Moonlight In Chains (Trinity and Asher) novel Chapter 97

CHAPTER 97

The shadows didn’t wait. Even as we caught our breath, they surged forward again, twisting and writhing across the forest floor toward the packhouse. I could hear the alarm from a distance the shouts of pack members, the clanging of doors, the sounds of panic and preparation. The bond pulsed in my chest, frantic but steady, pushing me forward.

“We can’t let them reach the pack!” I shouted, gripping Asher’s hand tighter. His energy was steady, solid, and for the first time, I felt it differently. Not just as a shield or protection, but as something fierce, something alive. Something of his own.

Gage’s golden energy flared, responding to mine and Asher’s. Together, we formed a wall of light and force. The shadows screamed as they struck, lashing at the barrier, but each time they hit, they shattered into mist, only to rise again in new shapes.

The forest shook. I stumbled over a root but Asher caught me before I fell. He was breathing hard, gray eyes sharp. “Keep it together,” he said. “We have to hold them until the others get here.”

I nodded, swallowing the fear clawing at my chest. The shadows were learning, adjusting, searching for cracks in our defenses. But the bond steadied me–warm, certain, reminding me we weren’t alone.

Through the roar of the forest, voices rose–strong, commanding, familiar. The alpha. The warriors. They were coming.

“Trinity! Asher! Gage!” Dennis shouted, pushing through the trees with Petra and the other warriors behind him. Their eyes widened as they took in the scene before them. “By the Moon

what is this?”

I didn’t have time to answer. A shadow lunged at us, its claws slicing through the air. Asher stepped forward, energy flaring around him, and with a single movement, he struck it down. The shadow disintegrated into black mist.

Dennis stopped in his tracks, staring at Asher. His eyes flicked between the mark glowing faintly on Asher’s neck and the silver light streaming from me. His jaw tightened. “He… he’s using his mark.” He muttered, disbelief clear in his voice. “I didn’t think… I didn’t think he had

it in him.”

Asher didn’t respond. His focus was absolute, energy pulsing around him as he blocked another shadow with a wave of silver–gray light.

“They’re not stopping!” Gage shouted. “They just keep coming!”

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Dennis and the warriors formed a perimeter, but the creatures were too many, too fast. All

they could do was distract them, buy us time. Spears, swords, claws, and roars clashed with the shadows, but the creatures reformed instantly, pressing forward.

Petra called, “We need to get them away from the packhouse! Draw them toward the clearing!”

I nodded. The clearing was our advantage—our bond’s energy moved freely there. “Hold them here! Keep them busy until we can push them back!”

The warriors charged, howling as the forest shook with the fight.

I pressed closer to Asher, feeling his strength flow into me. Gage mirrored me on the other side. “Together.” Our bond flared, light twisting like a storm of silver, gray, and gold. The shadows shrieked, recoiling, then surged again.

Dennis’s voice cut through the chaos. “Trinity! Asher! Use the clearing!”

I closed my eyes, letting the bond guide me. Asher’s heartbeat was steady, Gage’s energy trembling but strong. Together, we became one force–and for the first time, the shadows hesitated.

One shadow, larger than the others, broke away and lunged at Gage. I screamed, “Watch out!” and threw myself forward, placing my hands on his. Energy surged, golden and silver mixing, and the shadow slammed into the barrier we created, shattering instantly.

Asher’s eyes were intense. “They’re learning,” he said. “We can’t just react. We have to control them.”

I nodded, feeling our bond thrum. We weren’t just defending–we were directing. I sensed the shadows moving toward the packhouse and pushed, forcing them into the clearing. The warriors intercepted, blocking as best they could.

Dennis’s voice rang out. “Keep them in the clearing! Don’t let them reach the packhouse!”

The alpha and warriors fought fiercely, but the shadows were too many. My chest tightened- we were holding the line, but the battle was far from over.

A group of shadows formed near the edge of the clearing, claws slashing at the warriors. Petra roared, energy flaring around her, and pushed back a few of the creatures, but even she looked strained. “They’re coming in waves!” She shouted.

I glanced at Asher. His energy had changed–it was no longer just protective or defensive. It was sharp, precise, flowing out in patterns I hadn’t seen before. He had found his own power through the bond, his own strength weaved into ours. The alpha and the warriors saw it too,

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< CHAPTER 97

and I could see the disbelief on their faces.

+25 Points

Dennis muttered under his breath, “He’s… stronger than I thought. Trinity… he’s not just holding her. He’s standing with her. They’re… together in this.”

Gage gritted his teeth, his golden energy flaring brighter as he caught on to the rhythm. “We can push them!” He shouted. “Together, we control them!”

I nodded, letting the bond guide me. The shadows screamed as we pressed, energy twisting, forcing them into a corner. Branches snapped, dirt flew, and the forest shook, but the bond was steady. We weren’t just defending the packhouse–we were leading the battle.

Another group of shadows broke away toward the walls. Dennis and a few warriors moved to intercept, but I could see their struggle. I pushed harder, energy spiraling around the creatures, forcing them back.

Asher’s hands found mine again, his gray light merging with silver and gold, forming a barrier. “Keep them here!” he shouted.

Sweat ran down my face, muscles aching, but the bond kept me steady. The shadows hissed and struck, but we held. Wave after wave, they came–and each time, we forced them back.

Dennis roared, “Trinity! Asher! Gage! Push them to the heart of the clearing!”

I met Asher’s gaze, and we nodded. Together, we pushed the energy forward, herding them like prey. The warriors moved along the edges, striking and distracting.

One shadow, larger than the rest, broke free, its red eyes blazing. It lunged at Asher, but he was ready. With a burst of silver–gray energy, he struck it down, disintegrating it into mist.

Gage’s golden energy flared, sweeping the smaller shadows at the clearing’s edges, keeping them contained. The bond thrummed, pulsing with every heartbeat, every surge of energy.

Dennis and the warriors cheered. “Hold them!” Dennis shouted. “We’ve got them!”

But a deep, terrifying voice echoed through the forest: “You cannot win. The heirs… will fall.”

I froze, heart hammering. Asher squeezed my hand. “Ignore it,” he said firmly. “They want to

scare us. We’ve faced worse.”

I focused on the bond, on our energy’s rhythm–silver, gray, gold, twisting and flowing. Stronger than ever, we weren’t just holding them–we were controlling, guiding their movements, forcing them to react.

Another wave came, faster, sharper, but we met it with precision. Every movement of the bond pushed, pulled, redirected the shadows, breaking them down into mist, scattering them

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