تسجيل الدخولThe trap was set.Kael spent the next two days planning. He didn't tell me everything. Just what I needed to know."There's a traitor in the pack," he said. "Someone who let Marcus's messenger into the house. Someone who planted the letter.""Who?""I don't know yet. But I'm going to find out.""How?"Kael looked at me. His black eyes were cold. Calculating."With you."The plan was simple.Kael announced to the pack that I was leaving. That I couldn't handle the pressure. That I was going back to Silver Crescent.The pack believed him.Why wouldn't they? I'd been fighting with Kael for weeks. The letter had shaken me. Everyone knew.I packed my bag. Walked to the front door. Vera watched from the stairs. Her face was unreadable."You're really leaving?" she asked."I have to.""You don't have to do anything.""I do."She walked down the stairs. Stopped in front of me."Be careful," she said."I will.""If you need help—""I know where to find you."She nodded. Walked away.The front
I found the letter by accident.It was tucked inside Kael's desk drawer, hidden beneath a stack of papers. I wasn't looking for it. I was looking for a pen. Something to write with. Something to do with my hands while my mind raced.But the letter caught my eye.My name was on it.Aria.I pulled it out. Unfolded it. Read it.The handwriting was elegant. Feminine. The paper smelled like perfume.Dear Aria,I don't know if this letter will ever reach you. But I need you to know the truth. The man who calls himself your Alpha — Kael — he isn't what he seems. He didn't buy you for revenge. He bought you because Marcus threatened to expose his secret.Kael's father didn't die at the hands of your father. He died at the hands of Marcus. And Kael knew. He's always known. He's been working with Marcus this entire time.He's using you.Run.— A friendMy hands started shaking.I read the letter again. And again. The words blurred together. My heart pounded so loud I couldn't hear anything else
The pack stared at me like I was a stranger.I walked into the dining hall for breakfast, and every single wolf stopped what they were doing. Forks froze mid-air. Conversations died. Eyes tracked me across the room like I was a threat.I kept walking.Kael's chair was at the head of the table. Mine was to his right. I sat down like I belonged there.Vera was already seated. She raised an eyebrow but said nothing.Elias walked in behind me. He sat across from Vera."You're late," Vera said."I was training," I said."Training what? Your face?""Your wit is sharp today.""My wit is always sharp. You're just slow."I almost smiled.The pack started eating again. The whispers started too."She thinks she's Luna now.""Look at her sitting there like she owns the place.""She's still Silver Crescent.""Alpha Kael is making a mistake."I kept my eyes on my plate. Bread. Meat. A bowl of stew. I ate slowly. Deliberately. Like I had all the time in the world.Kael walked in.The room went quiet
Training started at dawn.Kael woke me with his hand on my shoulder. Gentle. Not shaking. Just a quiet pressure that pulled me out of a dream I couldn't remember."Up," he said.I blinked against the grey light coming through the window. "What time is it?""Time to learn."I groaned and rolled out of bed. My body ached from yesterday. The parley. The tension. The sleepless night spent with my head on Kael's chest.Kael handed me a pile of clothes. Black. Fitted. Leather pants I'd never worn before. A thick grey shirt. Boots with good grip."Where did you get these?""I had Vera find them. You can't train in a dress."I looked at the clothes. Then at him. "Turn around."He turned.I changed quickly. The leather was soft. Broken in. It fit perfectly — like it had been made for me."Vera has good taste," I said."I'll tell her you said that.""You can turn around now."Kael turned. His eyes ran over me. Slow. Appreciative. He didn't say anything for a long moment. Just looked."What?" I
The border looked different in the daylight.No shadows. No fear. Just snow and trees and grey sky pressing down like a lid. Every breath I took turned to white smoke in front of my face. The cold bit through my coat, through my skin, through to my bones.Kael stood beside me. His shoulder brushed mine. His hand rested on the knife at his belt.Elias stood behind us. Ten warriors flanked the group. Vera had wanted to come, but Kael ordered her to stay."If I don't come back," Kael had told her, "you protect the pack. You protect her."Vera had nodded. No argument. No anger. Just a quiet acceptance that made me like her more than I wanted to.Now we waited.Marcus was late."Trap," Elias muttered."Probably," Kael said."Then why are we here?"Kael didn't look away from the tree line. "Because if we don't show, he wins. Because my pack needs to see me stand my ground. Because if I hide behind my walls every time Marcus snaps his fingers, I'm not an Alpha. I'm a coward.""You're not a c
The messenger arrived at noon.I saw him from the kitchen window. A lone wolf on horseback, riding fast toward the house. His cloak was grey and white. Silver Crescent colors.My blood went cold.Elias saw him too. He was at the door before the horse stopped."State your business," Elias said."I bear a message for Alpha Kael. From Alpha Marcus."Kael appeared at the top of the stairs. His shirt was untucked. His hair was messy. His eyes were deadly."Let him in," Kael said.The messenger dismounted. Walked inside. He was young. Younger than me. His hands were shaking."Speak," Kael said."Alpha Marcus requests a parley. At the border. Three days from now.""Requests or demands?""Requests, Alpha."Kael walked down the stairs. Slow. Deliberate. Each step echoed in the silent house."Tell Marcus I'll consider it," Kael said."He also said to tell you..." The messenger swallowed. "He said to tell you that the girl's father didn't die in the war. He died in a cell. Alone. Begging."Kael'







