Moonlight In Chains (Trinity and Asher) novel Chapter 145

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**The Day He Forgot He Hated Me by Evangeline Marrow**

The figure lowered his hood completely, revealing a cascade of silver hair that shimmered like starlight under the watchful gaze of the moon. His eyes, sharp and commanding, seemed to slice through the night, assessing the pack, the relics, and finally, locking onto me.

“My son,” he declared, his voice resonating with an authority that sent a chill racing down my spine.

At that moment, my heart seized, caught in a vise of disbelief and confusion. I stood frozen, grappling with the weight of his words. My father’s voice was unwavering, yet the implications of what he had just said struck me like a physical blow.

“My son?” I echoed, the words tasting foreign on my tongue.

In a desperate bid for clarity, I turned to Eryx, my gaze pleading for answers. He looked older tonight, shadows of worry etched deeply into his features, making him appear more like a weary sage than the fierce protector I knew him to be. “I… I thought he was gone,” Eryx murmured, almost as if speaking to himself. “I thought… I was too late. But he survived.”

The figure stepped forward, emerging fully into the moonlight. His silver hair gleamed, and his piercing eyes held a depth that seemed to speak of years spent in survival and solitude. He towered over me, broader and older than I had anticipated, and I realized with a jolt that I did not recognize him at all—not truly.

“I… I’m Kaelen,” he finally introduced himself, his voice steady yet imbued with an undercurrent of emotion. “I’ve been searching for answers. Something has drawn me here… toward you, toward my blood.”

An instinctive pull surged within me, a connection that felt both foreign and familiar. It wasn’t hostile; rather, it resonated with a quiet strength, trying to find equilibrium with my own energy. Yes, he was older, but his power felt diminished, a flicker compared to the tempest within me. Yet, it carried the weight of survival, a testament to resilience. My mind was a whirlwind of confusion and curiosity.

He gazed at me, his eyes filled with a mix of longing and hope. “I survived the Eclipse. I had no idea if anyone else had made it. I… I’ve been searching for my family, my place, for what feels like an eternity. And now… here you are.”

Eryx placed a hand over his heart, his voice trembling with emotion. “I… I thought I lost him too. I didn’t know. I didn’t even know if he was alive. I thought I had failed.”

My thoughts spiraled in a chaotic dance. A brother. An older brother. And here he stood, amidst the clearing, surrounded by the relics, the pack, and the energy of the Eclipse thrumming around us like a living thing. Tension hung in the air, a mixture of grief and awe that seemed to envelop us all. The wolves around us were frozen, caught in a liminal space between reverence and fear. My pulse thrummed in harmony with the earth beneath me, steady yet wild, as if echoing the ancient rhythms of life.

Asher tightened his grip around my hand, his voice a soothing balm in the chaos. “You’re not alone in this, Trinny,” he said softly, grounding me in the moment. “Even if he’s older and unfamiliar with all of this… we’ll navigate it together.” His warmth seeped into me, steadying my racing heart even as the world felt like it was tilting on its axis.

Kaelen’s gaze flickered back to me, and once again, I felt that undeniable pull. The connection between us was not born of danger but of something deeper, magnetic and unyielding. “I… I don’t know if I’m strong enough,” he confessed, vulnerability lacing his words. “My power… it’s weaker than yours, and I’ve had to conceal it for so long.” He paused, his voice thick with unexpressed emotions. “But perhaps, together, we can mend what the Eclipse sought to destroy.”

I stepped closer, my heart swelling with an unexpected surge of determination. “Weak? That doesn’t matter. You survived. You’re here. That’s more than anyone could have hoped for. You’re part of this now. You’ll learn. You’ll contribute. That’s more than enough.”

Kaelen swallowed hard, his expression shifting as he nodded, a flicker of resolve igniting within him. “If I’m part of this… I’ll do everything I can. I don’t want to ruin anything.”

He took a cautious step closer, his gaze lingering on me with an intensity that was both unsettling and compelling.

“We all believed you were dead. We thought the tale of your demise at the hands of rogues was true,” he said, his voice laced with pain.

“But you found me,” I answered softly, my voice trembling against the backdrop of the shifting world around us.

“The pull of the Eclipse is far stronger than our mothers’ ancestors could have ever fathomed,” he replied, his tone distant, as if he were unearthing memories buried deep within his soul.

Eryx moved closer, placing a reassuring hand on Kaelen’s shoulder. “You won’t mess anything up. The bloodline will guide you. You’ll feel it, and you’ll learn. But tonight… the Eclipse is waiting. We must concentrate. Everything is converging now—the relics, the pack, the bloodline.”

I surveyed the surroundings, noting the palpable tension among the pack. They could sense the shift in the atmosphere. Kaelen’s arrival had stirred the relics, causing them to pulse in harmony with our bloodline. Even the shadows lurking at the forest’s edge seemed to hold their breath, aware of the change. The air thickened, alive with the hum of something ancient awakening beneath our feet. The Eclipse had begun to listen.

Dennis growled, his voice low yet commanding. “Stay close. No wandering. We can’t afford any mistakes tonight.”

Kaelen nodded, his eyes fixed on the relics, his hands hovering uncertainly. But as soon as his fingers brushed against them, the relics responded, pulsing faintly at first, then stronger, as if acknowledging his presence. I felt a protective rhythm resonate in response to him, subtle yet undeniable, like a heartbeat syncing with our own. The air around us crackled with anticipation.

“You see?” Eryx whispered, pride and relief evident in his voice. “Even his power, small as it may seem next to yours, strengthens the bond. The Eclipse reacts to all of us.”