Eighth-Born Luna (Emily and Nathan) novel Chapter 128

Chapter 128

Emily’s POV

I shook my head desperately. “I can’t leave them.”

“This is exactly why Nathan is obsessed with you,” Marcus muttered bitterly. “You keep trying to save everyone.”

‘Marcus-”

“No.” He pointed sharply toward the castle. “Declan will notice you’re gone any second.”

I grabbed his arm hard. “Then we stop wasting time.”

I pulled him toward the breeder barracks.

Marcus’s girls sprinted beside us without hesitation. Some still looked deceptively soft and delicate in their

¡tained dresses–until they moved. Until they killed.

The closer we got to the lower barracks, the worse the smell became. Blood. Milk. Fear. My stomach turned.

“Stella,” I said quickly while we ran. “Tall. Blonde. Thin. Pregnant.”

Marcus nodded once. “We split up.”

The first barrack door burst open under Marcus’s kick. Instantly, my blood ran cold.

Rows of beds. Pregnant women everywhere.

Some were barely conscious. Some stared blankly at the ceiling. Others curled protectively around their swollen stomachs, trying to shield their babies from this place.

The light from the courtyard spilled through the doorway, hitting their faces. None of them even moved.

One of Marcus’s girls whispered behind me. “…Goddess.”

Even they looked horrified.

Marcus grabbed my shoulder. “Do you see her?”

My eyes scanned frantically across the room. No. Not here.

“Next one.”

We sprinted back outside. Around us, Marcus’s wolves were tearing through rogue guards. Several of the girls had partially shifted now–claws, fangs, glowing eyes. The rogues clearly hadn’t expected resistance from women. Big mistake.

We reached the second barrack. I threw the door open, and finally, I saw her.

“Stella!”

She looked terrible. Bruised. Barely conscious. She tried to stand too fast and almost collapsed immediately.

Ireached her first. “Easy–easy.”

Owen moved beside me and helped lift her weight onto our shoulders. Stella blinked slowly at me, like she couldn’t understand why I’d come back.

Honestly? Neither could I.

“Come on,” I whispered urgently. “You’re getting out.”

Around us, the other women barely reacted. Some watched us with blank expressions. Others turned away completely. There was no hope left in their eyes.

“Come with us!” I shouted desperately. “You’re free!”

Nothing. One woman started crying softly. Another just shook her head. They were completely broken.

Marcus grabbed my arm hard. “Emily. We have to move.”

He was right. More rogues were already flooding the castle grounds.

We sprinted back across the courtyard. Bodies littered the stone paths now. Marcus’s women fought like demons eside us, dropping rogues one after another while Owen carried Stella.

But I could feel it. Our luck was running out.

And just as the crystal cave came into view–I felt him. Before I saw him. Before I heard him.

Declan.

The air itself changed, turning cold, sharp, and predatory. Then, slowly, he stepped out from the side of the castle. He was clapping.

Clap.

Once.

Clap.

Again,

My stomach dropped.

“I honestly thought you’d last longer,” Declan said softly.

Marcus cursed beside me. “Run.” Then louder- “RUN!”

We bolted toward the cave entrance. Toward freedom.

Footsteps exploded behind us. Too close. Too fast. I could practically feel his presence tracking me–his fury, his excitement.

We burst onto the spiral staircase leading down toward the portal chamber. Chaos was everywhere. Blood. screams.

Marcus’s women were clearing our way to the portal. They were fighting rogue guards across the crystal ›latforms, and bodies were falling into the abyss below.

“DOWN!” Marcus roared. Owen was running ahead of me with Stella.

Marcus and I were the last ones.

I was almost there. Almost-

Then suddenly, a hand caught my shoulder violently. I slammed backward, straight into a hard chest.

Declan.

He wasn’t even breathing hard. The entire chase just seemed to amuse him.

“I told you,” he murmured against my ear. “I enjoy watching you try.”

Declan’s eyes darkened dangerously.

Owen bared his teeth through the pain.

“The packs already have an Alpha King.”

For one second pure rage flashed across Declan’s face.

“No,” he snarled softly. His claws dug deeper into Owen’s throat.

“I’ll become the only king left.”

And then–he tore Owen apart.

I didn’t even understand how it happened. One second Owen was there, and the next, blood splattered across the crystals.

A scream ripped from my throat. Marcus grabbed me violently, and then he threw both of us straight into the portal.

The world shattered. Cold, with the feeling of falling.

Then suddenly–hands. Hard, strong hands.

‘ROGUE!”

Claws grabbed me instantly, pressing tight against my throat, digging into my skin. One second more, and whoever held me would have ripped me apart.

But then, I smelled him. Smoke. Pine forest. Rain.

‘Nathan.”

My entire body gave out. I reached up shakily, my fingers touching his face.

“It’s me…” My voice cracked. “…Nathan.”

The snarling stopped instantly. One second. Two.

“…Emily?” His voice broke completely. “Mine,” he growled, his eyes flaring bright gold. His wolf was thrilled to have me back.

Behind us, rogues burst through the portal.

“BACK!” Nathan roared murderously at them. Then he grabbed me and ran.

The second we burst out of the cave entrance into the forest, Kane was waiting there, his thumb hovering right over the detonator.

“BLOW IT!” Nathan shouted.

Kane looked past us, his eyes wide. “Wait, where’s Owen?”

“Owen’s dead!” Marcus roared, sprinting out right behind us.

I sobbed loudly against Nathan’s chest.

“No, I’m going back!” Kane shouted, taking a step toward the tunnel entrance as dozens of rogues poured out of he portal behind it.