Page 35 of The Blood Moon Hunt

Finally, Adrian steps forward, shaking his head slowly. “No. But it doesn’t surprise me.”

Lucien lets out a low growl, and before anyone can react, Damien’s power flares—briefly, dangerously—before he steps back, his breathing heavy. He’s holding himself together, but barely.

I take a step back myself, suddenly aware of thesheer weight of what’s happening. These men are fighting over me, and I can’t let that continue. Not like this.

“We need to stop,” I say, my voice steady but firm. I glance between the warlocks, my heart pounding in my chest. The tension in the room is thick, like a thread about to snap, but I can’t stay quiet any longer. “This isn’t going to help any of us.”

Damien and Lucien exchange a look, their postures still tense, but I can see the fight slowly drain out of them. The fire in their eyes fades, replaced by something more calculating, something colder. For a moment, there’s silence, the weight of unspoken words hanging in the air.

Lucien breaks it first, his voice clipped as he tries to regain control of the situation. “We can increase the wards on the manor, reinforce it before the next night.”

“No,” I say quickly, shaking my head. “That’s not enough. We need to go to the clearing before the moon rises. There’s no telling what will happen when the blood moon is full, and we shouldn’t risk staying here.”

Lucien chuckles darkly, exchanging an incredulous glance with Damien, but there’s something unsettling in their amusement. “You think we should go out there and fight them?” he asks, his voice thick with disbelief.

“Yes,” I snap back. “We can’t keep hiding. The shadows are out there, and they’re hunting us. We need to stop them before they catch us.”

Damien’s gaze sharpens, and his expression turns serious. “The shadows aren’t just hunting us, Selene. They belong to the Order.”

I blink, confused. “What do you mean?”

“They’re sent by the Order to fix the balance of the Hunt,” Damien explains. “The creatures—the shadows—belong to them. They exist to make sure the rules are followed.”

I narrow my eyes, my frustration boiling over. “Then why can’t you stop them? You’re thefacilitator. Isn’t this your responsibility?”

Damien shakes his head slowly, his eyes filled with something I can’t quite read—regret, maybe. “It’s not within my power to control them. The shadows are beyond even me. They do what the Order commands.”

A cold chill seeps into my bones at his words. “So, what’s keeping us safe here?”

Adrian steps forward, his voice smooth and calm. “I’ve put up runes around the manor. This place belongs to my family, and I’ve combined my magic with the protections that were already in place. For now, the shadows can’t breach these walls.”

“For now?” I ask, my voice cracking with uncertainty. “How can I trust that you’ll keep me safe?”

The three of them look at each other, and for a brief moment, I can see the conflict on their faces—torn between their own desires and the threat that looms over all of us.

Damien steps forward, holding out his arm. “You want proof? Then we’ll make a pact.” He looks at the others, and slowly, Lucien and Adrian step forward, offering their wrists. The three warlocks cross their wrists together, and I can feel the surge of power in the air, like a current crackling between them.

“We bind ourselves to this pact,” Damien says, his voice low and steady. “In this manor, we will not claim your soul.”

Lucien’s eyes flash with something dark, but he nods. “Not in this place.”

Adrian, the last to speak, smiles softly. “You are safe here.”

As they make the vow, I feel the weight of their power settle over me, binding us all together. It’s like invisible chains wrapping around my soul, but for the first time, I don’t feel trapped. There’s a strange sense of security in the power they’ve just promised me, though I can’t shake the feeling that this safety is temporary.

Adrian breaks the silence, his voice lighter now, but still serious. “We’ve got time before the night falls again. I suggest we all get some rest before the Hunt resumes.”

I want to argue, to press them further about the shadows and the Order, but exhaustion weighs heavily on my body. With everything that’s happened, I can feel my strength draining, and Adrian’s suggestion feels like the only logical option.

Damien turns toward me, his gaze softening slightly. “Rest, Selene. We’ll need our strength for what’s to come.”

Reluctantly, I nod, my eyes drifting to the window where the sun hangs low in the sky. The blood moon is coming, and with it, something darker, something far more dangerous than anything I’ve faced before. But for now, I’m safe—at least, as safe as I can be in a house full of warlocks.

Chapter

Nineteen

ADRIAN

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