Page 138 of Full Moon
Chapter 61
Torben
With Ferayas on edge as she is, my bear thrashes beneath the surface, more restless than he was during those excruciating weeks when we watched her from less than a mile away. Back then, before she accepted me as her mate, we ensured she was safe from a distance—made sure she had enough to eat, enough warmth—and those were the hardest weeks of my life. My bear wanted nothing more than to break free, to close that distance and pull her into my arms where she'd never have to worry about anything again.
But now, knowing that Feray has been hunted long before I even knew her name ignites a rage I've never known.
It simmers hot and thick in my veins, my claws itching to tear into the bastards who've haunted her steps for so long. I clench my fists until my knuckles go white, turning to face the window as my gaze sweeps over every inch of terrain, every shadow that might conceal a threat. My senses sharpen with the constant thought:How could anyone hunt someone like her?
My mind races through everything I know about her. She's wonderful—so loving, so full of heart despite everything life hasthrown at her. Dozens have died just to get their hands on her, their blood spilled for the greed of capturing someone who wouldn't hurt a soul unless she had no other choice. The thought stirs something primal in me, and my bear growls low in my chest, wanting to lash out, to protect what's ours.
I turn back in time to see Diaval watching her with the same intensity, his gaze unreadable yet fixed on her every move. He feels it too—the fierce protectiveness, the puzzle of who Feray really is. She remains a mystery, even to us, no matter how many pieces we uncover. So highly intelligent, calculating when she needs to be, but also impossibly gentle, with a heart far too kind for the cruelty the world keeps throwing her way.
Even with all the pieces falling into place about who our mate truly is, hunting her still makes little sense. My mind reels as I keep my eyes trained on the landscape rushing past the car window, the scent of unease thick enough to taste in the confined space.
Feray leans into me, her fingers tracing slow, deliberate lines over my stomach as she senses how close my bear is to losing his temper. The heat of her touch steadies me, but only just. "I'm okay. I promise," she whispers, her voice a comfort against the mounting tension. Her head tilts up, and I meet her eyes—searching, always searching for some reassurance I'm not sure I can give.
I shake my head, trying to snap my focus back to the world outside, though my instincts scream at me to protect her. "Sorry, he got away from me," I murmur, not quite believing it myself.
"We're all on edge, my eternal," Diaval adds, his voice a low growl barely containing his drake's simmering irritation. A plume of steam escapes his nostrils, the frustration palpableenough to thicken the air further. "The mage coming for you in the wide open, at a hotel of all places..." His words trail off into a hiss of discontent, and I feel the urge to smash something in agreement.
"I wanted to burn him to ash, then burn the ash and leave a scorch mark behind," Easton mutters from his watchful position, his eyes flicking between the front and back of the SUV with predatory awareness. I don't doubt he would've made good on that threat if given the chance.
Feray lowers her head, and I feel a pang in my chest, a deep, instinctual ache that tells me she shouldn't have to bear this weight alone. "I would love to say I don't know what's so special about me," she begins, her voice heavy with something close to resignation. Her gaze lingers on the bracers strapped to her forearms before she sighs, the soft sound carrying a weight that's impossible to ignore. "But I do."
"I have two mythic mates—a basilisk and the strongest Kodiak I've ever met. The strongest alphas of their respective species." Her eyes lift, scanning each of us with a calm that doesn't quite mask the fear lurking beneath. "Khal hides it, but he's right up there with the rest of you. Like me, he doesn't like to hurt people."
Her voice drops, and something ancient seems to surface behind her eyes. "But I'm the last of my kind. A reborn species that shouldn't exist as I am—a created mythic." Her eyes shift, glowing with that ice-blue color that still throws me off every time, a sign of just how much she's changed. The glow belongs to her wolf, not to her, and it hits me harder than I want to admit.
"She's changed so much over the last year," I say quietly, my voice almost lost in the noise of the SUV. I reach out to cup hercheek in my hand, feeling the warmth beneath my palm. "You both have, and I'm proud to call you mine."
A small smile plays at my lips as I rub my thumb over her cheek, watching her blush faintly in response.
"We have changed," she admits, a soft laugh escaping her as she shakes her head. "I almost miss seeing my eyes golden. I'd just gotten used to them being a different color, and now they're ice blue—almost white." Her smile widens before turning slightly mischievous. "I scared myself the first time I saw them like that. Thought I was a zombie ice walker or something."
"You'd never be a white walker. You're too smart for that," Easton quips, reaching over to poke her thigh. She jumps slightly, and the tension lifts for a blessed moment.
Then her smile fades, and her eyes lower again, something darker crossing her features. "I control two of the largest packs of wolves in the north," she murmurs, her voice barely above a whisper. Her teeth catch her bottom lip as she looks at each of us, her gaze lingering longer than usual. "I can feel the other wolves that live down here."
Shock hits me like a punch to the gut. She's never said this before. "How long have you been able to feel them?" I ask, taking her small hand in mine, trying to offer some comfort even as my mind races with the implications.
"Since I killed the alpha in Crescent Valley," she admits, straightening her posture with a new determination flashing in her eyes. "When the wolves submitted to me, something clicked. Suddenly, I could feel every wolf alive." Her hand tightens around mine, her resolve fierce and unwavering. "I know wherethe mates of my people are, and I intend to call them home. Everyone deserves to be happy."
It all clicks into place—why they want her, why the mage came for her, why they've been hunting her since before she was born. My heart tightens as I meet Diaval's gaze across the dim interior of the SUV. He's come to the same realization I have, the same terrible understanding settling over both of us like a shroud.
She's not just Luna of the north.
She's Luna of them all.
And that makes her the most dangerous—and the most hunted—creature alive.
Several hours slipby in tense silence, and finally, Khal steps out of the darkness, his silhouette barely visible as he approaches. I've been keeping an eye on Feray, but she dozed off about an hour ago trying to wait for him. Her breathing is steady now, her body tucked against Diaval, who decided to nap as well, content to let her snuggle with Khal once he returned.
The quiet hum of the engine has been our only company for a while, the road stretching endlessly into the darkness ahead.
I stretch across Feray and nudge Diaval gently. His eyes flicker open, alert despite the long night, and he silently opens his door, signaling to Khal to take his place. Diaval moves toward the driver's seat, but something halts him—he and Khal exchange a few low words, too quiet for me to catch, their faces drawn and tense in the dim light of the moon. There's an understanding between them, something that makes unease coil tighter in my gut before Diaval finally slips behind the wheel.
Khal slides into the seat beside Feray, the soft leather of his jacket whispering as he shrugs it off and lets it fall to the floor. The moment he settles, Feray's nose twitches, her senses flaring even in sleep. She stirs, turning instinctively toward him without fully waking, her small form curling into his warmth as though pulled by an invisible thread.
