The Luna Trials by Marissa Gilbert

63. True Mates 

Savannah charged at him, and this time she was too fast for Bjorn to detect. That’s when she gave him another sla.sh of the divine 

dagger over his chest, making a clean cut. 

“We are mates!” He said bitterly, covering the new wound with his fingers. 

“No. We’re not!” She replied without hesitation. “I’d rather die than be your mate!” 

The words hurt him more than the dagger did, but it wasn’t enough for her. He could see it in her eyes as she lifted her hand to try to 

kill him again. He’d had enough of this. She had to be contained! 

He caught her wrist this time and overpowered her easily, bringing her closer. 

“It’s over!” he roared, shaking her roughly, hoping that she’d return to her senses. 

However, it only made the princess sneer. 

“Bjorn, Bjorn, Bjorn,” she whispered and clicked her tongue. “I am just getting started!” 

Savannah’s bones started snapping before his eyes at unnatural angles, and in a few moments, she was able to free her hand from 

his grasp. Bjorn stepped away, panting, and watching her turn into something else completely. He’d already seen this when he and Joran 

went to observe the battle with Castiel’s men a few months ago and also when Kai did it so effortlessly many times in the past. 

It was harder for Savannah, he could see it, but she was determined to go through with this. 

“Savvy, no!” Darius‘ voice broke. He knew what it meant to her. Other royals rarely used their feral third forms because they were 

next to impossible to control. If they didn’t shift back soon enough, they risked never being able to revert back to their human form again. 

The realisation that she was ready to die or stay a beast for the rest of her life just to kill him, hurt him more deeply than the divine weapon ever could. 

But the monster with glowing golden eyes already stood in front of him. Tall, mighty and deadly. And she was out for blood.  blood. 

His 

Savannah tried to keep control just like Kai had taught her. Lycans were primal beasts who were born at the beginning of times, but her Lycan wasn’t a separate entity; It was a part of her. The part she was taught to suppress, the part she was taught to hide. 

Today she was going to embrace it. 

Bjorn looked like he was suffocating, but she decided just to end him immediately. However, when she took the first step, something invisible stopped her. 

“Enough!” The Serpent said, looking as calm as if people weren’t killing each other left and right around them. He didn’t even spare the Lycaness a glance. He didn’t take part in the fighting. He just defended Bjorn once and that was it. 

Wolves that came with Ash were dying. One of the bears almost grabbed Petra, who was still in her human form. From the corner of her eye, Savvy saw how Chloe shifted into a golden–coloured wolf, and Claude was quickly tying something around her neck. 

She wanted so badly to kill Bjorn… but… her friends were more important. If the Serpent didn’t plan to act, and it looked like he had something else in mind, then they had a chance to survive. If she would help them, of course. 

Growling angrily, Savvy flipped the table and was down next to Petra and Ash in seconds, leaving Bjorn behind. 

“Shift!” she commanded in the beast’s voice, and, luckily, they understood her instantly, following her lead. Petra’s wolf was the smallest, but even in the middle of the chaos, Savvy paused, seeing her unusual colour. The wolf was black with soft pink waves of fur all over her in a beautiful pattern. No wonder everyone wanted her! Someone like her was rare indeed! 

Chloe was next to the group already and Claude shifted in one jump, joining them as well. 

Now all they had to do was get out of that castle. 

If only it was that easy… 

1/5 

The bears were shifting too and Savvy let out a roar so loud that the ground underneath their feet shook. 

sweep, clearing the path

now they were struggling to get through the

already alerted via their mindlink and everyone they met tried to attack them, slow them down… Yet, Savvy knew she only had minutes left of sanity, feeling how she was starting to enjoy the

this place and

way past. Luckily, they were a major part of the decoration for the marking ceremony, and there were plenty

either killed or sacrificing themselves

passage and then paused by an old wooden bear statue. One movement and the

still in their wolf

just one thing left to do now –

no illusions about that. She knew that they would understand that she would come back for the Gamma. He was one of Kai’s closest friends. She couldn’t simply leave

back. “There is something

the door that led

as there was a thick circle of bears guarding Aspen and

they wouldn’t have to wait anymore.

some point, she felt like she had found a rhythm to all this. It became a part of her and felt so natural that

she couldn’t stop. She had to do it. While there was still sanity left

she reached the wall where Aspen was chained, he didn’t look good. He was barely conscious and his gaze was unfocused. There were cuts and bruises all over him, and Savvy almost threw up when the smell coming from him

something that burned her fingers. Claude was surprisingly the nearest to

him on top of the golden wolf. She couldn’t do anything gently in this form. But it was better than the people beating Aspen up. He was practically unconscious, and the princess was worried that he’d fall

she regretted it. They needed a

surprisingly, that helped Aspen to

barely opened from the swelling and damage. His vision was probably blurry so it wasn’t surprising he took her for a white bear in this form. Just like her wolf, her Lycan was white in

Aspen repeated his mate’s name. “I knew you’d come.”

square, and Savvy was starting to worry about how they were going to leave this

already feel the desire to sn.ap all those necks. There were more of them than she could handle, but at least she would die trying. She didn’t mind. If she died, maybe the Moon Goddess would be so kind as to bring her back together with Kai. Maybe she could ask for this little reward if she was going

probably preparing themselves mentally for the m**** “e that was to follow, and Sawy closed her eyes just for a second, feeling how her mind was slipping

asked you for anything,” she prayed silently, “but if there is at least the tiniest chance of me saving them and reuniting with

landing around them, hitting some of the white bears. But most importantly, it

so much closer. Ash growled excitedly, knowing

nothing to do with any of it, but the bears believed that she did. Moreover, they

off and ending as many of their lives as she could. She pounced, and she dodged. She ignored the pain when

broken castle walls. She knew that Ash would have help somewhere nearby. She

All their eyes were on her, tracing her every move, and this was when she realised their order was

decided not to miss that wonderful opportunity and stood on all fours, charging into the darkness outside Bjorn’s home. She knew where her friends went; she could feel it. Thanks to that, she chose to run

time she did not use her full speed. She had to make sure that the bears followed her and that none of them got lost on the way. Slowly, her priorities

telling her to kill them all, and each roar she heard from them excited her. A fight.

the middle of a clearing and waited. The annoying bird was still circling over her head, and she was ready to kill her if

these thoughts left her soon because the bears

but the primal lycan inside of her couldn’t wait anymore. She pounced at the closest one, tearing him to pieces

killing them all, feeling only pure rage running through her

She wanted to kill them even more now, to taste their blood and to see life leave their eyes, so she

were multiplying by the minute, and it didn’t look like there were fewer bears around her. She roared in frustration, realising that this could be her end. She would die here today, killed by some

was a sound of a dying,

of the howl, her breathing turned into snowy mist, and for the first time, she felt cold. The ground under her

she couldn’t explain, some kind of strange pull that made

enemies would finish her off now. However, each bear that

fast that none of them couldn’t detect it. Yet  there was

Or something else. 

it became so cold that sharp pieces of ice flew in the air. Only that the

Savvy was going to complain. Her humanity was getting back to her against all odds, and she didn’t know what the reason  for it could be.

anymore, and she felt a strong desire

breaking one by one, she clawed her way to sanity until she was panting on the cold ground  covered with frost.

back. She was alive

only one question on her mind now. Why? How?

the red dress still hanging over her frame. Some parts of the gown were very stretchy, and

coverage. Even if it was questionable.

wounds made her hiss from the pain, but she already knew there was nothing lethal. She would heal if