Page 31 of Wolf Bonded (Rejected Moons 2)

“We’ll hold them off here for as long as we can,” she says.

“Hold them off?” I repeat. “What about driving them away?”

“Wilder, it’s a whole swarm of them. There’s no way we’ll be able to do that. We’ll just have to hope that enough of our people are able to get to safety…to lock themselves in somewhere and wait this out…”

“Regine, that’s crazy. You know that’s crazy, right? These areRavagers. They’re not going to get bored and go away. They’re not going to give up. They’re going to tear the building apart. They don’t care if they get bloodied up in the process. They don’t care if their bones break. They don’t care aboutanything. They won’t stop.”

The clattering on the stairs is growing closer.

“What do you want me to say?” Regine cries. “We can’t beat them, Wilder. There are too many. Not enough of us are fighters.”

“Help me,” I say. “You and I can create a shield together. We have the power, between us. We can block off these stairs. We can push them back!”

“We can’t use that much magic! It isn’t safe!”

“It’s that or be eaten by Ravagers.” I square my shoulders. “I’m doing this, Regine. Help me or don’t.”

I hold out my hand to her. Inviting her. Begging her.

She hesitates for only a moment.

Then she reaches out and takes my hand.

Immediately, I feel the swell of power that comes from working closely with another Moon Caster. It’s as if my own energy has doubled. I can feel myselfexpanding, becoming bigger than my body, including Regine.

I close my eyes and call to the moon.

It fills me like water filling a glass.

I project the power of it outward, reaching out for every Ravager, pushing back hard against the invasion.

And for a moment, I swear I can feel it working. They’re giving way. It’s like trying to push back a rushing river with my bare hands—but I can feel that I’m making a difference.

And then Regine lets go of me, and it’s as if all the strength in my body drains away.

I look at her.

She shakes her head. “This is wrong,” she says. “This is what caused the Lunar Reversal in the first place, Wilder. We don’t do this. This isn’t us!”

“We’re defending ourselves!” I can’t believe she wants to argue about this right now. “This isn’t what Lord Enorio did. You have to help me. I can’t do this alone.”

“No,” she whispers.

“Regine! They’re going to kill us all!”

“I won’t be part of the next Lunar Reversal.”

She turns and runs away.

I’m stunned. I can’t believe she’s just going to abandon the coven to its fate like this. I knew she didn’t like the idea of using too much power, but I never imagined it would manifest in something like this.

I don’t have time to think about it. The first of the Ravagers are coming up the stairs.

But the first figures to round the corner aren’t Ravagers. Instead, I see a pair of wolves. Emlyn and another. One of her mates. I’m not sure.

“Emlyn!” She’s my only chance. “Help me!”

I hold out my hand.

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