The Luna Trials by Marissa Gilbert

56. The Ties That Bind 

Savannah was afraid to move even an inch because Bjorn still hadn’t left room. He stopped his narration, and a part of her was worried he would get back into bed with her. That was something she wanted to avoid at whatever cost. 

“That man, The Serpent, quickly became my father’s most trusted advisor. My father was obsessed with the idea ol destroying the Fox king, and he was wasting all our resources on that, despite order from the lycans to avoid any confrontations. He ignored them, of course, and soon we found ourselves fighting on two fronts. The lycans did not like being contradicted.” 

He turned back to look at the moon shining brightly over the northern mountains. 

“was growing up in the middle of all this, training fiercely, knowing the reality i would have to live in. But most importantly, I couldn’t forget my Mother’s words about becoming strong and powerful and bringing her back. Considering what my father was, wanted to have the only other family I had left, so I did everything possible for it to happen. When I was around fourteen, I thought I was ready. As an heir, I had people loyal to me, and I took them with me when I went on the mission of retrieving my Mother from the foxes. I already knew by then that the Fox King had gotten her back and punished her severely for escaping. She was his queen and his obsession, but she didn’t have a happy life with him. 

I found a house for her to live in for when I would bring her back. I knew my father would never accept her as his mate again. He did not marry again, but he had many mistresses to replace the need for his lost mate. Their bond was already long broken. It was a small but comfortable cabin in the woods on one of the northern borders, and I was sure I could keep her safe there. Maybe even with my brother if she wanted to lake him with her like the last time. It all played out very nicely in my head, but, of course, the reality was different. 

I watched the foxes for quite some time before I became daring enough to go into their territory one night to try and retrieve my mother. Now I think I was foolish thinking it would be so easy to outfox the foxes. I got to her bedroom, and she was terrified to see me. She hadn’t seen me for years, but she didn’t even give me a hug because she knew that every second could cost me my life. She told me to run, but I refused to do so without her. This was when Castiel walked in on us with a broken lip, probably seeking some comfort from her. He didn’t even know who I was back then, but Mother begced him not to tell anyone he saw me, and he swore on the spot.” 

The white bear inhaled sharply and went back to his sleeping princess. Savannah felt the mattress dipping as he sat beside her and ran his fingers through her silky hair. It seemed he couldn’t stop touching her the moment he got close. Luckily, she still felt nothing. which was bringing her some relief. Whatever he felt, whatever he was thinking, she did not share his beliels. He was no mate of hers. 

“Mother tried to make me leave before it was too late, but I was stubborn. I worked so hard for this and didn’t want it all to go to waste. I told them about the house and that I would keep them sale there until I got the bear crown. And that once I did, I would give them the life they deserve. Castiel asked Mother il we could really go. He was around seven back then and ready to leave his father in an instant and without hesitation.” Bjorn’s voice broke, and he took his hands out of her hair, running his palm over his tired lace and pausing when his lingers touched his missing eye. 

“They tried to hide me in the adjacent room, and my mother sent Castiel back to his chambers right before her fox husband arrived, but he-he didn’t buy the trick and found me within seconds, Foxes and their scent abilities… You can’t hide from them. Funnily enough, 1 thought I could still take him. Moreover, I almost did. I fought him and almost won. Almost-” 

Savvy dared to take a little peek at what was going on and saw Bjorn sitting next to her with his eyes closed. He looked as exhausted as she was, and for a mere second, she… considered trying to kill him now when his guard was so low. 

“We would hardly succeed,” Athena cooled her down, disappointment washing over them both. 

Bjorn’s head snapped in her direction, and she barely managed to close her eyes in time. Savannah still had no idea if he knew she wasn’t sleeping and was sharing his sad story just to get it out, or maybe it was his tactic to make her see him as a huinan after everything he had done. 

Nothing would ever be enough to make her forget Kai,

beatings were all right. I underwent extensive training before that and could take it all. Even with my healing abilities substantially slowed down, I could still heal. So, that was when the lox started to experiment, searching

the dungeon to try and set me free. By then. his father had already kicked any naive thoughts out of my head, and I told him to leave. I was ready to die, and I didn’t want to drag him with me. iberg-dum just like my mother berged me when she discovered me in her room. But the little fox thought he was too smart for his own food, it turned out that it was a test of luis loyalty. He didn’t just get there. His

sharp bronze knile was pressed apainst his eye while he was

Coss!” The Fox king sheered as he plunged the blade into

did not remember the pain anymore, but he remembered the fear Thal gul wrenching feeling that crawled up his spine and into butcheart and it seemed like it stayed there forever, that

to lake the insult of me, a white bear, being there on his territory and trying to take something he had stolen before. He was about to stali niy second eye when Castiel prowled and shifted into his red beast form for the first time in his life. It would have been a joyous occasion only his parent didn’t hate me more than anything. He still tried to stab me, but Cas threw himself at him and tried to light luni despite them not being on equal terms. His father was so furious that when he finally

didn’t. In the hope that maybe, just maybe, he would be saved, but his moment of

Castiel was still in his beast form, with a collar around his neck to keep him just like that. It was

eyes and looked at Savannah again. Secing her helped soothe his heart, which was aching from the

guess you noticed that only one of his eyes was glowing when his beast was getting through. He used to joke that he liked it better that way. That it made him look liercer” Bjornchuckled to himselt, remembering the good old days. “He couldn’t shift back to his human form, and i found solace in talking to him. To be honest, I feel like this was what kept me going back then. I was telling him stories of how we will be free from our fathers one day, how we will take our Mother to live lar away from there, how no one will ever put us into this position again… As for our Mother, she pleaded with her husband, and he released Cassa lew days later. So,

Now it made sense. It was a statement. The right he was deprived of by his father, the right he had to take back and own

heir because I didn’t meet his expectations,” Bjorn solled bitterly. “Women started arriving at our castle hoping they would be chosen by him. In a way, he had his own Luna Trials, only with no rules or boundaries. And one ol these women turned out to

have gasped if she could. Playing dead was harder than ever.

recognised her at once as every fibre of my soul responded to her. She didn’t look iny way, and at first, I was happy because that meant my father would never know who she was. I thought I could keep her sale in that way.” Something changed in his voice, it became colder and somehow empty. “I never liked the Serpent before and tried to avoid him as much as possible. So, when he visited me unexpectedly, I was wary of him at first. But he told me that I had to see something and then after that, I had a decision to make. I followed him hesitantly as curiosity took over me. My father’s most trusted advisor wanted something to do with me all of a sudden. Who wouldn’t be intrigued? I was shocked when he presyd what looked like a random brick on the wall and opened a secret passage in my castle that I had

going, and she did not

my innocence died when I was in captivity. I stopped believing in the good in people, so the moment I saw her enten the room. I knew why she was there,” he chuckled as if it was funny. “He asked her if she was indeed my male, and she contumedat, looking straight into his eyes. And when he asked her whom she would choose, she chose him without as much as blinking. Ht dhe to prove it and she did right then and there. On her knees-“Bjorn grunted as if the memory alone made him sick. “After She waż done proving the told her that he would make

buy her for this meant that there was absolutely no way he could do it himself. That bowiedy uberated me ledy-dihavo matter what was telling me, I already had

doorsteptampi weled her with open arms. I gave

become the bear queen of the nortlurejected her while her mouth was still busy and broke her ned when she gasped for the vioad tried to pull away I got