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. 

the path for her friends. Thanks to that, they

quickly, and now they were struggling to get through the

white bears were 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 scent of blood and chaos she was leaving behind her. Each new kill was becoming easier and easier. Soon

away from this place and her –

and there were

Ash’s team were already missing, either killed or sacrificing themselves to delay the

then

vision, they went all the way down while still in their wolf forms, and this got them several minutes to 

was just one thing left to do now – get

had no illusions about that. She knew that they would understand that she would come back for the Gamma. He was one of

behind her back. “There is something I

growled and pushed the door that led

was a thick circle of bears guarding Aspen and waiting for her.

wouldn’t have to

felt like she had found a rhythm to

it. While there was still sanity left in her.

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

something that burned her fingers. Claude was surprisingly the nearest to him and offered his

But it was better than the people beating Aspen up. He was practically unconscious, and the princess was worried that he’d fall off during their escape. She wanted

a beast now. They

and surprisingly, that helped Aspen to come back to reality. Even

probably blurry so it wasn’t surprising he took her for a white bear in this form. Just like her wolf, her Lycan was

mate’s name.

about how they were going to leave this place. She

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 to sacrifice herself for the Moon

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

is at least the tiniest

Pieces of the ancient stone were landing around them, hitting some of the white

their ears this time because it was so

believed that she did. Moreover, they didn’t know

their lives as she could.

managed to command her friends when she created a safe corridor for them through one of the broken castle walls. She

did not follow her friends. All their eyes were on her, tracing her every move, and this was when she realised their order was to get her. Technically, they didn’t need her

the darkness outside Bjorn’s home. She knew where her friends went; she could feel it. Thanks to that, she chose to run in the opposite

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

hawk flew over her head, screeching, but she ignored it. Birds did not interest her anymore. She wanted to be killing bears. Her instincts were telling her to kill them all, and each roar she heard from them excited her. A fight. A hunt. Only they

bird was still circling over her head, and she was ready to kill her if

left her soon because the

could see their white fur between the dark, ancient trees as they approached, but the primal lycan inside of her couldn’t wait anymore. She pounced at the closest one, tearing him to pieces on the spot and enjoying it. Then another

was killing them all, feeling

She wanted to kill them even more now, to taste their blood and to

around her. She roared in frustration, realising that this could be her end.

of a dying, desperate animal, and she put everything in that sound.

ground under her feet was icy, the darkness was

that made

that the enemies would finish her off now. However, each bear that was getting close

of her eyes. Something moved in between all the warriors so fast that none of them couldn’t detect it. Yet  there was no denying

Or something else. 

mighty menacing roar emerged, and it became so cold that sharp pieces of ice flew in

to complain. Her humanity was getting back to her against all odds, and she didn’t

a strong desire to shift back into her human form.

she clawed her way to sanity until she was panting on the cold ground  covered

cheeks, but she was back. She was alive and she didn’t turn into a lycan

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

had bits of the red dress still hanging over her frame. Some parts

kind of coverage. Even if it

already knew there was nothing lethal. She would heal if no new battles occurred  now.