The Blood Moon Twins – Chapter 128

CAULDER

We all sat on the shore, exhausted from swimming. With our help, Blade had made significant progress with swimming. He was still clumsy and had to fight against his dense body, but he was a fast learner and made more progress in one session than I had expected.

After we did swimming practice for a while, we all got out of the water to relax and munch on the fruit and other snacks we packed. The air was warm, but it felt nice against our damp skin. Laughter filled the air as we teased and joked, and all of my worries disappeared. I felt like a normal person. No worries. No responsibilities. Just friends hanging out at the lake, enjoying the day.

ad to start packing now if we were going to get home before the designated curfew, and I had no intention of missing that curfew. With everything that had happened in the past few months, it was a miracle we were even allowed to leave the territory like

ould start heading home now.” She stretched her arms above her head and groaned in delight.

mming lesson. I could see the exhaustion on his face from the extended time in the sun, but he seemed lighter and happier now

d Remy and Blade didn’t say a word on the way back. When I glanced in the rearview mirror, the two of them were passed out in the backseat.

g in a deliberately quiet voice to avoid disturbing them.

he road. “It was nice seeing them relax fo

they have to go back to the stress of the world.” Harper sounded sad, and when I g

I wanted this to be all over soon, but there was no way to know how much longer we had to do this. All we could do was prepare and endure until we made it through to the other end. We just had to take it day by day until then and do our best to focus on the things that were going our way while we could.

he rest of the drive was spent in silence, since Harper started dozing off shortly after our conversation. I was worn out from the day, but I didn’t feel sleepy. I was just focused on keeping my eyes on the road, satisfied that everyone else had enj

needed to trust my gut. Something was off.

awake, but I wasn’t about to take any chances.

m. “What’s going on?”

dmitted, “but I need you all to be ale

rprisingly steady and calm for just waking up. “It feels m

the road, fearful that this sorcerer had set a trap for us.

her. I hoped I was just being paranoid, and whoever was here was a welcome guest.

What’s going on?” he linked back.

igh alert and get everyone outside of the pack house inside.”

had explicit permission. Any sorcerer who was not permitted to enter would be faced with an invisible shield. Winslow and the Council of Magic were no longer welcome in our house or in the pack.

me for me.

ed. My own heart was racing. If this was the Council of Magic back to take me, I would snap. I couldn’t go back to that room ever again. I would fight to the death before I let them just take me again.

t of the car,” I said.

, but she was already

h Draven, she never wanted to feel stuck again.

ed my throat. Remy and Blade appeared a moment after us, and I felt better, knowing we were safe behind the ward–at least I hoped we were.

ose,” Remy linked in a private line with me. I think she wanted to keep th

nvaded the pack. Part of me hoped it was just one of Cain’s people coming to give us a message, but the magic was too strong, and that would be too conven

knock was determined and wouldn’t stop knocking until the door was answered.

repared to answer the door.

e more, but I didn’t want anyone to know just how scared I was. If I was going to take over as the future alpha of this pack, I had to face my fears for the sake of everyone else.

outside of the door, I will be protected by the ward,” I said, trying to calm her. Harper didn’t loosen her grip

would a part of Harper. Her wounds from our separation were still too fresh, and it would hurt even more now that we were mated to each other.

hough I knew I would break just as much as she would.

my word no matter who was standing on the other side of the door.

ey knew I was standing there. I opened the door, and on the other side stood Winslow. He somehow looked even older than the last time I saw him, and any facade of kindness was nowhere to be found.

h energy, and I knew I could tear down this house in the blink of an eye if I wanted to.

a thought. My only hesitation was the glow in his eyes. He came prepared for something like this.

his hand up quickly. “I wouldn’

chance this was just another manipulation tactic from him.

.

hing happened, she would be right here with me, helping me every step of the way. This time I wasn’t alone. It was the only thing keeping me together.

ps.

him, not after everything he had put me through.

aid simply.