Killian and the warriors behind us.


    The inside of the mill was worse than the outside. Floor rotted through in ces. Beams hanging at dangerous angles. Everything covered in dust and decay.


    And shadow magic. Thick in the air. Making it hard to breathe. Hard to see.


    "Where are they?" I whispered.


    "Up." Killian pointed at stairs leading to the second floor. "I can hear fighting."


    We climbed carefully. The stairs creaked under our weight. Threatened to copse with each step.


    The second floor opened into arge room. Old equipment scattered around. Broken machines. Piles of debris.


    And in the center, L fighting ck Moon.


    She had her knives out. Moving fast. Striking at him from multiple angles.


    But he was faster. Blocked every attack. Countered with shadow magic that sent her flying backward.


    "A little help would be nice!" L rolled to avoid another st. "He’s stronger than I expected!"


    Dominic charged. Hit ck Moon from the side. Drove him into a pile of equipment.


    ck Moonughed.  "The Alpha. How noble. Fighting for someone who betrayed you."


    "She didn’t betray anyone." Dominic threw a punch. "She was protecting her sister."


    "Protecting? Is that what you call it?" ck Moon dodged. Grabbed Dominic’s arm. Twisted. "I call it weakness. I call it a liability waiting to be exploited."


    He threw Dominic across the room. Dominic crashed into a wall hard enough to crack wood.


    "Dominic!" I ran toward him.


    "I’m fine!" He was already getting up. "Focus on ck Moon!"


    Right. ck Moon.


    I turned back. Found him standing over L’s sister. ws at her throat again.


    "Stop moving or she dies. All of you. Stop moving right now."


    We froze.


    "Good. Now, L. The relic. Hand it over."


    "Let her go first."


    "I’m done negotiating. Give me the relic or watch her die." His ws pressed harder. Drew blood. "Five seconds. Five. Four. Three."


    "Here!" L threw the pendant.


    ck Moon caught it one-handed. Smiled under his hood. "Thank you."


    Then he covered her nose with his hands.


    The girl gurgled. Copsed.


    "NO!" L’s scream was inhuman. "NO! YOU SAID YOU WOULD NOT KILL HER!"


    "I said I’d release thepulsion. I never said I’d let her live." ck Moon pocketed the pendant. "You should have been more specific with your terms."


    L lunged at him with pure rage.


    ck Moon backhanded her. Sent her flying into Killian. They both went down.


    "Now then." ck Moon turned to me. "The royal blood. I need that too."


    "Not happening." I backed up.


    "It’s not optional." He moved fast. Grabbed my wrist before I could react. "I’ll take it by force if necessary."


    Pain shot up my arm. He was draining my blood through touch. Pulling it out of me magically.


    "Let her go!" Dominic was on his feet. Running.


    ck Moon threw shadow at him. Caught him mid-charge. Wrapped around him like chains. Pulled him down.


    "Stay." ck Moon’s attention returned to me. "This will hurt. But you’ll survive. Probably."


    More pain. Worse this time. Like my veins were on fire.


    I tried to pull away. Couldn’t. His grip was too strong.


    My vision was starting to blur. Legs going weak.


    Then I heard it. Small voices. Familiar voices.


    "MOM!"


    No.


    Devon and Diana burst through a hole in the floor. Purple with them. All three running toward us.


    "Stop!" I tried to shout but my voice came out muffled. "Get out!"


    They didn’t listen. Devon blew his whistle. Diana pushed with her purification power.


    The shadow chains on Dominic dissolved. He broke free.


    But ck Moon had turned toward the twins. Let go of me. Started moving toward them.


    "Fresh purification power. Even better than royal blood." His hand reached out. "Come here, children."


    "Run!" Dominic threw himself between ck Moon and the twins. "RUN!"


    ck Moon’s hand went through Dominic’s chest. Through his back. Came out the other side.


    Blood poured down. Dominic gasped. Fell to his knees.


    "DAD!" Both twins screamed.


    I forced myself up. Threw royal blood at ck Moon with everything I had left.


    Hit him square in the back. Burned through his robes. Made him scream.


    He pulled his hand from Dominic’s chest. Turned to face me. "You’ll pay for that."


    "Get in line." Killian appeared behind him. Grabbed his head. Twisted hard.


    ck Moon’s neck snapped. He dropped.


    Just dropped. Like someone had cut his strings.


    Silence.


    Then Killian copsed too. The curse had taken too much. He was out.


    L was crawling toward her sister. Sobbing. Trying to revive whatever he had done even though it might have been obviously toote.


    Dominic was on the ground. Not moving. Hole in his chest still bleeding.


    The twins were frozen. Staring at their father. At all the blood.


    And I stood there trying to figure out what to do first. Who to save. How to fix this.


    "Mom?" Diana’s voice was tiny. "Is Dad dead?"


    "No. No, he’s not dead." I moved to Dominic. Pressed my hands over the wound. Pushed royal blood into it. "He’s going to be fine."


    "You’re lying." Devon’s voice cracked. "He’s not fine. There’s too much blood."


    "I’m not lying. I can heal this. I just need.." Need what? More power? More time? More miracles?


    Dominic’s eyes opened. Barely. "Sam."


    "Don’t talk. Save your energy."


    "The twins. Get them out."


    "I’m not leaving you."


    "Get them out. Now." He coughed. More blood. "Please."


    Reynold appeared in the doorway. Saw the situation. Started issuing orders.


    "Get the Alpha out! Get the Luna out! Get those children out!"


    Warriors flooded the room. Grabbed Dominic. Started carrying him toward the stairs.


    Grabbed Killian. Did the same.


    "What about her?" One warrior pointed at L still holding her sister.


    "Leave her." Reynold’s voice was hard. "She made her choice."


    "No." I pulled away from the warriors trying to move me. "We’re not leaving her. Bring her sister’s body. Bring L. We’re taking everyone."


    "Luna."


    "That’s an order!"


    They moved to obey. Grabbed L. Grabbed the unconscious body. Started carrying everyone out.


    I grabbed the twins’ hands. Pulled them toward the stairs.