CHAPTER SIX: RETURN TO MOONTIDE 

The border guards found me an hour after dawn.

I was exactly where Daren said I should be—collapsed near the creek that marked Moontide's southern border, looking like I'd crawled there on my last bit of strength.

Elena had done her job well. I had bruises on my face and arms, shallow cuts that looked worse than they were, and my clothes were torn and dirty. I looked like someone who'd been through hell and barely survived.

I heard the guards before I saw them. Two wolves on patrol, their paws silent on the forest floor.

"Please," I called out weakly. "Please help me."

The wolves stopped, then shifted. I recognized one of them—Marcus, a warrior I'd known from my old life. His eyes widened when he saw me.

"Shahira? Shahira Thorne?"

"Marcus." I tried to stand and deliberately stumbled. He caught me. "I need... I need to see the Alpha."

"What happened to you? Where have you been?"

"The Human Alpha," I gasped. "He captured me. I escaped. I have information. Important information. Please, I need to see Alpha Kane."

The second guard, a young wolf I didn't recognize, looked skeptical. "She's rogue. We should kill her and be done with it."

"She said she has information about the Human Alpha," Marcus said sharply. "That's worth bringing to Kane, at least."

They argued for a moment, but Marcus won. They half-carried, half-dragged me through the forest toward the pack house. With every step, my heart pounded harder.

This is it. No going back now.

We emerged from the trees and I saw Moontide's main compound for the first time in a month. The large pack house stood at the center, surrounded by smaller buildings where families lived. Wolves stopped what they were doing to stare as we passed.

I heard the whispers.

"Is that Shahira?"

"I thought she was dead."

"Look at her. What happened?"

Marcus took me straight to the pack house, through halls I knew by heart. My old life, my old home. Except it wasn't home anymore. It was enemy territory.

We stopped outside the Alpha's office. Marcus knocked.

"Enter," Kane's voice commanded.

Marcus pushed the door open. Kane sat behind his massive desk, looking every bit the powerful Alpha. Ryker stood beside him, and my heart clenched despite myself.

Ryker's eyes widened when he saw me. "Shahira?"

"Alpha," Marcus said, forcing me to my knees. I didn't have to fake the way I swayed. "We found her at the southern border. She claims to have information about the Human Alpha."

Kane's eyes narrowed. "Leave us."

Marcus bowed and left, closing the door behind him. I was alone with Kane and Ryker.

"Well," Kane said, his voice cold. "The rejected mate returns. I thought I made it clear you weren't welcome here."

"Please," I whispered, though my heart clenched as I remembered how he tried to kill me. "I wouldn't have come back if it wasn't important."

"Important?" Ryker's voice was sharp. "What could possibly be important enough to risk your life coming back here?"

I took a shaky breath and delivered the story Daren and I had crafted. "After I left, I tried to make it to neutral territory. But I was captured by rogues. They took me to their leader." I looked up at Kane. "The Human Alpha. Daren Methlock."

Kane went very still. "You met him."

"He kept me prisoner for three weeks. He was going to kill me, but I convinced him I could be useful. That I knew Moontide's secrets." Tears—real ones, born from genuine fear—rolled down my cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Alpha. I told him things. I was scared. I wanted to live."

"What things?" Kane's voice was dangerously soft.

"Patrol routes. Pack structure. Your alliances." I let myself sob. "But I escaped some days ago. I ran as fast as I could. I came back to warn you."

"Warn us about what?"

"He's planning to attack. Not Moontide—not yet. He's going after Silverfang Pack first. He has forces gathering in the Northern territories. He said..." I hesitated, making it look like I was afraid to continue.

"Say it," Kane commanded.

"He said once Silverfang falls, Moontide will be easy. That you're weak, reliant on your alliances. That without Silverfang's support, you'll crumble."

Ryker swore. Kane's face remained impassive, but I saw his fingers tighten on the desk.

"How many forces does he have?" Kane asked.

"I don't know exactly. Hundreds, maybe. All rogues and outcasts, but well-trained. He's been building his army for years." I wiped my eyes. "I know I have no right to ask for anything. I know you hate me. But please, please don't let my information go to waste. He's coming for you. Eventually, he's coming."

Kane studied me for a long moment. I kept my eyes down, my posture submissive, every inch the broken, desperate omega.

"Why should I believe you?" he asked finally. "You could be working for him. This could be a trick."

"Then kill me," I said, letting desperation fill my voice. "If you don't believe me, just kill me now. But please, at least warn Silverfang. At least prepare your defenses. Don't let him destroy another pack."

"Father," Ryker said quietly. "Our sources have been saying the same thing. That the Human Alpha is in the North, gathering forces. Her story matches."

That was the key—Daren had made sure his false information would corroborate my story. Kane would trust me because I was confirming what he already believed.

Kane stood and walked around the desk. He grabbed my chin roughly, forcing me to look up at him. His eyes were cold, calculating.

"If you're lying to me," he said softly, "I will make you beg for death. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Alpha."

He released me. "You may stay. You'll be assigned quarters with the omegas. You'll work in the kitchens. And you'll tell me everything you know about the Human Alpha—every detail, no matter how small."

"Thank you, Alpha. Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet. You're here on probation. One wrong move, one hint of betrayal, and you die. Slowly." He turned to Ryker. "Have someone show her to the omega quarters. And post a guard. I want her watched. She speaks to no one."

Ryker's jaw tightened, but he nodded. "Yes, father."

Kane dismissed us with a wave. Ryker grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the office, his grip tight enough to hurt.

We walked through the halls in silence. I could feel his anger radiating off him in waves.

"Ryker," I started.

"Don't." His voice was harsh. "Don't say my name. Don't speak to me unless I speak to you first. You're here because my father allows it, not because I want you here."

The words stung, but I kept my face neutral. "I understand."

We reached the omega quarters, a small building at the edge of the compound where the lowest-ranked wolves lived. Ryker shoved me toward the door.

"Someone will come get you for your debriefing with my father. Until then, stay here. Stay out of sight. And stay away from me." He turned to leave, then stopped. "Why did you come back, Shahira? Really?"

I looked at him, at the mate who'd rejected me, and let all my real pain show on my face.

"Because I had nowhere else to go," I whispered. "And because despite everything, this is still my home."

Something flickered in his eyes—guilt, maybe, or regret. But it disappeared quickly, replaced by cold indifference.

"This stopped being your home the night I rejected you," he said. "Remember that."

He left, and I was alone.

I waited until his footsteps faded, then slipped inside the omega quarters. It was a cramped space with multiple beds and shared facilities. A far cry from my old room in my family's cottage.

But it would do.

I found an empty bed in the corner and sat down. My hands were shaking—adrenaline, fear, and the strange rush of having actually pulled it off.

I was inside Moontide.

Carefully, making sure no one was watching, I pulled out the encrypted phone Daren had given me. I typed a quick message: I'm in.

The response came almost immediately: Good. Be careful.

I deleted the messages and hid the phone in my belongings. Then I lay back on the bed and tried to calm my racing heart.

Phase one was complete.

Now the real work begins.