Get Back The Abandoned Luna (Scarlett and Alexander) novel Chapter 122

Chapter 122

Scarlett’s POV

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We paused in the thick tree line. Arnold signaled for silence; his voice was low but firm. “We’re clear of patrols. There are no scents trailing us and I don’t think they’ve found out we infiltrated their pack.”

Finally, after sneaking our way into Crescent Moon and freeing the ten Crescent Moon wolves, we had also managed to sneak our way out. Now, we were already at the border of Nightshade, out of Crescent’s territory, making some of us breathe a heavy sigh of relief that we managed to escape without alerting anyone.

Lucien kept his arm around me as my eyes traced the gaunt faces of the freed captives. Their lips were cracked, their eyes sunken as if they hadn’t slept for a long time, and they had lost weight. Yet, relief and joy filled their eyes now that they were free.

Finally, one of them–a broad–shouldered man I remembered as Elias–broke the silence. His voice was hoarse, almost breaking.

“Luna….” he sank to his knees before I could stop him, bowing his head low. “We are in your debt… but we can’t follow you anymore.”

I furrewed my brows. “What does that mean? And get up. You don’t have to kneel to me. I’m not a saint or the Goddess.”

Elias’s eyes flicked up to me, then away in shame. Around him, the others lowered their gazes as well, as if they couldn’t bear to meet mine.

“We’re grateful that you went to such lengths to save us,” he continued, his voice shaking. “Grateful that you still remembered us after what Crescent Moon did to you. But we can’t burden you anymore. We know you are already the Luna of Nightshade, and you no longer bear responsibility for us. We cannot put you at risk again.”

“And where would you go?” I looked each of them in the eyes.

Elias looked away and softly whispered, “We’ll live as rogues.”

“No,” I said sharply. My voice echoed, louder than I intended. Lucien gently patted my back to calm me down.

I took a deep breath and looked at them. “I didn’t fight to bring you this far just to see you throw your lives away as rogues. You know being rogues is risky, and who knows… someone might target you. Can you live like that, especially when you’re all weak?”

One of the women stepped forward with shaking hands. As the firelight illuminated her face, my heart jumped as I recognized Alisa, Caleb’s mother. She had grown old past recognition in that cage, her once fair hair now white, her eyes drawn in but blazing with a mother’s love.

Her lips quivered. “Caleb… my boy…”

I knelt beside her without hesitation, holding her cold hands in mine. “He is alive,” I said, and she looked at me with tears in her eyes.

“Really?” Hope welled in her eyes.

I nodded. “He’s in Nightshade. He’s safe, and he was the one who told me what happened to all of you. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have had any idea what happened to you. By the time I found out, it would have been after Alexander had executed you.”

Her tears came instantly, flooding her tired eyes and running down her dirt–streaked cheeks. She clutched my hands tightly,

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Chapter 122

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her shoulders shaking. “Thank you… he’s alive… he managed to escape… I thought–I thought Alexander had found him…”

I stroked her back gently. “We should thank him for bringing me to save you.”

Alisa shook her head, pulling back, her hands trembling against mine. “Luna… please, I beg you. Let Caleb remain with you. Let him live in your pack. Don’t let him follow us.”

“Follow you?” I frowned. “Alisa, what are you talking about?”

She swallowed hard, her eyes shimmering. “We can’t stay in Nightshade. We’re branded as traitors. Alexander would never stop hunting us if he knew we escaped. If we stay, we’ll draw his wrath onto you, onto your people–and we can’t do that. We’re grateful for your grace, and we’d rather wander as rogues than bring a curse upon you.”

The others nodded, and Elias agreed. “Besides, being rogues isn’t that bad. We’ll just hide so no one will see or know us.”

I shock my head. “Don’t say that. You aren’t traitors. You were punished for defending me, for standing up for me. I haven’t even thanked you all for defending me then. You allowed me to be in a better position–otherwise, I might still be tied by Alexander even now.”

Her chin trembled, but she shook her head stubbornly. “We are ashamed, Luna. We couldn’t protect you. We watched you suffer, felt betrayed, and did nothing because we were afraid. We failed you and Crescent Moon. To live beside you now…” She looked away, unable to finish, her shoulders curling in on themselves.

Elias spoke again, his voice heavy with shame. “We’ve already chosen, Luna. We’ll go our separate ways. We can’t let Caleb carry our disgrace. Let him think we’re gone. It will be kinder to him that way.”

I looked up at them, my heart beating wildly. The woods felt too quiet, the silence oppressive. And Lucien… his hand took mine, warmth passing to me, but I couldn’t help the tremor in my voice when I spoke.

“You think living as rogues will erase the shame you feel?” I asked, my words sharp but trembling. “You think abandoning each other, abandoning Caleb, abandoning yourselves is the answer? That’s not redemption–it’s surrender.”

“Scarlett,” Lucien murmured softly at my side, but I pressed on.

I rose to my feet, glaring down at the kneeling survivors. “You are my people. You fought for me when no one else would. You bled for me, suffered for me. Do you think I will let you become rogues? No. I will not. Nightshade can be your home- if you let it.”

But Alisa shook her head again, tears dripping from her chin. “If Alexander learns we’re alive and living in Nightshade, he’ll come for you–he’ll trouble Nightshade. He won’t rest until he burns Nightshade to the ground.”

Her words hung heavy. I couldn’t even deny the truth in them.

Lucien’s voice rumbled low, steady, commanding. “Then let him come. Does he think he can come and go in our pack as he pleases? It’s not like we’re afraid of him.”

Both Arnold and Nick, who had been silent, nodded. “We’ve already tightened our security. He can’t come easily to our pack

like before.”

I examined the ten familiar faces before me–those who’d been with me ever since I became their Luna, now dilapidated by hunger, fear, and despair. They were free, but still chained by the shadow of Crescent Moon. Their eyes, even here in Nightshade territory, darted like frightened creatures.

Silence filled the forest, and it was Arnold who finally broke it, arms crossed, tone casual. “Since you’re afraid, why not make Alexander believe you’re all dead?”

My head snapped toward him. “What?”

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Chapter 122

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The captives gasped while Nick just shook his head and face–palmed.

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Arnold’s mouth curved into a sly smirk. “It’s the only way. If you want them safe, we need to erase them from Alexander’s world. Dead men don’t get hunted.” He nodded at Nick, who already looked as if he regretted standing near him. “We find rogue bodies, dress them, scar them, make them pass for these ten. Put them back in Crescent Moon where Alexander expects them all to be. He’ll think they died in captivity, or in whatever punishment he imagined.”

My stomach twisted. It was gruesome… but it seemed it would work.

Arnold looked at Nick, clearly prompting him to comment on his idea.

Nick “eluctantly nodded. “Not a bad idea.”

Lucien also agreed with the plan. “It’s feasible.”

One of the women, Alisa, pressed a hand to her chest. Tears brimmed in her eyes as her voice shook. “If he thinks we’re dead.. he won’t hunt us?”

I looked at her–at all of them. My throat ached. “No,” I said firmly, stepping forward. “If we do this right, he’ll never come for you again. He’ll believe you’re gone and turn his cruelty elsewhere. You’ll be free.”

But I knew there was always a chance Alexander might figure out we tricked him, but since Lucien reassured me that Alexander couldn’t do anything, then it wasn’t so bad to lie to them–right?

Lucien and I would handle any aftermath anyway. Plus, we had strong warriors, too.

I watched as they broke down in helpless sobs, thanking the Moon Goddess for her mercy and guidance. For the first time since we had pulled them from that dungeon, I saw something flicker in their expressions. Hope.

Nick rubbed the back of his neck. “Arnold will handle the disguises, and I’ll deal with the… collection.” His grimace showed he wasn’t looking forward to the task.

Arnold clapped him on the shoulder with a wicked grin. “Oh, come on. You’ve always had the stomach for dirty work.”

Nick groaned, muttering, “Not this dirty.”

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