Chapter 204 AURORA His jaw clenched , and for a moment , I saw the sh of pain in his face … not from his injuries , but from the helplessness of watching me fight alone .


    And with this , the Nameless presses his advantage , attacking relentlessly to shower his blows upon me .


    With every strike , their ripples with the shockwave that forces the pack to huddle for protection behind crumbling walls .


    Shes losing , someone says , his voice trembling .


    No , Piper snaps , her tone razor sharp .


    Auroras stronger than any of us .


    Shell find a way .


    But even as she says it , doubt flickers in her eyes .


    I call on the Moon Goddesss power once more , the pendant at my chest aze with light .


    The energy courses through me , wild and untrammeled , filling every corner of my being .


    The strain is beyond endurance .


    My vision blurs , my limbs .


    shake , and my heart feels as if it will burst .


    The Goddesss whispering in my mind is barely audible but relentless .


    You cannot wield this power without cost .


    Chapter 204 2/8 I dont care , I whisper , my voice hoarse .


    I have to end this .


    The Nameless roars , his body expanding , the shadows around him darkening , churning wildly .


    His power is huge smothering .


    I know this is it hisst stand .


    You will fall , he growls .


    Words that boom like thunder in my ears .


    You and everything you love will be consumed .


    Not today , I return , putting everyst ounce of energy I have into one final attack .


    Light exploded from me in a blinding wave , merging with the shadows of the Nameless in that cacophony of shing powers that had shaken the earth to its foundations .


    Everyone went .


    flying across the ground their crumbled with us .


    The Nameless was screaming , dissolving as a form from under the flood of light , and for just one moment I felt a fickle surge of triumph … until the bacsh did indeed hit me .


    Energy surges back toward me , sheer force overwhelming … The scream is ripped from my lungs , a pendant shattered against my chest as thest of the Moon Goddess power leaves me .


    Pain racks my body , but its the emptiness that really terrifies me .


    The connection to the pack , the bond that has always been my anchor , is gone .


    Their goes silent ; the Nameless is defeated .


    But the aftermath is immediate , and its brutal .


    Chapter 204 3/8 Aurora ! Danes voice filters through , and then hes there , hist hands on my shoulders , his eyes wild .


    Im .


    Im okay , I say , even though the words seem empty .


    He shakes his head , the look in his eyes incredulous .


    Youre not .


    Your eyes … Aurora , the bond is gone .


    I nod , the reality sinking in .


    The power … its gone too .


    Im mortal now .


    The weight of those words settles between us , a chasm that feels impossible to bridge .


    The pack closes in , the faces marked by both relief and grief .


    For though the Nameless may be defeated , the injuries and destruction in his wake certainly are not .


    Piper approaches , her face twisted in anger and sadness .


    You did it , she says , her voice full of emotion .


    But at what cost ? I dont know , I say, my voice barely above a whisper .


    We left their as the battle took its toll upon us all , but what the pack could have be died the night before in more ways than just battle damage .


    Holden can never be reced , leaving arge void , same as Trajan , inside the bond the pack shares with one another , a fracture to my rtionship within the pack ; I was lost .


    Chapter 204 4/8 Still , I know looking upon Dane and Piper , along with the others that we would persevere .


    Well rebuild , Dane says .


    His voice is steady .


    I nod , taking hold of the spark in his words tofort me .


    Together .


    Morning sun paints came , catching up on edges of broken stone and charred wood at Broken Ridge .


    This once vibrant pack house nowy weak in wrecked splendor , reminding me with immediate effect of how close to death wed fought a pitched battle .


    I sit beside the old garden , the smell of damp soilbined with the subtle scent of ash in my nostrils .


    My fingers trace through the dirt , finding its coolness , but the feeling of loss weighs on my chest .


    Dane is near .


    I can sense it as surely as I feel the warmth of the sun upon my skin , but he keeps his distance .


    We havent spoken since the Nameless fell .


    Theres too much unsaid between us , too many wounds yet to heal .


    A voice cuts through the silence smooth and unfamiliar .


    Youve been busy , havent you , Luna ? I spin around , my heart racing .


    Chapter 204 At the edge of the garden , a tall , silver haired werewolf is leaning casually against a tree .


    5/8 His eyes , two gleaming disks of gold , seem to pierce through met with an intensity that runs a shiver down my spine .


    as Who are you ? I demand , rising to my feet with muscles coiled .


    He steps forward ; his movements fluid , unhurried , as though he has all the time in the world .


    Elias , he says , the rich melodious sweetness of his voice like a whispered promise .


    A name which you wont find in your histories , but one that belongs here nheless .


    I narrow my eyes , peering into his face for even the slightest trace of familiarity .


    I dont know you .


    His lips curve into a faint , knowing smile .


    No , but you know what I am .


    A ghost of the past , you might say .


    One of the original members of this pack , back when Broken Ridge was little more than a dream .


    My breath catches .


    Thats impossible .


    Is it ? he echoes , unrelenting in his stare .


    You have seen impossible things , have you ? The Nameless .


    The Moon Goddess .


    You think that with them it stops ?.


    Chapter 204 6/8 I step into the clearing , and his frame bes a block , arresting my escting distress .


    His gaze searches for and captures Elias .


    Who is he ? Dane asks , an edge to his voice .


    Elias , I reply , much softer .


    Convenient , Dane says , his eyes never leaving the stranger .


    You show up right after we defeat the Nameless , iming to be from some forgotten past .


    Why are you here ? Elias chuckles a soft , malignant sound .


    I am here because the bnce has shifted .


    The Nameless was a keystone in a muchrger structure .


    With him gone , the cracks .


    are beginning to show .


    Speak inly , Dane snaps , his patience wearing thin .


    Elias tilted his head , gold glinting with humor in his eyes .


    There is a curse that binds with thisnd … one that has been dormant for centuries .


    The defeat of the Nameless has … stirred it .


    Piper and Warrick drew closer , pulled by the weight of tension .


    Pipers face flickered with curiosity and wariness , and Warrick narrowed his eyes to study Elias .


    And why should we trust you ? Warrick says heavily with skepticism .


    For all we know , youre another threat dressed up Chapter 204 like a friend .


    Elias doesnt look at him ; his smile doesnt falter .


    I could be .


    But if I were your enemy , would I have warned you about the curse? Would I offer to help ? With what ? Piper cuts in sharply .


    Understanding whats toe , Elias says smoothly .


    7/8 The defeat of the Nameless has unbnced the power binding this territory .


    If you do nothing , Broken Ridge will crumble not from an outside force , but from within .


    He leads us through the forest , his confident stride suggesting he knows every inch of thend .


    Dane stays close to me , tension rolling off him , while Piper and Warrick exchange wary nces .


    Where are we going ? I ask , uneasy with the silence .


    To the heart of it all , Elias says cryptically .


    Finally , after an eternity , we break out into a clearing .


    In the center of it lies a weathered stone faced with strange runes that glow , the air around humming in a faint vibration that puts my nerves on edge .


    What is this ? I whisper , stepping closer .


    Elias reaches out and touches the stone .


    His face is almost reverent .


    The heartstone of Broken Ridge .


    Its connected to thend , to the pack , to everything that makes this ce what it is .


    Chapter 204 And what does it have to do with the curse ? Dane asks , his voice hard .


    8/8 The heartstone holds the truth , Elias replies , the history of thisnd , the choices that formed it , the consequences of those choices .


    Ites at a price to unlock its secrets .


    I hesitate , my gaze fixed upon the runes which seem to pulse in time with my heartbeat .


    What kind of price ? I ask , barely above a whisper .