Page 76 of The Blood Moon Hunt

Tears sting the back of my eyes, but I blink them away, focusing on the warmth of his breath against my lips, the steady thrum of his heartbeat beneath my palm. There’s so much unsaid between us, so much we don’t fully understand—but right now, in this moment, it doesn’t matter.

"I don’t know how we’re going to do this," I whisper, my voice barely audible. "But I want to try. I want to figure it out... with you."

Damien presses his lips to my forehead, his kiss soft and lingering, and when he pulls back, his eyes are filled with something deeper than desire. "Then we’ll figure it out together," he says, his voice steady and full of determination. "Whatever happens, I’m not letting you go."

For the first time since all of this started, I feel a small flicker of hope. "Do you think there’s a way to break your connection to the Order?" I ask quietly. "So that you’re not controlled by them anymore?"

Damien’s expression darkens. "I don’t know," he says, shaking his head. "I’ve spent my whole lifesearching for an answer, but the truth is, I don’t think there is a way—unless the Order is destroyed."

I take a step closer, my pulse racing. "I think I know how to do that."

Before Damien can respond, the door opens, and Adrian and Lucien walk into the room. Their expressions are grim, and tension crackles in the air between them.

"We’ll accompany you to the altar during the Blood Moon," Adrian says, his voice steady.

Lucien crosses his arms, clearly still irritated. "But this better not be some suicide mission. We’re walking into a trap, and you know it."

I glance at Damien, then back at Adrian. "What about Ronan?" I ask quietly.

Adrian’s lips twitch into a faint smile, but there’s no humor in it. "He left," he says simply. "Don’t worry about him."

I feel a pang of unease. Something tells me that wherever Ronan went, it can’t be good.

The weight of what’s to come presses down on me like a leaden cloak, but I square my shoulders and meet their gazes. "Then it’s settled. We’ll go to the altar during the Blood Moon."

The tension in the room thickens as Lucien and Adrian exchange wary glances, but they don’t argue. Not this time. It’s clear that we’re all out of options.

But in the pit of my stomach, I can’t shake the feeling that we’re hurtling toward something inevitable. Something dangerous. Something that will change everything.

Chapter

Forty-One

RONAN

Ileave the manor under the cover of darkness, the chill of the night air biting at my skin as I make my way deeper into the forest. The moon hangs low, casting a faint, ghostly glow over the trees, but I’m not interested in its light. My mind is focused on one thing: the Order.

Their presence creeps into my thoughts like a festering wound, always there, always pulling at the edges of my consciousness. And tonight, I know they’ll be waiting for me. My footsteps crunch against the fallen leaves, and the shadows seem to twist and move with every step I take, as if the very air around me is alive with their influence.

"Come out," I murmur, the words low but carrying with the weight of command. "You know I’m here."

The forest falls eerily silent, and then, slowly, the shadows begin to coalesce in front of me. Their shapes are vague, distorted, more like wraiths than men, but their presence is unmistakable. The Order. The warlocks who once hunted witches and who now rule over the Hunt, bound by the curse that Selene might very well have the power to break.

"You’ve returned," the voice of the Prime slithers through the wraiths, cold and indifferent, reverberating through my bones. "Do you have news for us, Ronan?"

I smirk, knowing full well they can sense the truth before I even open my mouth. They always know more than they let on. "I do. The others plan to take Selene to the altar during the Blood Moon."

There’s a long, ominous silence. The wraiths ripple around me, as though they are sharing some collective, silent communication. It’s as if the darkness itself is alive, thinking, plotting, waiting for my next move.

"And you will accompany them?" the Prime’s voice cuts through the silence, heavy with mockery. "You’ll play along, and betray them at the right moment?"

I tilt my head, my smirk widening. "I’ll play along, but not for them. I’ll play along for you—for what you promised me." I pause, folding my arms across my chest, feeling the anticipation building in the dark air aroundme. "When the time comes, I’ll force Selene to break the curse. She’s powerful, but I’ll bend her to my will. And once she does what you need... you’ll reward me."

The Prime’s voice shifts, the faintest hint of amusement coloring its typically cold tone. "You have always been ambitious, Ronan." The wraiths swirl around me, closing in like a heavy, suffocating fog. "But ambition comes with risks. Do you think you can control her? That you can command the power she wields?"

"I know I can," I say through gritted teeth, irritated by their doubt. "You don’t think I’ve felt it? That power she has... it's intoxicating. But she doesn’t know how to wield it yet. She’s naive, emotional. I’ll make her do what needs to be done, whether she likes it or not."

The wraiths writhe, their movements deliberate, a reminder of the force I’m dealing with. The Prime’s voice turns colder, more calculating. "You must force her to break the curse, Ronan. The moment that altar is activated, she’ll have the choice—release the Order from our bonds, or fight against us. You must ensure she chooses to free us."

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