Chapter 71
Shadow-Marcus reached toward them with fingers made of pure darkness. But before he could touch Elara, a silver blade sliced through his arm like butter. “Get away from my sister.” Tobias Grey stood in the doorway, but he looked completely different.
Gone was the scruffy rogue with messy hair and torn clothes. This Tobias had silver eyes that blazed with old power, and when he moved, the air itself seemed to bend around him. “Tobias?” Elara gasped. “Not exactly,” he said, never taking his eyes off shadow-Marcus. “My real name is Tobias Moon. And you’re not the only child our parents saved.” The world stopped spinning. Elara’s mind went blank. “What?” “Your older brother,” Evelyn whispered in shock. “But you were supposed to be dead.” Tobias smiled grimly. “That was the plan. Hide one child as a weak omega, hide the other as a dead son. Worked pretty well until tonight.” Shadow-Marcus laughed, his cut arm already growing back. “Another Moon child? Even better. I’ll take both your powers and rule every pack in existence.” “You’ll try,” Tobias said calmly. He stepped forward, and suddenly Elara could feel it—the same thrumming power that lived inside her, but stronger. Older. Like a river that had been flowing for decades while hers was just starting to bubble up from the ground. “How long have you known?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper. “Since the day you were born,” Tobias replied. “I was seven when they brought you home. I begged to stay and protect you, but Dad said the prophecy was clear. We had to be separated until the time was right.” Kael stepped protectively closer to Elara. “If you’re her brother, where have you been? She needed family.” “Watching,” Tobias said simply.
“Every day of your life, I’ve been nearby. When you got picked on at school, I made sure those kids faced consequences. When you were hungry, I left food where you’d find it. When you were scared, I was the shade keeping the real monsters away.” Tears streamed down Elara’s face. All those times she’d felt like someone was looking out for her, all those lucky breaks that seemed to come from nowhere—it had been him. “The rogue who warned me about the triplets,” she realized. “That was you.” “I had to make sure you were ready. The prophecy said you’d need to choose love over fear, but I wasn’t sure you’d be strong enough.” His silver eyes relaxed. “I was wrong. You’re stronger than both our parents combined.” Shadow-Marcus got tired of their reunion. “How sweet. A family meeting right before I destroy you all.” He lunged forward with claws made of pure darkness, but Tobias was ready. Silver light erupted from his hands, meeting the shadow strike head-on.
The crash sent shockwaves through the building, cracking the walls and shattering every window. But Tobias wasn’t strong enough alone. The shadow creature that had been Marcus was feeding off years of stolen power, while Tobias had been hiding his powers for decades. “I can’t hold him much longer,” Tobias grunted, his silver light dimming. “We’ll help,” Kael said, lifting his weapon. “Your knives won’t work against pure shadow,” Tobias answered. “This isn’t a fight you can win with strength.” “Then how do we win?” Ronan’s spirit required. Tobias looked at Elara with hopeless hope. “The prophecy named two bloodlines. Ours and theirs. Moon children can make light, but Blackwood children can command shadows. If we work together—” “No,” shadow-Marcus roared. “I won’t let you unite against me.” He split himself into three separate shadow creatures, each one striking a different group. One went after Tobias, one after the triplets, and the biggest one headed straight for Elara. But as the shadow reached for her, something incredible happened. The mate bond she shared with all three boys didn’t just connect her to them—it connected her to their family line. To their mother, their father, their grandfather, and every Blackwood Alpha who had ever lived. Power rushed through her like a river breaking through a dam. Not just healing light, but something far more dangerous. She could feel the shadows reacting to her call, just like Tobias had said. “Impossible,” shadow-Marcus whispered. “You’re not a Blackwood.” “No,” Elara said, silver light dancing around her fingers while shadows danced at her feet. “But I’m tied to three of them.
And through that link, I can use their family magic just like they can use mine.” She raised her hands, and for the first time in her life, felt truly strong. Light and shadow danced together, making something beautiful and terrible. But shadow-Marcus smiled. “You think you’ve won? Child, you have no idea what you’re playing with. Those ghosts you’re commanding? They’re hungry. And once they get a taste of your light, they’ll eat you from the inside out.” Horror washed over Elara as she realized he was right. The shadows felt great, but they also felt wrong. Like ice that burned, or honey that poisoned. “Don’t listen to him,” Tobias yelled, still fighting his own shadow creature. “You can control them. You just have to—” His words were cut off as his opponent got larger, fed by Marcus’s expanding power. All three shadow creatures were getting stronger, while the defenders got weaker. That’s when Evelyn made her choice. “Elara,” she called out. “There’s something else about the forecast. Something I didn’t tell you.” “Kind of busy right now,” Elara replied, fighting to keep the shadows from consuming her light. “The prophecy says love united will win all. But it doesn’t mean romantic love.” Elara’s eyes widened. “What?” “Family love. The love between brothers, between parents and children, between those who choose to be family even when blood doesn’t bind them p>
Evelyn looked at Tobias, then at Elara, then at her three boys. “All of us. Together.” Understanding dawned on Tobias’s face. “The mate link was never the key. It was just the beginning.” “We’re all connected,” Kael realized. “Through love, through loss, through choice.” “Through pain,” Ronan added, his spirit form shimmering but determined. “Through redemption,” Darian finished softly. Shadow-Marcus must have felt what was happening because he began to panic. “No! I won’t let you—” But it was too late. Elara reached out to her brother, her friends, her new mother-in-law, even to Kane and Celeste who had stood by them through everything. Not sexual love, but something deeper. Chosen family. Bonds forged in fire and sealed with death. Light exploded from their joined link, and for a moment it looked like they had won. Then the light began to turn black. And shadow-Marcus laughed with pure joy. “Did you really think I hadn’t planned for this? Every link you make, every bond you forge, just gives me more power to steal.
You’ve just handed me the strength of a full pack.” The black light spread outward like infection, and Elara realized with growing fear that Marcus hadn’t been trying to stop them from connecting. He’d been helping them do it. Because the stronger their bond became, the more heartbreaking it would be when he tore it apart.