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!”

1:36 pm P PTM

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

astle. He was clapping.

lap.

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

1:36 pm PP

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.”

His eyes dropped.

Then he pulled out that cursed silver dagger with the ruby in the hilt. My blood ran cold. He slid the blade down ny chest, cutting through buttons and tearing the dress open.

The cool air hit my bare skin, and my body betrayed me.

But he felt it. He saw it.

“It’s the mark,” I hissed through clenched teeth. “And that damn blade.”

Before Declan could answer, Owen threw himself between us.

“Back away from her.”

୮

Then he lunged. It was fast and brutal. His claws barely grazed Declan before he twisted aside effortlessly.

Owen shoved me back toward Marcus and the girls.

MOVE!”

Marcus broke free from another rogue at the same time. Together, Marcus and Owen hit Declan at once. For a econd, it actually worked.

Owen slammed into him hard enough to knock the dagger free.

I saw it spinning across the stone floor, sliding straight toward the edge of the drop–off.

Without thinking, I ran, dropped to my knees, and caught it right before it slipped into the abyss.

1:36 pm P PT

Declan froze. Only for a second.

-But it was enough.

“GO!” Owen screamed

Marcus grabbed my arm. Behind us, Stella and the remaining girls were already diving through the portal. Marcus yanked me toward it, and then Declan’s voice roared through the cavern.

“Look what you’ve pushed me to, Emily!”

Suddenly, he grabbed Owen, forcing him down to his knees. Declan’s grip locked around his throat, claws digging: leep into his skin.

He glared directly at me, his eyes dark with fury. “Know this–whatever happens next is on you.”

“NO!” I screamed.

“Listen to me.” His voice sounded rough, dead serious. “Go.”

Tears blurred my eyes instantly. “No-”

“GO!” His face twisted in pain. “Or all of this was for nothing.”

Declan tilted his head, watching us like it was a show. Amused.

Owen looked at me one last time. “Tell Nathan I’m finally staying out of his way.”

“How emotional,” Declan said.

Owen looked directly at Declan despite the blood running down his neck.

“You’ll never rule this world.”

Declan’s eyes darkened dangerously.

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