The Nameless Luna – Book Two: What Binds and Breaks: Chapter 17

I can sense Tristan on the other side of the gates.
Now that my senses have come alive and my body is changing after feeding, I can almost hear his heart beating on the bridge outside.
As the gate opens, the cool night air hits my face, and I can feel my own pulse quickening. My father stands by my side, tall and imposing as ever. The tender, awkward man I’ve come to know and care for is buried deep beneath the cold and commanding expression of the Night King.
He’s asked to meet with the Rogue Alpha. With any luck, this could be my only chance to clear up this horrible misunderstanding. I’m not sure what I’m going to say to Tristan yet, but if my encounter with Nico and Mark taught me anything, it’s that the truth is better than even the most well-intentioned deception. Besides, I’m not sure if I could lie to Tristan even if I wanted to. I was startled and confused when Mark and Nico appeared in the nightwalker’s court, but this is different.
This is my mate. If revealing everything to him makes him hate me… then so be it. If he wants to be with me even after knowing everything… then I will deal with that as well. The Goddess’s cursed mark is still there, a permanent reminder of what we can never have. Maybe telling him about it will be enough to end this whole mess. Maybe he’ll understand why I had to stay away.
All I know is that I can’t let this go on any further, and I certainly can’t risk war between my family and my pack.
I clutch the yellow tansies in my hand as we step through the gate. The bridge that connects the mountains and leads into the fortress is an imposing and awe-inspiring structure. It stretches across a deep chasm, with nothing but a bottomless pit below. The bridge is made of dark stone, carved intricately with intricate patterns that seem to glimmer in the moonlight. The sides are lined with tall, sturdy columns, each one carved with the intricate details of twisting vines and snarling beasts.
The columns rise high above the bridge, casting deep shadows over the narrow walkway. The sides of the bridge are also adorned with numerous torches, their flickering flames casting a warm glow over the dark stone.
The sound of the wind whistling through the chasm echoes eerily, creating an ominous atmosphere that sends a chill down the spine. As we walk along the bridge, the sight of the fall below can be both breathtaking and terrifying. The darkness seems to stretch on for miles, and the sound of the wind seems to grow louder the closer one gets to the center of the bridge.
On the other side, Tristan steps onto the stone structure. Mark, Amara, Nico, and Lucy stand behind him, lingering in the tree line. They stay back as their Alpha walks forward to meet me, and my soul aches at the sight of them. How did I let it come to this? Enemies, standing on opposite ends of a bottomless chasm.
My hands shake as I tighten my grip on the stems of the tansies so much my knuckles go white. This cannot become a war.
All my life, I was alone, and now that there are people I love, I cannot lose them. No one can get hurt because of me.
‘Let me talk to him,’ I tell my father through the mindlink. ‘He won’t hurt me.’
‘You said those flowers in your hand were a declaration of war. You’ll excuse me if I don’t trust him,’ he replies, clenching his jaw.
We’re getting closer, my breath quickening with every step we take toward each other.
He’s stunning. His bronzed skin is taut over his muscled body, and his shoulder length chestnut hair is tussled. His golden amber eyes land on me, and my skin almost burns as he rakes his eyes over me, scanning me from head to toe.
My blonde hair is pinned up, and I’m dressed in a practical yet refined ensemble, courtesy of the nightwalkers. I’m wearing a dark red button-up shirt tucked into slim-fitting black pants. The shirt is tailored to perfection, and the sleek black leather boots that reach up to my mid-calf are polished to a high shine. The long, elegant black trench coat that drapes my shoulders flows behind me as I move.
No sign of harm. He needs to know that I’m safe.
I need to know that he’s safe.
‘Whatever happens, promise me you won’t harm him.’
‘Child,’ Marco’s voice echoes softly in the back of my mind, and he takes my hand in his.
‘Father, please…’ I beg, stopping short. I won’t take another step until he gives me his word, and I yank my hand away from his.
Wrong move.
Tristan watches our wordless interaction like a hawk, and I realize too late what it must look like to him.
His eyes darken, and the shift happens too fast. One second he’s standing a few feet away from us on the bridge, and then his wolf tears through him, transforming while I watch in horror.
Wait. No. No!
He charges across the bridge, but my father is ready. Marco pushes me to the side, but I’m not the one Tristan is coming for. My father’s shove sends me stumbling back to the ground before he lunges forward, closing the distance between him and my mate.
Tristan’s wolf form is even bigger than I remembered, his silky fur bristling with rage. My father’s sharp, elegant features are twisted into a deadly grimace. Their species were destined to be enemies, locked in battle by nature and the will of the gods.
Marco strikes against Tristan’s charge, his movements graceful and swift. He darts forward to avoid my mate’s fury, his hands outstretched like claws, but Tristan is just as fast to react. He leaps to the side, his massive paws slamming into the ground as he circles around my father.
For a long moment, they’re evenly matched, each one possessing incredible speed and strength. Marco is agile, darting in and out of Tristan’s reach with ease. The wolf is powerful, his massive jaws snapping at the air as he tries to catch the nightwalker that skirts out of his reach.
‘Stop!’ I watch in horror, picking myself up from the floor with a wince. The tansies are crumpled beneath me on the ground.
‘Tristan, stop. It’s not what you think!’ I shout, but neither one of them so much as glances in my direction. Everything is a blur of fangs and claws, and my stomach is twisted into a knot of terror.
They’re going to tear each other into pieces. I’m shaking,
But then, Tristan sees his chance. My father hesitates for just a moment, but it’s enough. My mate pounces. He slams into the Night King with the full force of his massive body, knocking him to the ground, his teeth lingering over his throat.
Everything inside me is shaking, and there’s a ringing in my ears as the final tether holding me back snaps. My skin feels like it’s on fire, my bones aching as everything inside me rearranges.
Enough.
I transform then and there, shifting into a wolf with glistening white fur and glowing violet eyes.