Chapter 64 THE CHILD'S POWER
MONTY'S POV
I round the corner and my world stops making sense.
Luna floats three feet off the ground. Silver light pours from her tiny body like she's swallowed the moon itself. Her eyes blaze with power that makes my wolf whimper and submit. And she's five days old.
Below her Alicia lies in a pool of blood with a silver blade protruding from her side. Jake's hand emerges from rubble twenty feet away. The corridor looks like a bomb went off.
"What happened?" My voice comes out strangled.
"Luna." Alicia's voice is weak. "Jake tried to take her, but she defended herself."
"She's a baby." The words sound stupid even as I say them. "Babies can't do this."
"Our baby can." Alicia tries to sit up and gasps. "Monty she's scared. Her power is reacting to my fear and pain. We need to calm her down before she brings the whole building down."
As if to prove the point the walls groan, cracking spider web across the ceiling. Luna's power pulses stronger with each of Alicia's pained breaths.
"How do I calm down a telekinetic infant?" I edge closer carefully. "Luna? Baby girl? It's Papa Monty. You're safe now. You can come down."
Luna's head turns toward me. Her silver eyes are ancient and aware in ways that chill my blood. She knows me. Recognizes me through the mate bond, but the power doesn't fade.
"She's protecting Alicia." Kai appears beside me looking worse for wear. "As long as Alicia's in pain Luna will keep the power active."
"Then we heal Alicia." I move toward my mate. "Get that blade out. Stop the bleeding."
"The blade is silver." Logan's voice comes from behind us. "Pulling it out without proper preparation will kill her faster."
"Then what do we do?" I'm shouting now. "Stand here while Luna tears the building apart?"
The power surges again. Windows shatter. Support beams crack. Wolves stumble as the floor tilts slightly.
"We need to separate them." Logan moves closer with medical supplies. "Get Luna away from Alicia. Break the visual connection. Maybe that will help her calm down."
"Who's going to grab a floating baby radiating enough power to atomize anyone who touches her?" Kai's voice is flat.
"I will." The words leave my mouth before I think them through. "I'm her father. The bond should protect me."
"Should is doing a lot of work in that sentence." Logan doesn't look convinced. "Monty if you're wrong you'll die."
"Then I die protecting my daughter." I take a step toward Luna. "Better than watching her power collapse this building on everyone."
Luna's eyes track my movement. The silver light intensifies, warning me away. Telling me to stay back or face consequences.
"Luna." I keep my voice soft. "Sweet girl. I know you're scared. I know Mama's hurt and that terrifies you. But you have to trust me. Let me help."
Another step. The power doesn't lash out. Good sign maybe.
"You're so strong. So incredibly powerful. Just like your Mama." I'm close enough now to feel the heat radiating from her. "But right now we need you to be gentle. Can you do that for me?"
Luna's tiny face scrunches up. For a moment I think she's going to cry. Then her power flares and I'm thrown backward into the wall. The impact drives the air from my lungs.
"Monty!" Alicia's scream makes Luna's power surge harder. "Baby please. You're hurting people. You have to stop."
But Luna doesn't understand words like stop. She's five days old. She only understands that her mother is in pain and everyone around them might be a threat.
I force myself back to my feet. "New plan. We don't separate them. We show Luna that we're helping not hurting."
"How?" Kai asks.
"Logan heals Alicia while I distract Luna." I move back toward the floating baby. "Keep her attention on me. Let her see that I'm not a threat."
"That's insane." Logan's voice is tight.
"You have a better idea?" I don't wait for an answer. I just start talking to Luna again. "Hey baby girl. Look at me. That's right. Keep those pretty silver eyes on Papa."
Logan moves toward Alicia with surgical tools. Luna's head starts to turn toward him. The power begins building again.
"No no. Stay with me Luna." I wave my hands. "See? Papa's right here. Papa's safe. Papa loves you so much."
Luna's attention shifts back to me. The power stabilizes. Not growing but not fading either.
Logan works quickly, cutting away fabric around the blade wound. Preparing to extract it. Every movement makes Alicia flinch and every flinch makes Luna's power pulse.
"You know what my mother used to sing to me?" I keep talking to keep Luna focused on my voice. "When I was scared or hurt or couldn't sleep. She had this lullaby. Probably the same one every wolf mother sings."
I start humming. The melody is old. Older than our packs. Passed down through generations of mothers soothing frightened pups.
Luna's eyes widen slightly, recognition flickering in those ancient depths.
"You've heard this before haven't you?" I transition from humming to actual words. Soft and gentle. "When you were growing inside Mama. When the bonds were forming. You heard us singing to you."
The silver light dims fractionally. Luna descends an inch. Two inches. We are making progress.
Behind me Logan pulls the silver blade free. Alicia screams. Luna's power explodes outward in response.
"No!" I keep singing louder. "Luna look at me! Stay with me baby girl!"
The power wavers. Luna's torn between protecting her mother and responding to my lullaby. The bond between us pulls at her. Reminding her that I'm safe. That I'm family.
I step closer. Right into the sphere of silver light. It burns my skin but I don't stop. I just keep singing as I reach for my daughter.
"Monty don't!" Kai's warning comes too late.
My hands close around Luna's small body. The power surges through me like lightning. Every nerve screams. My vision whites out. I feel myself dying and accepting it because at least Luna will be safe.
Then the power stops. Just cuts off completely. Luna settles into my arms crying normally like a baby now. No floating. No glowing. Just my terrified daughter needing comfort.
"Got you." I cradle her against my chest. "I've got you baby girl. You're safe. Mama's safe. Everyone's safe."
Luna buries her face in my shoulder. Her tiny hands grip my shirt. She sobs with the full body shaking of an infant pushed beyond her limits.
Around us the damage becomes visible. The corridor is destroyed. Support columns cracked. Ceiling sagging. At least six wolves unconscious from the power surge. Jake's body still half buried in rubble.
And every single wolf who witnessed this is staring at Luna with fear.
"She's more powerful than the True Luna." Someone whispers loud enough to carry. "That baby just did what Alicia needed chains to suppress."
"She's five days old and already stronger than her mother." Another voice joins. "What will she be capable of in a year? Five years?"
"That's not natural. That's dangerous."
The murmurs spread. Pack members backing away from me and Luna like we're diseased. Like my daughter is a threat instead of a child who just defended her mother.
"Everyone out!" Kai's Alpha command cuts through the fear. "Secure the perimeter. Search for remaining enemies. Move!"
Wolves scatter but I see it in their eyes. They're not just obeying orders. They're fleeing from Luna. From the baby they should be protecting.
Logan finishes stabilizing Alicia. "She'll live. The blade missed vital organs barely., but she needs rest and proper healing."
"What about Luna?" I look down at my daughter. She's asleep now, exhausted from the power use. Looking perfectly normal and harmless. "Is she okay?"
"Physically? Yes, but what she just did." Logan shakes his head. "Monty that kind of power manifestation in a newborn is unprecedented. We have no idea what long term effects it might have."
"She was protecting her mother." I hold Luna tighter. "That's what children do. That's instinct."
"Instinct doesn't level buildings." Kai's voice is grim. "The pack saw what Luna can do. Saw that she's more powerful than Alicia. That changes everything."
"Changes what?" But I know. Can already see it playing out.
"They'll want her controlled. Bound. Maybe even eliminated before she becomes too dangerous." Kai meets my eyes. "Luna just became a bigger threat than The Veritas in their minds."
From the rubble Jake groans. He's alive. Broken but alive. And he heard everything.
His laugh is weak and pained but triumphant. "Morrison. Morrison was right. The child is the key, not Alicia, but Luna. And now your own pack fears her more than they fear us."