Still His 140_Shattered Bonds: A Second Chance Mate

Chapter 140 

 The battlefield was chaos.

 Blood, ash, and the stench of burning earth clung to the air so thickly it felt like breathing through smoke. Around us, warriors shed with the grotesque shapes that Luca’s essence had birthed–things that moved like wolves, but their bodies were warped, dripping shadows instead of flesh. They screamed with.voices that didn’t belong in this world.

 My paws dug into the dirt as I circled, white fur bristling, breathing fast.

 The weight of the bond between Francesco and me pulsed like a second heartbeat in my chest. Even without looking at him, I could feel his massive Lycan form beside me–a towering wall of dark, raw power, eyes glowing molten gold in the darkness.

 We had one goal.

 Bring Luca back into the cursed book.

 Destroy him before his essence fully anchored itself in this world.

 The booky in the middle of the battlefield, its ckened cover glowing faintly red, pulsing like it was alive. Every time a shadow creature fell, the book seemed to breathe it in, swelling with more power. Marsen’s stolen essence shimmered around it like an oil slick.

 “Eine!” Francesco’s voice thundered through the bond, deep andmanding, even though his mouth was filled with bared fangs. “We push together–don’t let him split us apart.”

 I gave a short, sharp howl in answer.

 Then we moved.

 I darted left, speed and precision, weaving between writhing shadow limbs. My jaws snapped shut around the throat of one beast–ck ichor burst over my tongue, bitter and cold. I didn’t stop to spit it out. I used the momentum to fling the creature to the ground, ws raking through its formless body until it dissolved into smoke.

 Francesco’s massive ws tore through two more in one swipe, his roar shaking the ground beneath us. He wasn’t just killing–he was driving a path toward the book, every step calcted, protective. Always keeping me in his shadow’s reach.

 。? ?

 But Luca’s voice slithered through the air.

 “You can’t cage me again, little Luna… your power is mine as much as his.”

 I felt it then–a sharp pull at my chest, like invisible ws hooking into my soul. The book’s glow red, trying to draw me in, trying to strip away the purity of Mika and twist it into something corrupted.

 I snarled, forcing my paws deeper into the soil, grounding myself. No. That part of me was mine. It had taken years of pain, loss, and rejection to reim it. I would not hand it over to him.

 Francesco must have felt it through our bond because his presence mmed into my mind like a shield. “I’ve got you. Don’t let go,

 With him anchoring me, I lunged forward, our movements syncing–two predators striking as one. The shadows fought harder near the book desperate to protect it. One leapt for my throat, but before it couldnd, Francesco’s massive jaws closed around its midsection, crushing it into nothing.

 We reached the base of the stone where the book sat, but a sudden wave of ck energy sted outward, sending us skidding back through the dirt. Pain red along my ribs, but pushed up immediately, shaking the dust from my fur 

 From the heart of the pulse, a figure began to form.

 Luca.

 He was no longer just a voice–his body was halfway here, rising out of the book like a man dragging himself from deep water. His eyes burned crimson, his skin crawling with ck veins that pulsed with Marsen’s stolen power.

 The ground split beneath his feet, and he smiled at us like a man greeting old friends.

 “You think love will save you?”

 I stepped forward, ears t, teeth bared, tail high. Francesco moved with me, shoulders brushing mine, and for a moment, I felt the weight of 

 our unity–his immense Lycan shadow over my white wolf form.

 “On my mark,” Francesco’s voice was steel through the bond.

 Luca raised his hands, and the shadows obeyed, spiraling upward like a storm. They formed walls, des, ws–an entire army born from

 his will.

 The battle exploded again.

 I moved in pure instinct. sh, tear, leap. Every strike was a dance between us–when Francesco went high, I went low; when he roared, I struck in the silence that followed. But the closer we got to Luca, the heavier the air became, pressing against my fur, slowing my

 movements.

 The book’s pull grew unbearable. My vision blurred, ears ringing. I could feel the temptation in it–power, endless and intoxicating, a way to never be weak again. My paws faltered for half a heartbeat-

 -and Francesco’s roar shattered it.

 “Stay with me!”

 It wasn’t just an order. It was a lifeline.

 ?? 

 I bit down hard on the nearest shadow, using the surge of rage to clear my head. Together we lunged again, pushing through the tide until we were close enough that I could feel the heat radiating off Luca’s half–formed body.

 I saw my opening.

 Drove forward.

 My fangs sank into the tendrils still tethering him to the book. Light burst from the contact–not golden, not magical, but pure white, the untouched strength of Mika burning away the corruption.

 Luca screamed.

 Francesco moved instantly, massive ws mming into the book, forcing it to open wider. The cursed pages pped wildly, pulling at the tendrils, dragging them back.

 We had him.

 Or so I thought–until the ground beneath us cracked like ss. A fresh wave of shadows erupted, knocking Francesco back and mming into me hard enough to rattle my bones. Luca’sughter filled the air, ragged but triumphant.

 “You can’t hold me forever, Luna… and when I rise, you will be the first I im.” 

 – 14:41 Thu, 14 Augus 

 The pull was worse now, almost unbearable. I dug my ws into the dirt, muscles trembling, but before I could force myself up 

 A light split the darkness.

 It wasn’t the moon.

 It wasn’t magic.

 It was her.

 Every head turned, even the shadows. Through the chaos, down the rocky slope toward us, came a figure in white, silver hair glowing like a beacon. Her presence struck like a physical force, and for a heartbeat, everything stilled.

 It was me.

 Or rather–it was my other self.

 The white wolf stood at the ridge,‘ eyes zing with the full, unrestrained power of Mika.

 Every warrior, friend and foe alike, froze. The air held its breath.

 And Luca’s smile… faltered.

 I bared my fangs and lunged, knocking him back again. My ws tore at the darkness thatposed half his torso. Every strike hurt him, but I could feel his strength building–like the book was filling him faster than we could drain it.

 I could hear the sound of ripping leather and Francesco’s deep growl as he tore the tendrils from Marsen’s body. The moment the connection snapped, Luca screamed–a raw, guttural sound that shook the ground. His shadowed form flickered, and I didn’t hesitate.

 I mmed into him with everything Mika had.

 We both hit the ground hard, rolling dangerously close to the cursed book. Its pages whipped wildly, a low chant vibrating through the air.

 “Eine!” Francesco’s roar reached me just as the tendrils lunged for both of us.

 I shoved Luca toward the book, letting the tendrils wrap around him instead of me. His scream was deafening, but the shadows obeyed the pull of their master, dragging him inside.

 For a heartbeat, I thought it was over.

 But just before thest of him was pulled in, his hand shot out–grabbing my throat.

 His grip was ice. His voice was worse.

 “I’ll see you again, white wolf.”

 Then he was gone. The book mmed shut with a thunderous crack.

 The clearing went still.

 Only the sound of our heavy breathing filled the silence.

 Francesco stepped toward me, his massive form shrinking slightly as his rage ebbed. He ced onerge, wed hand on the cursed book,

 but it burned even him.

 “We can’t leave it here,” I said, my voice low, my heart still pounding.

 He nodded. “We’ll seal it. Hide it where no one can find it.”

 But just as he reached for it again, the book trembled. A faint pulse of light glowed along its spine–once, twice, like a heartbeat.

 Then I remember Anastasia words.

 “Though my power no longer lives in you, you are still strong. And now… now is the time for magic to leave this world.”

 “Leave?”

 “Yes,” she said with certainty. “There has been too much destruction caused by misuse of magic. One drop of poison. One whisper of a spell It’s too tempting for the weak–hearted. You must destroy the remaining books. All of them.”

 I hesitated. “All? Even the ones with healing, knowledge?”

 “All of them. Without the original wielder to safeguard their use, they

 are weapons waiting to be abused.”

 So, this is what Anastasia mean about magic leaving this world.

 Then I turn my gaze at my fated mate, Francesco “Let’s destroy all of the magic book. I will ask Lira to do the destroy ritual”

 AD

17kNovel

Still His 140