Page 102 of A Luna's Dynasty
“You know, for a deity to get involved, it means the fight must be against demons or maybe even other deities.” Grayson looked at Lita and let out a small breath. “The wolf you saw that attacked your mother … he’s half demon and half werewolf. I wonder if this is all connected. Could this be the seeds of a battle with the demon realm? A battle against demons … I mean, we would need to have one of the strongest alliances around for that. We would need more than just fairies and werewolves to unite, which is where my next thought comes in. This big thing that’s going to happen … we might need all the species to unite. The deities are going to help us in a war we have no business being in. Gah, I don’t know. Man, if it is demons we’ll have to fight, maybe we should up our training. Those things are disgusting and dirty. They have so many nasty tricks up their sleeves. And then there are original demons … they’re like deities only on the dark side. Powerful. There’s no way we could defeat an original demon. Only a tier-one deity could fight on par with one.”
The three stared at Grayson quietly as they mulled over their own thoughts. The idea that they may be smack dab in the middle of a very dangerous war was a bit numbing for a moment.
“If you are meant to bring peace to the world, it won’t be without a war. And a war will mean sacrifices and death.” Grayson looked up at the clouds. Why did his charge have to be tasked with such a burden? She was such a sweet and kind soul. She shouldn’t have to see the cruelty of war or suffer the loss of her loved ones. This was selfish of the gods.
“So, what you’re saying is that we’re kind of a big deal,” Asher said with a smirk on his face that made them all laugh. “Seriously, though, I don’t give a damn about what we’ll have to fight in the future. We’ll destroy anyone who stands against us. Anyone after Lita or my family is signing their death certificate. We’ll train and be prepared to take out any threats, no matter who or what they are.”
Grayson grinned and nodded his head. Asher was right. That was the best mentality to have. “Now that’s hot, Asher. No wonder Lita keeps daydreaming about you.” He let a sly grin spread over his lips as he watched Lita turn a shade of purple.
Grayson would protect them with his life, no matter what dangers lie ahead of them. Lita and Asher were his family. Over the last several weeks, the two men had bonded. They were closer than friends. They were family, and they trusted each other with their lives, which was a good thing because they would need to do that in the future. If the gods were dragging them into a war, then he would just have to work harder to protect them. He would be their sword and their shield. And if necessary, he would gladly lay his life down for theirs.
“Abaas, we have studied their patrols. The pack is well guarded by wolves and centaurs.” A man lowered his head, flinching as Abaas growled.
This wasn’t good. The centaurs were powerful enough on their own, let alone accompanied by werewolf warriors. And he knew Black Ice Pack had the strongest warriors around. He had encountered them before and knew that he didn’t have enough warriors. If only he could convince his half-brother to join in on the battle, but that was a fragile relationship. He would need help from his father for that. His father was not the type of demon who cared about either of his sons. Still, Abaas was desperate.
“When are you going to get rid of her?! I want to go home and be back with Asher!”
Abaas eyes snapped toward the annoying woman. He was tempted to kill Felicia now, but maybe he could use her. He stared down at the ground and furrowed his brows. She was a member of the pack and was trusted among them. Could she be the key to getting the pack to drop their guard? His eyes widened as a grin spread over his lips. That was it. This half-twit of a creature could be of use to him.
He rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck before he settled his gaze on Felicia. He pulled out a knife and headed toward her.
“What are you doing?” Felicia shrieked as a cruel smile spread over Abaas’ lips.
“This is going to hurt … baaaad.”
Chapter 62
Lita and Asher walked side by side, both breathing hard and flecked with mud, the sharp, clean sweat of training still clingingto their skin. Asher kept his arm around her lovingly as he joked about getting the better of Grayson tomorrow.
“Lita—” Asher stopped mid-sentence, staring toward the woods. His brows furrowed as he continued to search the treeline. They scanned the yard, their gazes finding Felicia.
She was standing at the edge of the path, arms wrapped around herself, her body weirdly hunched, as if she was trying to fold herself in half and disappear. Even her hair looked duller than Lita remembered. But it wasn’t her posture that made Lita’s hackles prickle … it was the emptiness where her scent should be, a blank space that felt more threatening than any predator.
Asher’s shoulders tensed. “Why can’t I smell you?” he asked, not bothering with a greeting. Felicia had returned, but her lack of scent was concerning.
Felicia flinched, but her voice came out steady. “I lost my wolf.”
Lita blinked. “You what?”
“I lost her.” Felicia bit her bottom lip, frowning. “Ever since the day Asher broke the engagement, she had gotten weaker, and then came the day we fought. After I left, I tried to shift and … it was just gone. Like she never existed.” Her lips twisted into a smile so brittle it looked like it might shatter her jaw. “So you can’t scent me because there’s nothing left. I’m not a wolf anymore.”
“No one just loses their wolf. She’s probably dormant and mentally healing.” Asher’s voice was flat and didn’t have any sympathy in the tone.
Felicia shrugged, her face blank. “I did. Maybe it’s punishment, or maybe it’s just temporary. But I’m not here for sympathy. I came to say … you win, Lita. You’re Luna now, and I accept it. The pack’s already decided.” Her voice caught, and for a second, Lita saw the old venom flash in her eyes. “I just wantto stay. I figure if I live here, maybe she’ll come back to me. So—” She forced a laugh. “So, congratulations. You get your fairy-tale ending.”
Asher squeezed Lita’s hand as he studied Felicia. “You really mean that? Or are you just looking for an excuse to stick around and cause trouble?”
Felicia’s answer was a long, tired sigh. “I don’t have anything left. I just want to feel normal again. Even if it means being nobody. You said if I accepted her, I could return home … well, I accept her. So can I go back to my home?”
Asher nodded and watched as she turned and walked away, feet dragging through the grass. Lita watched her go, heart pounding with unease. There was something so fundamentally wrong about seeing Felicia stripped of all that arrogance, all that fight. It was like running into a wild animal that had been declawed and left to starve.
Asher waited until she was out of earshot before speaking. “That doesn’t feel right.”
Lita nodded. “She looked … broken.”
He shook his head. “Not just that. I can’t read her at all. It’s like she’s not even there.”
“She said she lost her wolf. That must be what it’s like. Empty.” Lita’s voice faltered. “I can’t imagine.”
