Chapter 376

Third Person POV

The night was thick with fog that clung to the skin like breath and dulled the moonlight. Inside the old study of the Blackwell estate, candles burned low, their flames trembling as if they, too, were afraid.

Daisy stood at the edge of the room, her arms wrapped tightly around herself as she watched Lila work. Her mind was calculating; she was sick of this. Last night was the worst night she’s had in a long time. The pain she felt made her black out entirely; she was vulnerable in the forest and could have been killed by rogues. Thankfully, she wasn’t, and she sought Lila out shortly after waking up.

It wasn’t normal pain; it wasn’t from Noah having his way with yet another woman. That kind of pain she was used to. No… this pain was different.

He had marked this other woman.

For a normal wolf, marking another woman would tear apart a mate bond, no matter how strong. A wolf only bonds with one at a time; a new mark would replace an old one. But Noah could mark multiple wolves at a time. Daisy knew she wasn’t the only one he had marked, but it was the first time he had marked someone else after her and the first time she had ever felt that kind of pain.

She couldn’t do it anymore. Her love for him was gone, and the only thing left was this aching void meant to be the bond. Her wolf had long disappeared, unable to handle her chosen mate being unfaithful for all these years.

Daisy was weak and needed this bond to be broken so she could start to heal. She wanted to start over. She hoped that once Lila activated the gem and got her powers back, she could break the bond between Noah and Daisy and then give Daisy’s wolf the strength to recover so Daisy could finally get her life back.

But it looked like it wasn’t Lila that Diasy needed because the gem clearly doesn’t belong to her. It didn’t work for her. It was supposed to be her blood that activated the gem, but it didn’t work. Lila was stubborn, though, and refused to admit defeat; in her mind, she was the true daughter of the Blackwells, but Daisy knew that wasn't the case, regardless of her denial.

The moon gem sat on the table between them, its surface alive with a faint pulse of silvery light. It had been quiet for days, though it still won’t let Lila wear it without burning her. It still pulsed with life like a heartbeat, waiting for its true owner to return.

Lila placed another rune stone beside the gem, her eyes sparkling with new ideas.

“Are you sure this is wise?” Daisy finally asked, her voice barely a whisper. “Last time it—”

“I know what I’m doing,” Lila snapped, her hands trembling. “You saw the power that this thing has. It’s my power… I don’t know why it’s rejecting me, but once it’s restored from this stone, we can have everything we want and then some.”

Daisy’s stomach twisted.

“Or it could destroy us.”

Lila ignored her. Her eyes, once warm, looked nearly black in the candlelight—wild and desperate.

“The gem has been dormant because it doesn’t recognize me as its bearer. It’s been separated from me from birth, so I can’t blame it for being wary. But I’ve found a way to change that,” she said, a smile tugging at her lips.

She pulled a dagger from her belt and drew it across her palm without hesitation, hissing as blood welled to the surface. Daisy pressed her lips together as she watched Lila draw blood from her own hand. She knew it was no use… it wasn’t Lila’s blood that the gem wanted, and it would only anger it further. But she kept her lips sealed because she knew Lila wouldn’t listen to her regardless of what she said.

“Blood of the Blackwell line,” Lila said, hovering over the stones, letting the crimson drops fall.

The reaction was immediate.

The air snapped with energy, the candles guttered out, and the silvery light flared ot life, filling the room with a glow too bright to look at.

Lila’s smile grew as the stone began to radiate an energy so great that Daisy had to look away. In Lila’s mind, her plan was finally working, but Diasy knew better than that.

“Lila, stop!”

But Lila wasn’t listening; she only smiled… radiant and mad.

“It’s working!”

The gem began to hum, the sound low and thrumming through the floorboards. The blood on its surface shimmered, spreading like veins across the table, until the whole room pulsed with a heartbeat that wasn’t human.

And then all at once, the sound changed.

The hum became a scream.

The light burst outward violently, throwing Lila backwards into the wall. The fumes shattered, and the candles exploded. Daisy hit the floor hard, gasping as the air was sucked from the room.

When the light dimmed, the smell of burnt wood and ozone filled the air. Lila groaned, clutching her arm. Where the gems’ light had touched her, angry red burns now crawled across her skin… branding her.

“It rejected you,” Daisy said, staring in horror. “It will continue to reject you and grow angrier every time you mess with it.”

Lila’s breathing came in short, sharp bursts. Tears burned in her eyes, and she angrily swiped at them.

“No… It’s supposed to be mine. It’s my family’s birthright. My birthright… why doesn’t it recognize me??”

The gem still glowed, but its light had changed—brighter and colder. It pulsed like a living thing, and Diasy felt something pulling inside her chest with every beat.

Her voice was barely audible as she said, “Lila, it’s not calling to you. I don’t think it ever was.”

“How is that possible?” Lila asked, turning to glare at Daisy.

“It’s calling to someone else…”

Lila shook her head, still in denial over the fact.

“No… it can’t be true… it just can’t,” she croaked as more tears left her eyes.

But Daisy could feel it just as much as she could see it. The heartbeat of the gem wasn’t in the same rhythm as Lila’s… it was in the rhythm of someone else…someone who was truly linked to the gem… someone this magic actually belonged to.

It was time to face the fact that Lila wasn’t a Blackwell… and the real heiress, the real owner of this gem and this magic… was still out there.

And Daisy would stop at nothing to find her.

….

Judy’s POV

The slow beat of my heart thrummed in my ears; it was the only thing I could hear in this unknown place. I sat with my legs pressed to my chest and my eyes closed, trying to focus on the beat. My body trembled, and fear consumed me, though I had no idea what I was afraid of. All those emotions that didn’t quite feel like my own were pulsing through my veins.

“Blood calls to blood,” I murmured in a voice that didn’t sound like mine. “Blood calls to blood.”

It was the only thing I could say; I had no idea why, where I was, or what was happening to me.

I thought I was going to die here, but then a warm feeling washed over me… and his presence was all-consuming. Though I couldn’t see him, I knew he was here. His scent, warmth, love… it was all around me.

He was worried about me, but I wasn’t sure why. I was right here… it was his.

“Judy…” his soft voice made my heartbeat even faster. “Please, baby… wake up. Open your pretty eyes for me.”

He was calling for me, bringing me home. I wanted to go home to him… my mate.

“What happened to her?” Another familiar voice said softly.

Nan… my best friend. She was also there, and she sounded worried.

“There’s nothing physically wrong. Both she and the baby are okay, " another voice said… Eliza.”

“Don’t tell me there’s nothing wrong, Eliza. She passed out,” Gavin said, his voice coming out hoarse with fear.

I wanted to tell him that it was okay, that I was right here. But I couldn’t. My body wasn’t my own right now… it was consumed, pulling me further into the darkness… further away from him.

“Blood calls to blood,” I murmured, unsure if they could hear me, but it was the only thing I could say, the only words I could get out of my mouth.

“What is she saying?” Nan asked. “I can’t understand her…”

“Baby, please…” Gavin whispered; he sounded so broken, and my heart ached.

“It’s time to wake up,” another voice said. This one was unfamiliar, and it sounded like it came from inside my head instead of all around me like the others. The moment I heard her voice, my eyes flew open, and I drew in a large breath, filling my lungs with much-needed air, as if I had been holding my breath the entire time.

I shot up, my eyes wild and alert as I looked around the unfamiliar room, my heart racing. Nan was startled as she stared at me, and Eliza looked relieved.

Gavin wrapped his arms around me before I could comprehend what was happening. He pulled me against him, and I buried my face in his chest, relieved to finally be awake and with him again.

“It’s okay…” he whispered. “You’re okay.”

But he was wrong… I wasn’t okay. Nothing was okay. Something was seriously wrong, and it was getting worse. I knew he meant well, and I knew I was safe for the moment, but all I could do as he held me… was cry.