The Luna Trials by Marissa Gilbert

Chapter 64 

Kai had never been a patient person, and it was torture of a new kind to stay behind and wait. It did not bother him that he could not shift back to his human form anymore. He wasn’t picky and was ready to spend his whole new life as a wolf as long as he could rescue Savannah. She was his priority and the one and only thing on his mind from the moment he woke up. When Fenrir asked for his firstborn, Kai didn’t even hesitate. Why would he? A child was in a distant future he could never have in the first place without the rebirth, and in all honesty, he could have tricked the God later. There were many legends about similar occurrences. Either way, it was a problem for later. But Savvy… Sawy needed his help now. 

Of course, he wanted to save his kingdom too. He was brought up and trained to exist with the weight of responsibility for the 

North. However, now he knew that if he was ever forced to make a choice, he would have to spend eternity begging Fenrir’s and his 

people’s forgiveness because he knew whom he would choose. It was not right, it was selfish and not worthy of a king, but Kai knew now 

that Savvy came first. She was his everything, and somehow, after he was reborn, all those feelings only intensified. 

The memories of Savannah’s scared face were flashing before his eyes. Memories from when life was slipping away from him. He 

understood what was happening before she did, andwhen she realised he was dying, it scared her beyond belief. That girl had no 

problem facing multiple enemies, walking into deadly traps, being betrayed and stabbed in the back, but losing him brought horror to 

her face and grief into her soul. Primal boundless fear gripped her and Kai… Kai was horrified, too. Knowing that he was abandoning her, 

knowing that the enemy would come for her when she would be at her weakest… 

The Lycan King of the North had already felt weak once. Right after his parents died. After just one day, he had to start taking care of 

his kingdom and his depressed little sister. Every time Elene sobbed in his arms, every time his then–advisors looked at him as if he was 

just a little boy with a sparkling crown, he felt like that. Useless, weak, pathetic… an impostor. 

Contrary to everyone’s beliefs, his life was never easy. Although his childhood was happy until he lost his parents, even when they were alive, he had to work hard for everything. His father didn’t accept any excuses and he had high expectations of his heir. Kai didn’t get to play with other kids much, he had more important things to do. Maybe it was the reason that he had trouble making friends in the first place. He had next to no experience with relating to people. He was introduced to Aspen because their fathers were friends, but it took them years to get close. Lachlan was an exception – the two of them hit it off immediately. Although Kai was always surrounded by people, Lachlan and later Aspen were the only two he could call friends. They stood by him when he became the King, and he knew he could always count on them. It was important because he was also aware he couldn’t count on anyone else. Everyone wanted a piece of him, but mostly, they wanted him gone. The Northerners were fiercely loyal to their King, but, just as with their Lunas, they had to accept, him as their King first. So, Kai earned their respect. He had to become stronger, sterner, and more ruthless. 

For a brief moment, he thought that he and Gideon could be friendly, but they were too much alike. Kai knew he had to be the best for everyone to fear him and stay away from the North. Gideon had similar ideas about the West. They were unlucky to end up at the same Alpha training facility at the same time because they immediately clashed. It still could have been a healthy competition. They tried to keep it up for a while, but once Kai heard Gideon talking about his sister in a less–than–complimentary way, all hell broke loose. Kai went on the defence, and there was that knowledge etched in his mind that the best defence was a good offence. 

Playing the role of the perfect king was hard for him because perfect was one thing that he wasn’t. This was why he loved his ” gardener and the little maid” game with Savannah so much. He loved her gaze flickering when she looked at him and, at the same time, 

having no idea who he really was. 

She came into his life unexpectedly and turned everything upside down, bringing chaos into it, but also… she brought him peace. 

Kai didn’t even notice how his life became all about her. 

And now he had quite a few things to worry about. 

Kai had made an impossible deal. Maybe she would never forgive him when she found out, but as long as she would be there to find out, he’d take it. He would find a way around this. He would do everything he could to make her happy and not give away their first–born baby, but his main priority would always be Savannah’s safety. If he had to die again today to achieve this- so be it. 

It was strange to be in this new form. Fenrir called him Amarok, and he remembered old northern legends about giant lonely wolves who destroyed everything in their path. This wasn’t what he wanted to be, but again, he was ready to accept it if it meant he would have enough power to defeat his enemies. He was supposed to be dead anyway, but since he was given a second chance, he wasn’t going to 

waste it. 

His whole body was new, and it took some getting used to it because of how giant it was. It didn’t feel the same as being in his royal lycan form. He wasn’t simply larger now, but in a way, he became stronger and more powerful. He couldn’t find it in himself to shift back into a human, but at the same time, he had no trouble making everything around him freeze. He could create ice with his will, and he 

could shape whatever he wanted out of it. 

The first thing that he tried when he realised that was, of course, Savannah’s sculpture. He sat in front of it now, waiting for the news from Ash, keeping it away from melting. He had made her almost identical to the real version, and just looking at her was helping him to stay focused and maintain his sanity. She was his anchor to this world, and having her close, even if it wasn’t the real Savvy, was helping him to keep himself from going feral and charging at that damn castle. 

Riannon was the one who talked him out of it. Surprisingly, Gideon’s mate was his voice of reason now. When she was contacting him through her wolf Onyx, he could feel their emotions and knew that they were genuine. That made him listen. 

Time after time, the Luna and the Queen of the Western Lycan Kingdom told him to believe in Savannah, promising that the Princess would be able to take care of herself. He really wanted to just go to Bjorn’s castle, kill everyone, and get Savvy back. But they all knew that it wouldn’t be that simple. Too many things weren’t adding up, and traitors were everywhere. 

He was greedily watching the news, promising himself to kill both Chloe and Claude when he would get the chance. He couldn’t 

believe how easily they switched sides. However, thanks to them, he was getting bits and pieces of information about Savannah. Lachlan 

did not want to show him the whole video of how she was brought to the white bear’s castle, but after his menacing growl, his Beta gave 

up and let it play. Seeing her on his enemy’s back brought him back into despair. For once, he and Gideon were on the same page, and 

both wanted to go to the White Bear Cliffs immediately, but this time Kyle was the one who stopped them. 

“You need to see this!” He stood before the two of them with his laptop, opening a page of his TruthTeller website. 

“This is really not the time!” Gideon growled and Kai snarled in agreement. 

and Riannon stood up for him, insisting that he had a point. “I’m

everything really went,” he told them. “Bjorn probably has enemies in his castle, too! There are so many

I mean, so many videos…

started by showing them how they’d chained Savvy to make her sit on that

by the time they got to the castle and how she threw up

bear king. That last part brought him momentary satisfaction, but at the

he loved so much in that situation. The last video

whole room for hours!” one of them complained, “I don’t think that Queen Savannah will be ready

healer told the king that she shouldn’t be doing anything physical for at

Poor man! I thought the king would snap his neck on the

though,” another girl said. She had a broom and dustpan in her

uniform. 

not touch her in anger!” The third one rolled her eyes. “Have you seen how he looks

not caring about anything

his laptop. Gideon and Kai exchanged glances. This time they

each other. 

have at least a day more,” Riannon said quietly.

of Alphas to our mansion to “get to

of that?” 

snarled angrily as the Western King ran his

exhaled

“but when all these women suddenly decided that you

coincidence,” Gideon finished the sentence, grunting. He’d always suspected that.

to me. We grew up together, and I care for her as much as you do. But Riannon is right, and we should believe in her. Also, we can’t be reckless about this. We need a good plan to make sure that when we go there, we really get

do and so does Savannah herself! And also, there is your Gamma. I’m sure you want to get Aspen out almost as much as you want to rescue Savannah. In all honesty, the princess is the one who is safe there. It’s going to be

one at the top of his mind. Once he got her out, he would come back for Petra and Aspen. And also to kill Bjorn. But that would be after his beloved was safe. Or during her

them all together,” Lachlanassured them with his soft political tone. Kai knew that

phone, and he told me that Bjorn offered him a chance to buy Petra. They told him to send a delegation to his castle to negotiate this. The bears are putting

quiet, each thinking of how best to resolve

herself. “This is a perfect opportunity to get our people inside the castle and get Savannah and the others out safely. We just can’t pass

to do was get there sooner, grab his

still in the air and landed in front of them with grace. She was the one Kai waited for the most because she could bring him news that nobody

see her?” Gideon asked

to mention that they know me. I also saw

Kai the strength and patience to wait a bit

was a

……… 

supposed to come back first and bring them information on who was where and what the weak spots in defence were. Everybody knew that Aspen would be the easiest to access but the hardest to get out due to his multiple injuries. Zara informed them that the Gamma’s condition was the worst out of the three. She also confirmed that she hadn’t seen Astrid and her friend Emma anywhere, which left their fates unknown. However, Brigit seemed to

*** 

churn and his blood boil, and that was saying a lot considering that ice spikes grew out of him now. He tried to calm himself by looking at the sculpture, because every time he closed his eyes he saw his mortal enemy, Bjorn, digging his claws into his mate’s neck, marking her

Savvy could never catch a break and had to face one struggle after another. Not to mention that he knew her. He knew that if she wasn’t broken now, this would break her for sure. Waiting now

not notice her in the skies. Although it was possible that they simply didn’t look. She was supposed to return and alert them if

to set up. The location of the explosion was higher and much further

waiting for one day. Something did not go according to

than any of his companions, and he was the first to reach the group of wolves desperately trying to escape from the white bears. Surprisingly, there were just a few in pursuit, and Kai pounced on them without mercy. He didn’t even need his freezing powers to eliminate the enemy. However, as he was ripping through the throat of

down slightly when his eyes landed on Aspen. His Gamma looked horrible, chanting something with his broken lips caked with dried–out blood. It looked like the bears were hurting him and then letting him heal, only to break everything all over again. A torture

find hermate who was ready to love her unconditionally and give

bowed his head

will be okay–what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.”

air around them became uncomfortably cold even for a werewolf, Ash quickly changed the subject to what was really important now.

in her royal Lycan form now,” he informed Amarok quickly, knowing that Kai was still inside. “She told us to run while she was covering for us and leading them away. We would have never

wasn’t listening anymore, he only turned on his paws and sprinted to where the group came from, trying to pick

*** 

couldn’t see a thing anyway. But she let herself believe that it was the truth and that he knew that she was the one that set off the explosion in the tower and helped the fire in the castle spread in order to help him

she whispered, even though there was no chance he would hear her. She was thanking him for the new feeling in her chest that tugged and pulled and warmed her up when everything else in her world was so cold. She remembered how she once thought

the one time she had been with Aspen would be what she would cherish in her heart forever now. The night of Savvy and Kai’s marking ceremony when all she originally planned to do was to kiss him and drug him. Instead, she let him take her in a small dark room he used in the castle

knew thousands of ways to please a woman, to drive them crazy and make them want him even more. But it was always about him with that sly

if it was just a glimpse of it. That big guy who could crush walls with his bare hands was touching her as if she was made out of the finest porcelain, worshipping every inch of her body, making it about her for once. What they had… what they could have had… was pure and beautiful. And Brigit

stay alive,” she whispered, thinking now that dreaming of getting back with him was too bold. Instead, she should take what life was willing to give her and be grateful for that. She wouldn’t be able to live if he’d died because of her. She wouldn’t be able to breathe… but now, at

and she turned to

let out her tears finally. Ingrid stroked her back and gave her the time she needed, before she whispered, “Bri, you need to go with them. You can. He would look for me, but not for you.”

seen crying. It was too dangerous. “It’s too late for us now,” she smiled sadly. “Besides, my place is here with you. With my people. Don’t

by some of the white bears, not to mention how the guilt was slowly eating her alive.

need anything- anything other than me running away from my husband,

smiled and held her sister’s hands. “Come with me downstairs; pretend that we’re both distraught over what happened today. Tell anyone who asks that you were with me the whole time in my room. And we left it just now to come and check on our king.” She