The Luna Trials by Marissa Gilbert

Chapter 66

Kai was about to finish Bjorn off when a huge shadow flew right over his head. He felt a powerful presence, but he did not want to stop. The bast*rd had to die after everything he did! So many people had been killed on his orders. Savvy was wounded and almost died because of him. His closest friends and family survived by a miracle that they still couldn't explain.

"Leave now," Asgard growled inside of his mind, and it was strange coming from him, considering that he was usually the bloodthirsty one. Not to mention that he'd barely spoken to Kai since their rebirth. The whole thing was harder for his wolf because he was the one who went through the biggest transition. Amarok was a unity of the third Lycan form, Kai and Asgard, enhanced by Fenrir's divine power. The Royal Lycan entity was dissolved as now they were all something else. It was a lot to get used to in just a few days, and Asgard was noticeably struggling since everything happened.

"I'll be quick," Kai promised. The opportunity was too good to pass up. Bjorn already looked dead, but he wanted to return the spear favour and make sure his nemesis wouldn't be coming back. "Leave. Now!" A more powerful voice sounded, and Kai realised that this time it was Fenrir talking to him. That was completely unexpected and hard to ignore. However, it was still tempting to try.

"Stay, and we risk losing our mate," Asgard added with a snarl, and there wasn't a question of what to do next anymore. Amarok turned on his paws and shifted into human form before he reached Savannah. He saw the relief on her face, as if she still wasn't sure it was him before, and then he ran towards her to kiss and hug her again, even if just for mere seconds.

"It still feels like a dream," she whispered, pressing herself to his chest as he kissed the top of her head softly, squeezing her and inhaling her wonderful scent, trying to fill his lungs with it. It had only been a fev days, but it felt like an eternity to him. An eternity of darkness and emptiness. He never wanted to go back there again.

"We need to leave," Kai informed her with a note of stress in his voice. "It's not safe here, and you are wounded. Get on my back, Sawy."

He shifted into his giant wolf with ice spikes growing out of him, but Sawy did not hesitate even for a second before climbing up. The spikes retracted the moment she touched his soft blue-black fur, which amazed her and surprised even Kai, who was still learning how to use his new abilities. Even the ice needles from his battle with Bjorn were new to him. It was possible that his body recognized their mate and reacted to her automatically, not wishing to harm her in any way.

Savannah did not question any of it; she was satisfied with everything that was happening, even if it still felt surreal. If he said they had to leave, then she was ready to follow him. She was ready to follow him even if Kai told her he was going into the underworld itself. Next stop: Hell? Let's go! As long as it was with him as her company and they got to be together again, it would be worth it.

Sawy felt exhausted and, although she was already healing, blood was still dripping from her wounds. She leaned over Amarok's back, lacing her fingers into his beautiful soft fur to hold herself in place and closed her eyes with a blissful smile on her face.

"Please, Moon Goddess, let it be true!" she whispered.

They would, of course, have a long conversation later. She would tell him about everything that happened to her while he was gone, and he would tell her what happened to him, how he became this new kind of beast. A part of her was still afraid that when she opened her eyes, she would find herself back in Bjorn's castle, and all of this would turn out to be a dream. The thought alone made her shudder, and she closed her eyes for what was meant to be just a moment. She let the air blow through her hair as she enjoyed the softness her mate provided and the tingles that erupted every time she moved, even just an inch.

Mate. He was her mate. For the first time, it felt so right. Savvy knew that Kai was right for her. They found each other in the middle of all kinds of troubles and challenges, pushed into circumstances that were unlikely to make people like each other, let alone fall in love. But they did.

Feeling those tingles tonight was very different from what she had with Zack. Her heartless ex-mate couldn't even compare. Now Savannah knew the difference. That pull and those tingles were instinctual. The mate bond was hard-wired into their wolves, the beasts inside of them, to instantly want each other because they were a perfect match on so many levels. It's said that the Moon Goddess was connecting her children's souls. But did anyone really know that? Of course, couples like Gideon and Riannon made everyone believe in the legend, but at the same time, how many unhappy mate-bonded couples were out there? The answer was - plenty. She could have been in this situation twice already. Statistically speaking, the results weren't that impressive. It made her sad to think of her dead brother and his wife, so she decided to push that thought away. However, she couldn't stop thinking of Kai and mates in general. Maybe her mind was over-stimulated now from all the stress or maybe she needed to rationalise what was happening somehow.

It seemed like she and Zack were a perfect match in every way imaginable. An Alpha and a Princess who would help the West to defend itself against the enemies and traitors. They could have had perfect pups together and lived a happy picture-perfect life. Except Zack was the traitor. The two of them looked like a perfect union to an outsider and Savannah still remembered how everyone congratulated her when they found out about them being mates, Even Gideon gave them his blessing. However, the mate given to her by the Moon Goddess turned out to be a bad man, a bad person, and a horrible Alpha who knew nothing about loyalty, honesty and honour. It never sat right with her after she found out about everything that he was supposed to be the other half of her soul. He wasn't perfect for her, he couldn't be any less perfect. Maybe their souls were united in a way, but he made some choices that she could never condone. And he treated her as her property, not a partner. For Zack, that's all a Luna like her was. Something told her that the Moon Goddess couldn't have intended her to go through all that.

In the meantime, Kai gave her everything she ever looked for without those damn tingles. They made their choice to be together without the divine connection, and it felt so right every step of the way. Even right now, she loved him and she wanted him, but at the same time, it wasn't just physical. The mate bond they had now felt better than anything she had experienced before. It felt stronger, more intense and more... reliable.

Then she remembered Bjorn and his claim, and the way he insisted they were mates, but he never had a problem hurting her if she didn't fit the mould he wanted her to fit. Those were the choices he made, too.

Wolves grew up believing in fairytales about couples finding each other and falling for each other instantly. In those tales, Alphas were easily falling for omegas, bringing them to their packs and making them their Lunas. No one ever doubted that this was how it was supposed to be because the mate bond was sacred, and everyone dreamed of finding their better half.

Only that it wasn't that simple, was it?

Savannah rubbed her cheek in the soft fur. Mate or not, she would choose this man over and over. She would reject anyone for him. The bond felt amazing, and she couldn't wait to explore it more. It was a gift neither of them expected, but at the same time, it wasn't what defined them as a couple. They would have been together regardless.

Love was filling her heart, bringing her comfort and peace. If this was a dream, she didn't want to wake up.

"Sawy?" she heard a painfully familiar voice and flinched, afraid to open her eyes. She didn't even notice that Kai had stopped. Where were they?

"Sawy?" Gideon's voice trembled. Her big brother rarely sounded so... worried, and her heart clenched. Maybe it was an illusion after all because getting just Kai back was madness and insane luck. To get her brother back, too, was absolutely impossible! "Is she all right?" The King of the West sounded like he was on the verge of breaking. "What did they do to her? Sawy!"

"Gideon?" She lifted her head, and the first thing she saw was her brother walking towards them. He was paler than usual and not so polished. But none of this seemed to matter. He was alive! Gideon was alive and well and walking towards her! Handsome and perfect as always even despite his dishevelled hair. Now she got scared again that this couldn't be the reality. There was absolutely no way!

Kai shifted to his human form again without warning, and she didn't even manage to yelp before he caught her in his arms. Savannah's lips parted in shock, but Riannon was already by her side with a warm blanket she wrapped around her sister-in-law, covering the rags of her dress.

"You're alive!" Savvy gasped and then added, "Either you're alive, or I am dead and seeing things. Which one is it? Not that I mind either!" She tried to laugh, but it sounded weak and nervous. She wasn't fooling anyone.

"We are all alive," Ria smiled warmly and gave her a tight hug. It was a bit uncomfortable because, at the same time, Kai did not plan to let her go and was still holding her in his arms, pressing her tight against his bare chest. She wasn't going to ask him to let her go either. It all was so perfect that she didn't mind staying like this with them forever. She remembered her brother dying, clenching the already dead Riannon in his arms, grieving their unborn baby and worried sick about his sister. A new tear rolled down her cheek.

It didn't happen. It wasn't like that. Not anymore.

"The baby-"Sawy said the words with pale lips. She still didn't know anything. The poison obviously didn't work on them, but what if her little niece or nephew got hurt? "Onyx says the baby is well," Ria rubbed her tummy.

"Put her down! I want to hug my sister! And put something on, for Moon Goddess' sake!" Gideon growled, losing his patience, and Kai grunted, already annoyed. However, he did as he was told and carefully placed Sawy's bare feet onto the ground without any kind of his usual snarky attitude in return. The events of the past few days changed them all.

Gideon did not waste any time and pulled his sibling into a tight, warm, and slightly painful embrace. She could feel his every raw emotion, knowing how much she meant to him. For many years, it had been just the two of them. Savannah remembered how he watched Zack being smug about "his" plan. She knew that it brought him as much pain as it did to her and now he was telling her that without words.

"If I could have come sooner," Gideon said in a low voice and for a second there, she felt like he was shedding a tear or two. He buried his face into her messy hair, and she did not rush him, letting him have this moment discreetly.

"It's okay," Savannah giggled softly, reassuringly, still not believing her own luck. "Trust me; they regret abducting me in the first place."

"That's my girl," the King of the West chuckled proudly and gave her a fatherly kiss on the forehead. From the corner of her eye, Savannah noticed Kyle and Zara running in her direction, followed by Evelyn and Lachlan. Petra was waving at her at a distance but not approaching, giving her privacy and some time to spend with her closest people. The girl didn't look as high-spirited as usual, but that could have been easily explained by what was going on, and Sawy didn't pay it much attention. She was more concentrated on thanking the higher beings for getting everyone she loved back to her. "You're all alive!" Tears streamed down her cheeks as she laughed and hugged each of them. If heaven really did exist, it probably felt like that. "How is it even possible?!"

"You all better be careful and not crush my mate over there!" Kai grumbled as he pulled on the jeans that Lachlan had brought for him, bringing silence to the little clearing they were all gathered on.

"Excuse me?" Gideon arched his brow. "How is that even-"

"I don't know, and I am not questioning the gifts given to us by the gods," Kai shook his head. "But I have to say that this new life

feels so much better than the first one. I have a new power, by the way. Ice needles! Who knew?!"

"I liked you better when you couldn't shift," the Western King rolled his eyes. "Sawy, my dear sister, you do know you can reject him, right?" he teased and the Northern Lycan King let out a menacing snarl. "See what I told you?" Gideon continued his mocking. "The mutt doesn't even know how to behave in public!"

"At least now I know this is real because you are back to your usual bickering!" she beamed at her big brother and then burst out laughing, still unable to stop the tears. She was too emotional, and it was getting out of control. "As for the manners, my mate and I will work on that. Thank you."

She was slowly starting to like the mate concept again because, somehow, saying the word in relation to Kai was bringing her joy every time.

"Sadly, we have to cut our reunion short," Kai gently but persistently took her out of her brother's hands and back into his, kissing her temple softly. "I don't think it is safe to stay anywhere other than my castle now. The final battle will happen as soon as possible. We won a few days, were able to prepare while no one knew, but we don't have that luxury anymore."

"Then shall I activate the second part of our plan?" Ria asked, her hand rubbing her slightly on her rounded belly. She still did not look like a pregnant woman, just like one who had a full dinner. Then again, no one expected anything else from the perfect Luna. Something told Savannah that when she would be pregnant with Kai's baby one day, this wouldn't be the case for her. That made her think of something else, and her cheeks flushed at the sudden realisation...

out.

However, there were more urgent things at the moment, things that couldn't wait.

"Of course," Kyle agreed with his Luna. "I will alert Uncle Reid right this very moment."

"What is the second part of the plan exactly?" Savvy wondered, assuming that the first part was getting her and the other hostages

"Well," Gideon smirked, "my brilliant wife talked us into this, and now that you are here, I am glad she did. Remember how hard it was for us to expose the traitors among us? Even after you found out the truth about Zack and brought me the information you found on his phone, we still weren't sure we got everyone."

Savannah nodded, and Kai pulled her closer, unable to stop touching her.

"Now was our chance to find out," Kyle winked at his friend while lacing his fingers with Evelyn's. The woman, however, slipped her hand out of his grasp, and this did not escape Savvy's gaze. "We set traps fo everyone who wasn't with us," the guy continued as if nothing happened, but the Western Princess knew her best friend too well and saw the disappointment in his eyes.

"You all have been busy!" Savannah praised them. They all did so much while she was lying sick in Bjorn's bed...

"So were you," Zara chimed in. "I flew over the bears' castle now. Well, whatever is left from it. Castle for a castle, right?"

"Right," Savvy smiled, feeling better now.

"But we do need to leave," Kai reminded them. "We can talk back at home."

"Is there something you haven't told us?" Gideon raised his brow.

"Plenty of things," the Lycan King of the North snorted. "But this is not the place nor the time. Savannah needs a healer, though-"

He did not finish as his hands slid under the blanket Savvy was covering herself with. All the wounds were already gone.

"I think I already got one," she giggled and leaned over his chest. "Feeling much better, Doc."

"Mates indeed," Riannon chuckled softly. "And no magical lycan licking required! Gideon, can you imagine?!"

"Ha-ha," her husband crossed his hands over his chest. "Just remember I am watching you, Fionnlagh. And if you hurt her-" "Never!" Kai interjected, and they stared at each other for some time.

Gideon's lips curled into the vaguest of smiles.

"Good!" the Western King nodded, taking his wife's hand, walked away. "Let's get going then!"

They shifted one by one, and only Kai prevented Savannah from doing so.

"I am not ready to part with you just yet," he told her as he placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "So, you are going on my back."

"I can get used to it," she taunted him, and a growl escaped the Northern Lycan King's chest.

"You'd better," he claimed her lips once again and then added. "Hop on. We have a longer road than everyone else."

"Why?" she looked at him, startled slightly.

"Because we are not going where everyone else is going." A smirk formed on Kai's lips. "The night is young, Savvy, and we have more important things to do. Something I should have done a while ago." She wasn't surprised when he took her to the mountains. Thanks to her memory, she recognised the place as the one where the cabin was located and where they spent those wonderful days. They passed the northern castle first, of course. It pained Savannah to see the damages done to it, although she had to admit that Bjorn's Castle suffered more thanks to her invisible helper.

Everyone else was about to stay with Elene and work some more on plans for that final battle. At the same time, Kai decided to take one night off for the two of them.

Amarok had no trouble moving through the snow of the mountains. In fact, it looked and felt as if he was exactly where he was supposed to be. So they reached the little wooden house faster than she expected, and Kai turned back into a human.

Surprisingly, it was already warm inside as someone had already started the fire for them. Savannah noticed a table set for two and various clothes put in neat piles on the sofa. Someone has been preparing for their arrival. However, she could tell by the scents inside the room that this someone was long gone.

gone.

Someone had been preparing for their arrival. However, she could tell by the scents inside the room that this someone was long

She walked inside and stopped by the fire, dropping the blanket to the ground and staying just in that torn red dress of hers. This made Kai growl and cross the living-room in a couple of strides. Alone, at last, they couldn't take their eyes off each other.

"Mate," the sweet word escaped the king's lips as he brushed his palm over her soft cheek. His eyes were filled with lust and longing, and it took all of Savannah's willpower to step away. The action caused fear to appear on her beloved's face. The bond was so new and fresh that they both were afraid, it was too good to be true.

"I just-" Savvy tried to search for the right words, but then chose to say it plainly, "I need a bath, Kai.”

His brows went up, but he understood what she meant at once. She was covered in dirt and blood. Some of it probably wasn't even her own. No wonder she wanted to clean it off first.

"If my Queen wants a bath, then she gets a bath," he smiled and took her hand, pulling her behind him. "Luckily, we have a tub that fits two here, remember?"

She remembered. She hoped that he would say that because she couldn't take not being together with him anymore. Not even if only for a few minutes.

Kai filled the bathtub while she washed her face. For her, it wasn't just the dirt or the blood, not even the remains of the make-up the white bear maids put on her. She wanted to get rid of Bjorn's scent on her. She brushed her teeth vigorously, remembering how he kissed her without her consent, how he touched her at every opportunity he could. She felt that if she washed it all away, it would somehow fix what had happened. She wasn't thinking about all that while she was in there because she had more important things on her mind, but now, with Kai so close, she didn't want to have a trace of another man on her. It insulted their mate bond, and it insulted their love. She couldn't have any of it.

She was washing her hands, again and again, scrubbing vigorously under the nails when he got her. Two strong hands gently wrapped around her waist, and Kai closed the tap, pulling her away from it. Savannah looked down; she couldn't brace herself to face him with all those thoughts in her head. And her mate did not want to force her. Their bond was new and fresh, but he could sense her distress.

Kai lowered his head and gently pecked her on the shoulder, but to his surprise, she shuddered.

"What's wrong?" He asked, afraid to make a wrong move. He was beginning to understand...

"It's... nothing," she tried to push past him, but he did not let go of her. Instead, he gently turned her around and made her look into his eyes. "I just really need this bath," she tried to snort, but it sounded like a whimper instead. Why couldn't she just be happy

now?

"Savvy," it took all Kai's strength and restraint to ask the question, "did he- Did Bjorn ever-" He couldn't say it because he felt like a failure too. For not being there for her, for not being able to protect her when she needed it the most.

Savannah's eyes widened when she realised what he was asking, and she shook her head, denying it.

"No, he didn't," she assured him and placed her palm on his chest. "But being there was still-unpleasant and I don't want you to feel his scent on me-"

"Is that what is bothering you?" he cupped her face and made her look at him. "Savvy, as long you are alive and with me, this is all I could ask of you. I'd never blame you or be disa pointed. nly want to kill the guy all over again. And I am so sorry that I didn't protect you. It's all my fault! You have no idea how much I regret not acting differently in the past. I should have lured him out, found him and killed him the moment he laid his eyes on you. But I swear to you that it will never happen again. No one would dare touch you again! I came back to life because I couldn't leave you. I-"

He was lost for words, and she felt his despair. A tear rolled down her cheek, but her lips curled into a smile. She stood on her tiptoes, and this time she was the one to kiss him. The kiss was as light as a wing of a butterfly, but somehow this one single motion managed to break his soul and then heal it in just mere moments.

"We are not doing this," she told him firmly, confidently. "We are not wasting our second chance on all of that. I'm not going to cry, and you are not going to beat yourself up about this. I didn't even dream about you coming back, and now here you are! And Kai, I love you so much! I am always going to love you, and now we get to spend our lives together, however long that is. Let's take that bath together, wash it off and move on. We will never forget it, but we're not going to be the slaves of our past. What's done is done, but together we are going to build our perfect future!"

"My Queen is wise," he gave her a smile back, a genuine and heart-warming one, and then pushed the straps of her dress off her shoulders, making it pool at her feet.

Cautiously, he checked her body for any kind of wounds, bruises and scratches, and soon he hummed in approval when he didn't find any.

She let him examine her with a little glint in her eyes and the relief on his face when he confirmed she wasn't harmed, made the corners of her lips curl. Moon Goddess, she missed him! The desire for him was growing in her body, and when he lifted her up in her arms and then lowered her into the warm water, getting in there together with her, she did not protest.

Kai sat behind her back and nestled her between his things, then took a sponge and added some expensive and nice-smelling soap to it. Then he started sliding it over his mate's delicate body softly, cleaning her torturously, thoroughly. Inch by inch, he was driving her crazy while she rested on his chest, not forgetting to claim her lips from time to time, each kiss getting deeper, longer and more passionate. She could feel his hardness growing, and her breathing became ragged from their proximity alone. He always had this effect on her, but now it was undeniable. Kai Fionnlagh could ignite her inner fire within

seconds.

1

"Look at you," his voice rasped as he gently brushed his nose over her neck. "Ready to be undone, and I barely touched you!" She simply chuckled at that because she was not going to deny it. Moreover, all she wanted now was to embrace him. She needed him; she needed to feel his love.

"Tell me, Savannah, are you feeling fresh and clean now?" he teased her; drawing his tongue over her sensitive spot and making her toes curl. "You taste so good. I can assure you that! But do you have the

strength to-"

"I feel as good as new!" she reported, sliding her palm over his well-sculptured thigh and pressing her nails into his flesh gently to let him know how serious she was about it.

"Good!" Kai approved, a low dark laugh rumbling through his chest. And then he got her out of the water in one swift move, not caring about the water splashing all over the expensive wooden floor. "Because I haven't even started, Savvy, and I have big plans for you tonight."