6

Maya's POV

My thumb hovered over the screen. My half-sister who had been missing for three years, presumed dead, stood on the edge of the Red Leaf border.

She was leaning toward a silver-clad figure, whispering into his ear while armed men shifted behind them in the pine trees.

Before I could speak, the video froze. The screen flashed red and then I lost signal.

Merikh’s phone buzzed violently. He snatched it from his pocket, answering on the first ring.

"Speak," he commanded.

Thomas's voice bled through the speaker, tight and rapid. "Sire, we have a breach on the southern perimeter. System blackout across sectors two and three. We're blind on the eastern ridge."

"Lock down the perimeter," Merikh said, his body going rigid. "I'm on my way."

He didn't offer an explanation. He gave me one sharp look, turned on his heel, and sprinted down the hallway.

Behind me, Liam burst into tears. The harsh strobe of the emergency lights and the sudden blare of the alarm sent him into a panic. He curled into a ball on the rug, his small hands clutched over his ears.

I dropped the tablet onto the chair, knelt on the floor, and pulled him into my lap.

"Shh," I whispered, rocking him back and forth. "You're okay. I've got you."

He buried his face in my neck, his tiny frame trembling against mine. I swayed on the floor, humming a low, wordless melody I used to sing to Leo when the night terrors took over.

I pushed thoughts of Selene, the security breach, and Merikh out of my head, focusing entirely on the rise and fall of the boy's chest. Slowly, his breathing leveled out. His grip on my shirt slackened and his eyelashes fluttering shut as fatigue overtook his fear.

I carried him to his bed, tucked the blanket around his shoulders, and set a heavy wooden toy near his hand so he would see it when he woke up.

Stepping out into the hallway, the silence of the pack house felt unnaturally dense. The alarm had stopped ringing, leaving only the sound of the backup generators. I walked toward the main entrance, needing to find out if the breach was connected to the image of my sister.

Near the front doors, a guard stood at the security desk, staring down at a heavy wooden crate lined with steel bands. He held a clipboard, his face pulled into a deep frown.

"What is that?" I asked, approaching the counter.

The guard jumped, turning to face me before bowing his head slightly. "Luna. It's a delivery. It just passed through the outer gate before the system went dark."

"Who sent it?" I asked, looking down at the wooden crate.

"It arrived by courier from the Red Leaf territory," he said, checking his sheet. "Addressed directly to the Lycan palace. I believe it is for Sire."

My skin went cold as the mention of Caleb's pack made me uneasy. "Open it."

He shifted, looking uncomfortable with the idea. "Sire said—"

"Open it," I repeated, my tone leaving no room for argument.

He hesitated, then pulled a combat knife from his belt and sliced through the industrial tape securing the lid. He pried the wood back, stepping aside.

Inside was a royal scroll and my father's seal. I read through the royal scroll and it was not peace making, but a demand for Merikh to give up half of his land in exchange for my father's seal. It was a bold move, a sign that he was getting arrogant after being fully in charge of my father's pack.

Footsteps echoed from the courtyard. Merikh was returning, flanked by two senior guards, his face dark with fury.

"It was a distraction," Merikh called out as he marched through the doors. "A rogue unit tripped the wire on the south border to draw our patrols away from the primary grid. They were testing our response time."

He stopped when he saw me standing by the crate, his eyes dropping to the open box on the counter.

"What is that?" he demanded, his gaze narrowing. He moved closer, staring into the box and at the royal scroll in my hands. “That scroll belongs to Red Leaf, what is it doing here?”

I handed the scroll to him and after he was done reading it, he clenched the scroll in his hand. Then his eyes moved to the seal. “Whose seal is that?”

“No one's," I said, my voice steady, masking the terror roaring in my chest. "Just Caleb sending mind games to mark his territory. Old documents from Red Leaf."

Merikh stared at me, his sharp eyes searching my face for any sign of a lie. "You shouldn't be handling unvetted packages."

I looked away, the thought of Caleb easily moving on after what he did made my burn in rage. How could he? After everything he did to me yesterday? No, I couldn't let him easily move after everything. He had to pay for everything he put me through.

Merikh watched me for a while and then he spoke. “There'll be a grand ceremony to crown you as my Luna in a week and you can decide whoever you wish to invite.”

My mind reeled with several ways to use this ceremony as an opportunity to take one step closer to my goal.

“If that's the case, then I wish to invite Caleb,” I said with clear certainty. “And it would be the start of my revenge and the beginning of his downfall.”