Moonborn Heir Novel Chapter 18 – But the moment of triumph shatters in an instant. A sudden roar of flames explodes somewhere
in the forest, throwing an angry orange light against the night sky. The scent of burning wood and singed earth assaults my senses, thick and choking.
And then, a howl cuts through the chaos — a deep, haunting sound that sends a chill down my spine. I know that voice.
“It’s Kael,” I whisper, my heart seizing. “Shadow Ridge is attacking Darkfang.”
Lucian’s eyes narrow, and he inhales deeply, his nostrils flaring as he catches another scent. His gaze hardens, cutting through the night with deadly clarity. “There’s another pack with them…Crescent Moon.” The revelation lands like a blow. I nod, my voice barely a whisper “Sabrina’s family’s pack.
When Sabrina mated with Kael, the two packs formed an alliance.” My mind reels, flashing through memories of Sabrina, Kael, and Ronan — now my enemies. Cade steps forward, his face a mask of barely-contained rage. His eyes flick suspiciously to me, sharp and accusing.
“They’re attacking from all sides,” he growls, as if the words themselves are poison. “If we don’t act fast, they’ll seize the entire territory.”
Lucian’s voice is iron, slicing through the panic with command. “Talia, take the Darkguard to the front line. We can’t let them breach the main grounds.” His eyes shift to Cade. “Get the brigade. Put out that fire before it spreads.”
Cade snaps a quick nod, his fury channeling into purpose. Lucian’s gaze swings back to me, intense, unwavering. “I’ll go after Kael.”
A surge of dread grips me, but there’s no time for hesitation. “Understood,” I reply, gathering the Darkguard with a sharp command. “With me! We hold the line!”
We tear through the woods, the ground shaking beneath our paws as we race toward the border where the scent of Shadow Ridge and Crescent Moon is thick. The outer lands — our first line of defense — have already fallen, the familiar territory marked now by the stench of our enemy.
I push forward, heart hammering, my mind narrowing to one single focus. Protect our pack. We break through the trees to the front line, and chaos greets us. Shadow Ridge wolves, brutal and relentless, press into Darkfang territory, their snarls cutting through the air. I charge forward,
my Darkguard beside me, and we crash into them with a fury that shakes the earth. Teeth and claws clash, growls and snarls filling the air as the battle explodes around us. In the heat of the fight, I see a figure — a familiar shape, moving with deadly precision. My breath catches. Ronan. My brother.
Our eyes lock, and for a split second, the world stills. I see the pain, the fury etched into his face, the betrayal that flashes like a wound.
“Talia,” he says, his voice a raw mixture of disbelief and contempt. “How could you betray our family?”
My heart twists painfully, anger flaring up, hot and fierce. “How could I? You’re the one who betrayed me, Ronan! You knew Kael was going to reject me, and you didn’t tell me. You let me believe I had a place in Shadow Ridge, in our family — only to let me walk right into his rejection.” My voice shakes, my pain spilling over in sharp, bitter words. “So don’t you dare stand there and question my choices now.”
Ronan’s eyes harden, a flicker of guilt buried beneath his anger, but he shakes it off. “I did what I had to. For our pack.”
My chest tightens with a mix of anger and hurt. “Ronan, please…stand down.” My voice trembles, the words tearing from me like a plea. “This doesn’t have to be like this.”
“Doesn’t it?” His eyes narrow, his gaze cutting through me. “You mated with Lucian. With the son of the wolf who murdered our parents. And now you stand here, leading his pack?” “It’s more than that, Ronan,” I say, my voice desperate. “It’s destiny. This is bigger than you or me, bigger than the feud between our families. It’s time for the packs to heal, to unite. We can end the bloodshed, start something new, something better.” I take a step closer, my heart pounding. “You have to see that, don’t you?”
“Fool,” he snarls, his face twisting with anger and something deeper, something I can’t quite reach. “You’ve betrayed your own blood for him. For Lucian. And now you stand here, daring to talk about destiny and unity?” I take a shaky breath, desperation lacing my voice. “Ronan, this isn’t betrayal — it’s a chance to make things right. To end the cycle of vengeance that’s tearing us apart.”
“Enough!” he spits, his eyes flashing with fury. “You’ve chosen your side, Talia. And it’s not ours.” He lunges, his body a blur of rage and claws, and I barely have time to brace myself.
His weight slams into me, and we crash to the ground in a whirl of teeth and fury. Pain sears through me as his claws rake across my shoulder, but I fight back, forcing him off me with a growl. We circle each other, his eyes blazing, my heart pounding. “Ronan, please,” I gasp, but my words are met with silence. His only answer is the raw anger in his eyes.
He lunges again, and this time I’m ready. I dodge, my instincts taking over, my movements a blur as I swipe my claws across his side. He stumbles, a pained snarl escaping him, but he doesn’t stop. He comes at me again, relentless, driven by a fury that blinds him to reason. Our fight is brutal, a whirlwind of claws and fangs, blood and pain. I feel each strike, each wound, but I refuse to yield. For every blow he lands, I give back tenfold. This is my pack now my family, and I will not let him tear it apart.
Finally, with a last surge of strength, I manage to knock him off balance. He stumbles, his strength waning, and I see the exhaustion in his eyes, the weight of everything we’ve lost.“ Ronan…” I whisper, my voice cracking, but he just shakes his head, backing away, his gaze hard and unforgiving.
“You’re lost to me,” he says, voice barely a whisper, before he turns and retreats, disappearing into the shadows. As he vanishes, the sounds of battle begin to fade, Shadow Ridge wolves pulling back, their retreat slow but certain. The siege is over…for now. But the outer lands are theirs, claimed in
the blood and fury of the night. A bitter victory.
Somewhere behind us, a triumphant howl pierces the air — Cade, announcing the fire has been quelled. Relief flickers in my chest, though it’s tinged with sorrow. I glance around, searching for Lucian, a tightness in my chest as I wonder if he’s crossed paths with Kael.
Suddenly, a sharp cramp twists in my stomach, making me gasp. My hand instinctively moves to my belly, and a strange warmth radiates beneath my fingertips — a sensation both comforting and unsettling, as if my child, the Moonborn Heir, senses the danger, too.
My heart pounds with trepidation, and I can’t shake the dread that fills me. What will it mean for all of us if Lucian and Kael meet in battle, and who will emerge victorious?
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