MasukArya’s POVI made my way down to the dungeon while my mind raced. What was I going to say to Geoffrey? There was no way I could get him out of this mess without becoming an enemy of Bloodmoon.‘There is nothing you can do,’ my wolf told me. ‘He has to accept the consequences of his actions, and so do you.’Marco and Henry flanked the entrance. Henry’s arm was now patched, and he wouldn’t meet my gaze. Marco looked at me with suspicion. When I approached, Henry stepped forward, blocking my path with a gentle but firm hand.“Are you sure about this?” he asked, searching my face for hesitation.“I need to see him,” I replied. “Luna and Alpha already approved my request.”Marco exchanged a look with Henry, then sighed. “Fine. You’re only getting 10 minutes.”Marco’s keys rattled as he unlocked the door. The hinges groaned. The dungeon was cold and dark, lit only by a single torch on the wall. Geoffrey sat against the far wall, thick silver chains cutting into his wrists and ankles. Red bu
Talia’s POV“You conspired with rogues to kill my Chief Warrior,” I said angrily and held the dagger up for everyone to see. “The six rogues that attacked Walden had the same dagger. Do you understand how that looks?”“I did no such thing,” Geoffrey said as he finally stopped struggling. Nolan finally released him as he, Marco, and Henry created a defensive circle around him. “I was defending myself against Alpha Henry.”“You liar. I…”“Let him finish,” I said, interrupting Henry.“I only came to see how Walden was, and Alpha Henry attacked me,” Geoffrey explained.“Do you really expect us to believe that?” I scoffed.“You are condemning me for having that dagger?”“I have.”“Why? I know I am not one of your favorites, but you can’t believe me, an Alpha, would work with rogues. Anyone in this territory could have bought those daggers and given them to the rogues. Half the smiths on the eastern road would sell to whoever paid.”“Then explain what you’re doing in this room tonight,” I d
Talia’s POVGeoffrey’s words echoed. Some warriors turned to stare. I froze, shocked. I always knew he was possessive of Arya, but hearing him say it out loud was different.Arya’s eyes flashed with anger. “I am not an object to be possessed,” Arya snapped. “I belong to no one but myself.”Geoffrey seemed to realize his mistake. He quickly composed himself, bowing his head. “Forgive me. I spoke out of turn.”Arya glared at him. Geoffrey put on a smile, pretending nothing happened. "Anyway, I won’t distract you from your duties, Arya. I’ll talk to you later," he said, then walked off.When he was out of earshot, I drew Arya aside, speaking in a low voice. “Is Henry ready in Walden’s room? We can’t risk Geoffrey getting suspicious.”Arya nodded. “Yes, Luna. Everything is ready for tonight.”“Good. Whoever attacked Walden will make their move tonight. I’m sure of it.”“We’ll be ready,” Nolan said.We waited in the hospital lounge all night. Nolan paced, restless, glancing at me every few
Talia’s POVThe next morning, we sat at the table, barely touching our food. My stomach was tight with nerves, but I forced myself to eat a little so no one would worry. Sometimes, I noticed Nolan watching me, like he could tell how anxious I felt. He looked lost in his own thoughts, too. The attack on Walden had shaken everyone, and now the whole pack felt tense and unsure, like we were all waiting for something bad to happen."We’ve been back for days," Nolan said quietly. "All we’ve done is rest and recover. Maybe that was a mistake."I nodded, resting my hand on my belly. "We needed a break. Don’t feel bad about us taking a little time to celebrate.""I know," Nolan said. "I don’t regret it. I’m just...""I get it. Walden’s still healing, and now I carried twins. Someone might see that as a chance to attack us," I said. If we were in dire need, I could use Moonfire, but I didn’t know what that would do to the twins.Nolan’s eyes narrowed. "There are four wolves that would be bold
Talia’s POV“Yes, I do,” Nolan said. “We suspect he may have had something to do with what happened to Walden.”A tremor ran through Arya’s jaw, but her gaze didn’t waver. “You think my brother would help rogues hurt Walden?”I shook my head. “We don’t want to believe it, but things aren’t adding up. If you know anything, anything at all, you need to tell us.”Arya hesitated, her eyes searching each of our faces. “Geoffrey… he’s changed. He’s not the brother I remembered.” She took a breath. “But I don’t believe he’d be part of something like this. He wouldn’t work with rogues.”Nolan’s voice lost some of its edge, but he stayed firm. “We get it, but don’t let your feelings get in the way. You’re not just Geoffrey’s sister. You’re Bloodmoon’s Deputy Chief Warrior. We trust you to put the pack first.”Arya pressed her hands to her sides. “If Geoffrey did this, I won’t protect him, but you need to be sure. I want proof, not just suspicion.”A commotion from inside the room drew all our
Talia’s POVI had barely gotten situated in my room to take a bath after dinner when the door to our room slammed open. Della was standing in the doorway, out of breath. I immediately tugged my shirt back on and asked, “What’s wrong?”"Rogues attacked the eastern border,” she replied.Nolan exited the bathroom, sleeves still rolled up, and asked, "How many?""Just a few. The patrol took care of it quickly." She leaned heavily against the doorframe, chest rising and falling, as she was trying to catch her breath. "But Walden got hurt. They used wolfsbane on him.”"How long ago?" I asked as I put my shoes back on."Half an hour, maybe less. Marco's there with Walden now at the hospital,” Della explained.We went straight there. My mind raced with questions, but I was relieved Walden was only poisoned with wolfsbane; it was still a dangerous and potent poison.‘He is strong. He will survive this,’ my wolf reassured me.Marco stood outside the operating room when we arrived. Della walked







