Chapter 161

Chapter 161

ARIA

Finished

And I was still crouched behind the vehicle, my body shaking with reaction, unable to quite process what had just happened.

We’d been seconds from defeat. Seconds from me surrendering myself to Damon. Seconds from catastrophic failure.

And then salvation had arrived in the form of wolves moving faster than should be possible, enhanced by Ivory’s compounds, turning certain defeat into hard-won victory.

Kael appeared beside me, pulling me gently from my hiding place. His hands were covered in blood- enemy blood, I hoped-but his touch was gentle as he checked me for injuries.

“Are you hurt?” he asked, his eyes scanning my body with Alpha intensity. “Did they hit you? Did Damon touch you p>

“No,” I managed, my voice barely working. “I’m fine. I’m not hurt. Just scared p>

He pulled me against his chest, his arms wrapping around me with desperate strength. Through our bond, I felt his terror-the fear he’d been suppressing during the fight, the absolute horror at how close he’d come to losing me, the rage at Damon for orchestrating this attack.

“I thought I was going to lose you,” he said into my hair. “When I saw him reaching for you, when I realized what you were about to do p>

“I was going to surrender,” I admitted quietly. “I was going to give myself up to save you. To end the fighting p>

Kael pulled back enough to look at my face, his expression fierce. “Never,” he said. “Never do that. Never sacrifice yourself like that. Promise me, Aria. Promise me you’ll never make that choice p>

“But people were dying p>

“And more would have died avenging you if Damon had taken you,” Kael interrupted. “This pack would have torn through Blackwood to get you back. There would have been war. Your surrender wouldn’t have saved lives, it would have cost more of them in the long run p>

He was probably right. But in that moment, with Damon’s hand reaching for me and the sounds of combat all around, surrender had felt like the only option that made sense.

Jordan approached, still catching his breath from the enhanced exertion. “Alpha, we need to move. Damon escaped but he won’t stay gone. He’ll regroup and try again. We should get Luna Aria back to Shadowmere territory where we can properly protect her p>

“Agreed,” Kael said. “How many vehicles do we have operational p>

“Three that we brought,” Jordan reported. “Your vehicle might still run despite the damage, but I wouldn’t trust it for the whole journey. We’ll consolidate people. Put the injured in the most stable vehicles, armed guards distributed throughout p>

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Chapter 161

“Do it,” Kael ordered. “I want us moving in ten minutes p>

Finished

The pack mobilized with impressive efficiency. Wounded were helped into vehicles. Weapons were redistributed. Defensive positions were established to cover our departure. Everyone moved with purpose despite exhaustion and injuries.

I found myself watching them work, seeing the coordination and loyalty that defined a functional pack. These wolves had risked their lives to save us. Had taken experimental drugs with unknown long-term effects because their Alpha needed them. Had fought against overwhelming odds without hesitation.

This was what pack meant. What family meant. The bonds that made people willing to die for each other.

And I was Luna of this pack. These people had just risked everything to save me, specifically. Not just because Kael was their Alpha and I was his mate, but because I was their Luna. Because protecting me was their duty and their choice.

The weight of that responsibility hit me harder than it ever had before.

Nina was being loaded into one of the vehicles, her shoulder bandaged but still bleeding. She caught my eye and managed a pained smile.

“Told you we needed to be careful,” she said, her voice strained but maintaining that dry humor. “Should have listened to my paranoia p>

“I’m so sorry,” I said, moving closer. “You got hurt because of me. Because Damon p>

“Got hurt because rogues attacked us,” Nina corrected firmly. “Not because of you. Don’t take responsibility for violence others choose to commit, Luna Aria. That’s not how this works p>

But it felt like my responsibility. Felt like every bad thing that happened was connected to my choices, my presence, my inability to completely sever ties with my past.

“She’s right,” Kael said, appearing beside me again. He’d found clothes somewhere-probably from the emergency supplies in one of the vehicles-and looked more like an Alpha and less like a blood-covered warrior. “Damon made his choices. Sera made hers. You’re not responsible for their violence p>

“But if I hadn’t p>

“If you hadn’t what?” Kael challenged. “Existed? Escaped Blackwood? Bonded with me? You’re not going to start thinking you should have stayed in that cage, are you? That any of this would be better if you’d just accepted Damon’s obsession p>

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“No,” I said quickly. “No, I don’t think that. I just… I hate that people keep getting hurt because he can’t let go. Because Sera wants revenge. Because I exist in a way that inconveniences them p>

“Then help us make sure it stops,” Kael said. “Help us end this threat permanently. But don’t apologize for existing, Aria. Don’t apologize for choosing freedom. Don’t apologize for any of it p>

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