Moonlight In Chains (Trinity and Asher) novel Chapter 122

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**CHAPTER 122**

The atmosphere surrounding the training field that morning felt unusually dense, as though the very sky was bracing itself for an impending event. Although the sun shone brightly overhead, an unsettling chill lingered in the air, refusing to dissipate. Asher and I stood side by side, engaged in our sparring session, our movements flowing in perfect harmony, as if we had been practicing this dance for a lifetime. Across the field, Gage was busy assisting a group of younger warriors, while Arlo leaned against the fence, diligently jotting down notes in his small black notebook. He claimed it helped him monitor energy fluctuations. I had no reason to doubt him—since Arlo’s return from the shadow realm, he had become sharper, more alert, yet there was an undeniable quietness about him.

A few meters away, Lupa stood with her arms crossed tightly against her chest. She had adamantly refused to join us in training. I had attempted to coax her into sharing her reasons, but all she offered was a cryptic, “Some things are better left untouched.” It didn’t feel like fear, not quite; it was something deeper—perhaps guilt. Whenever I summoned my powers, her gaze would flicker toward me, and I could see the pain etched in her expression, as if each spark I conjured was a painful reminder of something precious she had lost.

We wrapped up our training late in the morning, our shirts drenched in sweat. Asher approached from behind, wiping his brow with the back of his hand, a playful grin spreading across his face. “I’m not sure I can keep up anymore,” he joked, feigning exhaustion.

I couldn’t help but smile slightly. “You’ll just have to push yourself harder,” I teased back, knowing he would rise to the challenge.

Arlo abruptly snapped his notebook shut, his expression tense. “I found something,” he announced, his voice laced with urgency. “The energy lines around the territory are shifting again. But this time… it’s not from the shadow realm. It’s coming from the east.”

“East?” Gage inquired as he made his way over, his brow furrowing in confusion. “There’s nothing there but mountains.”

Arlo nodded gravely. “Precisely. That’s what makes it so peculiar.”

At that, Lupa’s head jerked up, her expression transforming as she stepped closer to us, her face suddenly devoid of color. “Mountains?” she echoed, her voice barely above a whisper. “Are you certain?”

“Yes,” Arlo confirmed. “Why do you ask?”

Lupa turned her gaze away, her fingers trembling ever so slightly. “That’s where the Eclipse Pack established their last stronghold before it was obliterated. No one has set foot there in years.”

A heavy silence enveloped us, the air growing colder, as if the very wind shared in our unease.

“The Eclipse Pack,” I repeated slowly, the name sending a shiver down my spine.

After a moment of hesitation, Lupa nodded. “Most of the survivors scattered. Those who remained… they transformed into something entirely different. They were determined to rebuild their legacy, no matter the cost.”

“What kind of legacy?” Asher asked, his tone cautious.

Lupa’s eyes locked onto mine, filled with a haunting sadness. “The Eclipse Pack believed they possessed the purest power of the moon. But that power was tainted—a curse tied to your father’s bloodline. When he departed, they vowed to find the last heir and restore the power to its rightful place.”

“Meaning me,” I said, the realization settling in without a hint of surprise.

She nodded solemnly. “You are the last true heir. And they are aware of it now.”

Gage cursed under his breath. “So they’re coming here?”

“They don’t just seek you,” Lupa said, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and determination. “They desire the bloodline itself—the magic. They intend to harness your power to reclaim what they lost. The Eclipse Pack longs for dominance once more.”

I could feel Asher’s grip tighten around my hand, an unspoken promise of protection. “They’ll have to go through us first,” he declared fiercely, his eyes blazing with resolve.

Lupa shook her head, her expression grave. “You don’t comprehend the gravity of the situation. They are not like other packs anymore. The rituals they underwent twisted them. They now adhere to the Eclipse Oath—a vow to reclaim power, regardless of who perishes in the process.”

Arlo stepped forward, his face drawn. “So, what you’re implying is… they’re akin to shadows, but worse.”

“Yes,” Lupa whispered, her voice barely audible. “Because they still possess hearts. They know exactly what they’re doing.”

For what felt like an eternity, silence enveloped us. The weight of yet another looming threat—after all we had endured—seemed almost insurmountable. I had thought we had banished the darkness when the shadows were sealed away, but it appeared that the true darkness was only beginning to unfurl its wings. The stillness hung between us like a thick fog, suffocating and inescapable. Each of us wrestled with the same unspoken fear—what if this time, we didn’t emerge victorious?

Later that day, we convened in the meeting room. Maps sprawled across the table, and Arlo had meticulously drawn lines indicating where the energy pulses had been most pronounced. Every line curved ominously toward the mountains. The air buzzed with an electric tension, the kind that prickled against your skin before a storm.