DARK CONSPIRASY

It wasn't just Killian who was getting intimate with Lydia. As Minerva walked through the corridor toward another pavilion, she witnessed with her own eyes that Kayller was also being intimate with her sister, Aleesha. That disgusting reality only fueled the rage burning inside Minerva.

Her care for this pack had truly died. Minerva no longer needed to wait until the chaos unfolded days later. Right then and there, she walked to her private meditation chamber and completely severed the flow of her spiritual energy from the pack's magical altar—to teach Killian and Kayller a lesson they would never forget.

The effect of Minerva's decision was immediate. The magical barrier that had protected their territory for years suddenly dimmed, trembled violently, and began to crack at various points. The terrifying howls of hundreds of savage creatures from the border forest, which had been held back all this time, now became clearly audible, echoing eerily all the way into the main castle.

Killian, who had been about to spend a passionate night with Lydia, jolted in shock upon hearing the howls of the savage beasts. By reflex, he pushed Lydia's body off his lap so hard that the woman fell to the floor. Killian's face turned pale; his Alpha instincts screamed that their territory was in grave danger.

Ignoring Lydia's whining protests, Killian quickly threw on his clothes and rushed out of the room. In the corridor, which was growing noisy with panic, his loyal Beta ran up to him breathlessly with a face full of fear.

"Alpha, danger!" the Beta reported, gasping for air. "Our pack's magical barrier suddenly weakened drastically and cracked! Hordes of savage creatures from the forbidden forest have breached the northern and western borders! They're attacking the guard warriors!"

Killian's eyes widened in disbelief. "How could the barrier crack?! Where is Minerva? Isn't she the one who's been strengthening the pack's barrier?!"

"Call her right now to reinforce it!"

"We've tried to find her, Alpha, but Luna Minerva has locked herself in her pavilion and refuses to see anyone. She said she's resting and doesn't want to be disturbed by pack affairs!" the Beta answered in a panic.

At that moment, Kayller came running from the adjacent corridor with disheveled clothes, followed by Aleesha behind him. "Killian! What's happening to our barrier?!"

"Savage beasts have breached our border walls!" Killian clenched his fists. His jaw tightened as he realized this must be Minerva's doing.

"This is definitely Minerva's doing!" Killian growled in fury. "She deliberately withdrew her power to punish us!"

"Minerva's doing?!" Kayller's eyes widened. "Don't joke, Killian! There's no way she'd be that cruel as to let our pack be attacked?!"

"Why do you think the barrier collapsed at the exact same time after she threatened us in her room earlier?!" Killian snapped in frustration. The roars of the savage creatures outside the castle grew closer, mingling with the screams of warriors struggling to hold back the waves of attack at the main gate.

"We have no other choice, Kayller. We have to beg her to fix this chaos! Because before our sixth mating anniversary, we can only rely on Minerva's power!"

Without wasting any more time, Killian and Kayller ran at full speed toward the pavilion where Minerva had isolated herself. Aleesha and Lydia, left behind in the corridor, could only stand trembling, clutching their disheveled gowns in fear.

CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!

Killian pounded on Minerva's thick wooden pavilion door, using all his Alpha strength.

"Minerva! Open the door!" Killian shouted, furious and panicked. "Stop this madness! Our warriors at the border are all falling! Restore your power to the magical altar right now!"

"Minerva!" Kayller also shouted, growling until his eyes flashed red with emotion. Finally, they managed to break the door down.

Inside, Minerva was sitting on the sofa very calmly, sipping champagne in a loose, sexy black silk gown. Her face showed no panic at all—on the contrary, a faint, mocking smile was etched on her lips.

"You ungrateful woman! How dare you cause such chaos?!" Killian shouted.

"Restore your power to the magical altar right now, Minervaaa!" Kayller bellowed. However, Minerva only leisurely took another sip of her champagne.

"Why should I?" she asked.

Killian grew even more furious. "Don't hold the pack's safety hostage for your personal anger! You are a Luna—this is your duty!"

"Duty?" Minerva repeated the word casually. A laugh escaped the corner of her lips. "Didn't you consider me a burden? I'm not even valuable or needed in this pack. So please, fix the barrier yourselves with your grand Alpha powers."

"This is not the time for sarcasm, Minerva!" Kayller snapped, stepping forward, trying to intimidate Minerva with his posture. "Those savage beasts have already breached the outer gate! If you don't reignite the border barrier, this pack could be destroyed!"

"Then let it be destroyed. After all, do you even care about this pack?" Minerva asked. "Instead of thinking about this pack, why don't you go back to having fun with my sister and best friend?" she said with a smile.

"Oh, so you're doing this because you're jealous we're close to Aleesha and Lydia?" Killian asked. "You're willing to let your people die just to vent your jealousy over Aleesha and Lydia?!"

Minerva burst out laughing. A laugh so sharp it made the hairs on both men's necks stand on end.

"Jealous?" Minerva tilted her head, staring at Killian with a look of disgust. "Don't flatter yourself, Killian. I was indeed foolish enough to beg for affection from two bastard men like you. But tonight, my eyes are wide open. I no longer care who you sleep with, or how many cheap women you bring to your beds."

Killian and Kayller gasped at Minerva's words.

Minerva rose to her feet, then stepped closer toward them, allowing the dominant aura of her pure-blood Luna lineage to radiate powerfully, pressing down on the two Alphas until their breathing grew heavy.

"You want me to fix this chaos?" she asked.

"Of course, you bitch! Do it now!" Kayller snapped.

"Beg and kneel at my feet!" Minerva declared, leaving Killian and Kayller utterly stunned.

In truth, there was a great secret Minerva never knew. That Killian, Kayller, and the entire Darkwood pack were currently bound by an ancient curse that would, from time to time, drain their power until they grew weak and died. That curse could only be broken if they took a pure-blooded she-wolf like Minerva as their Luna and maintained that bond for exactly six years—because only then would the curse completely vanish.

In her first life, Minerva had been used to the last drop of her strength without ever realizing that she was the one saving them and this pack all along. And precisely after their sixth mating anniversary—when the curse would truly vanish from the Darkwood pack's blood—the twin Alphas had already laid out a meticulous plan to get rid of Minerva forever and elevate Lydia and Aleesha as the new Lunas.

However, the Moon Goddess did not favor their dirty scheme.