The Wolfless Luna's Revenge: Returning With His Secret Twins-Chapter 279

~Samantha~

Black Moon was not just any advisor. They were core. Inner circle. The Queen’s most trusted confidant. And they sold her out to the shadow.

The words kept swimming in front of my eyes no matter how many times I blinked. Like maybe my brain was refusing to accept what I was seeing.

My mother’s closest ally had been the one to kill her.

"Sam." Dominic was at the basement door already, hand gripping the frame so tight his knuckles had gone white. "We need to leave. Now."

I didn’t look up from the page. "We just got here."

"I don’t care." Three long strides and he was next to me, reaching for my arm. "We’re going."

I stepped back. "Because you decided?"

"Because whoever wrote that diary knew Black Moon personally." His eyes kept darting around the room like shadows might sprout claws. "Which means someone around here knows you’re digging into this. That makes you a walking target."

"I’ve been a target since I touched that token." I held up the diary. "This is the first real information about who murdered my mother and you want to bail?"

"I want you breathing long enough to actually do something with that information." His voice had this edge I rarely heard. "There’s a difference between being brave and being reckless."

Like I was some impulsive teenager who couldn’t see past my own nose.

"I know what I’m doing."

"Do you?" He moved closer and I could see the fear in his eyes now, raw and unhidden. "Because all I see is you charging headfirst into danger while ignoring every red flag waving in your face."

"Maybe I’m sick of being managed."

"Sick of you making choices for me. Deciding what’s safe. What I can handle. What I’m allowed to know about my own damn mother."

Dominic just stared at me. His chest rose and fell hard. Fists clenched so tight I thought he might crack his own knuckles.

When he spoke again, his voice came out barely above a whisper.

"You left."

Two words. They knocked the air right out of my lungs.

"Five years ago, you disappeared in the middle of the night while carrying my children." His eyes were shining. Actually wet. "You vanished and I had no idea if you were alive or dead or if I’d spend the rest of my life wondering what happened to you. Do you have any clue what that did to me?"

My throat closed up completely.

"Every single day you were gone, I replayed every mistake I made. Every time I treated you like you didn’t matter when you were the only thing that did." A muscle ticked in his jaw. "When you came back, when I got this miracle I didn’t deserve, I made myself a promise. I swore nothing would ever hurt you again. Even if you ended up hating me for it."

"Dominic."

"So yeah, maybe I’m too protective. Maybe I steamroll your decisions. Maybe I act without asking because deep down I’m terrified that if I don’t, you’ll vanish again and this time I won’t get you back." His hands were actually shaking. "Losing you the first time nearly destroyed me, Sam. I can’t survive it happening twice. I won’t."

All the fight drained out of me like someone pulled a plug.

I’d never looked at it from his side. Never really thought about what waking up to find me gone must have felt like.

"I’m not leaving," I managed. "Not now. Not ever."

"You can’t guarantee that if you’re dead." He dragged a hand down his face. "Black Moon wants you dead. That diary makes it crystal clear. So please, just this once, let me get you somewhere secure so we can think this through without you being in immediate danger."

I wanted to fight. Wanted to dig my heels in and refuse.

But the look on his face stopped me cold.

Real terror. The kind that came from actual trauma.

"Okay." The word felt strange in my mouth. "We’ll go back. Regroup. Plan this properly."

Something like relief washed over his features. "Thank you."

"But the diary comes with us. And we’re reading every page tonight. Together."

"Deal."

Footsteps echoed on the stairs.

Killian appeared, slightly winded, holding something that caught the lamplight.

"Found this jammed in a wall crack upstairs." He extended his hand, a dusty old bronze ring.

Black Moon’s personal mark.

"That belongs to them." I moved closer without touching it. "That’s Black Moon’s ring."

"Which means they were here." Killian rotated it between his fingers. "Recently enough to drop this."

"Or they planted it." Dominic’s expression darkened. "Bait."

"Either way, it’s proof." Killian slipped it in his pocket. "I’ll keep digging. You two should head back."

Dominic looked ready to argue but just nodded. "Keep your phone on. Anything feels off, you get out."

"Yes, sure." Killian’s tone was light but his face was dead serious.

Dominic kept his hand on my leg the entire time during thr car ride, like he needed to be sure I was with him.

I didn’t move it away.

We finally rolled up to the manor and everything looked peaceful. Normal.

My wolf disagreed. She was pacing in my head, agitated about something I couldn’t pinpoint.

"I’m checking on the twins," I told Dominic as we headed inside. "Then we’ll tackle the diary."

He nodded. "Study. I’ll make coffee."

I climbed the stairs and voices drifted from the twins’ room before I reached it.

Maggie telling a story.

I paused outside the half-open door.

"And that’s how your grandmother took down three shadow wolves all by herself," Maggie was saying. "She was the bravest Luna this pack has ever known."

"By herself?" Diana sounded amazed. "Nobody helped her?"

"She had her wolf and her powers. But she fought alone while the pack got members to safety."

"I want to be brave like Grandma." Devon’s voice was more serious than a seven-year-old’s should be. "So I can protect Mom when bad things come."

My chest squeezed.

"You’re already brave." Maggie’s tone went soft. "Both of you. But protecting your mother isn’t your responsibility. That’s what your father and the warriors are for."

"What if they can’t?" Diana asked. "What if the bad guys are stronger?"

"Then your mother will handle it herself. She’s more powerful than you realize."

"We still want to help though." Devon, stubborn as always. "We have powers. We should use them."

"Powers are gifts, not weapons. They need wisdom behind them."

Rustling sounds followed.

"What are you doing over there?" Maggie’s voice sharpened. "Devon? Diana?"

"Nothing!" Perfect unison. Always a dead giveaway.

I pushed the door open.

Both twins sat on the floor surrounded by little fabric pouches, dried herbs, and silver powder.

Purification powder. Their power made solid.

"What’s going on here?" I kept my voice level.

They both flinched like I’d caught them red-handed.

"We’re making protection bags," Diana blurted. "For you and Dad. To keep the bad guys away."

Something in my chest cracked.

"We remembered what you said about Black Moon." Devon held up a pouch. "We filled these with purification powder. If Black Moon attacks you, this will burn them. Keep you safe."

"Black Moon?" Maggie went rigid. "Where did you hear that name?"

"We heard Mom and Dad talking." Diana studied her hands. "About how Black Moon killed Grandma. And now they want Mom dead too."

I gave Maggie an apologetic glance before kneeling between the twins.

"Look at me. Both of you." I waited until their eyes met mine. "I know you’re scared. I know you want to help. But making these, using your powers this way, it’s risky."

"We were super careful." Devon started.

"I believe you. But purification powder is serious. If someone without shadow corruption touches it, it can really hurt them." I picked up one of the sachets. "You can’t just pass these around."

"But you have to be okay." Diana’s eyes were getting glassy. "We already lost Grandma. We can’t lose you too."

"You won’t lose me." I pulled them both in tight. "Dad and I are going to figure this out and stop Black Moon before they hurt anybody."

"But what if you can’t?" Diana’s voice was muffled.

"Then we make a new plan. But you two don’t need to worry about saving me. That’s not your job. Your job is being kids. Being safe. Letting the grownups deal with the scary parts."

"That’s what I’ve been telling them," Maggie murmured.

Devon pulled back. "Can we at least keep these? Just in case?"

I wanted to say no. Wanted to confiscate every single pouch.

But their faces stopped me.

They needed this. Needed to feel like they had some control when everything around them felt chaotic.

I understood that need better than anyone.

"Fine," I gave in. "Keep them. But you don’t use them unless I say so. And you don’t give them away without permission. Clear?"

"Clear," they echoed.

I kissed both their heads and stood. "Finish up, then bed. School tomorrow."

"Do we have to?" Diana whined. "What if something happens while we’re there?"

"Nothing will happen. This manor is the safest spot in the territory." I prayed that was true. "And you need normal. School is normal."

They grumbled but didn’t push back.