Chapter 12
A crescent moon mark shimmered on Sylvia's forehead.
She shifted into her wolf form. It wasn't an ordinary wolf, but a huge silver-white one. The lunar crescent was glowing on her forehead, and her body was wrapped in a gentle moonlit glow.
Wispy pale illumination trailed in her wake, healing the grave injuries of wounded werewolves all around.
Everyone lifted their gaze to her, the towering silver-white wolf. Their eyes were filled with shock, joy, and awe.
"The Lunar Healer." The High Priest got down on one knee, tears coursing down his face. "Three thousand years have passed. The Moon Goddess has finally graced us with her gift again."
Seeing this, the vampires surged toward Sylvia, desperate to crush her before she fully awakened.
Kaelen's eyes widened. Despite the agony in his hind leg, he sprinted for Sylvia, throwing himself in front of her as the first vampire lunged. He shielded her, kicking the attacker away.
But vampires swarmed in from every direction. He was outnumbered and couldn't keep up with all the attacks.
A bone-deep gash split open his chest. It was a terrifying sight.
Luckily, other wolves rushed over right away to share the burden.
Sylvia's heart ached terribly at the sight of his injury. Right then, her power burst fully awake.
A huge beam of light erupted from where she stood. It wiped out the vampires' deadly corrosive power, and Kaelen's wound slowly began to heal.
The battle in the square came to a sudden halt.
Sylvia didn't pause. She pushed through the crowd, stepped over pools of blood and burning ruins, healing every badly hurt wolf along the way.
The giant black-flame wolf stood at the edge of the battlefield, his golden eyes fixed firmly on her, shining bright.
Sylvia ran up to him, her silver-white nose gently nudging his black one.
'I've awakened my wolf.' Her voice rang clear and bright in his mind through their mind link. 'Kaelen, I made it.'
Kaelen's body began to shift. His bones stretched, his fur receded, and he transformed back into his human form.
He was shirtless, broad-shouldered, with a narrow waist and chiseled abs, the V-line at his hips deep and defined. He looked the same in the photo he'd sent her.
The crescent scar on the back of his hand glowed, resonating with the crescent mark on Sylvia's forehead.
His voice was hoarse, thick with emotion he could barely contain. "Sylvia, do you have any idea how close you came to scaring me to death?"
"I know." Sylvia shifted back into her human form, her silver-white hair spilling over her shoulders. The crescent mark on her forehead was shimmering faintly. "But I had to go outside.
"The old books say the seal should be broken in times of danger. This is my mission."
Kaelen held the back of her head, pressing his forehead against hers. His breath was hot, mixed with blood and cedar.
He said in a low voice, "Your mission is to survive, to stay with me, and to let me keep you safe, not to throw yourself in harm's way for me."
Sylvia raised her hand, a silvery glow shimmering at her fingertips as she gently brushed over the wound on his leg.
The skin healed, the scar faded away, and the crescent mark on his hand flickered dimly for a moment.
"I want to protect you, too," she said. "You've done so much for me, covering me financially, comforting me, and sending me your shirtless selfie. Now, I want to do something for you."
Kaelen's eyes darkened.
His voice was husky, laced with danger. "Sweetheart, do you know how much you're tempting me now? You make me want to—"
"Want what?" Sylvia asked.
He leaned in, his nose brushing against hers. "I want to complete the bond."
Sylvia's heart skipped a beat.
He slid his fingers into her silvery hair. "I want to complete the bond here in front of everyone. Let the Moon Goddess, the Crescent Pack, and the whole world be our witnesses.
"You are mine."
He leaned in and kissed her. It was nothing soft and gentle, but rough and possessive, filled with half a year's pent-up longing and the raw edge of the battlefield.
Kaelen bit her lip, the metallic tang of blood blooming in her mouth, but Sylvia didn't flinch.
She raised her hands, wrapped them around his neck, and answered his kiss.
Silver light tangled with dark flames, like the moon merging into the night.
All the werewolves in the square bowed to their Alpha and their Luna, who was also the Healer.
The High Priest's voice rang out through the night. "The Moon Goddess has witnessed this bond. The bond between fated mates is sealed."
The moment the bond was completed, Sylvia felt something burst open between her and Kaelen.
It brought no pain, only a feeling of perfect communion. Hindrances unspooled, all separating veils lifted, and two distant souls were violently pulled into one another's orbit.