EMMELINE'S POV I felt water droplets hit my face. I stirred awake but was unable to move.My body was strapped to the bed in a room I couldn't recognize. My head ached so badly that I could barely keep my eyes open. My limbs felt heavy, and every inch of me throbbed in pain.Kareena.Where was she?“It looks like you're awake, sister-in-law,” I heard a snarl, and I turned to the side.Anastasia was sitting there with a smug look—but she looked like a ghost of herself.Her red eyes looked even more soulless than the last time I had seen her. She looked ghostly pale, her skin clinging to bone like she hadn't slept or eaten in weeks.“Why are you doing this?” I asked, genuinely concerned.Cedric was her blood.Anastasia stood from the chair beside me with a shrug. “I want to be Alpha.”I chuckled at her words. She’s so stupid…dumb. Did she really think Kareena would let any wolf live long enough for her to even rule as Alpha?“Maybe you can be Alpha in your dreams!” I spat mockingly,
******CEDRIC POV*****We all sat around the large, circular table. The tension in the room was thick enough to choke on. Everyone looked uneasy, eyes darting, shoulders stiff. It was clear Juliet had already informed them there was a mole among us.A betrayal.“What do we do now?” Grace asked quietly, fidgeting with her fingers. “We can’t find the mole, and the witches could attack us any moment.”“I say we strike first!” Marci snapped, slamming his fist on the table. A few warriors murmured their agreement, nodding.But Juliet shook her head. “A werewolf walking into Arachne is suicide,” she said flatly.Silence filled the room.Around the table sat Lord Venus, Grace, Marci, Ava, Juliet, and several of our strongest Deltas, Alphas, and warriors.I still didn’t trust Lord Venus fully—but maybe Marci was right. We needed every hand we could get.“So what?” Marxian, one of the more impulsive warriors, stood to his feet. “We’re supposed to just sit here and wait for death?” His voice w
*******EMMELINE'S POV*****I lay quietly on my bed as Kareena entered with a cup of tea. I didn’t feel like eating—my appetite had disappeared hours ago.“Luna, please… just have some tea,” she murmured, placing it gently on the bedstand before helping me sit upright.I had taken a long bath earlier, scrubbing every inch of Belle's blood off my skin.The windows were dark now, I guess it's nightfall already—and I had no idea what was happening outside this room.“Where’s the Alpha?” I asked softly.Kareena shook her head. “I don’t know, Luna.”I sighed, rubbing my belly gently. “I just hope the witches haven’t attacked. Or Devlin either.”Kareena chuckled faintly and handed me the tea. “If it were the witches, I’m sure we’d hear screams of terror by now.”I gave a small smile and nodded, sipping the warm liquid. Moringa tea—good for the baby, Juliet had insisted.As I sipped, Kareena placed a hand dramatically on her chest. “I’m hurt, Luna. Deeply hurt. You played with my feelings.”I
****** CEDRIC POV*****“My Lord, the warriors from Dowin have arrived,” Grace said as she stepped into my study.I gave a slight nod, not even looking up from the book in my hand.Emmeline had already told me how the Alphas refused to help us. I wasn’t surprised—nor disappointed. In fact, I was glad.I didn’t trust any of them. Not even Lord Venus.After everything that happened… After his betrayal, trusting him again would be a foolish mistake. Who’s to say he isn’t still working with the witches?“Have Marci lead them to the west villa,” I said, finally looking up. “I’ll join them shortly.”Grace nodded and left.Separating the warriors was the smartest move. We couldn’t afford to take any chances.I closed the book, straightened my robes, and stepped out. Right there—just outside the door—stood Emmeline, grinning like a child with a secret.I raised a brow, amused. “What’s got you smiling like that so early?”She didn’t say a word. Just took my hand and pressed it to her stomach.A
*****EMMELINE'S POV*****“How much longer before we get to the Council house?” I asked Grace, fanning myself with growing irritation.The weather today was unbearable—like the gates of hell had been left wide open. Because of the scorching sun, we chose the carriage over horses, but even the slow swaying of the ride didn’t offer much comfort.Grace chuckled lightly. “Give or take ten more minutes.”I let out a breath of relief and leaned back against the carriage wall, wiping sweat from my forehead. I hadn’t expected this journey to be so draining.“Here,” Ava offered, handing me a cup of water.“Thank you,” I muttered, then drank it in one go. My throat burned with thirst—I hadn’t even realized how dehydrated I was.“Face the window,” Ava suggested. “The breeze should help with the nausea.”I tucked my damp hair behind my ears and did as she said. To my surprise, it actually worked. The cool air brushing against my face was a small mercy in this heat.I sighed, watching the trees pas
******CEDRIC POV*****“Are you certain he's a spy and not just a scapegoat for your anger?” Juliet asked dryly as we made our way down to Marci’s dungeon.I rolled my eyes at her but didn’t respond. If we didn’t need her help, I would’ve gladly wiped that smug look off her face.She scoffed, shaking her head. “Look, I don’t give a damn about your family drama. Right now, we need answers. If you say Marci’s the spy, then fine—let’s beat the truth out of him.”I growled low in my throat, but she just laughed and strutted past the guards. They eyed her warily and rightly so. After what the witches did, I didn’t blame them for being on edge.I unlocked the heavy iron door and pushed it open. Inside, Marci sat slumped in a wooden chair, his wrists bound. His clothes were torn, his face bruised and bloodied, lips split open. He was already a mess, but nowhere near what I’d call punishment.His betrayal had cut deep. Deeper than Colima’s. Marci wasn’t just a warrior, he was…. family. As mu