Chapter 164 Chapter 164
Chapter 164 Chapter 164
Paxton’s POV
I fought beside her after getting up from the attack I got earlier. Thankfully she wanted everyone else to attack and I decided to be around her to protect her from this creature. I just wanted to be with her at all times. I will protect her from every danger that is coming her way.
My wolf was fully unleashed now, no restraint left, no leash on instinct. Claws tore through silver light, teeth snapped at shadows that hissed and recoiled like they were alive. Every time I tried to strike I was landed with a shock that rattled my bones, like I was fighting the moon itself.
The creature moved fast. It was too fast for me to comprehend at all but I understood that it wasn't an ordinary creature. One moment it was towering over the clearing, the next it was everywhere, light slashing down, shadow ripping sideways.
I didn’t think about what I was going to do when it got closer to me. I reacted in the best way I could and I didn't want it to get close to her at all. Every time it aimed for her, I was there even before I could stop myself.
A blast of silver caught me across the ribs. Pain exploded through my side, hot and sharp. I barely felt myself hit the ground before I was back on my feet again, blood warm and slick under my fingers. I was in so much pain but I didn't want to stop. If I did it would succeed in taking her.
“Paxton!” Carlota shouted.
I turned just in time to shove her back as shadow lashed through the space where her head had been. The force threw me forward, rolling hard across broken earth.
“You're bleeding too much!” she yelled, panic cutting through her voice.
I laughed, breathless and feral, even as pain tore through me. “So are you,” I growled back, forcing myself upright.
She was glowing now. Not just the mark, but all of her. Gold and silver light pulsed under her skin, her eyes burning like twin moons. The sight of it made me feel proud of her.
The creature recoiled, sensing it too. Then Gabriel was there. I didn't think of what he was doing earlier as I didn't see him but now I understood what he was trying to do.
He slammed into the thing from the side, his wolf a blur of black and gold, jaws locking into the silver construct’s shoulder. The impact sent a shockwave through the clearing. Trees bent and the ground cracked again.
I looked at him for what to do and without saying anything, we moved together. We did this without thinking for the first time and we were in sync.
When it struck at him, I cut in from behind. When it turned on me, Gabriel was already there, claws ripping through the creature, forcing it back.
It felt like we were always like this together as we understood each other's action. It was as if we were two halves of the same storm.
The creature shrieked, light flaring wildly. The sound tore through my head, but I pushed forward anyway, blood dripping down my arm, my wolf snarling for more.
Then Carlota screamed.
“Hold it!”
Her voice wasn’t fear. It was command. Everything around us stopped at the same time.
The creature froze mid-lunge, light and shadow locked in place like a shattered statue. The air bent inward, pressure building until my ears rang. I staggered back, suddenly aware of how close I was to the edge of something far bigger than any of us.
Carlota stood at the center of it all. She lifted her hands, fingers spread, and the moon answered.
Moonlight poured down like liquid fire, bending toward her, flooding into her palms. I felt it yank at my chest, at the bond between us. It was so sharp and painful at the same time. Gabriel sucked in a sharp breath beside me, his body reacting the same way.
The power wasn’t tearing her apart anymore. She was holding it. I felt so happy looking at her like this. If she could finally control the power which meant that she wouldn't need to suffer anymore—even if we have to, it doesn't really matter.
“Thanks goodness you can finally control this. I knew you could do this,” I said to her with a smile. “You don't have to listen to the moon anymore.”
I felt like I was still in so much pain and I already got weak and tired but I couldn't stop myself from thinking about her anyway. The best thing I could do for her now is to continue because we couldn't stop. Maybe I can collapse after this is all over.
When we thought things were finally going to be under her control, something else was happening. The moon glowed light on some of the wolves and I didn't anticipate what would happen next. It looked like the moon wanted to end the entire population. Why would the moon goddess be doing this to us? Is this something the moon goddess was doing personally or is it that she also couldn't control this?
“What is going on? Why is everyone fighting each other now?” Gabriel asked, looking confused.
I shook my head. “Do you need to ask anymore? Don't you understand what is going on? If she doesn't disobey, everything would be ruined under her.”
“Doesn't that mean that she doesn't have full control of the Moon yet? Are we all going to watch everything end just like that because a powerful force one wants to gamble with our lives?” he complained again.
I could see that she was confused and she was trying her best to stop them but they wouldn't listen to her anymore. It felt like she didn't even have control of the powers in the first place when she had control just a few moments ago.
“What's going on? Why are they not listening to me?” she asked, getting angry.
“Calm down and try to talk to them. Let's try to stop them from attacking each other. We will try to save as much as we can. You should calm down and see what you can do,” I told her.
She moved back from us, trying her best to use the power of the moon to stop them but it wasn't going well for her. I wanted to move closer to her but a light suddenly stopped me and I could see that she stopped where she was, looking like she was having a vision.
If we are not able to get her from this, what if she's lost in the vision and completely dies from there? If she thinks that vision is the real one and doesn't know how to come out, this is going to be the end of her.