Eighth-Born Luna (Emily and Nathan) novel Chapter 89

Something was wrong.

I felt it the moment Emily left my side during the ceremony. It was a sharp instinct, the kind of warning an Alpha never ignores.

I kept my eyes on her, watching her white hair in the crowd as she followed her sister toward the hallway.

I started to go after her, but Ryan stepped right in front of me.

“Alpha Nathan.”

Asher, my wolf, bared his teeth in my mind. I looked at Ryan, my expression flat. “What.”

Ryan raised his hands, a move meant to look peaceful. “Relax. I’m not here to pick a fight.”

“It would be a short one,” I said.

His face stiffened. Good.

“I just wanted to say…” He glanced toward the hallway where Emily had disappeared. “I’m glad she got a second chance.”

Every muscle in my body locked. Asher snarled, a low, vibrating sound in my skull. “Liar.”

Ryan kept talking, his face a mask of fake sincerity. “She deserved better than what happened in our pack.”

The nerve of this man almost made me laugh. Instead, I stepped into his personal space, moving slowly enough to watch his pulse jump in his neck.

“If you ever say her name again,” I said, my voice barely a whisper, “make sure it’s with respect.”

Ryan swallowed hard. He was smart enough to look at the floor.

Then, the world changed.

The bond between us didn’t just flicker—it thrashed. My heart skipped a beat, then hammered against my ribs.

Emily.

The connection felt like a frayed wire. It wasn’t gone, but it was suddenly muffled, as if someone had wrapped a thick, heavy cloth around the link between our souls.

I snapped my head toward the corridor. “Asher?”

“Something is wrong,” he echoed, his voice a dark growl.

I reached out through the bond, trying to grab hold of her. “Emily.”

Nothing. It wasn’t empty—it felt like pain.

A cold, sharp panic flooded my veins, making my skin crawl. I tried again, pushing every ounce of my Alpha energy into the link.

“Emily!”

No answer. It was impossible. She had only just gained full access to the pack bond today, but our mate link should have been wide open. If she wasn’t answering, she couldn’t.

I turned to my Beta. “Find Emily. Now.”

The mood of the ceremony died instantly. Guards stood tall, their hands going to their weapons. The chatter of the guests vanished.

Marcus appeared at my shoulder before I could even call for him.

“Nathan?”

“She’s gone.”

That was enough. Marcus’s face turned to stone. Beside us, Blake was already shouting, his voice carrying across the grounds like a thunderclap.

“Seal the gates! No one leaves! Search every inch of this pack!”

My blood was boiling as I pushed through the crowd toward the security room.

“Show me the western corridor,” I ordered. “Every camera.”

Screens flickered to life along the wall. I leaned in, my eyes scanning the grain.

There.

Emily was walking beside Beatrice. I watched them stop near an outer courtyard. Beatrice looked upset, her hands moving fast as she spoke. Emily stepped closer, reaching out to comfort her.

Then, my blood turned to ice.

Tessa appeared from a blind spot, moving like a predator. She grabbed Emily from behind, and then—nothing.

Every screen in the room went black. The cameras had been cut. The footage was gone, leaving only empty darkness where my mate had just been.

Inside me, Asher went wild.

“Where did they go?” I roared.

The guards’ fingers flew across their keyboards. But they don’t work.

“Find them!” I snarled.

“We’re trying, Alpha—”

“TRY HARDER!”

Marcus gripped my shoulder, his fingers digging in deep before I could tear the room apart.

“Nathan. Breathe.”

Dark threads of magic began to crawl across the page like ink in water, searching.

I watched, my jaw aching from the pressure. Come on. Come on.

The threads suddenly jerked toward the west. They stretched, vibrating with energy—and then they snapped.

Zynair stumbled back, her face turning gray. Marcus caught her before she collapsed.

“What happened?” I demanded.

Zynair looked up, and for the first time, she looked afraid. “Someone is blocking me.”

“Who?”

“A witch stronger than I am.”

The words hung in the air like a death sentence. Zynair was one of the strongest beings alive.

“There are very few who can hide someone from my sight,” she whispered.

I already knew. I could feel the cold truth of it.

Asher went dead still. They took our Queen.

The doors burst open. Owen stormed in, his face twisted with a fury so pure it practically burned.

“You!” he shouted, pointing a finger at my chest.

Marcus moved to block him. “Owen, not now—”

“No!” Owen snapped. “This is exactly the time!”

My patience snapped. “What.”

Owen looked like he wanted to rip my heart out through my ribs. “I warned her! I told her your world would destroy her.”

The room went still.

“And now look!” Owen’s voice broke. “She’s gone because of YOU!”

I took a step forward, but Owen didn’t flinch.

“You couldn’t even tell her you loved her,” he spat, the words cutting through the air. “Not once.”

I felt that hit in the center of my chest. Because he was right.

If Emily died out there, she would die thinking I used her. And I would never be able to live with the ghost of that thought.