Eighth-Born Luna (Emily and Nathan) novel Chapter 152

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Chapter 152

Emily’s POV

“Emily, we have to fall back!”

Nathan tried to pull me away from the ridge, but my knees buckled. Every single ounce of my strength was draining into the barrier. Into the Moon Tide. Into ripping Varga’s madness out of the rogues‘ minds one by one.

The dagger burned like white–hot iron against my palm.

“Emily, let it go,” Nathan begged, real panic straining his voice. “Please. You tried.”

I forced another surge of power outward, letting silver light explode across the hillside. Several rogues collapsed screaming, while others staggered around in the grass, the frantic bloodlust clearing from their eyes.

But there were too many. Way too many.

Liam sprinted up the path through the smoke, blood coating the entire side of his face. “Guys,” he panted, out of breath. “I get that these used to be our brothers, but we can’t save everyone!”

Another explosion rocked the hills.

“Either they die, or we do!” Liam snapped.

I glared at him through the sweat stinging my eyes. “No. We save them.”

“Yeah? Great,” Liam barked sarcastically. “Beautiful inspirational speech. Meanwhile, your psycho mate is about en seconds away from tearing right through our lines.”

The mark on my throat pulsed hard. Declan was getting closer.

Nathan didn’t even hesitate. He scooped me up into his arms, cutting off my protests. “We’re leaving. Now.”

The world turned into a blur of trees and grass as he carried me back toward the center of the territory, our warriors retreating right alongside us.

“Regroup at the residential line!” Nathan roared through the pack bond.

“Well, at least the backup plan is actually useful now,” Liam muttered darkly through the link.

We formed our final defensive line right at the tree line leading to the civilian district. Marcus was already there,

covered in blood.

“So,” he panted, leaning heavily against a tree. “The plan failed?”

Liam gave him a grim, exhausted grin. “Catastrophically.”

“Enough,” Nathan growled, his Alpha command cutting them both off.

Warriors kept pouring into the clearing. Injured. Bleeding. Terrified. I could barely even keep my eyes open, but I

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The dagger could feel Declan nearby, too.

If there had been fewer rogues… If I’d just had more time to master my powers-

The thought cut off. They charged.

Hundreds of rogues burst from the forest, red eyes glowing, jaws snapping. They came at us from every direction. Marcus went down first, three rogues slamming him hard into the ground.

‘MARCUS!”

Something primal ripped free inside me. I threw my head back and let out a wolf roar that shook the entire

erritory.

The sound hit the battlefield like a bomb. The earth cracked beneath the rogues‘ paws, deep fractures splitting he dirt as a silver shockwave blasted outward from my body. Entire lines of rogues flew backward into the brush. Trees shattered. The steep hillsides groaned under the pressure.

For one precious second, our warriors had room to breathe. They moved in instantly, tearing into the rogues

while others dragged the civilians farther behind our lines.

And I kept fighting. Moon Tide. Empathy. Compulsion. I forced my way into the rogues‘ minds, ripping Varga’s poison out wherever I could reach it. Some collapsed onto the grass, sobbing. Others looked around in horror at the

odies around them, their sanity restored.

But too many of them wanted this. They didn’t want to be saved.

“Emily…” Nathan grabbed my shoulders, his grip tight. “You’re killing yourself.”

“I can’t…” My vision blurred. “I can’t hold them off and save them at the same time…”

Then, the chaos shifted.

The battlefield parted. The rogues stepped aside, clearing a path, and Declan walked through.

He was beautiful. He was terrifying. He was covered in blood.

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Ryan was in his grip, barely alive, his body dragging along the ground. Right beside Declan stood Cindy.

My insides twisted.

“Please!” Beatrice sobbed. She ran out from the group of survivors hiding behind our backs and dropped to her nees at my feet. She grabbed my legs, crying hysterically. “Emily, please save him…”

Nathan didn’t hesitate. He stepped right in front of me, shielding me from Ryan’s view.

“He’s not worth saving.”

I flinched at the sheer coldness in Nathan’s voice.

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“His father murdered your parents,” Nathan said, each word dripping with venom. “And Ryan covered it up.”

“…Emily,” he choked out, his voice weak and trembling. “I didn’t know…”

“Oh, please,” Declan mocked. “The little rat knew everything. His dad made a deal with mine, and Ryan kept his mouth shut while he treated you like dirt for years.”

Declan’s glowing red eyes slowly looked down my body. His stare was fierce, possessive, and full of a wild hunger

that made my skin tingle.

“Emily, please save him!” Beatrice begged at my feet, holding onto my leg.

“If it makes you feel any better, my little wolf…” Declan whispered, his voice dropping to a low rumble meant only for me. “I’m going to kill him right here on the grass. For you. No one touches what belongs to me and lives to talk

about it.”

Before I could even say a word, Declan’s claws locked around Ryan’s throat.

His burning gaze snapped directly to Nathan, his smile turning vicious.

“See this, Nathan? This is how a real mate protects his Luna,” Declan roared, his voice booming across the

battlefield, challenging the Alpha in front of his entire pack.

“You call yourself her mate? You call yourself an Alpha King? Yet you don’t even have the balls to tear apart the

nan who abused her. You’re pathetic. Weak.”

“DECLAN, WAIT!” I screamed.

Too late.

With a brutal jerk, Declan ripped Ryan’s throat open. Blood sprayed hot across the grass. Beatrice let out a errible, painful scream that tore through the entire battlefield.

Declan casually wiped the fresh blood from his claws. He stared right into Nathan’s eyes. It was a pure challenge.

‘ure provocation.

“Bring me my Luna,” Declan ordered.

That was it. Hundreds of rogues instantly charged toward me. In a heartbeat, the clearing exploded.

Right near me, Kane jumped in front of Jessie, tearing open a rogue’s throat. Closer to the houses, Marcus fought vildly, claws flashing to protect Poppy from two snarling beasts. Blake and Nathan fought side by side on the open grass, desperate to keep the rogues away from me.

But Beatrice didn’t care about the danger. She threw herself onto Ryan’s bloody body, completely ignoring the eeth snapping around her. She just held him, crying loudly over his lifeless chest right in the middle of the yard.

“Emily, focus!” Liam yelled. He bit a rogue’s leg, dragging it away as they tried to surround us.

I forced myself to breathe and threw my hands out. Moon Tide. I sent another wave of silver energy across the grass toward the residential line.

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A few rogues collapsed, but my vision went dark at the edges.

I had no strength left My powers were draining, and I couldn’t use them fully because of this damn dagger. It was ike the blade could feel Declan nearby, too; it burned in my hand like hot iron, shaking with dark joy as if it was vaiting for its true master.

A huge wave of new rogues hit our front line, pushing Blake and Nathan backward, cut them off from me.

“Emily!” Nathan’s panicked roar echoed in my mind He tried to fight his way back to me across the lawn, but hree large wolves pinned him down into the grass.

I looked up across the battlefield and saw him. Declan was walking calmly past the fight, his red eyes locked on

nine with a scary, victorious smile.

I knew it was over. If he took me, we lost everything.

Marcus was right beside me, covered in blood. I didn’t hesitate.

“Marcus,” I whispered, my voice shaking. “The time has come. Do it.”

He froze, his eyes wide with horror. “Emily, no-”

“Do it!” I cried. I grabbed his clawed hand with both of my hands and forced his sharp claws against my bare hroat. “Kill me. You promised you would. Kill me before he takes my power!”

“NO! EMILY, NO!” Nathan’s scream in my head was so lond it hurt. I could see him thrashing violently on the grass, blood pouring from his shoulder as he tried to break free from the rogues near.

“Marcus, don’t touch her! I will kill you!”

Declan’s face turned into pure rage when he realized what I was doing. He ran forward, moving like a shadow cross the open field. “Get away from her!”

Marcus looked at my desperate eyes, then at Declan. His hand shook against my neck, and his claws pressed just leep enough to draw a drop of blood.

“I’m sorry, Nathan,” Marcus choked out.