The Luna Queen's Rebirth (Ellie and Dominic) novel Chapter 97

Chapter 97

Ellie POV

The forest doesn’t feel quiet when you’re waiting in it.

It hums.

Branches creak overhead, rubbing together like soft bones. Somewhere far off, water moves, too distant to reach, close enough to mock. We were sent out with no supplies. Not surprising, this wasn’t meant to be

camping.

Still, a water bottle would be nice.

My breath fogs in front of my face as I stand with my back pressed to a pine, eyes fixed on the narrow gap where my team should appear.

It had been awhile.

They’re late.

Not catastrophically, but enough that worry starts tightening around my ribs.

I listen harder.

Footsteps. Voices. Anything.

Then the trees burst apart and they stumble through, soaked to the knees, caked in mud, hair plastered to their faces, coughing and swearing all at once.

Relief hits so hard as I rush toward them.

“Gods,” I breathe. “You made it.”

Tamsin sends a hand to my shoulder without ceremony. “River nearly took us out,” he pants. “Current’s worse than it looks. Also, Karina says, “wringing water from his sleeve, “don’t screw this up.”

I roll my eyes. “Right, is that the message?”

“No,” He takes a deep breath. “This is: The Lake to the south is under attack. Take half the army to the north barricks and half to the southern strong point. Queen LippenVolt sends her regauards for the valant.”

My brow lifts.

“Are we roleplaying?” I say, already tucking my shirt into my belt. “Why is so long? Who is Queen LippenVolt?”

Tamsin’s arms shoot out. “I don’t know! It’s a mock battle plan!” H’s mouth twists. “Just hurry up! Your wasting time! You don’t have your stupid Alphas outhere to protect you so do it right.”

“What?!” I shoot a look, flipping up my hood. “Why woul you-” I stop my snap, and harden. “I can handle it.”

Then I take off.

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But I’m throw right over.

Everything is weightless, dark,

Until I hit.

The impact steals the air from my lungs a violent rush, a sound tearing out of me that doesn’t feel human. Pain detonates up my leg like white-hot iron to the skin.

Something in my ankle gives with a sound I feel more than hear.

I scream, trying to force my lost breath back, gasping for anything.

I try to sit up. Do anything.

I’m not sure hwo long I lay there, gasping, until my lung finally manage to slow. Color popping in my eyes.

The dark cliff above me slowly coming into focus, lungs burning, vision swimming. For a moment, the world reduces to pain and the frantic need to breathe.

In.-

Out.

Slow.

Panic flares hot and wild.

But Clarity eventually settles in.

I clamp my jaw shut and force myself to move.

My leg screams in protest when I try to shift. I grit my teeth so hard my jaw aches, eyes stinging as I look down and see the wrongness immediately-the angle, the swelling, the way my ankle doesn’t sit where it

should.

At least…that seemed to be the only thing broken.

“Okay,” I whisper hoarsely. “Okay.”

I brace my hands on the ground, fingers digging into dirt and stone, and grab my leg.

The pain is blinding.

I yank.

୮

The joint slides back into place with a wet, nauseating pop, and a choked sound tears out of me before I can stop it. My vision goes black at the edges, stars bursting behind my eyes.

I gasp, shaking, sweat slicking my skin despite the cold.

It hurts.

Gods, it hurts.

Hands trembling, I tear strips from my jacket, teeth ripping fabric as I gather two sturdy sticks from the

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ground. I splint the ankle as tightly as I can manage, fingers clumsy, movements jerky with pain and shock.

When I finish, I slump back against the rock, breath coming in ragged pulls.

I test my ankle with a tap of my heel.

Agony lances up my leg.

“Good enough,” I whisper.

Give a few minutes, I told myself, and I could move. I could make it back-

A horn echoes in the distance and I feel my moral get weaker, the cold of dusk starting to bite.

Someone had won.

But I…had wondered so far off the path, I had no clue if I could even find my way out.

Or anyone could find me.

Vivian POV

I came running through the clearing, curls bouncing, smiling wide.

Best for me to stay away from ow. He doesn’t need to be reminder of me. Which, reminds him of Ellie. Who we need to stay out of mind.

Still… I hate that my face is even linked to hers. We were barely sisters.

A few hours pass without a hitch.

Then, it’s low murmurs as fewer teams are left. Side glances. Someone points subtly toward the woods. More teams return-muddy, exhausted, victorious or not-but all accounted for.

All except one.

I can feel the shift ripple through the crowd when people notice.

Marcus frowns. Jake opens his mouth, then shuts it again as they drink. I can practically see them itching to say something to Dominic.

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But they know better after there little prank on him and Ellie. Yeah, I knew about that.

Then, a little rat speaks up loud.

“Where is she?” Sarah’s voice cuts through the camp, sharp and cracking. “She should’ve been back by now,” she snaps, already moving toward one of the instructors. “Everyone else is here. It’s been too long!”

My hand hits my face as Karina growls uder her breath. “Shit. Forgot about that one.”

Of course you did.

The murmurs swell.

Heads turn.

Eyes drift toward the forest line.

“She?” Someone murmurs.

“Oh right, that Ellie chick.”

That’s when Dominic’s attention snaps from the drink, right toward the woods.

I clench my fingers inside my gloves.

There’s no way he’ll go after her. It was against the rules.

By any luck at all, Ellie is already at the bottom of that pi-dead.

Okay, maybe not dead.

But it wouldn’t be the worst.

Especially is I can convince him to stay.

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