Chapter 174
The camp was unusually still, the air heavy with anticipation. Aurora walked among the wolves, her child bundled against her chest. Selene trailed behind, casting protective wards around the camp.
Suddenly, a piercing shriek cut through the quiet. Wolves leapt into action as Arianna burst into the camp, her body radiating dark energy. Her eyes gleamed with malicious intent as she fixed her gaze on Aurora’s daughter.
“Give her to me,” Arianna snarled, her voice twisted by the Lycan King’s magic. “She belongs to him now.”
Aurora’s grip tightened around her child as she stepped forward. “You’ll have to go through me.”
Arianna lunged, her claws aimed at the infant. Aurora raised her free hand, and a blast of energy erupted from her palm, forcing Arianna back. The wolves surged forward to protect their Luna, but Arianna was relentless. She struck down anyone who came close, her movements faster and more brutal than ever.
Cassian joined the fray, slashing at Arianna with his blade. “Stay away from them!” he roared, his strikes fueled by fury and desperation.
Aurora’s energy surged, fueled by the Pact and her maternal instincts. She encased the camp in a barrier of light, temporarily shielding her daughter from Arianna’s reach.
Arianna snarled in frustration, but her lips curled into a dark smile. “You can’t protect her forever, Aurora. The Lycan King will have her, and when he does, the Pact will be his.”
Aurora’s voice rang out, steady and resolute. “Over my dead body.”
Arianna hesitated, her expression flickering with doubt before she retreated into the shadows. Her parting words lingered in the air like a curse: “The Lycan King doesn’t lose. Prepare to learn that the hard way.”
As the camp regrouped, Aurora held her daughter close, her heart pounding with determination. “I won’t let them take you,” she whispered, her voice fierce. “No matter what it costs me.”
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