Page 75 of Luna

“Lucien…” Luna’s voice makes me turn around.

Panting, I run to her. She’s shaking, one arm wrapped tightly around herself, the other still hanging at an unnatural angle, rain streaming down her face. “Lucien,” she whispers, her voice trembling.

I move towards her, wanting nothing more than to take her in my arms, to assure myself that she’s real, that she’s safe. But before I can reach her, the shadows around us begin to writhe and twist.

They surge up from the ground, from the trees, from the very air itself. They swirl around Luna, caressing her skin like dark flames. Her eyes widen in a mix of fear and wonder as the shadows respond to her presence.

As I watch, stunned, the shadows form a protective cocoon around her, shielding her from the rain. And from me.

And in that moment, I know I was right.

“Do you trust me?” I ask her.

She sits up, tears merging with the rain. “I don’t know.”

“Look at me, Luna.” I meet her gaze. “Do you trust me?”

As her resolve to hate me weakens, the shadows dissolve and I reach for her. I skim my hands down her body. She smells of blood. Something is bleeding.

“My shoulder.”

“It’s dislocated. I need to pop it back in.”

Her eyes spring wider and she shakes her head.

“It will hurt. But I have to.”

I gently place my hands on her shoulders, feeling the unnatural angle of the joint. Luna’s face is pale, her breathing shallow with pain and fear.

“Look at me,” I say softly, catching her gaze. “It will be quick. I promise.”

She nods, her lower lip trembling. I can hear her heart racing, smell the adrenaline coursing through her veins.

“On three,” I say, positioning my hands. “One...”

In a flash, before I even say “two,” I move. My speed and strength allow me to rotate and push the joint back into place with precise force. There’s a sickening pop, followed immediately by Luna’s sharp cry of pain.

The entire process takes less than a second.

Luna gasps, her good hand flying to her newly relocated shoulder. Tears spring to her eyes, but the relief is evident on her face as the intense pain gives way to a duller ache.

“You said on three,” she manages to say, her voice shaky but with a hint of reproach.

I give her a small, apologetic smile. “It’s better when you don’t expect it. The tension makes it worse.”

“I knew I shouldn’t have trusted you.”

My gut twists, but then she smiles at me. Gently, I run my hand over her shoulder, checking to make sure everything is in place. “How does it feel?”

“Sore,” she admits, blinking at me through the rain, “but better. Thank you.”

I nod, then pull her close, careful not to jostle her injured arm. “Let’s get you inside and dry.”

As I scoop her into my arms, I can’t shake the image of the shadows protecting her. Whatever’s happening, whatever she is becoming, she has no idea how powerful she is. And I’m not sure I do either.

Chapter 29

Kim