A sound that existed below hearing, a frequency that shook reality itself. The shadow-veins writhed, contracted, fought the annihilating light?—
And shattered.
Lunaria collapsed.
Her magic was gone—drained, depleted, scraped clean by the effort of channeling enough starlight to burn the void out of a dying man. She couldn’t move, couldn’t think, could barely breathe.
But she could feel his heartbeat.
Strong. Steady.Present.
“Luna...”
His voice. Weak, but his. She forced her eyes open and found him looking at her, his gaze clear, the shadow-veins faded to nothing more than faint traces on his skin.
“You idiot.” She crawled to him, hands framing his face, needing to touch him—to feel that he was real, that he was alive, that she hadn’t lost him. “You absolute idiot. Jumping in front of void creatures. What were you thinking?”
“That I wasn’t going to watch it hurt you.” His hand came up to cover hers, pressing her palm flat against his cheek. His skin was warm again. Alive. “Worth it.”
“Nothing is worth losing you.” She hadn’t meant to say it—hadn’t meant to strip herself bare in front of everyone. “Nothing, Hux. Do you understand me? Nothing.”
Around them, the community stood witness. Theo and the wolves, Junie and the witches, Aero with his ancient, knowing eyes. They watched the celestial witch sob over the mayor’s body, watched her admit in front of everyone what she’d been too afraid to say in private.
Hux’s fingers threaded through hers, tugging her closer until her forehead rested against his.
“I’m here.” His breath was warm on her lips, his free hand finding the curve of her waist. “I’m staying right here.”
She laughed—a wet, broken sound. “You’d better not. I just drained my entire magical reserve saving your life. I’m going to need at least a week to recover.”
“I can work with a week.”
“And then you’re going to explain to me how you knew I was in danger. No bond, remember? So how?—”
“I felt it.” He pulled her down. “I don’t know how. I don’t know why. But I was in a meeting about zoning regulations, and I knew—knew—something was wrong. That you needed me. That I had to get here or?—”
His voice broke.
“Or I was going to lose you before I ever really had you.”
Lunaria kissed him. Right there, in the middle of the glowing gardens, surrounded by pack alphas and dragon elders and every witness who would spread this story across Haven Shores by morning.
She didn’t care.
As the firstlight of dawn crept over the garden walls, Lunaria watched as the healers and witches from town fussed over Hux. He protested about the special attention. A little.
Junie sat beside her on the bench. Her cousin looked exhausted, streaked with potion stains, her chaos magic still crackling faintly around her fingertips. But her eyes were warm as she stared over the scene.
“So.” Junie bumped her shoulder. “You saved his life. In front of everyone. While crying and confessing your feelings.”
“I did not confess anything.”
“‘Nothing is worth losing you.’ Direct quote. Multiple witnesses. Avine cried. Narla is already planning the bonding ceremony. Theo actuallysmiled.” Junie grinned. “Face it, cousin. You’ve got it bad for Mayor Clipboard.”
“I don’t—” Lunaria started to deflect. To joke. To do all the things she’d spent years perfecting.
But when she looked at Hux, the denial died in her throat.
“I don’t know what I feel,” she admitted. “It’s... complicated.”
