Rise Of A Shattered Luna (Natalie) by Kave Derry novel Chapter 32

Chapter 32 The Underground King

Natalie’s POV

The gunfire did not stop.

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It echoed through the structure, sharp bursts followed by shouts and the low tremor of something heavy striking metal.

Blackthorne territory was under attack.

And I was lying in a hospital bed, unable to even sit up without pain tearing through my skin.

Yvonne moved quickly around the room, her calm demeanor still intact, but I could see it in the way her hands tightened slightly as she gathered supplies. She was controlled, efficient but alert in a way that only wolves trained for war.

I turned my head toward her.

“Yvonne…” My throat still burned when I spoke; each word felt scraped raw. “What happened to your sister?”

The question had been sitting between us ever since Finn said it.

Your sister died in Ocean City because of her.

Because of me.

Yvonne paused only for a second before continuing to pack medical vials into a portable

case.

“Natalie,” she said evenly, “I will explain later. For now, we need to move you to the underground safe room.”

Her tone left no space for argument.

Another burst of gunfire sounded, closer this time. My pulse spiked.

“What about Baron?” I asked quickly.

The name felt heavier now.

If the attackers breached the perimeter, would he be protected? Or would he be lying defenseless somewhere while his enemies closed in?

The helplessness pressed down on my chest until breathing felt tight.

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Chapter 32 The Underground King

Yvonne didn’t stop moving.

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“The Alpha remains unconscious,” she said quickly. “Beta Finn and Gamma Shauna are managing external defense. Based on protocol, they will move him underground if they assess the threat level as severe.”

Everything sounded organized.

But Baron was still unconscious.

I swallowed hard and nodded, even though the motion made my back scream in protest.

“Okay,” I whispered.

Yvonne stepped behind the bed and unlocked the wheels.

“We’re leaving now.”

I didn’t protest… I couldn’t.

There was nothing I could do but allow her to wheel me out.

The hallway outside was bright and sterile, but the tension in the air was unmistakable. Wolves in tactical gear moved quickly down the corridor, weapons strapped across their backs, expressions sharp and focused.

No one looked panicked.

That told me everything.

Blackthorne was used to war.

We reached a section of the corridor that looked ordinary at first glance. Yvonne pressed her palm to a panel in the wall.

The surface shifted.

A hidden elevator slid open.

The scent inside was faintly metallic and cool.

She wheeled me in, pressed a code, and the doors shut silently.

The descent was fast.

My stomach dropped slightly as the elevator moved downward.

TIL

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Chapter 32 The Underground King

I stared at the mirrored wall across from me.

For a second, I barely recognized the reflection staring back.

My skin was pale… My hair was uneven from where parts had been singed. Bandages wrapped around my arms, visible even beneath the hospital gown.

Scarred–up freak.

Finn’s words replayed in my head.

I looked away.

The elevator slowed.

A soft ding.

The doors opened.

Bright light flooded in.

The underground facility was nothing like I expected.

It wasn’t dark.

It wasn’t cold.

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It was built like a high–level medical center–sterile floors, advanced equipment lining the walls, and multiple sealed rooms behind reinforced glass.

Doctors in white coats moved quickly but calmly between stations. Some monitored screens while others adjusted IV lines or reviewed data tablets.

No one looked surprised to see Yvonne.

This was routine for them.

Emergency protocol.

I was wheeled inside.

And then I saw him.

The bed was positioned slightly apart from the others, surrounded by more equipment than any other patient.

Baron lay still.

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Chapter 32 The Underground King

For a moment, my breath caught.

This was not the man I remembered.

The man who had called my name through smoke.

This version was pale.

Utterly drained.

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His skin had lost its color completely. His cheekbones looked sharper, almost gaunt. Dark shadows had formed beneath his eyes.

His eyebrows were uneven, parts scorched away

Sections of his hair were singed short and uneven from fire damage.

Bandages wrapped around his wrists where burns had marked him.

He looked… Human.

Vulnerable.

Not the Alpha I met earlier.

Just a man lying still; something in my chest twisted painfully.

I hadn’t realized until that moment how tightly I had been holding myself together.

“Baron…” I whispered.

My voice barely carried across the short distance

He didn’t move or even react.

The steady beep of the monitor beside him was the only proof that he was still here.

Yvonne stepped beside me.

“Alpha Baron learned of your situation while already physically compromised,” she explained quietly. “He had just suppressed an internal uprising within the territory, and his wolf had not fully recovered.”

I turned slightly toward her.

“He took a drug,” she continued. “An experimental compound developed by our internal research division, it is not fully stabilized.”

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Chapter 32 The Underground King

My stomach tightened.

“What does it do?” I asked.

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“It temporarily amplifies physical capability, and it overrides fatigue and suppresses pain receptors.”

My fingers curled slightly against the blanket.

“That sounds useful.”

“It is dangerous.”

Her tone sharpened.

“The compound forces the wolf and the human body into overdrive simultaneously; it pushes both systems beyond their natural limits. In short bursts, it can turn the tide of battle.”

I stared at Baron’s still face.

“And the side effects?”

“Neurological shutdown. Organ strain. Cardiac irregularities. Coma.”

The word hung in the air.

Coma.

“He used it to reach you,” Yvonne said. “And he sustained fire–related injuries on top of that strain, and after extracting you from the warehouse, he collapsed.”

My chest tightened.

Two days.

He had been like this for two days.

T

“All the researchers here are ours,” she added. “Trusted and loyal to Blackthorne. They are attempting to stabilize his system and develop a counteragent.”

“And if they can’t?”

Yvonne didn’t answer immediately.

“That is not the outcome we are preparing for.”

HI

O

L

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Chapter 32 The Underground King

My throat burned again.

He had risked everything.

I looked at him again.

He didn’t look like a man who would wake up easily.

His chest rose and fell slowly. Too slowly.

“Is there anything I can do?” I asked.

The question felt useless the moment it left my mouth.

Yvonne’s expression softened slightly.

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“Nat, the best thing you can do is recover. Your own burns required immediate intervention; your wither chill is still healing.”

I looked down at my bandaged hands.

I hated it.

Hated the weakness.

Hated that I was standing at the center of something so dangerous and could do nothing to influence it.

Baron had done so much for me.

And now, when he was lying on the edge of life and death-

I couldn’t do a damn thing to help.

The realization settled heavy and suffocating inside my chest.

I watched the steady rise and fall of his chest.

Watched the machines that breathed and monitored and measured.

I felt smaller than I had ever felt before.

Not because Finn insulted me.

Not because my body was scarred.

But because someone had chosen me.

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Chapter 32 The Underground King

And I didn’t know why.

And I didn’t know how to carry that weight.

“Wake up,” I whispered under my breath, too soft for anyone but myself to hear.

He didn’t move.

The underground facility buzzed quietly around us, efficient and controlled.

Above us, war continued.

Down here, time stood still.

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And all I could do was sit in that space between gratitude and guilt, staring at the man who had burned for me.

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