The Luna Trials by Marissa Gilbert

Chapter 75

Petra ran between the ancient pine trees of the Forbidden Forest like a flash of lightning. She may not have been the best warrior

out there, but her speed was always impressive. This was one time when her small size was an advantage. It was much harder for the bear that followed her to keep up, but the beast was stubborn, and that was becoming a problem. She knew that bear. She recognised his scent at once when he got close to her on the battlefield because he was the one who kept visiting her while she was captive and swore that he would be the one to own her in the end. It seemed like he intended to keep his word even though the auction never happened. He was also the one Petra liked the least, not that she liked any of them. But there was something about this one... something that made her stomach churn in the worst of ways. She knew she'd better die than get into his paws..

However, that other scent that was now reaching her nostrils gave her hope. She dreamed of being enveloped in this pleasant earthy scent for the rest of her life. A part of her worried that he was chasing the bear because those beasts were much bigger and more dangerous now than ever before. The whispers travelled fast among the werewolves and lycans about their enemies changing into something else. Now everyone got a taste of that change. They should have already won by now but were still struggling in reality. Their plan failed.

Petra thought of luring the bear into the Forgotten city. If she managed to get him into the tiles area, she could lead him into a trap. However, the problem was that they were now on the wrong side of the battlefield.

Something shifted before her in the darkness of the woods; at first, she did not know what that was. A chill soon ran down her spine when she saw another three bears walking out of thick shadows. The realisation made her stop, trying to change the direction.

A trap! It was a trap!

Her pursuer charged at her, knocking a few trees out of his way and breaking them into chips. He covered Petra with his heavy paw, and she found herself pinned to the ground just like that. She struggled desperately, trying to bite him, but that only amused him. That cruel glint in his eyes she noticed back at the bear castle was back, and it made her nauseous.

That did not last long, though, as a black wolf pounced at the beast on top of her, canines digging into his fur as deep as they could go and claws leaving their bloody marks on his back.

However, the bear managed to shake the werewolf off right in time for his comrades to catch up with them. Petra jumped in front of her mate, baring her teeth, her primal instincts were kicking in. Ash was next to her instantly, trying to push her behind them as the beasts surrounded them.

Four. There were four bears against the two of them. Enhanced, blessed, mutated... whatever it was called, they were simply stronger.

A loud growl emerged as one of the bears was attacked by an elegant chocolate wolf who tore a piece of flesh from his leg. Followed by a lycan who leapt at another monster.

It did not make Petra feel any better because she recognised her mentor, Evelyn and her suitor Kyle at once. Two more people she cared about were at risk now because of her. Sometimes she wished that Lyn did not care about her so much. Her life would be so much easier without Petra, who was always in need of saving. Even now, when she was putting up a fight for the first time in her life.

They stood back to back as the bears regrouped too. If they were regular white bears, the wolves would have a chance. A slim one, but it would be there. Right now... all they could do was pray and not give up. Because their powers were not equal, and surrendering would be so much worse than dying. They would have to fight until the last drop of blood if they had to.

Brigit had a hard time dodging attack after attack, slaughtering her own kind as she went through the battlefield, technically making a path for two armies to meet each other and separate Bjorn's lines. Just that night, she reached her pack's camp and challenged her cousin, who was the new Alpha, for his position. The warriors at the Camp laughed at her and called her names that weren't new to her, only fuelling the flames of her anger more. They did not know how much she needed their insults to keep going, to fight, to change the order that was so wrong and unfair. They did not scare her off. They didn't change her mind. They only reminded her of why she was doing this.

She was underestimated since birth. A girl. A thing to exchange for something more valuable.

Enough was enough. If the man of her kind we're not capable of change, she would make that step for them whether they wanted it

or not. Bridgit killed her cousin quickly. Well, he was showing off, thinking she was out of her mind when she looked him into a death grip and bit through the most crucial artery on his neck, dyeing the ground with his crimson blood.

She did not experience relief though because she knew that the men wouldn't be happy about her victory. This wouldn't be enough

for them. They would think it was beginners' luck and nothing else, and they would challenge her again.

Her prediction was correct, and her dead cousin's Beta challenged her mere seconds after his Alpha's death. She took her time with

this one, making it a spectacle this time but also ensuring that they all knew she wasn't lucky. She was plain good. So good that when she was done, they finally bowed their heads to her.

She, never an heir, became the Alpha of her clan overnight and promised to lead them into a better future. She did not lie. When it was their time to take their positions at the back according to Bjorn's plan, after he found out that she was the new Alpha,

she informed them of her real plan. The plan where they would strike their own kind at the back at the most crucial moment and change the game. She could feel how men hesitated, but also she could feel how women were on her side, even if slightly wary. This was when she simply had to hope that they would follow her, that they would believe in what she was offering them.

And luckily, most of them did.

Her warriors took care of the ones who disobeyed her first, proving their loyalty to their female Alpha. And then they waited just like she ordered them, which was another strike of luck because they were blessed by Joran like all the other bears and foxes. If she did not

want to wait, this brilliant opportunity would have been missed.

No one expected this and the changes that were happening to their bodies were scary at first. Bridget could feel her muscles. growing, her claws getting longer and changing their shape, her teeth becoming sharper. She could hear sounds at a longer distance, see

further than she ever did, and was afraid to think what other abilities she had now. She also was not stupid and knew that this was changing the balance of power, meaning that even with her betrayal of the bears, the wolves could still lose the battle and the war. The

-reasonable thing would have been to take a step back and abort her plan. Play nice and follow Bjorn until the day she died.

Only that she couldn't do this anymore. She had done this before. Took the most logical way out and not the one that her heart

desired. Each time she regretted her choice. She regretted staying in Castiel's harem for so long. She regretted pushing away and betraying her mate. She regretted so many things... And only when she burned that tower to help Aspen and Savannah escape she felt

good for the first time. She felt right..

So, she did not choose the reasonable thing. She chose to fight. Even the slightest possibility of having a happy ending was better than continuing life quietly under Bjorn's rule. Or anyone else who she did not choose herself. She was done with that.

But the price was high. Her pack had a hint of her scent now. They were recognisable, and soon every white bear knew who the traitors were. Brigit's men had to face their wrath, but to their credit, none of them tried to flee. Which proved something very important.

Not all the bears were the same. Some of them could still be saved.

As their Alpha, Bridget stood out in the crowd too. That aura of power was impossible to hide, not that she would do it anyway. It was all or nothing.

At first, Aspen looked for his mate to kill her, but she surprised him again. He killed a different bear first, releasing his frustration on him and watched Bridget being attacked again and again by her own kind. He had to give it to her, she managed to impress him. Never in a million years had he expected something like this. She arranged a coupe in the middle of the war, and she was now leading it.

This changed nothing for them, yet he found himself defending her when three giant bears charged at his ex-mate. He needed her for the rebellion she managed to pull today. She had to stay alive, and this was logical. This was also the only reason he was tearing to pieces everyone who dared to look at her with malice in their eyes. He was not falling for this trap again. He had already paid a price that was too high for this illusion.

The fight pushed them further and further away from the clearing, backing them into the walls of the Forgotten City. Aspen was fine with that. He was one of those wolves who knew this place like the back of his hand. It was literally in his job description. Bridget was also supposed to know the surroundings because she went through this challenge during the Luna Trials. But they had yet to learn if the bears who tried to take them into a ring knew about the secret passages and tiles. Some of them did because Bjorn used that place a lot in the past. At least the catacombs were sealed now, and they would only have to fight on the surface.

Then again, nothing was going to help them when it was four against two.

The bears charged, joined by a fox who saw easy prey. Aspen killed it first to save time and threw its body at one of the bigger beasts

to try and distract it. He then injected himself between Brigit and another bear, cursing himself under his breath for this weakness of his. He was pathetic.

Brigit searched for at least a glimpse of his gaze, but he was avoiding her like the plague even though he was so close. That stubborn lycan shouldn't have been there at all, and yet... yet he was defending her time after time, after time. She prayed to all the gods she knew for them to get out of this. The bear Alpha had to promise herself that she would tell him how she felt about him when this was over. Even if he rejected her again, she wanted to do it. She always wanted to do it.

However, now wasn't the time for this as she hesitated for too long, trying to check on him and did not notice another fox monster created by Joran jumping at her and biting through a tendon on her Jeg. Am angry snarl escaped her. Her leg hurt like hell and made her pause... Enough for one of the bears to get close enough for that final blow of his claws. Those long sharp claws looked like talons now and were supposed to pierce through her like a knife through butter. Brigit closed her eyes before the inevitable.

Only to feel nothing.

When she dared to glance at her opponent again in disbelief, she saw why she was still alive. And Brigit finally got to see his eyes too, as Aspen stood between her and the beast. Pierced. His wine-red blood already trickling to the snow under his paws.

Her roar was so loud and full of pain that it resonated in everyone's heart.

This couldn't be his end. Aspen... he deserved so much better than this.

Rage and agony blinded her, and she slayed the one who did this to her mate. Even if he rejected her, Aspen would always be her mate. He was hers!

Another fox was next, followed by another bear. And then one more. She felt like she could kill them all now, not caring anymore who was before her.

Only that it was too late now because Aspen was lying under one of the walls of the Forgotten City in a pool of his own blood. The battle went on, but Brigit found herself back next to her mate, falling to her knees in her human form and ready to be killed next to him. If he was not happy in the future she tried so desperately to build, did she even want it?

me?"

"Open your eyes!" she ordered him through tears streaming down her face against her will. "Open your eyes, Aspen! Do you hear

Desperate. She was so desperate she had nothing to lose anymore. She asked Savannah to take care of her little sister when she passed the message, knowing that the Queen would stay alive either way. Neither Bjorn nor Kai would let anything happen to her. This was her only request when she sent Ingrid with the message about what she was planning to do.

Since this was taken care of, she only had Aspen to worry about. She did not want the new order any more. She did not want her Alpha title. All Brigit wanted was her mate alive and well, even if it was without her. It seemed like a little price to pay now.

He forced his eyes open and did not try to avert her gaze this time. She could feel his body quivering in her hands, pushing the rest of

his blood out. And there was nothing she could do about it. Everything was happening too fast.

She wrapped her hands around him, digging her face into his soft fur and crying without holding back.

"Please," she wept, "I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you! Just stay with me! Stay without me! Do whatever you want, but please stay alive. Fight! Live! Be happy! Hate me all you want! I know I deserve it... Just... please..."

The lycan wolf in her arms whimpered softly, licking the tears off her cheeks and making all of this much more painful.

"I was a horrible mate! I know this! I did not deserve you! Just stay alive, and you will meet your second chance! I swear, she will be great, and she will make you happy! Please! Please, Aspen, fight for your life..."

She trembled at first, but soon she began to shake uncontrollably. She did not notice how four of her bears stood behind her back, covering her and not letting anyone reach their Alpha. She did not care. Not if this was how it ended tonight.

Aspen couldn't do anything. The

pain seized his body like a chain. Each movement only tightened it and prolonged the torture. That she bear was trouble, and he had to push her away. Only that he did not want He had to admit it, at least to himself in his final moments, that this was probably the best ending for him. Feeling her warmth again, knowing that she cared at least a little bit, knowing that what he imagined wasn't actually just his imagination. They loved each other despite all their differences; despite

the war.

Betrayals aside, they always loved each other and simply knowing that he was dying a happy man.

Aspen used the last bits of his strength to shift into his human form because he wanted to taste her lips one last time. He did not care about his legs anymore. He did not care about revenge at all. He only cared about this beautiful woman who betrayed him once, whom

he couldn't trust and with whom he would do the same things all over again if he was to ever repeat this life. There was only one regret on his mind now. He wished they had more time. He wished they had another chance.

But sadly, life was slipping away from him.

Savannah was getting tired, but the bears kept coming. Joran's blessing proved to be a big problem for them. She was watching the she-wolves beside her getting exhausted as well. Some of them were already dead, and this was making her angry. Deep inside, she

wished naively that she would be able to bring all of them back alive. However, that plan was not destined to come true and just by throwing a quick glance around the field below the mountain she stood on, she knew that the losses were terrible. And she also knew that it was possible that despite all their effort, all the great plans and the alliances they forged, they were still going to lose. That tasted bitter and was a hard pill to swallow.

From the corner of her eye, she noticed a group of white bears climbing up to where she was standing now. The Luna of the North had no doubts that Bjorn was the one at the very front of them, and she could already feel his scent of Wintergreen. She also saw Amarok and a few of his loyal northern warriors following the enemies, and her lips almost curled into a smile. She did not feel good or bad about it. A part of her always knew that this was how the war would end. And she was ready to accept this ending. Savvy shifted from her royal lycan form into her wolf with ease and stood on the top of the path Bjorn used now until he could see her. He was already near, and their eyes locked when she sprinted away to the top of the mountain as fast as the wind. The paths were

narrow, icy and slippery, but she knew she had to take the White Bear King as far away and as high as possible..

Bjorn charged after the woman who haunted his mind, her beautiful white fur blended with the snow, but her black ears were giving her location away. He knew very well that she was playing a game with him, and he was in. Whatever it took, he was getting her back tonight. Everything was on his side today. He had never been this close to winning.

She got to the top with ease, but it took him longer, and he couldn't ignore Amarok's growls behind his back. His rival would be here

soon, and Bjorn had no illusions about that. They would fight him together.

But he had no problem with that. If he had to prove his strength to Savannah, he would do just that.

It started snowing heavily when he reached the top and saw her slender figure standing alone, waiting for him to arrive. A huge black hawk flew straight to his mate and turned into her assistant just for a second to pass her a shawl to wrap around her body. The girl with

short black hair glared at him, but after a few words from his mate, feathers covered her body again, and she flew back to the sky.

Savannah was in her human form, and it meant that she wanted to talk.

Bjorn really did not mind. He wanted to talk too. To talk to her, to touch her, to kiss her, to finally take her. He couldn't wait any

longer; this time, he would play his cards differently when he got her back.

He shifted before her eyes and straightened his back, proudly walking towards her with no clothes on. He knew he did not have to be embarrassed about his body and hoped to notice at least one appreciative glance from her, one hint... a tint on her cheeks... anything! However, his cruel little mate of his gave him nothing, remaining indifferent.

"Let's go home, Savannah," he told her at once, even though he promised himself to be patient.

"I am home," she shook her head defiantly. "I am defending it from you."

"This is my home too. The North is mine!" he gritted his teeth, clenching

his fists but still trying not to scare her off. He could hear his bears fighting Amarok. He saw the black hawk still circling in the sky above his Queen. That bird was big enough to carry Savvy away in its claws if it

fto, but he would kille

he'd let that happen. Werebirds were quickly becoming his least favourite shifters. Too free, too unpredictable, too much magic at their disposal, too hard to control.

"Let's agree to disagree on that!" She lifted her chin higher. "But look at what you are doing to it! It's not too late to stop this now. You can still rule your bears on your territory. It doesn't have to be like this."

A deep cold laugh escaped him as he threw his head back. She wasn't serious!

"Why would I do that when I am winning?" he glared at her with a sneer. "Look below, Savannah. What do you see?"

"I see a mad deity's champions fighting in agony for something that would never be theirs! I see so many dead people who had their lives before them, and now they will be a feast for the crows! I see a

madman-"

"Enough!" he stopped her, not wishing to hear this nonsense. "I am tired of giving up on what's mine! And so are my people! We aren't doing this anymore, and everyone will have to learn and deal with this!" "I hope you don't mean me!" the Luna snarled, the shawl falling off her shoulder and revealing the most beautiful North star mark

on her neck. It sparkled like the starry sky, stabbing his heart with its meaning. Bjorn choked on the air from the pain. He had already seen it in the videos. He knew that his worst enemy marked his mate. He

knew that Fenrir interfered and somehow gave them a mate bond as a present that Kai did not deserve.

However, it was different to see it with his own eyes.

"Face the truth, Bjorn!" Savvy was as cruel to him as ever. "I love another. Win or lose, you will never change that."

"Challenge accepted," he smirked at

her through all the pain. "Deep

inside, you know that you were supposed to be my mate next. You did not feel it because you were mated to Zack, and straight after his

death, it was too early. When it was time, Fenrir robbed me and gave you to Kai. But mark my words, Savannah, when I kill him, everything will be reverted. You will become mine again. Everything will be fine!"

"Do you even hear yourself?" she asked, frowning. "You are going to kill another mate of mine. Do you remember what it did to me the first time? Do you even care?"

"Last time you killed Zack, and this was why it was so physically challenging. And this time-" Bjorn was looking for excuses, and he was finding them. "This time, I will kill him myself. Not to mention that it's a

fake mate. He will be gone, and so will your great love for him. We will be able to finally be together!"

"I doubt it!" Savannah chuckled bitterly. "Look down, Bjorn. How many people I care about are dead down there? Just face it, I will

hate you forever, no matter how today ends."

He pressed his lips into a thin white line, knowing she was telling the truth. The truth he would never be willing to accept. He was a fighter, and he would fight for her until the moment he was dead.

"Then my love would be enough for the two of us!" he swore bitterly, each word a promise.

He took a step in her direction, but a tall ice spike grew in his way, followed by more.

Amarok was finally here.

Fenrir watched his people fight and suffer. He planned to be gone by now, but something stopped him, and he couldn't explain that. Some lingering feeling was eating up his soul, and he couldn't fight it.

It had been so long. Almost a century since he was this close to his people. Back then, he was in despair and could only watch them die one by one, losing yet another kingdom in the process. The East never

recovered after that battle.

Would today be the end of the North? Although everything was telling him that, he did not want to believe that.

His brother gained more power since the last time he saw him. Blessing so many people in one go was madness. They were gods, but

even their power had limits. Fenrir learned that the hard way.

It was surprising how after so many centuries, Jormungand still craved to rule. Even if just over mortals. Or maybe he just wanted to

erase the wolves from the face of the earth? Did he still hate him this much? It looked like it...

He couldn't help but think that this was his brother's main goal. Destroying the lycans, creatures created by Fenrir, would be the

same as destroying his legacy. Killing most werewolves would give Jor control over the one that remained, bringing him one step closer

to his main wish.

There was just one problem, and Fenrir sighed, watching how his creations fought fiercely when everything was against them. Moon

Goddess' creature did not disappoint either.

He knew that wolves did not deserve to perish. They were the most loyal, beautiful creatures out there who always took care of each other. This was something his own family never gave him, and this was why

both lycans and werewolves deserved to live.

"I am so going to regret this!" he closed his eyes, wrapping his fingers tighter around the Divine Spear and summoning its

power...