Chapter 51

Elora’s POV

The council meeting was a blur as Dominic barely looked my way. I couldn't blame him; he still thought I had something to do with the conspiracy.

We got to the Alpha’s quarters, and he barely waited. With a flick of his hand, the guards were dismissed, and before I could even blink, he walked inside and the door slammed right in my face. He didn’t even care that I was three steps behind.

I just stopped. Stood there stupidly, frozen.

I stared at the door for a while. Not my proudest look. All those weeks I defended him, bit my tongue to hide my doubts, did all his dirty work, ignored the wolf in my chest howling for him, and still, locked out. Like I was nobody.

I pressed my palm to the door, cold wood against skin. “Dominic,” I breathed out, real quiet. Like he would actually listen this time, right? “You’re losing everything because you’re too blind to see it.”

I did what I always do. I walked away before the servants could watch my hands shake and start gossiping. Head down, keep moving.

Walking those halls, it hit me again out of nowhere...those letters. I was so tired of those letters. The same ones Dominic’d waved around in Dante’s tower like some holy relic, spitting accusations like ink on a page should cancel out everything we’d lived through. Well, they felt like my last card to play now. If I could just prove they were garbage, find even one stupid mistake, maybe, just maybe, he would stop treating me like the enemy.

Spotted a maid down the corridor, fussing with flowers, looking like she wished she were a mile away. I leaned in, voice low. “Hey. Has anyone been in Dante’s rooms since the arrest?”

She jumped, eyes wide, and bowed. “No, Luna. Alpha said nothing. Guards on the door, all hours.”

Sweet relief. If nobody had been in, then my hiding spot would have been safe.

“Don’t. Say. A word. Not even if the Alpha himself corners you. Got it?” I gave her my best Luna voice.

She nodded so fast she looked dizzy. “Yes, Luna.”

“Good.” Gave her a little smile, and took off for Dante’s door, heart just hammering away.

That walk? It might’ve been the longest of my life. Every guard seemed to watch me too closely, and the halls felt endless. But I made it. Slid inside quickly, eyes stinging with nerves.

The place still smelled like him, kind of woodsy, sharp, but stale now. I swallowed hard, went straight to the wardrobe, and found the loose floorboard. Still there. Thank the moon. I tugged out the bundle, ran my fingers over the parchment. Weird, how they felt heavier now. The whole pack’s future, right there, pressed between old pages.

Tucked them close to my chest. Whispered, “Let this be enough. Just once.”

Later, after sunset, I went straight to Dominic’s chambers. He was perched by the fire, wine in hand, facing a thundercloud. Pretending I wasn’t even there.

I marched over, dropped the letters on the table, loud enough to get his attention. “We need to talk.”

He glanced at the papers, then at me. Nothing in his eyes but ice. “What’s this?”

“Proof.” My voice wobbled, but I forced it steady. “Proof that someone played you for a fool. Dante’s innocent.”

I spread the letters out, jabbing a finger at them. “Look. The handwriting is messed up between pages. The seals got smuggled. Dates are all over the place. This one...” I waved it at him “...says Dante was off with rogues during the full moon. But you had him on the north patrol that night. You remember, right? I do.”

His jaw went stone-hard, but he wouldn’t even look.

I was getting desperate. Leaned right in. “Come on. Someone did this on purpose. Set you up. Framed Dante. And I’ve got a good guess who.”

“Mira,” he spits. For half a second, I thought maybe, just maybe, I had gotten through to him.

Then he laughed. Cold, ugly sound. “You would say anything for him, wouldn’t you? My brother spins one sad little story, and you would turn the whole world upside down to save him. Twist the facts, tell lies, point fingers even at Mira. Nice, Elora.”

He might as well have punched me. Those words hurt way more.

“I’m not lying,” I whispered, voice cracking, tears prickling hot behind my eyes. “You know I never lied to you. Just look...”

He cut me off, voice booming. “Don’t need to look. I know what’s in those letters, Elora. I know what’s in your heart. You chose him. You always did.”

I couldn’t even breathe.

“I chose this pack,” I spat out, voice shaking. Tears stung my eyes, but screw it, I wouldn’t back down. “You know very well I chose you the second I said ‘I do.’ I picked up every mess you left behind while you sat around and let Mira whisper crap in your ear. Don’t you dare accuse me of not choosing you.”

“Then show me,” he shot back, all clipped and cold. The kind of voice that makes your skin crawl. “Reject him. Deny my brother, right now, in front of me. Maybe then I’ll believe all this.”

My wolf inside went wild, just straight-up losing it. Every muscle in my body locked up, the bond pulling one way, duty gnashing its teeth in the other. I tried opening my mouth, actually did, but nothing came out.

Because I couldn’t.

God, that silence. Deafening.

Dominic’s stare iced over, expression going full statue mode. “Yeah. Thought so.”

He swiped all the letters off the table, sent them flying. “You think I’ll fall for these? Pathetic forgeries don’t mean crap to me. I’m done being humiliated while you pine after him.”

The way he said it sent chills down my spine. “You are my Luna, Elora. Act like it.”

I flinched.

Then just like that, he turned away and waved me off like I was staff. “Get out.”

I stood there, mouth open like words might tumble out, but... nope. Throat burning raw, I stooped to grab up the scattered letters, my hope shredded, and clutched them tight to my chest.

And I left, vision swimming, legs heavy as if every step tattooed a bruise somewhere inside me.

I barely made it back to my room before just collapsing, knees hard against the boards. Letters everywhere around me like busted feather pillows. My wolf keened, all mournful and wild, a sound only I could hear.

He won’t believe us.

He never will.

I buried my face in my hands, whispering, “I tried. Moon goddess, I tried.” Like praying, but with less faith and more desperation.

But then, some stubborn piece of me, buried deep, muttered back.

Then screw him. Prove it another way. If Dominic’s too blind, so what? You find the truth yourself. Dante deserves that. The pack deserves that.

Slowly, I looked up. The parchments were a mess, a total disaster, and honestly? So was everything between Dominic and me. That little crack between us? It was a canyon now. Getting wider by the minute.

And somehow, I just knew, so clear it hurt, that I would have to pick a side soon. And when that time came, there would be no turning back.