The Luna Trials by Marissa Gilbert

Chapter 65 

Bjorn knew that the moment his healing was done, he would pursue Savvy, overpower her, to try to knock her out and bring her back. The silly girl used her third form, and he knew that she couldn’t control it. Knocking her out would be the one and only chance to bring her back from this. If she stayed in her Royal Lycan form for too long, he would lose her. He couldn’t lose her! She was all he had, 

and now his head was spinning with ideas of how to get her back. There had to be a way! 

Once again, he regretted pushing her too far too fast, but at the same time, he also regretted not marking her at once. If he hadn’t taken pity on her situation and just went with it, she would still be healing and in his full grasp. These were selfish thoughts. The thoughts contradicted each other, and, in all honesty, he didn’t know what he should have done. How he should have handled her, but he knew 

now that what he chose to do was wrong. 

One thing was for sure; he shouldn’t have believed in what was too good to be true. She played on his desire to be accepted and 

used his one and only weakness. 

His wound still hadn’t fully healed, but he heard several loud roars coming from the main square that made him fear for her  life. 

“Don’t… kill,” his voice gurgled through his chest as he clenched his neck. The long cut on his chest didn’t bother him much, but the  neck wound was still dangerously painful. 

Joran followed him with his gaze in silence, and only a few warriors stayed by his side for protection, none of them dared to offer 

him help, knowing that he’d rather end them than acknowledge this humiliation. He never forgave humiliation… until now. 

Savvy humiliated him more than anyone else in his entire life. Only Castiel’s father could possibly compare to what she did to him 

tonight. Yet… he… had already forgiven her. He knew that he’d have to punish her, lock her away, keep her far away from everyone, but 

he wouldn’t kill her, and he wouldn’t reject her. She could do anything to him, and the result would be the same. He needed her. 

A growl escaped him at the realisation. 

“She is long gone,” Jor commented, gulping the rest of his wine and throwing away the glass angrily. His lips were pressed into a 

thin white line now, and Bjorn didn’t know what to make out of it all. 

“You could have helped!” the White Bear King snapped. 

“Not in this case,” the Serpent scowled, turning away as if he was keeping more secrets from him. Secrets, secrets, secrets. Everyone 

had secrets, and Bjorn had had enough of all this. 

He kicked a jug that was on the floor right next to him, and a menacing growl escaped his chest as he pushed himself to restore, the 

acceleration clouding his mind temporarily. 

He heard the despair of his men in their mindlink. He felt them dying one by one, knowing that it was Savannah’s doing. 

“Just kill the b***h!” One of his warriors growled. “Or she is going to kill us all!” 

A wave of panic rippled through him. 

Whatever it was, he couldn’t let anyone hurt her. If his men killed her, they were as good as dead. 

“Bring her back alive!” He snarled at them in his mind and ran. Ran, ran, ran to where he felt her. Though thoughts of the many 

punishments he could inflict on her for what she did today were flashing before his eyes, he knew that the main goal was to protect her. 

In a way, he would always be protecting her. Why couldn’t she see that and accept him? Her first mate was dead, Kai was dead, her whole 

family was dead. He was all she had, too. 

The sight in the square startled him for an instance. So many bodies… He’d lost so many men! 

But that wasn’t important now. All he wanted was to save her, to get her back. He would do everything differently now, he would not 

underestimate her again. 

He raced through the woods in his human form. That let him use some narrow paths a bear wouldn’t be able to. He ran without 

thinking twice, using his instincts to reach her. 

110 

A great idea suddenly came to his mind. Poison! He could tell people that she was poisoned, and that was why she did all these 

things today. It wasn’t the most believable version in the world, but it could work if he could scare people enough to support his claim. 

He would have to lock her in the highest tower and keep her there for a year or two for safety reasons, but… at least they could still be  together. 

Finally, her delicious scent reached his nostrils, and he breathed out in relief, knowing that she was alive. The stench of blood let 

him know that his warriors probably weren’t… 

But he could live with that. Losing Savannah would have been unbearable. 

However, he soon smelled something else. A familiar scent but with new notes. 

dead! Bjorn personally

would never happen.

eyes, holding his mate. Savannah wept in his arms, and

was worse than when she stabbed him with a dagger, it was worse than when he found out his first

Why did it hurt

had to lean against a tree, his elongated claws digging into the bark as he did his

everything he could to survive, he did everything he could to get his mate to accept his mark, he did

he never did! And he managed to win! The victory was clear; it was his and he had

thought about everything! Why! Why did it have to be

despair escaped his chest against his control, it was the cry of a warrior, the

ones who

arms, how the man he hated so much moved his

They must have

years of restraining himself were now gone. He did everything as he was told, planned everything

was what he got?!

once and for all. He would be more clever this time

and scatter the ashes in different parts

ever come back and

his blood as payment for all the pain and humiliation.

Kai gently pushed her back, and then he was

by a creature no one had ever seen before. The place where they clashed was covered

not know what was going on, and in all honesty, she did not care how Kai came back. She was genuinely happy to just see him, happy that they had another

happened to him? What had been done to

much that neither of them cared about anything else anymore. They both equally wanted the other dead and were ready to sacrifice almost

was before him. He knew that he didn’t have to fight just a Royal Lycan anymore. The creature that fought against him was so much more than that, but it wasn’t stopping the bear from trying to kill him. The wolf threw him and made him crash against a tree, breaking the ancient pine in half, chips flying in all directions. But the anger and hate were his

neck was growing taller by the minute. The white bear charged at him again, knowing that his best chance was a surprise attack. He would aim for the neck and the belly, the parts where he could make a fatal blow. Luckily, regular bears‘ jaws were strong enough to make deadly bites. Bjorn, however, was no regular bear. He was the White Bear King of the North, a royal in his own

to win this.

a myriad of ice needles flying in his direction. He did not avert his eyes or cover himself,

and fur. That stopped him as he had to brush them off, get them out

other sensitive areas. 

the man who had hurt his mate and tried to break them apart. Kai had hatred in his heart, too. Not only was Bjorn responsible for their suffering and separation, for murdering him, for trying to claim Savannah as his own, but he even ruined the sweet moment they had been sharing just now. Savvy did not deserve to have this man coming

if that damn bear would be back. He wanted her to be happy

kill Bjorn. 

but Kai was already there, piercing his side with the ice spikes and

even turn in his direction. The bear let out a menacing roar from the pain,

rival. His attack was brutal; he wasn’t wasting a second of his time, each move

hateful passion and contradictions. However, Amarok manoeuvred easily, escaping

time. 

were equals, but somehow Kai’s technique was better. He

Lycan King wanted to pounce on Bjorn and end him quickly, but unlike Bjorn, who was desperate and tried

at all costs, Kai knew that he had to take his time. Savannah was watching and wounded and if he lost, she would have

and although this

and soon he made a mistake that opened up access

warm blood of his enemy filled his

remembering everything the damn bear put them

mortal wound. 

over and over

him with your own hands.

have listened.

blood was forming around him, but all he saw was Amarok shifting back to his human form and running towards his mate. Bjorn’s mate. He could still smell her intoxicating bluebell scent, and although it pained him to see her wrapping her arms around his mortal enemy, a part of him was happy that at least her scent. enveloped him in his final moments. For a moment there, his eyes locked with Savannah’s, and hope took

he

destiny was cruel, after all. The last thing he would ever see would be his mate

enemy’s back. 

two lycans were gone, and Bjorn lay on the ground in his human form now, foraging for when death would come for him. Soon he heard footsteps somewhere in the distance and hoped that his time had come. However, he had to frown when he saw Joran towering

over him. 

to see now. At least

with a smile. “I saw

Bjorn always thought that they had a

recalled and noticed a sad smile curling the Serpent’s lips. Unreasonably, he wanted to anger the

dryly, looking at the sky as if he was contemplating something.

you caring about them,”

one that went missing after a mission I

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slip away from him. A minute or two

have been overplayed,” Joran informed him in a low voice and placed

However, he could feel how his healing

restoring themselves like crazy. He did not expect it and his eye darted to the Serpent,

smile. 

Bjorn. “What happened today was not fair. She was your mate,

happy together, and honestly, in the castle, I couldn’t

was supposed to… After what I saw

sorry!” 

up, “Wh–what are you talking about? What is wrong with Savvy?”

probably chose the wrong words,” Jor took his hand away, knowing that the bear

the other side. “She is that mutt’s mate now,” he corrected himself,

shouldn’t be there.” 

underneath him in a