Chapter 234
The council chamber was still, but I could feel the tension crackling like a fire on the verge of exploding. I sat at the head of the table beside Ramon, my fingers gripping the carved wooden edge. My mind raced, trying to piece together the fragments of information Ivy and Cade had relayed
Lorena. A rogue army. A war that wasn’t just about revenge but about tearing down everything the werewolf hierarchy stood for.
“I need answers,” I said, my voice firm but low. The gathered Alphas and elders glanced at one another, unsure who I was speaking to
Ramon sat stiffly beside me, his jaw tight. “We’ve been gathering intel for werks,” he said, his tone clipped. -Our scouts-
“Your scouts are too late. I interrupted, the frustration bubbling in my chest. “She’s already attacking. Crescent Valley is in ruins. How many more packs will fall before we stop her?”
He didn’t reply, and I could feel his gaze on me, a mixture of anger and concern. But I didn’t have time for that. Not now.
“Who has direct information on Lorena’s movements?” I demanded, scanning the room. “I need something concrete. Patterns, Locations. Anything
Cade cleared his throat, his voice strained as he leaned forward. His wounds from the ambush were fresh, the bruises dark against his pale skin. “She’s targeting the disgraced,” he said. “Rogues, warriors cast out for breaking their pack’s code. She’s offering them a place–promising them revenge against the hierarchy that shunned them.”
It wasn’t surprising, but it was infuriating. My chest burned as I thought about how Lorena could manipulate those who had nowhere else to go. twisting their pain into a weapon
“She’s uniting them,” Cade continued, his voice rough. “And she’s smart about it. She’s not just picking up rogues, she’s recruiting those with skill. charisma, and grudges. She knows exactly how to hit us where it hurts,”
“She’s building an army to dismantle us,” I said quietly, more to myself than to anyone else.
Silence hung heavy in the room, but I could feel the weight of everyone’s stares.
“This isn’t just about Bloodmoon,” Ramon finally said, his voice breaking the quiet. “This is about the entire system. If she succeeds, the packs fall All of them.”
The enormity of it all pressed down on me, and for a moment, I struggled to breathe. My mind flashed to Elise and Elijah in my womb. oblivious to the storm brewing outside.
“She won’t stop.” I said, my voice firm. “Not until everything we’ve built is gone.”
Later that night, I found myself pacing in my room, the weight of the day refusing to let me rest. The curtains fluttered with the breeze from the open window, but the cool air did little to calm the fire burning inside me.
I couldn’t stop thinking about what Cade had said, about Lorena’s army of the broken and bitter. She was clever, targeting those who had been cast
aside
I stopped in front of the mirror, my reflection pale and tired. My fingers gripped the edge of the vanity as I stared into my own eyes, searching for something…strength, perhaps, or clarity.
“She’s always been like this,” I whispered, my voice barely audible over the wind. “Using people’s pain to her advantage. Twisting their weakness into her power”
My mind drifted to the past, to the times I’d seen Lorena’s manipulations up close. She had a way of getting under your skin, of making you doubt yourself while she planted her poison. It was how she had survived all these years, by breaking others to build herself up.
And now she was doing it again, on a much larger scale.
My fists clenched as anger surged through ine. I couldn’t let her win. I couldn’t let her destroy everything I’d fought for, everything I loved.
I turned sharply, startled by Ivy’s voice. She stood in the doorway, her expression wary but determined.
“What is it?” I asked, forcing my voice to steady.
“We’ve identified a few of her recruits,” Ivy said, stepping into the room. “Scouts caught sight of them near the northern border. They were meeting with a group of rogues from the Shadowclaw pack.”
“Shadowclaw,” I repeated, my heart sinking. That pack had been dissolved years ago after their Alpha was executed for treason. The warriors who survived had scattered, many of them turning rogue.
“She’s targeting the ones with the most resentment,” vy said, echoing Cade’s earlier words. “The ones who feel they’ve been wronged by the packs. She’s giving them something to believe in”
1 nodded, my thoughts racing. “How many did the scouts see
“Dozens,” she replied. “But that’s just one meeting. If she’s coordinating this across multiple territories…”
“She could have hundreds,” I finished, my stomach twisting at the thought.
I didn’t sleep that night. Instead, I sat by the fire in the study, a map of the territories spread out before me. My fingers traced the lines of the borders, my mind trying to stay one step ahead of Lorena.
She was calculating, methodical. Every move she made had a purpose, and she never acted without a plan. If I wanted to stop her, I had to think
like her.
But as the hours dragged on, I found myself overwhelmed by the enormity of the task. I wasn’t just fighting for myself. I was fighting for Bloodmoon, for my family, for the very system that held our world together.
“Why me?” I whispered to the empty room. “Why does it always have to be me?”
But there was no answer, just the crackle of the fire and the steady tick of the clock on the mantel.
I thought of Ramon, of the frustration and anger in his eyes earlier. He didn’t understand why I hesitated. To him, the answer was simple: attack. Fight fine with tire.
But I couldn’t risk it. Not yet. Lorena wanted us to act impulsively. She wanted us to rush in, blind and desperate. And if we did, we’d fall right into ber trap.
I leaned back in the chair, closing my eyes for just a moment. Images of Elise and Elijah filled my mind, they are yet to come into this world in some months time, their tiny faces glowing with the innocence of children who knew nothing of war or betrayal.
When I opened my eyes, I felt a new resolve seule over me. I didn’t have all the answers yet, but I knew one thing for certain. I couldn’t do this alone
the great hall. The air was crisp, and the
rising
sun painted the walls in hues of
At dawn, I called for Cade, Ivy, and the rest of the council to meet in th gold and orange,
“We need to act,” I und, my voice c
carrying across the room. “But not recklessly. Lorena wants us to rush in without thinking, to play into her hands. We can’t give her that advantage.”
“What do you suggest, Luna?” Cade asked, his voice strained but steady.
“We need in focus on intelligence,” I replied. “We need to know where her recruits are coming from, where they’re gathering, and what their next move will be. If we can cut off are supply lines and disrupt her plans, we can weaken her before she strikes
The council murmured in agreement, and I felt a flicker of hope.
“Every pack has a role to play.” I continued. “This isn’t just about Bloodmoon. If Lorena wins, she destroys everything. We either stand together, or
we fall alone?
As I spoke, I felt a spark ignite in my chest–a fire that I hadn’t felt in weeks. Lorena might have been building her army, I
M Was
And I wouldn’t stop until she was defeated.
