<h4>Chapter 320: Chapter 320</h4>


    ~Samantha~


    ck Moon wasn’t dead. The neck snap hadn’t killed him. Of course it hadn’t. He was too powerful for something that simple to work.


    We’d barely gotten Dominic loaded into the vehicle when ck Moon appeared in the mill doorway. Standing. Whole. Like Killian hadn’t just broken his neck.


    "Did you really think that would work?" Hisugh echoed across the clearing. "I’ve survived worse. Much worse."


    "Impossible." Killian was barely conscious but he saw it too. "I felt the bones break."


    "Bones heal. Especially when you have shadow magic coursing through your veins." ck Moon walked down the mill steps. Casual. Unhurried. "You should know that better than anyone, cursed one."


    "Everyone back in the mill!" Reynold was already moving. "Defensive positions!"


    "No." I grabbed his arm. "Get Dominic to the vehicles. Get the twins to safety. We’ll hold him off."


    "Luna, you can’t do this alone."


    I pushed him toward where Dominic was being carried. "Go!"


    Reynold hesitated. Then nodded. Started organizing the retreat.


    I turned back to ck Moon. He was closer now. Maybe thirty feet away.


    "You’re persistent. I’ll give you that." He tilted his head. "Most people would have run by now. But here you are. Ready to fight a battle you can’t win."


    "We’ve won every battle so far." I let royal blood pool in my hands. "What makes you think this one’s different?"


    "Because this time I’m not holding back." He raised his hands. Shadow erupted from the ground around us. Formed a circle. Trapping us inside. "No escape. No savior. Just you and me."


    "And me." Dominic’s voice came from behind. I turned and saw him standing. Barely. One hand pressed against the hole in his chest. Blood still seeping through his fingers.


    "Dominic, you need medical attention."


    "I need to protect my family." He moved beside me. Swayed slightly but stayed upright. "Thates first."


    "How touching." ck Moon’s words dripped sarcasm. "The wounded Alpha ying the man of the moment. This should be entertaining."


    "Where are the twins?" I whispered to Dominic.


    "Reynold has them. They’re safe." His jaw was tight. "But they saw me get hurt. Saw me fall. They tried to run back."


    "Tell me he stopped them."


    "He did. But barely." Dominic shifted his weight. Almost fell. I caught his arm. "I can’t shift. Can’t ess my wolf. The wound is too severe."


    "Then you shouldn’t be fighting."


    "Don’t have a choice."


    ck Moon moved. Fast. Crossed the distance between us in a blink.


    Dominic shoved me aside. Took the attack meant for me. ck Moon’s ws raked across his shoulder. More blood. More injuries.


    "Stop protecting her!" I threw royal blood at ck Moon. "She can protect herself!"


    The blood hit him. He hissed. Backed off. "Royal blood. Such a nuisance. But effective, I admit."


    "There’s more where that came from." I stepped in front of Dominic. "You want to fight someone? Fight me."


    "dly." ck Moon charged.


    I met him head-on. Royal blood versus shadow magic. Silver light colliding with darkness. The impact threw us both backward.


    I hit the ground hard. Rolled. Got back up.


    ck Moon was already moving again. Toward the twins.


    No. They were supposed to be safe. Reynold was supposed to have them in the vehicles.


    But there they were. Diana and Devon. Running toward us. Purple beside them.


    "MOM!" Diana screamed. "Behind you!"


    I spun. Another shadow construct. Coming at me from the right.


    Didn’t have time to dodge. Braced for impact.


    Dominic appeared. Intercepted it. Took the hit square in the chest. The same chest that already had a hole in it.


    He went down. Didn’t get back up this time.


    "DOMINIC!" I dropped beside him. "No no no, stay with me!"


    "Come on. Heal. Please heal."


    "Sam." His hand found mine. "If I don’t make it..."


    "You’re making it. Stop talking like that."


    "If I don’t. Tell the twins I love them. Tell them I’m sorry for being too hard on them. Tell them..." He coughed. More blood. "Tell them their father tried."


    "Tell them yourself." I pushed more blood into him. More power. Everything I had. "You’re not dying. I won’t let you."


    My blood hit his. The royal power mixed with his Alpha energy. And something happened.


    Light. Silver light. Exploding from where our hands met. Spreading outward. Filling the shadow circle.


    ck Moon screamed. Actually screamed. Stumbled backward. "What is this?!"


    "I don’t know." The light was getting brighter. I couldn’t look away from Dominic’s face. "But it’s working."


    The light pushed against the shadow circle. Cracked it. Shattered it.


    The shadows dissolved. The trap was gone.


    "Impossible!" ck Moon’s form was wavering. "Mate bond resonance shouldn’t be this strong!"


    "Guess we’re special." Dominic’s voice was stronger. His eyes more focused. "Sam. Keep going. Don’t stop."


    I didn’t. Kept pushing blood into him. Had to work. The light kept growing.


    Killian appeared beside us. He looked terrible but he was on his feet. "Need help?"


    "Take the twins away from here and make sure they don’t escape." I didn’t take my eyes off Dominic.


    "On it." Killian ran toward where Devon and Diana were frozen. Watching the light show.


    He grabbed them. Started dragging them toward the vehicles.


    L was there too. Carrying her sister’s body. Moving slowly. Like a ghost.


    "Get her out too!" I called to Killian.


    He nodded. Adjusted his grip. Got all three of them moving.


    ck Moon was backing away. The light was hurting him. Burning away his shadow magic. Revealing what was underneath.


    Nothing. There was nothing underneath. No body. No face. Just more shadow held together by willpower and dark magic.


    "You’re not even real." I stood up slowly. Kept one hand on Dominic. The light still connected us. "You’re just a projection. A puppet."


    "Clever girl." ck Moon’s form was dissolving. "But it doesn’t matter. Real or not, I’ve gotten what I came for."


    "The relic? L’s sister?" I took a step forward. "Was any of this worth it?"


    "All of it was worth it. The relic. The blood sample I took from you. The information about your mate bond." Hisugh echoed as he faded. "In a few days, the blood moon rises. The shadow array activates. And there’s nothing you can do to stop it. The location is hidden. Theponents are gathered. All that’s left is the ritual."


    "We’ll find it. We’ll stop you."