His Reluctant Luna

Ch 31 - Alive and Safe

ATTENTION RADISH READERS! Please don't leave any spoilers in here or you'll be getting a spanking from Iona. Or Kole. Or Konnor. Whoever you'd prefer. 😘

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Kole

'Not long enough.'

That was the truth. Without her, I'd last a few more days if I was lucky. With her at my side, maybe I had a few weeks. It wasn't enough time to bring her around to me.

The ceremony...I could find her today, hold the ceremony tomorrow and be one with my wolf again. But Kallum's words wouldn't leave me alone. He'd been so against it that he'd been willing to die rather than let me go through with it. And Iona...that look in her eyes as she'd fallen...I didn't want to see that look ever again.

That look gave me no choice. My wolf snarled, furious with my thoughts but for once, I wouldn't let him act for me.

"I love you." My words caught on the spring breeze and I looked at my brother, his eyes wide with surprise. "I know I don't say that enough."

"Then don't say it now. This isn't goodbye, you idiot," he snorted, "you aren't dying."

"I think I am." I swallowed and turned to face him fully, forcing him to look at me. "Soon, I'll have to shift again and when I do, I don't know that I'll be able to shift back, so just in case, I need you to know I love you." I felt stupid and I know he did too but I needed to say it. He nodded, awkward. "Brother, I need to order you to do something and you aren't going to like it, but I need you to listen to -"

"- I won't kill you, Kole."

I almost chuckled, I should have known he would read my mind. "Kon, if I get lost again, I need you to end it."

He shook his head, brushing me off. "I can't take on your wolf and you know it."

"You can try." I lifted my chin, needing him to listen to me. "You and the others...six of you together you might manage it."

"Stop it. I'm not going to -"

"This is an order." I straightened, letting my power flow over him. He whined a little, enough for his wolf to tell me he wasn't challenging me. "My left side was injured during the battle," I ran a hand over the barely healed skin where Carson had cut me open. "Attack me there. Tell the others to go after my limbs, break them, and then you break my neck like you did before. Once I'm down, take my throat out."

His jaw was clenched as he looked at the ground. This wasn't an order an alpha or brother should ever have to give, but he was strong, he could handle this. I rested a hand on his shoulder. The next time I shifted I might not come back, if this was the last conversation we ever had, I was going to make sure I did it right.

"You have to do this for me. Don't let me hurt anyone. Don't leave me in there."

He gave me barely imperceptible nod.

"Look at me when you speak to me."

He tilted his chin, swallowing. "I'll do as you ask."

I nodded and released him. "Thank you."

"I thought about doing it while you were out, you know," he admitted, he sounded distant. He sounded exhausted. "I thought you were gone because..." He trailed off, unable to finish his sentence.

"Because I should be?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "I've heard of others coming back from their wolves but they were all early on in the madness. You aren't early on. You're on borrowed time."