The Luna Strike Back

Kaylie’s POV

I sit quietly outside the operating room, my hands resting on my baby bump as the soft hum of fluorescent lights buzz above me. The hallway is too still too sterile. No surgery was needed; Adrien had already determined the cause of Inggrid’s death through his psychic touch. Her body was mangled, her blood thick and blackened, corrupted by dark magic.

Huiwi.

The name tastes bitter on my tongue even in thought, Blake’s mother, a vengeful witch, relentless and cruel. She’s casting shadows across our lives again, like the ghost of a nightmare that refuses to fade.

A wave of guilt creeps in, uninvited. I remember the moment I killed Blake. He was seconds away from ending Lucas’s life. Lucas. my mate, my anchor. Blake had immobilized him on cursed ground, a trap no werewolf could escape. But I could. My vampire blood gave me wings, literally. I flew, shifted, fought. That was the first time Ay, my wolf, emerged. Not through mating with Lucas’s wolf, Cas, as tradition dictates. No. She came out of pure survival instinct.

At the time, I didn’t even know I was a hybrid. Just a girl from a human orphanage who happened to be fast, strong, and weirdly allergic to garlic. I had grown up never knowing who I truly was. All I knew was that I became a doctor, got posted to a clinic on the edge of a forest… and that’s where everything changed. That’s where I met Leah. And Lucas.

The mate bond hit me like lightning, but Lucas was cautious. Because I didn’t know I was a wolf, and neither did he, we avoided intimacy for so long. He was terrified that if Cas took over during climax, I’d get hurt. Joke’s on us, Ay showed up just fine. And oh, she had a blast with Cas.

She’s been part of me ever since. Fierce, loyal, and quick to step into danger. I've trained hard since then, sweating it out on the field, sparring with Lucas, Jenson, and Kai. I had to. I needed to be more than a Luna in name, I had to earn it.

But now… Ay is on standby. Ever since I got pregnant, Lucas banned me from training. “You forget the baby bump is there,” he says, like it’s a misplaced purse. He’s not wrong. I tend to go full beast mode when I train. Still, I miss it.

To fill the void, I dove into my surgical studies. And now? I’m not just a doctor. I’m the head surgeon at the Blue Sapphire Pack Hospital. A place that treats werewolves, vampires, anyone in need. Even supernatural creatures get bullets and tumors. They bleed. They hurt. And I won’t stand by and let outdated pack customs stop anyone from getting proper care.

One perk of being a vampire hybrid: black magic can’t touch me. Huiwi’s curses? They’re like rain on armor. But that doesn’t help when others are the targets, like Inggrid. If I’d known what was happening sooner… maybe I could’ve done something.

I’ll learn. After the baby comes, I’ll train with Uncle Henry, he’s a vampire elder who can purge dark spells. Maybe then, I can start healing people like Inggrid. But right now, I can’t do anything except wait. And hope.

A pair of high-pitched, very familiar voices snap me out of my thoughts.

“Kaylie!”

I turn just in time to be caught in a hug attack from Rose and Chiko.

My girls.

Rose has been my rock since I stepped into this world. Fiercely loyal, sharp as a whip. And Chiko? She’s the wild card that saved my mate’s future, casting the deciding vote when the council wanted to block Lucas from becoming Alpha King. They’ve stood by me, through all my phases, vampire confusion, werewolf training, and now… mom life.

“What are you two doing here?” I ask, hugging them both as tight as my belly will allow. “Don’t tell me you snuck out of the meeting.”

Rose waves a hand. “It’s just alphas talking politics in Lucas’s office. Closed-door snoozefest. We figured you'd need backup. So what happened? What did Adrien find?”

They drop onto the bench beside me, eyes wide with concern. I tell them everything. The black magic, Huiwi’s hatred, Adrien’s vision. The part where Huiwi said I’d abandon Lucas. That I’d leave the pack.

“I mean… what?” I mutter, rubbing my temples. “Leave Lucas? With this baby inside me? With Adam waiting at home for bedtime stories? I can’t even imagine walking away from them. They’re my world.”

“But that’s what black magic does,” Rose says gently. “It doesn’t just hurt your body. It attacks your mind, your will. It confuses your love until it becomes fear.”

“I know.” I give a shaky laugh. “Still. Even cursed, I’d punch a wall before I left Lucas.”

“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” Chiko says, pacing like she always does when she’s plotting something. She taps her chin. “If Huiwi wants to break you mentally, she won’t attack head-on. She’ll twist your thoughts, feed you lies. That’s her game. That’s how she wins.”

We fall into a heavy silence.

Then Chiko stops mid stride, eyes lighting up. “Wait. Remember Inggrid? Before she died, she mentioned a more powerful witch, one who could counter Huiwi’s magic.”

“

Right,” Rose says slowly. “She said someone lives near the edge of the Black Amous Pack.”

Chiko nods rapidly. “Yes! An old witch. She’s married to the retired beta of my pack. They live in the forest. We should visit her. See if she knows how to shield you or the pack from whatever Huiwi’s cooking up.”

Hope blooms in my chest. It’s small, fragile, but it’s there.

Can this mysterious witch really help? I don’t know. But it’s something. A path forward when everything else feels like quicksand. And right now, any path that keeps Lucas safe… that keeps us safe… is worth chasing.

“Let’s do it,” I say. “Let’s find her.”

Chiko grins. “Road trip? We’re really doing this?”

I laugh. “After I get a nap.”

Rose smirks. “And snacks. Don’t forget the snacks.”

And just like that, I don’t feel so alone anymore.

Because no matter how dark it gets… I’ve got my sisters beside me, and together?

We’ll light our way