Eighth-Born Luna (Emily and Nathan) novel Chapter 149

Chapter 149

Nathan’s POV

I slammed Marcus into the kitchen table under the weight of my wolf.

A heavy growl ripped from my chest as I pinned him by his shoulders, my fangs hovering inches from his throat.

One bite. One second. That was all it would take to end this.

“NATHAN, STOP!”

Emily’s scream pierced the air, but the frantic noise inside my own head nearly drowned her out.

How dare he make her a promise like that? How dare he even think about killing her?

Marcus snarled, shifting his weight to throw me off, but I was bigger. Stronger. My claws tore deep into the wood right next to his ears, anchoring him to the floor.

Then, a sudden wave of silver light flooded the room.

My wolf stumbled, the sudden force throwing off my balance. Marcus went rigid beneath me as the heavy pressure locked our muscles in place.

The glasses on the shelves rattled against each other as pale waves of energy rolled across the floorboards from Emily’s bare feet.

Even with the cursed dagger active, her power was breaking through. It terrified me to think what she could actually do without that suppressor holding her back.

“ENOUGH!”

The sheer force of her voice vibrated through the walls.

I looked up. Tears filled her eyes while bright, glowing runes burned across her skin. The air around her warped from the heat of her energy.

She wasn’t weak. She never had been.

A Luna Queen. My Luna Queen.

The fierce grip my wolf held on my mind loosened just enough for me to pull myself back to the surface.

Slowly, the painful grinding of bones began as I forced the shift. I stood up on the cold floor, my breath coming in ragged gasps as I pushed my hair out of my face, completely naked.

Marcus dragged himself off the floor and managed to sink into a kitchen chair, coughing and checking his neck for blood.

“Well,” he croaked, tugging at his ruined shirt. “That was almost my worst morning ever.”

“Shut up, Marcus,” I growled.

I looked over at Emily. She was standing right there, only a few steps away, but the distance between us felt completely uncrossable.

And over the following days, that gap only grew wider as our territory turned into a shelter zone.

We had no time to fix things between us.

Entire packs were disappearing overnight.

Survivors arrived at our borders almost daily now—wounded wolves, crying children, Betas who had watched their Alphas die, and Lunas whose life force had been drained down to nothing. Every story they brought was worse than the last.

“Strong wolves are being executed on the spot,” Blake reported during an emergency meeting in my office. “The weak ones are taken alive.”

“Brainwashed,” Liam muttered darkly, staring out the window at the crowded streets. “Or worse.”

Emily had already told us how Declan and the witch Varga broke minds inside that castle.

Blake continued his report. “The ones who managed to escape are seeking protection with us. We have large territory, Nathan, but even we are running out of space.”

“Then we will set up temporary tents,” Emily said, her voice steady.

I watched her, amazed by her composure. Her time in Declan’s castle had hardened her into steel.

Yet, there was so much she wasn’t telling me, things I could still see and feel. I noticed how her body flinched at the mere mention of breakfast sometimes. Or how, if I reached out to touch her neck unexpectedly, she would sharply pull away in fear.

A bitter wave of regret washed over me. I was so sorry I hadn’t been fast enough. I hadn’t protected her because I had been a fool.

Not this time, Asher’s voice growled deep inside my head. We are never letting her go again.

Emily had no intention of backing down either.

Instead of hiding, my mate threw herself into the defense of our pack. She worked nonstop, pushing herself past her limits.

Crystal barriers spread farther around our territory every day. Massive boundary stones were hauled to the borders, and Emily spent hours under the sun, carving glowing runes into the rock alongside Zynair.

Too many hours.

“Is it going to work?” I asked, stepping closer.

My voice broke her concentration. Emily flinched, her grip on the energy wavering.

“I don’t want you throwing away more strength than you can afford,” I muttered.

“Nathan, we already talked about this.”

“I can send more wolves to guard the border,” I said stubbornly.

“And they will die.” Anger sparked in her eyes as she turned to face me. “Please, just let me work.”

With a tight breath, she pushed the glowing crystal deep into the center slot of the pillar. The rock flared to life, shooting a brilliant beam of light into the sky, weaving another section of the protective dome over our lands.

“Done,” she whispered, her voice completely drained.

Before her knees could buckle, I moved. I caught her against my chest, wrapping my arms around her waist as her weight went entirely slack.

It was always like this. She pushed herself until she collapsed, I stood there growling and worrying, and the witch kept chanting her runes, always taking Emily’s side. I hated it. Asher hated it even more.

Zynair smiled, a rare look of approval on her sharp face. “Better. Much better.”

“I hate that you’re impressed,” I muttered, keeping Emily steady against me as I crossed one arm over my chest.

Emily rolled her eyes. “You hate everything involving this dagger.”

“Correct.”

“And you hate Zynair.”

“Also correct.”

“I’m going to train,” she said quietly, not looking at either of us as she walked into the house.

Liam watched the door close. “Things are still rough between you two, huh?”

I didn’t answer, just kicked a stray rock across the path, sending it flying into the brush.

A few minutes later, Emily stepped back outside.

She had changed into light workout gear—tight shorts and a sports bra. The way that fabric hugged her curves was borderline illegal, especially with the way my wolf immediately stirred beneath my skin. I forced myself to look away, tight-jawed.

Emily, what are you doing to me?

She was holding that damn dagger again. It felt like she hadn’t let go of the cursed blade in days.

Without a word, she headed past the backyard and straight toward the clearing at the edge of the woods.

“I’m going after her,” I muttered to Liam, already moving.

I kept my distance, watching from the tree line.

Emily stopped in the center of the clearing. She closed her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest while holding the dagger close, as if she were listening to something deep inside herself.

Suddenly, the large ruby on the hilt flared with a blinding light.

A massive roar of pure energy exploded from her body. The shockwave was so powerful it snapped the nearby branches and bent young trees in half.

But the force of her own power sent her crashing to her knees.

I froze, completely stunned by her raw strength. If she had more of that hidden inside her, the rogues didn’t stand a chance.

But Declan belongs to us, Asher promised bloodthirstily in my mind. We kill him ourselves.

Emily pushed herself back up, sweat dripping down her neck.

Another sharp flash of silver light blinded me for a second as she forced a second wave of energy out of her body. This time, her knees didn’t buckle. She stayed on her feet, panting heavily.

“Spare yourself,” I said, finally stepping to her.

“Declan won’t spare us,” she cut me off, her voice flat. She kept her back to me. “Nathan, please. Just leave me alone right now.”

Not ‘I love you.’ Not ‘Trust me, mate.’ Just a cold demand for space.

I stared at her back for a long, agonizing moment, waiting for her to turn around, to tell me she didn’t mean it. She kept her eyes glued to the dirt.

I nodded once, my jaw tight. “Fine.”

I turned to walk away, but the next second, a sharp pulse of energy snapped behind me. I spun around. Emily was collapsed on the grass, completely motionless.

“I told you to save your strength!” I barked, my heart slamming into my ribs as I sprinted back toward her lifeless body.

Emily! I roared through our mental link, but there was no answer. Only a hollow echo.

I looked up and was shocked, because Emily’s phantom was right there. Then she vanished, flying off toward the mountains where the Rogue King’s lair was hidden.

Emily!