Moonlight In Chains (Trinity and Asher) novel Chapter 120

CHAPTER 120

The air in the packhouse was tense that night. Even though the sun had set hours ago, the forest outside was alive with sounds that didn’t belong. Leaves rustled too quickly, the wind shifted with purpose, and faint shadows moved at the edge of vision.

Asher stayed close to me, his gray eyes scanning every dark corner. “Something’s coming.” He said quietly, his voice low but firm. “I can feel it.”

I nodded, my chest tightening. The bond between us flared gently, warning me, warning him.” I feel it too.” I said. “It’s close. Too close.”

–

Lupa stayed at the edge of the room, hands folded tightly in front of her. Her face was pale, her blue eyes wide. She didn’t say anything. She didn’t need to. I could tell she was scared scared not of me, but of the power in me, the bloodline that had survived through centuries, the heir who had finally returned.

Arlo paced near the library doorway, notebook clutched to his chest. “I’ve traced the energy lines.” He said, voice tight. “There’s a presence moving through the forest – not random, deliberate. Whoever it is, they know where the pack is, and they know what’s here.”

Dennis appeared behind him, hands on his hips, brow furrowed. “So we set a trap?” He asked, voice low. “We can’t let them just walk in.”

I shook my head. “No. I’ll handle it. If this is about the bloodline, it’s my fight. But I can’t do it

alone.”

Asher grabbed my hand, the bond pulsing lightly. “You’re not alone. We’re together, all the time. Whatever happens, we face it as one.”

Arlo sighed. “Then let’s at least set up wards and traps around the clearing. If this is someone after the bloodline, they’ll try to come at you directly.”

By the time the moon was high, the packhouse had transformed. Energy lines traced the edges of the clearing and around the building, glowing faintly. Small wards pulsed along trees and doorways, meant to alert us to movement. Everyone who could fight was armed with energy shields or weapons, prepared for a confrontation.

Lupa stayed near the treeline, her presence quiet and watchful. I could see the tension in her shoulders, the way she flinched every time a branch snapped. She wasn’t trained like us. She didn’t have our bond or energy control. She was just… aware. A witness to the weight of the bloodline she carried, and the danger it always drew.

I trained with Asher one last time before the shadows appeared, running through controlled

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movements and focusing energy through my mark. The bond between us glowed faintly, a gentle light that spread warmth through my chest.

Then, as the wind shifted, I felt it – a cold, precise presence entering the clearing. Not chaotic, not random, like the shadows had been. This was smart, calculated, and dangerous.

–

Asher’s jaw tightened. “There.” He pointed toward the treeline. A figure moved quickly between the trees. At first, I couldn’t see clearly the energy surrounding them blurred their form but I recognized the signature immediately.

–

It wasn’t a shadow. It wasn’t rogue. It was alive, real, and powerful. A member of the lost Eclipse lineage.

I froze. My chest thumped violently. “It’s one of them.” I whispered. “The remnants… someone who wants the bloodline back.”

The figure stepped into the clearing, energy pulsing around them. Tall, lean, and completely black, their face hidden beneath a hood. The air around them shimmered, charged with stolen power, the kind that I had only felt from my father and my lineage before.

Asher moved in front of me instinctively. “Stay behind me.” He said. His energy flared, protective and solid.

Lupa stepped slightly forward, voice trembling. “Trinity… be careful. They’ve tracked this bloodline for centuries. They won’t hesitate.”

Arlo appeared beside us, notebook open, muttering numbers and symbols. “I can see traces of the stolen power.” He said. “They’ve amplified it. They know what you carry, and they’re trying to take it from you.”

I clenched my fists, energy flowing from my mark into my palms. “Then they’re going to fail.”

The Eclipse warrior didn’t speak. Instead, they moved closer, energy crackling around them. Their steps were silent, calculated, but the air trembled with the strength they carried.

I raised my hand, and my own energy flared, silver and sharp. Asher mirrored me, gray light surrounding us both. Our bond pulsed, radiating outward like a shield.

The warrior paused, assessing. Then, they attacked.

―

Their energy struck first — a beam of black and violet light shot toward me. I stepped forward instinctively, releasing my own energy from the bond with Asher. It collided with theirs, exploding outward in a shockwave that knocked everyone back. Trees shook, leaves flew, and the air burned with the clash of power.

Asher grabbed me, keeping me grounded. “You okay?” He shouted over the hum of energy.

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I nodded, chest heaving. “We stop them. Together.”

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The figure attacked again and again, fast, precise, and deadly. Their power had been honed over decades, stolen from our lineage and amplified. Every strike was a test, every movement measuring me, learning my weaknesses.

I focused, drawing on my mark, on the bond with Asher, and on the knowledge Lupa had shared. The bloodline flowed through me, not stolen, not borrowed – mine. Stronger than anything they had taken.

Asher and I moved as one, our energy blending into a shield that absorbed their strikes. Each impact sent tremors through the ground, and the forest seemed to hold its breath.

–

Lupa watched from the treeline, blue eyes wide. She didn’t intervene, but I could see her pulse with every clash of energy. She wasn’t ready, not trained like us, but she understood this was the heir’s battle. The Eclipse legacy was alive in me, and the remnants of her family were testing it.

Arlo shouted from the edge of the clearing, “They’re adjusting! They know your patterns!”

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm. My bond with Asher flared brighter. “I’m going to take a risk.” I said. “Stay ready to support me.”

He didn’t hesitate. “I’m with you. Always.”

I pushed energy outward from my.mark, letting it flow freely, unrestrained. Silver light shot forward like rivers of fire, colliding with the intruder’s power. The force pushed them back, making them stumble, but they recovered quickly, their stolen power almost matching mine.

—

The clash was intense. Every strike burned, every block sent shivers through my body. I felt the bloodline in me awaken memories, instincts, strength I hadn’t known I possessed. The bond with Asher amplified it, until it wasn’t just me anymore. It was both of us, together, pulsing with the energy of the last true heir.

Finally, I saw an opening. The intruder’s rhythm had a slight pause, a faint hesitation. They weren’t expecting me to reach so far, to pull energy directly from the core of my lineage. I

took the chance.

Energy surged from me, powerful and bright, silver light merging with Asher’s gray. The blast hit the Eclipse warrior directly. Their stolen energy collided with ours, and for a moment, everything froze. The air cracked, the ground shook, and the forest seemed to shimmer.

Then, with a scream that echoed across the clearing, the intruder stumbled backward, energy dissipating, falling to their knees. Their cloak fell back slightly, revealing a face I didn’t recognize but somehow seemed familiar. They had power, yes, but not the true bond, not the

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heritage. They were a fragment of what the bloodline used to be.

+25 Points

Lupa stepped forward then, her voice trembling. “They can’t take it from you. Not while the true heir stands.”

I looked at her, breath heavy, chest burning. “I’ll protect it. Always.”

Asher’s hands held mine, energy still pulsing. “We’re together. You don’t do this alone.”

The Eclipse warrior scrambled to their feet, realizing defeat, and retreated into the forest. Their shadowy energy faded as they ran, but their message was clear – they would be back. More would come. They knew the bloodline survived.

The pack rushed into the clearing, warriors ready, but I held up a hand. “It’s done for now.”

Dennis came forward, placing a hand on my shoulder. “You did well. All of you. But they’ll return. You need to be ready.”

Arlo looked at me, notebook forgotten in his hands. “The bloodline… it’s alive in you. Stronger than we thought. But everyone who knows will come for it. That’s why you’re important.”

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