Page 62 of The Blood Moon Hunt

Damien’s gaze snaps to mine, his expressionfierce and protective. He doesn’t waste time arguing. He knows Selene needs to be moved—fast. He and Ronan turn to finish off the warlocks closest to them, their powers ripping through the madness with a deadly precision that only warlocks of their caliber possess.

But as the shadows continue to press in, I can’t help but glance at the altar again. There’s something strange about the way it’s pulsing, the energy fading more with each second. The inscriptions glow faintly, and I sense a strange magic there—something ancient and powerful. Whatever Selene activated, it’s important, and I file the detail away for later.

Right now, our priority is Selene.

I turn toward her, catching her eye. She looks shaken, but there’s something else in her gaze too—a fierce determination that wasn’t there before.

“Selene!” I call out, motioning for her to come to me. “We need to move. We’re heading back to the manor.”

She hesitates, glancing between Ronan and Damien, who are still locked in combat. “What about them?” she asks, her voice strained with worry.

“They can handle themselves,” I reply firmly, stepping closer to her. “But you? You need to get out of here now.”

Lucien is beside me, his body crackling with energy as he fights off another wave of shadows. “He’s right,” Lucien growls, his tone sharp. “We’re not waiting around. You’re coming with us.”

For a moment, Selene’s gaze wavers, as if she’s torn between staying to help and running to safety. But then, with a determined nod, she moves toward us, her eyes wide with fear and urgency.

The moment she steps toward me, the shadows seem to take notice. They surge forward, their dark forms twisting and contorting as they descend on us. “Move!” I shout, pushing Selene ahead of me as I throw up a barrier of magic to hold them back.

Lucien is at my side, slashing through the shadows with a brutal efficiency. “We’re not going to make it at this rate,” he mutters, his breath coming in hard bursts. “There are too many.”

“Just keep moving!” I command, my focus split between fending off the shadows and protecting Selene.

We charge through the forest, the shadows and lesser warlocks chasing us relentlessly. Every step feels like a battle, and I can hear Selene’s ragged breathing beside me, feel her panic rising as the darkness closes in around us.

I throw up another barrier, buying us a few precious seconds. “Keep going!” I urge, guiding her through the trees. Lucien is right behind us, his magic flaring bright as he fends off the enemies that keep coming, like a wave that refuses to break.

Selene stumbles, and I grab her arm, pulling her forward. “You’re safe with us,” I tell her, trying toreassure her, though the truth is I’m not sure how much longer we can hold them off. “Just stay close.”

The manor is still far, but we’re making progress. The shadows seem to grow more desperate the closer we get to the edge of the forest, their forms twisting and snapping at our heels. But I know the wards around the manor will protect us, if only we can get there in time.

A particularly aggressive shadow lashes out at Selene, its dark tendrils wrapping around her ankle. She cries out, stumbling as it pulls her back. “No!” I shout, turning and slashing through the dark energy with a bolt of magic, freeing her.

Lucien steps in beside me, throwing out a wave of his own power to push the shadows back. “We’re almost there,” he says through gritted teeth, but I can see the strain on his face. We’re running out of time.

Finally, the edge of the forest breaks, and the manor comes into view. Relief floods me as I see the familiar glow of the protective wards, but the shadows aren’t letting up. They surge forward one last time, desperate to get to Selene.

“Run!” I shout to her, my voice hoarse as I throw up a final barrier of magic. “Get inside!”

Selene sprints toward the manor, her breath coming in gasps, and Lucien and I fight off the shadows with everything we have left. The lesser warlocks are close now, their eyes wild and feral, but the moment Selene crosses into the manor’s protective wards, they hesitate.

Lucien and I throw up one last combined wall of magic, pushing the dark forces back as we make it to the safety of the manor. We slam the door shut behind us, panting and exhausted, but safe. For now.

The silence inside the manor is deafening after the chaos of the forest. I glance at Lucien, who looks just as ragged as I feel, and then my eyes settle on Selene. She’s leaning against the door, her chest heaving as she catches her breath, her eyes wide with lingering fear.

“We made it,” Lucien mutters, his voice low and rough.

I nod, but my mind is already racing. The altar, the shadows, the way the warlocks seemed to lose control—something is happening here. Something far bigger than any of us.

Selene looks up at me, her eyes filled with questions, but I don’t have the answers. Not yet.

Chapter

Thirty-Four

SELENE

The manor feels suffocating in its stillness, the oppressive silencepunctuated only by the crackling of the fire in the grand hall. I sit by the hearth, my knees pulled to my chest, staring into the flames as my mind races. It’s been hours since we left the clearing, since we saw Ronan and Damien fighting off the shadows, and I haven’t heard a word from either of them. Adrian had shown me to a room and at least I was able to have a shower and some fresh clothing. Even still, my stomach twists in knots, the worry gnawing at me like a living thing.

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