Bound By The Moon: The Eternal Bond - Chapter 16: Chapter 16

Julia's POV
The tension in the air was suffocating.
Valen stood in front of me, his dark eyes unwavering, his presence too commanding to ignore. He had just said the words that made my stomach twist.
"Let's go home, my love."
The audacity. The arrogance. Did he think marking me meant I'd fall at his feet?
I clenched my fists. "I told you, Valen. I'm not going anywhere with you."
His expression didn't change, but the golden flecks in his irises burned brighter, his wolf lurking beneath the surface. "You don't have a choice."
Anger flared in my chest, hot and consuming. "Excuse me?"
Before I could unleash another furious retort, a sharp, unfamiliar scent hit me-earthy, bitter, and tainted with something metallic. Not just any scent. Blood.
Valen stiffened instantly. His head snapped toward the far end of the school gates, where shadows flickered between the trees. My own breath hitched as I followed his gaze.
Figures emerged from the darkness. At first, I thought it was just one or two people stepping forward, but then more appeared-ten, fifteen, maybe more.
Rogues.
Their eyes glowed a feral yellow, their clothes tattered, bodies covered in scars. Some were in human form, others half-shifted, their claws scraping against the stone pavement. They moved with eerie silence, forming a loose but deliberate circle around us.
A cold chill ran down my spine.
The students near the gates had already sensed something was wrong and were backing away, murmuring in confusion. But the rogues weren't interested in them.
They were looking at me.
Valen's body shifted subtly, moving between me and the approaching threat. His muscles tensed, and his jaw clenched as he let out a low, warning growl.
"Leave. Now." His voice was calm, but the lethal promise behind it was unmistakable.
The tallest of the rogues stepped forward-a wiry man with hollow cheekbones and dark, matted hair. He tilted his head, his lips pulling into a sneer. "Tsk, tsk. That's no way to greet guests, Alpha Valen."
Valen didn't move. His entire body radiated dominance, power rolling off him in waves. "I won't say it again."
The rogue ignored him and turned his gaze directly to me. My stomach twisted.
"So, this is the human girl," he mused, his voice sickly sweet. "Didn't think much of her at first, but... well, orders are orders."
Orders?
My pulse pounded in my ears. "What are you talking about?" I demanded, though my voice came out weaker than I wanted.
The rogue's grin widened. "Oh, sweetheart. You don't know, do you?" His golden eyes flicked to Valen. "He didn't tell you?"
I shot Valen a sharp glance, but he wasn't looking at me. His shoulders had gone even stiffer, his jaw tightening.
The rogue chuckled darkly. "Oh, this is rich." He took a slow step closer, and before I could blink, Valen was on him.
A blur of movement.
One second, Valen was standing still-the next, he had the rogue by the throat, lifting him clean off the ground.
The rogue let out a strangled gasp, his hands clawing at Valen's grip, but the Alpha didn't even flinch. His canines had elongated, his eyes glowing pure gold.
"I'll rip your throat out before you take another step toward her," Valen snarled, his voice guttural, inhuman.
The other rogues reacted instantly. A few lunged forward-but they never reached me.
Gunshots rang out.
Chaos exploded in the courtyard.
I ducked instinctively as two rogues collapsed, their bodies jerking from the impact of silver bullets. Someone had started shooting, and judging by the precise aim, it wasn't a student.
A loud snarl ripped through the air. Aiden.
I turned just in time to see him shift mid-leap, his wolf colliding with a rogue in midair.
Jessy was there too, fighting alongside him, her movements swift and deadly. The school guards had also arrived, taking down rogues with practiced efficiency.
But it wasn't enough.
More rogues were coming. I could hear them in the distance, the sound of rustling leaves and snapping branches as reinforcements closed in.
My breathing turned ragged. I was a human. I couldn't fight like them. I was just a liability.
Valen must have realized this at the same moment because his arms were suddenly around me. One second, I was standing on the stone pavement-the next, my feet left the ground as he scooped me into his arms.
I gasped. "Valen, put me-"
"Hold on."
Then he ran.
The world blurred around me as he moved faster than humanly possible, dodging through the trees at breakneck speed. The wind whipped past my face, my hair flying in wild tangles.
My heartbeat thundered. "Where are you taking me? We have to help them-"
"They can handle it," Valen growled. "My priority is you."
I struggled against his grip, but he tightened his hold, his powerful arms unyielding. "Dammit, Valen, put me down! I can't just-"
A bone-chilling howl cut through the air.
Not a rogue's howl. Something worse.
Valen stopped abruptly, his entire body going rigid.
I barely had time to process the stillness before a new figure emerged from the shadows ahead.
He was tall, broad, and radiating pure malice. His dark cloak billowed as he stepped forward, his piercing red eyes locking onto Valen with eerie amusement.
"Well, well," the man murmured, his voice a dangerous purr. "Running away so soon, Alpha?"
Valen's grip on me tightened painfully.
"Who is that?" I whispered, my breath coming fast.
His voice was cold as steel. "A warlock."
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