Eighth-Born Luna (Emily and Nathan) novel Chapter 140

Chapter 140

Nathan’s POV

The next morning, we returned to the witch’s cottage.

The difference in Titus was wild. Yesterday morning he looked half–dead. Today he was pale and clearly exhausted, but he was standing on his own two feet beside Zynair while she brewed something over the fire.

The moment we entered, Titus bowed his head respectfully toward Emily. “I owe you my life.”

Emily shook her head right away. “You don’t owe me anything.”

“I do,” Titus said firmly.

Zynair paused, her spoon stilling in the pot as she finally looked up. You’re celebrating too early. Look at him. His energy is leaking like a cracked glass.”

Everyone turned to look at her.

“The curse connection still exists through the dagger that wounded Silas.” Her expression darkened.

Emily frowned thoughtfully. “Then I’ll need more time to figure out exactly what’s happening inside him.” She ooked toward Titus apologetically. “For now, I can only stabilize you.”

“And that stabilization nearly killed you twice yesterday, first on Titus, then on Stella” I cut in right away.

Emily rolled her eyes at me, but Titus wisely nodded in agreement.

“Yes. Let’s avoid more near–death experiences if possible.”

Good. Finally, someone reasonable.

Then Emily reached into her pocket and carefully pulled out the crystals. The second they touched the table, lynair’s attention sharpened.

“I actually came for another reason,” Emily admitted. She picked up one crystal, holding it between her fingers. “I

hink these can protect entire packs.”

Titus frowned. “…Protect how?”

Emily took a slow breath. Then, silver light burst softly beneath her skin. A glowing shield formed around the crystal, locking into place like a miniature dome.

The room grew heavy with power.

“My shield reacts to them,” Emily explained. If we charge enough crystals…” She looked up at me carefully. “I think we could stretch the barrier over an entire pack territory.”

My heart stopped.

“If the crystals are powerful enough,” Emily nodded.

Zynair stared at the crystal like she was looking at a miracle.

“These are too small, though,” Emily admitted. “They could maybe protect a medium–sized territory temporarily.

But not permanently.”

“Where did you get them?” Titus asked.

Emily explained about the caves beneath the rogue territory. Titus went completely still. Then, slowly, he looked ip. “There’s another crystal cave.”

Everyone turned toward him. *

“What?” I asked sharply.

“It’s less guarded. That’s how I once got close enough to attack Silas.” I didn’t miss the bitterness in his voice.

“You think they haven’t increased security since then?” I asked skeptically.

“Maybe they have,” Titus nodded. “But at least I know the route. You won’t be walking in blind.”

That part mattered. A lot.

“…Show me.”

A half an hour later, we were inside my office in the administrative building.

Titus leaned over the massive territorial map spread across my desk.

Before he could point anything out, Liam stumbled into the office looking like he’d barely survived a hurricane. Or a very aggressive bedroom. His shirt was buttoned completely wrong, and dark, fresh bite marks covered his

eck.

I stared at him. “…What the hell happened to you?”

Liam grinned, practically glowing with satisfaction. “Love, brother. Beautiful love.”

I rolled my eyes, fighting the urge to throw something at his head. Right then, Blake walked in, stopping dead in is tracks as he looked Liam up and down.

“Jesus, Liam,” Blake gagged, tossing a folder onto the desk. “Did you get attacked by a rogue, or did your girl inally decide to break you in?”

“What?” Liam dropped into a chair, crossing his legs smugly. “Don’t hate on me just because some of us aren’t motionally constipated.”

I completely ignored his pathetic bragging. “When are we finally meeting this mysterious mate of yours?” asked instead.

1:39 pm P P

Liam’s smirk only grew. “Whenever she decides. Right now, she’s heading back to the Northern Wind pack to run

her divisions of warriors.”

“So never,” Blake muttered, leaning against the wall. “The woman clearly has better things to do than babysit

you.”

Liam threw a pen at him.

“Alright, why did you call me here?” Liam asked, finally fixing his wrong–buttoned shirt, though he didn’t even

bother trying to hide the dark, fresh bite marks on his neck.

I tapped my finger on the map. “Titus knows where the crystal caves are.”

Liam’s playful smirk faded. “Okay, good. But why do we need to go there?”

“Emily brought some crystals from rogue’s cave, but they’re too small,” I explained. “She and the witch can ittune them to create a barrier. A shield to protect our territory from outside threats.”

Liam blinked, leaning forward. “How exactly does that work?”

“It means no rogue will be able to cross our borders. Ever.”

“Damn,” Liam muttered, the gravity of it hitting him. “That gives us a huge advantage.”

“Exactly. Which is why we need more of them.” I looked over at Titus. “So, which caves are we heading to?”

“Right here,” Titus said, leaning over the desk and pointing to a dense, unmarked area on the map.

His voice dropping lower as he added, “But we need to be careful. There’s an old smuggler route through the cliffs

ind it’s unstable.”

“…Which means it’ll probably collapse on us,” Blake sighed.

“Optimism,” Liam said. “Love that for you.”

“If Emily can really turn these crystals into barriers…” I looked at the map carefully. “Then this changes

verything.”

Liam’s joking expression disappeared. “…Nathan.”

Yeah.”

He understood too. If Emily succeeded, entire packs could become untouchable. No rogue invasions. No

idnappings.

It was hope.

“I’ll take a team,” Liam said.

“Good,” I agreed. “We’ll leave in an hour.”

1:39 pm P

Titus straightened slightly. “I can guide them.”

-Absolutely not.

“With respect,” I said carefully, “you don’t exactly look healthy right now, and I’m not letting Emily lose herself again trying to piece your broken body back together.”

Titus reluctantly nodded. “…Fair.”

Once he left, Liam looked at me with a suspicious squint. “And where exactly do you think you’re going?”

I frowned. “It’s my operation.”

“You’re the Alpha King now,” Liam said, crossing his arms. “Start acting like it.”

Blake nodded right away.

“Traitors, both of them,” Asher piped up in my head.

“If your head gets ripped off in rogue territory,” Liam continued, “Emily will burn each of us. Or even worse, now

she has powers we can’t even imagine.”

True. Very true.

“Yeah, like how she can literally read emotions now,” Blake reminded me dryly. “So if you lie to her, she’ll know.”

“Damn it.”

Liam folded his arms.

“Exactly. Oh, and don’t forget,” my brother added with a smirk, “someone needs to stay here and keep her from loing anything reckless with that cursed dagger again.”

I glared at him for a long second before rubbing a hand down my face with a tired sigh.

“Fine. Then I’m not going.”

r

Liam leaned back in his chair with a victorious grin. “Wow. Personal growth. We love to see it.”

“Alright, Liam,” I said with a tired sigh. “You’re dismissed. Go gather your team.”

Liam immediately jumped to his feet looking far too pleased with himself.

“Yes, Alpha.”

Still grinning like an idiot, Liam walked out the door.

“And Blake,” I called without looking up my Beta. “Pick six of our best guards and station them around the witch’s

Cottage.”

Trust was one thing. Keeping Emily safe was another. I still didn’t know where Zynair’s loyalties ended

Blake nodded, already halfway out the office door before stopping. “By the way, Jessie says everything’s set up for the party. She’s just waiting on you two to show up so we can actually start,”

“Good,” I said. “We head over once I deal with this.”

After Blake left, I made sure the cursed blade was wrapped securely inside the thick black cloth before heading

back to Emily.

As I approached the cottage window, low voices dried outside through the cracked wood.

“…he really thinks he can,” Zynair muttered bitterly. “But he doesn’t realize-”

The old wooden floor creaked beneath my boot.

Complete silence swallowed the cottage. Slowly, I pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Emily sat beside the table, silver light glowing softly around a crystal dome between her hands. Titus watched ‘rom the armchair near the fireplace, while Zynair calmly folded her hands into her sleeves, looking a little too

elaxed.

Way too relaxed.

Emily adjusted in her seat too quickly the second she saw me, avoiding eye contact for half a second.

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