THE LUNA WHO CONQUERED DEATH novel Chapter 81

< Episode 42-2

+25 Points

Episode 42-2

“No, but the quantities are excessive. Enough to arm twice as many warriors as they have.” He pulled up financial records. “I think they’re planning to use human mercenaries. Enhanced soldiers like the Covenant had.”

The room went cold.

“The Covenant was destroyed,” Marcus said. “We captured their enhanced soldiers, killed Pierce, and exposed their operations.”

“We destroyed one branch. But the Covenant’s methodology spread before we shut them down.” Adrian showed more evidence. “There are at least three other organizations now offering ‘supernatural defense services.’ Basically, mercenaries are enhanced with harvested abilities.”

“Blackthorne is hiring humans to fight his war?” Diana sounded disgusted. “That violates every supernatural law.”

“Blackthorne doesn’t care about laws. He cares about winning.” I felt cold fury building. “If he’s willing to use enhanced humans, there are no rules anymore.”

Luna, still in my arms, went very still. Her eyes took on that distant, unfocused look that meant she was having a vision.

“Luna? What do you see?”

“Fire. Silver. Screaming.” Her voice was monotone. “Humans with wolf faces. Not real wolves. Wrong wolves. They hurt people. They hurt…” She focused suddenly on me, terrified. “They hurt Mama.”

“No, baby. I’ll be fine.”

“No. I see it. You fall. Blood everywhere. The wrong wolves have taken you.” Tears streamed down her face. “Like another vision. Like the Moon Goddess said. You die or the pack dies. Have to choose.”

Maya’s prophecy. The one that had haunted us since before Luna’s birth. Apparently, my daughter had inherited her prophetic abilities and was seeing the same terrible future.

“When, Luna? When does this happen?”

“Three days. When bad men come. At sunset,” she grabbed my shirt desperately. “Don’t fight them, Mama. Please. Stay with me. Stay safe.”

“I can’t do that. The pack needs their Alpha.”

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<Episode 42-2

+25 Points

“I need my Mama!” Her power flared, silver light flooding the room. Papers flew, the map display flickered, and everyone felt the wave of her distress.

I pulled her close, wrapping my own power around hers, soothing. “Shh, Luna. Breathe. Control your gifts as we practiced.”

“I don’t want control. I want you safe.” But the power slowly receded as she focused on the calming techniques we’d been working on.

After she settled, Katherine entered. She’d felt the power spike from elsewhere in the building.

“What happened?”

“Luna had a vision. I saw myself being taken by enhanced soldiers during the battle.” I looked at my assembled advisors. “Which means we need to adjust our strategy. If Blackthorne has enhanced mercenaries, we can’t fight a conventional battle.”

“What do you suggest?” Marcus asked.

“We use their arrogance against them. They expect us to meet them head-on, to defend our territory in standard pack warfare.” I moved to the map, forming a plan. “Instead, we evacuate non-combatants before they arrive. Make it look like we’re running scared. When they attack, they find an apparently abandoned territory.”

“And then?”

“Then we spring the trap. Let them spread out searching for us, without their forces. Meanwhile, our warriors circle behind and cut off their retreat. We become the attackers, they

become surrounded.” I looked up. “It’s risky. But it might be our only chance against superior

numbers and enhanced soldiers.”

“What about you?” Adrian asked quietly. “Luna’s vision showed you being captured. If you’re part of the fighting…”

“Then we make sure the vision doesn’t come true. Luna sees possibilities, not certainties. We change the circumstances, we change the outcome.” I handed Luna to Katherine. “Keep her safe. That’s priority one.”

“Where are you going?”

“To inspect our defenses personally. If we’re going to pull off a tactical retreat followed by a counter-attack, every detail needs to be perfect.” I headed for the door. “We have three days. Let’s make them count.”

I spent the next twelve hours walking every inch of our defensive preparations.

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