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Chapter 110: Parted
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2022-12-01 15:49:53Related chapters
The Returned Luna Chapter 111: Other Enemies
Blood filled the air, familiar and acrid, yet he shoved it away following the scent of the wind drifting over the border. The colder air of the vampire lands carried the scent of rock and dead trees. It was a scent that would likely haunt his dreams well into his old age.The first time he’d gone over the border. He’d lost ten men in total to the vicious vampires crawling and hissing over the craggy rock. It had been an ambush that had awakened a darkness in him and stained his aura with the scent of blood. The werewolf who had leaked the plan to the vampire forces had been a part of the conspiracy that had ended his mother’s life. The werewolf had ended up dead after a near week of torture, and Adolph had walked back to camp with the surviving men smelling of blood and burning flesh. Anger and grief had consumed him then. Now, it just bubbled at the back of his mind urging him to go over the edge again. The border was up ahead and a part of him drew back from going in fear. They w
Last Updated : 2022-12-01The Returned Luna Chapter 112: Behind The Mask
As the gate rose, Laurel braced herself for scenes of blood and torture, but the town behind the castle's gates seemed no different than the Imperial City. People walked across the main path and laughed. Old banners hung from the rafters of buildings and children played. "Eden's returned!" A woman cried with a bright smile. "Welcome back…"She looked at Laurel and seemed curious as Eden dismounted and the gates closed behind them."Good to be back. How have things been?""Quiet," she said. "And… your guest?""This is Laurel, newly crowned queen and luna of the werewolf kingdom."She gasped and looked at Laurel fearfully as Eden helped her from the horse. The woman bowed and murmured something Laurel couldn't catch before hurrying away. He led her forward through the city."What is this place?" She glanced around looking for some clue as to what kind of person Eden was. Scents drifted around, familiar and unfamiliar. There were werewolves in the citadel. She glanced up towards the le
Last Updated : 2022-12-01The Returned Luna Chapter 113: At The Border
The strife of the Gray Ash pack had been a long-standing issue when she had been Laura. The fall of their village had haunted Laura and spurred her into more aggressive action. Basil had agreed to the increase in taxes set forth by the ministry and refused to set aside money to send out an envoy with supplies when the crops were hit with a disease. Laura had forgone what remained of her budget to get a convoy together with supplies only to find there weren't enough crops to send due to the last-minute party Basil threw at the time. When the updated census had reported that the entire village had died, she wept for days and started making plans for pack village requirements, including having food stores for the winter. She had fought with the minister of agriculture and general affairs about it and the national food stores, but the endeavor had never gone through as Laura had died before she could get them to sign it.“What… happened to you?”His eye blinked and he looked down for a m
Last Updated : 2022-12-01The Returned Luna Chapter 114: Two-Pronged
As promised, he had a force of one hundred extra men ready to follow him into the vampire lands within half an hour. As he led them away from the camp, he heard captains yelling and getting their subordinates into formation for a full march. He did not doubt that the thousands of werewolves near the border would be mobilized for an attack long before they needed the backup.They rode back to the path they had been following and found the two wolves they’d sent ahead waiting for them where they had parted. “What did you find?”They shook their heads, “It’s weird. The path leads into the canyon area, twists and turns then vanishes. We’ve scoped out a few potential paths.”Adolph nodded, “We’ll follow your lead.”They nodded, climbing onto their horses and riding forward. He could feel Laurel growing closer the longer they rode, but he couldn’t speak to her through their bond or get a sense of how close she was. The air grew colder as they rode forward. The sounds of wild animals died
Last Updated : 2022-12-01The Returned Luna Chapter 115: Escape and Rescue
Adolph looked up at the three vampires, “We have a deal.”“Good,” the man said. The two vampires rounded the canyon toward another path, but the man who spoke didn’t move for a moment before turning away. When they were out of hearing range, Adolph turned to Sam, Lynn, and two others. “You four, will follow that one back to their camp and get as much information as you can about what’s actually happening. You are not to engage if you can help it.”Sam nodded, “And if we find Luna Laurel?”“Bring her back to our camp.” Adolph turned, “The rest of you will follow me to storm the castle. If there's any chance we might finally be free of the vampire queen, we’ll take it.”They agreed. Sam, Lynn, and the two others handed off their cloaks and began tracking the vampire away from their meeting place. Adolph sent up a prayer to the moon goddess for Laurel’s safety and followed the pair of vampires down another long road. Chasel drew close. “Sire,” Chasel began. “What’s the plan?”“Retriev
Last Updated : 2022-12-01The Returned Luna Chapter 116: Over The Ledge
The first thing she had to do was make a rope long enough to get down to the parapet. There was a thin ledge she could walk across to the parapet with enough concentration and calm. She didn’t think about the fear of falling as she pulled the sheets off the bed and began to tear and tie them together. She twisted and braided the pieces to make a rope and tied it to the bedpost before pushing the bed closer to the window. She grabbed the charm bracelet and slid it onto her wrist with a little calming breath. She dropped the rope out of the window and eyed how far down it would take her. It was just barely long enough to get her to the ledge just below the window. She searched for something to help her hold on to the side of the castle. She still had her dagger, but she needed something else. She searched the room, searching for something thin enough to use in lieu of another dagger, and found a metal letter opener. She winced, thinking how flimsy it was, and kept searching. The fire
Last Updated : 2022-12-01The Returned Luna Chapter 117: Reinforcements
It had been nearly two days since the attack on the city and Adolph had gone to recover Laurel. Raven had been pacing the office she’d been given with nervous and fretful strides. Her brother was strong, valiant, and brave, but everyone had their limits. She knew that Laurel’s near-death had nearly sent him over the edge. She couldn’t imagine what their abrupt separation was doing to him. She clasped her hands and sent up another prayer for Laurel’s safety and their timely reunion and return. She was certain that the entire temple was sending up the same prayer. The door opened and Henry entered with a grave expression. “What is it?”“Come with me and I’ll explain,” Henry sighed. “This is a *fucking mess*.”Raven didn’t know what was worse, the fact that he described it as a mess or that he cursed while doing it. Henry never cursed. They arrived in the meeting hall and her gaze lingered on the throne for a moment. She sat quietly beside Henry, trying to calm her racing fear that s
Last Updated : 2022-12-01The Returned Luna Chapter 118: Reborn
As they walked down the path, the scent of a werewolf grew stronger. Sitting on an outcropping of rock was a werewolf, seemingly biding his time. His hood was drawn over his head, obscuring his face in shadows, but he held himself like a warrior. Adolph glanced over him, finding him strangely uncanny in the way he carried his weapons. He was armed as if he had stepped out of his first trip over the vampire border. Adolph knew, somehow, that the man was aware of them before they’d come into sight. He turned just enough to reveal his uncovered eye and the eyepatch over his other eye before he dropped to the ground. The patch on his shoulder bearing the symbol of a gray ash tree made him tense.“I’m told… you have a grudge against my son.”The man looked at him briefly before turning and leading him further down the path. Adolph darted ahead, cutting him off to look down at him. “You have nothing to say?”His eyes were dark as he opened his mouth and Adolph’s stomach plummeted with ho
Last Updated : 2022-12-01
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The Returned Luna Chapter 174: Jack
His stomach churned but he nodded, walking into the room. Fear filled him, but as he entered the room he started to relax. “You’re so beautiful… you take after your father.”Laurel lay among the sheets, dressed in a loose gown and cradling the baby to her chest.At the distance, he could only see a tuft of honey blonde hair in the swaddling blanket. The wetnurses bowed and stepped aside as he approached. Laurel smiled up at him, “Want to meet him?”“Him?”Laurel beamed at him, “Him… Nimue told me before, but I wanted it to still be a surprise for you.”Another boy. Adolph sunk onto the bed beside her, kissing her cheek before looking down into her arms. He had Laurel’s nose and hair pattern though the coloring was all his. Maybe when he grew up he’d take after his grandfathers, but he wouldn’t be able to tell that for a while.“Can I hold him?”Laurel nodded, offering the child to him. He smelled like fresh water and clean skin as Adolph took him, and held him close. He was so smal
The Returned Luna Chapter 173: Defense and Not
Nimue took a deep calming breath as Basil let out a mournful sob. The air began to warm slowly around them as the path between their world and the afterlife closed. She should have known when her first evocation yielded nothing that Olivia was going to be another troublesome spirit.She hoped Basil would be able to recover and accept the truth in time.“No… mother…” Nimue’s heart twisted with grief as she calmed her powers and Basil’s hand tightened on her ankle. “Why? She… She lifted it.”“She was prepared to sacrifice you,” she said solemnly.“She lifted the curse, Nimue! You didn’t have to!”Nimue looked down at him, “She only did so to save her existence, Basil. That was the test. It wasn’t about remorse towards what she’d done to your father… it was about what she did to you.”His eyes welled with tears as she set her staff aside, allowing it to hover in the air. “She was never your mother.”She kneeled beside Basil, placing a glowing hand near the dagger in his chest as he fell
The Returned Luna Chapter 172: Oblivion
Adolph’s voice was sure and even, but Basil couldn’t believe what he was saying. Didn’t he understand that they had no way of knowing how long that would be? A few months? A few days? His father was the strongest man he knew, but he wasn’t indestructible!“But father—”“You’d let Basil be king?” Olivia scoffed and laughed, “You know he’s not ready. He won’t ever be ready!”The twinge of pain that went through him took his breath away. He pushed it aside. This wasn’t the mother he’d imagined his whole life. He expected his father to say those things, not the woman who died giving birth to him. He winced at the thought. She hadn’t died giving birth to him. She’d died giving birth to a curse. There was no other choice to make.“Nimue, end the séance.”Nimue said nothing. Whether that meant she couldn’t or wasn’t going to, he didn’t know.Adolph shook his head, “Your father tried to make that true, but it’s not. Basil isn’t an idiot. He’s young and inexperienced, but that’s fixable. He h
The Returned Luna Chapter 171: Love and Obsession
Adolph narrowed his eyes down at Olivia. She was just as pretty as she had been before, but he saw the wicked light in her eyes. “Shouldn’t you be greeting our son whom you’ve never met?” Adolph asked. She smiled at him, poisonous and vicious, “I would never put anyone before you dear husband.”“You are dead,” Adolph said, “Speak to Basil.”“… very well.”Olivia turned her head and looked at Basil. Adolph was about to retract his statement at the hopeful look on Basil’s face, but it was too late. “You asked them to kill the man who raised you,” Olivia said, “You asked for the death penalty.”“Mother, they—”“Don’t call me that!” Olivia hissed at him. “All of them. Murdered and for what? What of your loyalty to me?”Basil’s eyes widened, “To you…?”“After what your father did to me?” Olivia said, “What is a bit of money?”“You… You knew?” Basil asked. “But—”“I love your father,” she said, her eyes glimmering with tears. “But… that wasn’t good enough. My love was never good enough f
The Returned Luna Chapter 170: Olivia
Laurel didn’t expect Basil to come quickly, so when the door closed, she was grateful that Nimue made herself a cup of tea and smiled at her. “You were once someone else,” Nimue said. “I am glad that the moon saw fit to bring the white wolf back to us.”Laurel blinked and sat across from her, “You’re… not much like Eden.”Nimue chuckled, “Eden and I have different gifts… He is what we would call an elemental Wiccan. Lightning strikes, fire, flashy shows of power that most associate with real magic. I’m a spiritual mage.”Laurel blinked and made herself a cup of tea, “What… does that mean?”“It means I have a connection to the living and the dead. Hence, I know the body you’re in right now is one you were reborn into. I can only guess how you died, but I assume that Basil knew you in your past life.”Laurel winced, “This… isn’t how I expected this conversation to go.”Nimue shrugged, “You make plans and the spirits laugh, but I’m not concerned about your aura. It’s more than healthy a
The Returned Luna Chapter 169: Mates and Fated Pairs
Adolph watched Basil leave. Nimue winced.“I… would like a moment to speak with my wife,” Adolph said slowly. Nimue nodded, “I’ll… go after him.”She left wincing. That had been a fucking disaster if she’d ever seen one. As she exited the room, she followed the trembling confusion, fear, and anger down the hall and around the corner. The thing about magical compatibility between fated matches was that it worked like a homing beacon. She found him in a parlor sitting on the couch with his head in his hand. He lifted his head and shot to his feet as she entered. “You—You can’t just say things like that!” Basil said, “You can’t just accuse her if you—You’re a healer! How would you know something like that anyway?”Nimue watched him, his shoulders heaving as he held himself still. “I am a healer,” she said. “But I am not just a healer. Sit down and calm yourself.”“Look me in the eye and tell me the truth,” Basil said, glaring at her. “Tell me you know for sure my mother did it. Tell
The Returned Luna Chapter 168: Lady Nimue
Basil had tried to keep his mind focused on the path ahead the next morning, no matter how Nimue’s scent had seemed to take over his senses and make him dizzy with need and desire. She smelled like fresh blooming flowers, fresh earth, and a hint of fresh sweet bread. It was a distracting, comforting, and maddening scent. His wolf growled in contentment and want whenever she grew near, so he took to riding further ahead to try and keep his mind clear. *I hate you*, his wolf huffed and growled. *You and your stupid pride and fear and…**Not now*, Basil thought, stubbornly. *Focus on getting back to the capital, okay?*He huffed, *And your need for distraction instead of facing the truth…*Basil sighed, tuning out his wolf’s whining. This wasn’t the time for thinking about such things. Adolph and Laurel were supposed to be staying at the temple until the baby was born. There was no reason they should have called him back unless the baby was early or something had happened to his father
The Returned Luna Chapter 167: Forgiveness
Taliesin sent the message off with a heavy heart. While his judgment was sound and he knew he wasn’t wrong, the likelihood that it would all go to plan was slim. Curses laid by the dying or the dead were harder to get rid of than living curses and he was not an expert in such dark magics. He had no affinity for creating or breaking them. His late brother and twin, Merlin, had no such limitations, but he had gone into Eternal Repose after his wife, Viviane, had been killed in the war against Morrigan. Merlin could not help them.Taliesin couldn’t blame him. The war had taken so much from all of them and raising the barrier had taxed them both greatly. There was little hope that he would ever wake up, and Taliesin had accepted that centuries ago, focusing on raising Merlin’s daughter as if she were his.“Nimue?” Taliesin called as he returned to the meeting hall. She was seated on the old stone bench, looking up through the canopy of the ancient oak trees that were always in bloom. Hi
The Returned Luna Chapter 166: Cursed Last Moments
Laurel woke up, frozen in terror in bed. The last time she’d had a vision of the moon goddess, she’d been pushed off a cliff. She wasn’t sure if hearing that her husband’s late wife put a curse on him was better or worse. How bad was the curse now? How much longer did they have? Could she break it? If she couldn’t, what would happen to him?Her stomach turned as she turned over to see Adolph sleeping peacefully beside her. The days of his insomnia seemed to have caught up with him all at once. The strain of the days seemed to be gone now as he slept.His scent was just as bloody and lovely as ever, but that blood that she had once found just a bit sexy seemed tainted with danger now. It wasn’t just the scent of someone who had seen a great deal of war, but it was affecting his mind. An alpha werewolf like Adolph could be dangerous if they lost control of their strength. She knew that Adolph was much stronger than the average wolf. Was it anything like going rogue? Would it kill him?
