The Luna Trials by Marissa Gilbert

55. The Cold Truth 

The creature stepped out of the darkness, and even Gideon grew tense at what was before his eyes. The wolf was larger than any Lycan or werewolf he had ever seen, with tur in a midnight blue colour, alniosl as dark as black, but not quite. All this, however, wasn’t what amazed the King of the West the most. It was the spikes of ice that grew straight out of the woll’s lur. Larger over the top of his neck and back, smaller on the sides. He looked majestic and ominous at theme time as he bared his sharp, sparkling white teeth. 

New. He was so newl As if he was just… born now. 

It was hard to ignore how call the night became, and snowy mist started to form around the creature whose eyes were gleaming like two northern stars 

-Amarok,” Riannon whispered. She was the only one smiling now because she was the only one who knew the creature’s true identity. 

The truc Lycan King of the North, he was on his land and in his right. The ruler that was needed now more than ever. 

“Who7- Gideon still trying to gently move his Luna behind him in an attempt to protect her, it was hard for him to tell whether the beasi meant well or not. 

The bones started snapping, and in just a few moments, the wolf turned into an ice lycan, standing on his two feet. This sight was even more incredible than the lirst one. 

However, in just a lew moments, slowly, and it looked painful too, the lycan tried to retract his spikes, but something wasn’t working, making him growl in frustration and fall back on all lours, turning back into the ice wolf. 

“He can’t shift,” Ria explained, voice barely a whisper, but everyone present heard her. She seemed to be reading the creature’s mind. 

*Stay back, Ria,” Gideon still wasn’t convinced it was safe, the memory of holding his pregnant wife’s dead body was still haunting his mind. His family being destroyed before his eyes was the scariest thing he had ever experienced, and he was ready to die ten times over to not let that happen. 

“Don’t you see it?” His wife furrowed her brows as she glanced at him. She knew something he didn’t again. “It’s Kai!” 

“What?” Lachlan stepped in front of them. Seconds ago, he was mourning his best friend and blaming himself for not being able to get Kai’s out of their burning home, and now a beast stood before his eyes, and it felt so new and so familiar at the same time. 

The Western Queen’s words ignited a spark of hope in him. Was it really his King? He was ready to accept his new torm, he was ready to follow him to hell and do anything just for the chance of getting his friend back. 

This monster walked out of the castle that wasn’t burning anymore and he was the one that put the fire out. The second his paws stepped onto the ground, frost covered it, spreading last around him. This wolf was a force of nature and the embodiment of the North. 

“Kai?” They all heard Elene’s weak voice as the Princess walked closer to the wolf. Their eyes locked, and she threw herself at him before Lachlan had a chance to intercept her. Gideon was ready to step in if it was necessary, but Riannon draped her arm around his and leaned over. Neither she nor the princess had any doubts. 

“It’s fine,” Ria said, “he would never hurt his sister.” “Kail” Elene sobbed. “I thought I lost you too! Thanks to Fenrir!” 

There was so much pain and despair in her voice that it was impossible not to leel sorry for the northern princess, Elene had many talents, but inner strength wasn’t one of them. If Kai was dead, it would have broken her forever. 

“What happened to him?” Gideon asked quietly. “You called him-” “Amarok,” Riannon repeated the name. “Onyx can talk to him.” “Why would she be able to talk to him?” Her husband didn’t really like their sudden connection. 

Well, not exactly

“He is my brother, my Alpha and my king.” Ria looked back

down her cheek. “He was dead and then he was brought back to life.

the back. He knew she was relieving the memories of her own death and rebirth. No matter how much time

and that it’s a really long story.” “Ter e eds to do buter work then,” Gideon said, observing

1. I SIN 

that they needed motivation and hope -After Onyx and I were reborn,

don’t have time!” Gideon interjected. “My sister was taken by that white bear monster and we have to

me she was the one to rip it out of his chest. Not to mention,

Naya both nodded, proud of their

Lachlan said, and Amarok growled in approval, the air getting even

Ramina said in

lips curled into a smile as he observed his beautiful and brilliant wife, who never

fall into their hands now since they didn’t even bother taking the capital. And let’s be honest, if we were all dead, that would have been an easy

“And they have no idea.” Elene placed her hand on Amarok’s ice fur, and it didn’t seem to hurt her in any way. “They don’t expect us,” Kyle stepped closer with Evelyn by his side. “We

agreed, and right belore his eyes, Amarok stood on both his feet again in his most dangerous form, stretching his hand with ice claws. This did not scare the Lycan king of the West. He knew what his old rival… no, what his new friend wanted to do and stretched his hand to him in return, shaking it as their first-ever pact was created. Together. The West and the North!”

and out of consciousness, abrupt scenes unfolding before her eyes. Some women she did not know washed her and cleaned the room, bringing her back to the bed with fresh sheets. They put on a silk night dress on her, and then a man who looked like a doctor with a bag full ol potions and shitter medicines did a basic check on her, pouring some liquid down her throat as she tried to protest.

vitamins and a healing accelerator,”

lived with him and supported him. They encouraged him and approved of his actions by doing so. They were a part of the problem, and she didn’t owe them

to throw up again, but luckily, she was too weak to do that and simply fell asleep

try to burn this place just like they had burned the bodies of the people she loved in Kai’s castle. She dreamed of doing this to Bjorn and his followers, even if it was the last thing she would ever do. Just thinking about it Savannah realised

in the middle of the night when the veil of darkness surrounded her, and someone’s cold lingers were caressing her hair. She wanted to slap that hand away, knowing very well that only one person would be bold enough to touch her like that. She stopped

of chestnut and Wintergreen enveloped her, and she hated to admit that it did not repulse her. if it was anyone else but her worst enemy, she would have probably even liked it. Yet to her relief, she honestly did not leel anything resembling a mate bond. Her bones ached after killing lack, but her soul and heart were hurting for Kai. Bjorn must have been imagining their connection. After all. wann’t thus eractly what his

longer 

bringing her closer, pressing her against his torso. Only the thin ulky labric olher nipilyown what’s spalating them now, and this made Savannah’s

on her became tighter. “Being so close to me will

21 

would happen if he lound her strong enough to perform Luna’s duties. She had a break because she was weak and unwell, and the hoped to prolong it as much as she could. She recretted

lips pressed against her shoulder, making a slow wet trail of kisses up to her neck. He grunted as his breathing became ragged, but she gave him no reaction whatsoever. Deep inside of her, Athena was still weak, but she was

his thing out,” the wolf hissed in their mind, “We will do the same thing we did to Zack’s heart. No one would want to mate

that the werebear would overpower them easily now, and it was

and tighter in his arms as if he was afraid that someone would

whispering into her ear, but that was probably said more to himsell than to her.