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. 

was bothering him. She gave him a disapproving glance.” Well, not exactly the same,

and my king.” Ria looked back at the ice woll belore her, the pair talking without

a single tear rolling down her cheek. “He was

the back. He knew she was relieving the memories of her own death and rebirth. No matter how much time passed, no matter how happy they were,

story.” “Ter e eds to

1. I SIN 

at her now and that they needed motivation and hope -After Onyx and I were reborn, it took her weeks to shift for the first time. And Kai has been Amarok for barely an hour. All in

sister was taken by that white bear monster

sure I stepped on her ex’s heart when we were leaving the castle, and something tells me she was the one to rip it out of his chest. Not to mention, when she was betrayed by him on their first night, she managed to escape in mere hours and

Zara and Naya both nodded, proud of

said, and Amarok growled in approval, the air getting even colder around him.

noti” Riannon and Alpha Ramina said in unison, exchanging understanding glances.

in mind?” Gideon’s lips curled into a smile as he observed his

their hands. They expect everything to 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 decision to

shamelessly “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 can see what they plan.” Zara took the Beta’s hand, entwining their fingers, “And we can ruin it so that they

so hard this time that the problem is solved once and for all!” Gideon 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,

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

healing accelerator,” the man

care. They worked for Bjorn, they 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

and Sawy wanted to throw up again, but luckily, she was too weak to

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.

to touch her like that. She stopped at the last minute, coming to the realisation that if she did just that, he might consider

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 brother Castiel did to Riannon7 He did not call

longer 

his torso. Only the thin ulky labric olher nipilyown what’s spalating them now, and this made Savannah’s heart beat a bit laster. Nol from

yeeping” he told her, and her whole body went virid when his grasp on her became tighter. “Being so close to me will help you teal laster, and our bond will finally fall into

21 

discover what 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 not drinking more medicine when she was offered it last ilme. She would live had something in her stomach to throw up in front of him again if she did. Hopefully, she would be able to do this

the same time, His 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

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 us

her strength, although they both knew that the werebear would overpower them easily now, and it was best not to test their chances. After

disappointment, breathing into her neck. He stopped caressing her and simply pulled her closer and tighter in his

whispering into her ear, but that was probably said