Chapter 71 Broken Moon Oath
Chapter 71 Broken Moon Oath
Deborah's POV
The assassin was gone. Then, Deborah felt a terrible pain.
Deborah's moon mark on her shoulder burned intensely, like hot silver. She gasped, stepping back, her hand flying to the spot.
This wasn't her usual Alpha power. This felt different, old and strong, pulling at something deep inside her.
The spirit wolves scattered, their ghost-like shapes flickering nervously. They backed away in a wide circle, heads down, ears flat.
Their fear made Deborah feel cold. These wolves usually feared nothing, but they were afraid of this.
"Deborah!" Erick was beside her right away, holding her arms to steady her. "What's happening?"
She couldn't answer. The burning got stronger, spreading from her shoulder down her arm and up her neck. Her eyes blurred with tears she wouldn't cry.
Despite the pain, Erick felt like a solid, warm support.
His fingers gripped her arms, and she leaned into him, her head almost touching his chest.
"I don't." Her voice broke. "Something's wrong. The mark, it's."
Then, a bright light burst around them.
Silver symbols appeared in the air, spinning in circles around them both. The symbols were ancient, older than any language Deborah knew, but she understood them.
They glowed with moonlight, each one a word, a promise, a tie.
The spirit wolves dropped to their bellies, a sign of deep respect that scared Deborah.
It was The Broken Moon Oath.
She suddenly knew what it was. She'd heard about it in old books, stories most people thought were just myths.
It was an ancient promise, made by the first Alphas, to connect true Eclipse leaders to all werewolf clans.
It only started working in very dark times, when the balance between good and evil was about to break.
The Blood Crown. The oath was reacting to the Blood Crown's appearance.
"Deborah, talk to me." Erick's voice was full of worry. He held her face, making her look at him. "What is this?"
She opened her mouth to explain, but old, strange words came out. They were in her voice, but she wasn't saying them.
The oath was speaking through her. Her body went stiff, her back straightened, as power rushed through her.
"By blood and moon, by shadow and light, the Eclipse Alpha rises to bind the night."
The symbols glowed brighter and spun faster. Deborah felt them sinking into her skin, burning into her very soul.
The pain was severe, deeper than her body.
She tried to scream, but the oath held her voice, and she kept speaking.
"When darkness claims the crown of blood, when brother turns on brother's good, the Hybrid Crown shall bear the weight."
Erick's POV
Erick felt the oath's power right away. A hot, sharp pain went through his chest, starting from his bond with Deborah.
He gasped, his hands dropping from her face to his shirt. He felt something burning under his clothes.
When he looked, he saw golden symbols appearing on his skin, just like the silver ones on Deborah.
Their mate bond was pulling him into the oath with her.
"No," he whispered. He suddenly understood. This oath wasn't just for Deborah. It was for both of them. It was the Hybrid Crown, meant for the Alpha and their mate.
Two souls tied together, now bound to something much bigger and scarier than they'd thought.
Through their bond, he felt Deborah's fear. It hit him hard, mixing with his own until he couldn't tell whose feelings were whose.
But under the fear, he felt her strong will. She wasn't fighting the oath. She was accepting it, even though it hurt her.
This helped him calm down.
Erick reached for her hands, which were tight fists at her sides. He opened her fingers and laced his through hers, holding on tight. As their hands touched, the pain changed.
Instead of two separate pains, it became one shared pain, moving between them through their joined hands.
Deborah's eyes found his. They were wide and silver, not fully hers anymore. But he still saw her in them, his mate trying to stay aware as the old power took over.
He squeezed her hands, sending all his feelings through their bond, his fear, but also his strong will not to let her go through this alone.
"of every clan, of every fate. Their lives will be tied to those they lead."
The words kept coming. More symbols appeared, now covering both their arms, moving up to their shoulders. Erick felt each one like a burn, a promise cut into his very being.
The oath made them responsible for all werewolf clans, not just their own.
Their lives were now tied to their people staying alive.
If they failed to protect the clans, they would die.
If they broke the oath, they would die.
If darkness won, they would die.
The burden was huge. Erick never wanted to be Alpha; he'd spent years avoiding that job. Now he was being tied to something much bigger, not just leading one pack, but protecting all of them.
Through their joined hands, he felt Deborah respond to his fear. Not exactly comfort. She was too honest for that.
But he felt her acceptance, her strength, and under it all, something that made his chest tight, her love for him, steady and strong even in this wild magic.
He loved her too. He already knew this, but feeling it reflected through their bond, stronger and clearer, took his breath away.
"If darkness takes the final throne, the Hybrid Crown will stand alone. This oath is sealed in moon and blood."
The pain got to its worst point. Erick's knees gave out, but he held firm, refusing to fall. Deborah swayed; only her grip on his hands kept her standing.
The spirit wolves howled around them, sadly and with respect, like a song for the freedom they were losing.
But they were losing it together. That had to matter.
"Until things are balanced again, or death takes the one who swore the oath."
The last words hung in the air, sounding final. The symbols glowed one last time, so bright that Erick had to close his eyes. He felt them sink deeper, past skin and bone, into his soul.
The bond with Deborah pulsed, getting stronger, changing into more than just a mate bond, a real union, two lives tied so tightly they could never fully break apart again.
The light faded.
Erick opened his eyes, blinking. The symbols were gone from the air, but he could still feel them on his skin, there but unseen. Forever. He looked at Deborah, seeing how tired she looked, just like him.
"Are you?" he started.
Her eyes rolled back.
"Deborah!" Erick moved fast, catching her as her legs gave out. She fell against him, and he sank to his knees, holding her close to his chest.
The moon mark on her shoulder glowed so bright it shone through her shirt, casting silver light on both their faces.
The spirit wolves rushed forward, their howls changing from respectful to worried.
Through their bond, Erick felt Deborah's mind fading like a candle in the wind. She was still alive.
He felt her heartbeat, her breathing, her spirit, but she was slipping away, pulled to a place he couldn't reach.
The oath's power was too much for her body. She was stuck between worlds, between being awake and the spirit world.
"No, no, no." Erick pressed his hand to her face. Her skin was cold. "Deborah, come back. Come back to me."
Her head rested on his shoulder, limp and not moving.
The mark kept glowing, brighter and brighter, until Erick had to cover his eyes. He held her tighter, feeling completely helpless.
Their bond was still there, still strong, but it was like yelling into nothing. She couldn't hear him. Couldn't answer. He didn't know how to bring her back.