Page 139 of Full Moon
A soft rumble vibrates from her chest, barely audible but filled with contentment. Her nose buries against Khal's throat, seeking his scent, and I watch his shoulders finally relax as the tension bleeds away now that she's close.
Even in her sleep, she knows. Her mate has returned, and she's happier for it.
"Is everything settled?"Diaval's voice slices through the quiet tension, pulling me back from the labyrinth of my thoughts. I glance over at him—his sharp profile illuminated by the faint glow of the dashboard lights—as he navigates the winding, moonlit road.
"Yeah," Khal responds, exhaling a heavy sigh that seems to carry the weight of the world. "They were antsy since no one had seen either of us in so long—it had to happen." He rubs a hand over his face, weariness clear in every movement. "Now that we're going to be back, I'll have to head in and make an appearance. Hopefully, after Ro sees Khol, he won't be far behind us."
I watch as Khal silences his phone, the screen casting a brief, cold light over his features before he leans back and wraps his arms protectively around Feray, pulling her into his lap along with the dragon egg we've been guarding so closely.
"It's understandable," Diaval says, his tone measured as his eyes flicker to the rearview mirror, meeting mine for a split secondbefore returning to the shadowed road ahead. "Do they suspect anything?"
"If they do, they're not saying." Khal's jaw tightens, frustration simmering beneath the surface. "I did rough one guy up a bit and drove another into submission." He shakes his head with a bitter smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. "In the lab, I'm left alone, but out in the wild, everyone tries to get a piece because of who our uncle is."
His lip curls in disgust, and the mere mention of the man casts a dark cloud over the entire vehicle.
An uneasy silence settles over us, filled only by the steady hum of the engine and the rhythmic thump of tires against asphalt. Shadows from overhanging trees dance across the windshield, creating an ever-shifting tapestry of light and dark that does nothing to ease my growing dread.
Khal suddenly pullsout his phone again, his fingers moving rapidly over the screen with an urgency that makes my spine stiffen. Something in his demeanor has shifted—concern mixed with something darker.
"What's up?" I ask, tilting my head to catch a glimpse of his expression.
"Updating Rev so he can tell my brother what he's about to walk into," he mutters without looking up. "Hopefully, Rev has his damn phone instead of leaving it in random places."
His frustration is palpable, and the tension in his voice makes Feray stir. She blinks awake, her eyes soft and unfocused as she looks up at him.
"Hi..." she whispers, her voice a gentle caress against the backdrop of the night, and she reaches up to place a tender kiss on his chin.
"Hi, precious," Khal replies, his features softening in a way that catches me off guard given the circumstances. "Get some sleep. We'll be home before you know it." He leans down, pressing a kiss to her forehead with a tenderness that seems almost out of place.
Feray starts to settle back into his arms, but suddenly her nose twitches and an icy blue glow overtakes her usual azure eyes, sending a chill down my spine.
"Why do I smell blood?"
Her voice is sharp and alert now, all traces of sleep vanishing as she sniffs Khal frantically, her hands gliding over him in a desperate search for wounds. Before he can respond, she lifts his shirt, her eyes scanning his chest and stomach with growing alarm.
"I got into a fight. It's not my blood," Khal assures her, his tone steady but soothing as he gestures toward his jacket crumpled at his feet.
Understanding, I reach down and hand it to him. "See? Not mine."
Feray's nose wrinkles as she inspects the black leather jacket, her fingers tracing the dark stains that mar its surface like accusations. She exhales slowly, relief softening her features. "Okay," she murmurs. "I was just worried."
She nestles back against his chest, her eyelids growing heavy once more as the eerie glow fades from her eyes, returning themto their familiar hue. But I can't shake the image from my mind—it's a stark reminder of the power that lies beneath her serene exterior, coiled and waiting.
I turnmy gaze back to the window, watching the shadows of the forest race by like dark spirits keeping pace with our flight. The road seems endless, a ribbon of uncertainty stretching into the unknown.
"How long until we're home?" I ask, breaking the silence that has once again enveloped us. My question hangs in the air, heavy with unspoken fears.
"About three hours, give or take," Diaval replies, tilting his head as if listening to a voice only he can hear. "My dragon is arguing with me about why we didn't fly." He shakes his head with a hint of exasperation, rolling his eyes skyward. "He hates carrying everyone. But all things considered..."
A faint smile tugs at my lips despite everything. "Thank him for carrying us both times. We appreciate it."
Diaval glances at me, a flicker of amusement crossing his face. "He hears you. And he says you're welcome."
I chuckle softly, the sound oddly comforting in the oppressive stillness of the night. But as the minutes tick by, I can't shake the feeling that we're hurtling toward something inevitable. The shadows outside seem to grow darker with each passing mile, the air thicker with anticipation. There's a storm coming—whether from the skies or from the tangled web of secrets we're enmeshed in, I can't tell.
I lean back in my seat and close my eyes briefly, but images flash behind my eyelids: Khal's tense expression, Feray's glowingeyes, the bloodstained jacket, the mage frozen in stone. I open them again, unwilling to surrender to the restless thoughts that threaten to consume me.
The road stretches on, and with each mile, the weight of what awaits us presses heavier on my shoulders. Luna of all wolves. Hunted since birth. Mages who want to control the spirit of winter.
But for now, all we can do is keep moving forward into the unknown, and pray that whatever's waiting for us at the end of this road won't tear apart everything we've fought so hard to protect.
Three hours.
Three hours until we're home.
If we make it that long.
