Eighth-Born Luna (Emily and Nathan) novel Chapter 41

Nathan’s POV

It felt like I’d been staring out the window forever. Emily and Owen had been gone so long, but I couldn’t think about anything else. My thought’s kept circling back to the way she looked at him.

At last, I forced myself to look away from the window.

Owen.

Just hearing his name broke something inside me. My wolf snapped, wild and hungry, ready to tear into anything.

Owen had no clue he was messing with death. He’d crossed the line, and now he was mine to deal with.

A low growl rumbled in my chest, but I held it back. For now.

Later, I’d find him. No words. No mercy. I’d make sure he remembered exactly who I was.

I pulled my attention back to the room, to the reason all these powerful Alphas were gathered here.

Their scents were everywhere–wood and raw power. It made me uneasy. We’re wolves, loyal to our packs, but having so many Alphas in one place felt risky. Everyone wanted to be in charge.

Suddenly, the big doors opened.

A terrible smell hit me–old blood and garbage. It was the scent of a rogue, a wolf without a pack. The guards orced him to his knees. He looked dirty and weak, but then he did something that made my skin crawl.

He smiled.

My stomach felt sick. It wasn’t a normal smile. It was the smile of a man who had a secret plan to destroy

everything.

“The witch is here,” someone whispered.

The room went silent. Zynair walked in, her bright red hair making her look even more mysterious. She moved oward the rogue, and the air seemed to tremble.

“He has a magic shield,” Zynair said. Her voice was quiet but very sharp.

The Alpha King looked at her.

“Then break it,” he said coldly.

Zynair looked at the rogue with clear disgust. She placed her hand above his head, and a strange light glowed.

The rogue started screaming–a sound that chilled me. Even from where I stood, her magic hit me like a heavy blow.

“Who is the Rogue King looking for?” Zynair whispered. “Tell the truth, and the pain will stop.”

5:27 pm

PPP

The rogue stopped screaming and started shaking. Finally, he spoke.

Agirl…chosen by Moon Goddess…she belongs to an Alpha… but she is not claimed yet.”

A shiver ran down my spine.

Zynair stared right at me. Her eyes were deep, like she could read the thoughts I hadn’t spoken.

I leaned forward before I even realized it, my heart pounding. We were so close to finding out the truth.

“Her hair…” A long, agonizing pause. “Light.”

My blood ran cold. My mind immediately flashed to Emily and Stella; they both have light hair.

Panic, sharp and relentless, spiked in my chest.

Then I noticed the Alphas shifting around the room. I started counting them without thinking.

One. Two. Three…

Nine, maybe ten Alphas were shifting, their bodies tensing, their predatory minds calculating.

We all have mates, and every one of them is a target for the Rogue King.

The rogue’s body suddenly went slack. Not dead, just… emptied.

Zynair didn’t move. Her hand was still hovering just above his head, her fingers slightly curled, as if she could still

eel the echoes of his thoughts. When she finally pulled back, something in her expression had shifted. There was

ess control now and more calculation.

“There’s more,” she said quietly.

“What do you mean?” the King asked.

Zynair didn’t look at him right away. She kept her eyes on the broken rogue on the floor, as if she was still istening to something only she could hear.

“He knows more,” she said at last. “Something deeper.”

A pause.

“Something protected far stronger than the shield I just broke.”

“What kind of protection?” my father asked, his hand resting on his blade.

“Layered,” she said. “Not one spell–several. Interwoven. Old magic.” Her jaw tightened slightly. “And he’s weak. Too weak for me to force through it without breaking what’s left of his mind.”

A heavy, calculated silence filled the room.

“I need time,” she continued, her voice echoing off the stone walls. “To understand the structure of it.”

5:27 pm

PPP

She linally looked up, her gaze sweeping over the room, the Alphas, and then landing on me.

“To find a way to unravel it… without losing whatever he’s hiding.”

No one said a word. Every Alpha in the room understood–whatever the rogue had confessed was just the

beginning.

The witch stepped back into the shadows. The rogue sagged in his heavy chains, barely conscious now, a hollow

¡hell of a man.

“Take him,” my father ordered.

The guards dragged the rogue away, his boots scraping against the cold stone. Every Alpha in the room knew the

ruth: their mates weren’t safe anymore. They were targets.

I stood, my chair scraping back. I spoke clearly, turning slowly and meeting each Alpha’s eyes, holding their gaze.

“This isn’t random,” I said, my voice cutting through the silence, steady and controlled. “He’s not hunting packs. You all heard the rogue. He’s searching for one specific future Luna with light hair who will heal him and make him

tronger.”

No one argued. They all understood the danger already.

I stepped forward. “We have to protect them. We’ll increase patrols, double the night shifts, and leave no gaps.

I looked at the powerful men in front of me. “We can’t wait any longer. If you have a mate with light hair, claim er here. We’ll organize a mating ceremony as soon as possible.”

No one spoke. No one wanted to admit that truth out loud.

Then, a sharp voice cut across the hall.

“Not all of us rush into claiming bonds like it’s a tactical decision”

It was Alpha Darius. He stood tall, his body covered in old battle scars.

“And I won’t rush my mate just because you’re afraid,” he growled, his eyes flashing.

I looked him straight in the eyes.

“Oh, Alpha Darius, you should be afraid, too,” I said quietly. “If she is your mate, she is already in danger.”

Darius remained silent, his jaw tight.

“And if she’s not ready?” he asked, his voice strained.

I stepped forward, closing the distance between us just enough to feel the burn of his anger.

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