Chapter 19

Karen’s POV

"Don't make this worse than it is,Karen, we are in the middle of a serious matter and all you could think of was running away. Come on, don't make yourself look more pathetic," Zaiden’s voice was sharp, like claws against stone. "You are a soon-to-be Luna. Running away from your responsibilities would be cowardice. How are you supposed to take care of the pack if you can’t take care of your fear? I’m supposed to be expecting a bold woman as my Luna."

The words burned. Each one slicing deeper until my wolf growled inside me, furious, restless.

I straightened, fists trembling at my sides. “You think I don’t know what’s expected of me? You think I haven’t fought every single day just to breathe in this place? I never asked for this bond, Zaiden. I never asked to be dragged into your wars and your pack’s hatred.”

His golden eyes blazed, but I didn’t let him speak.

“You want a bold Luna? Then maybe you should’ve chosen differently. Maybe that’s why the Moon Goddess gave me a mate before you, someone who rejected me. Maybe she knew I wasn’t meant for this life, not for you.”

His jaw tightened, shoulders rigid, but his silence was worse than anger.

I spun on my heel, storming past him before my tears betrayed me. My wolf howled inside, torn between running back and running far, far away. But I didn’t look back. Not this time.

*******

Zaiden’s POV

Her words echoed long after she left each one striking with more force than any blade.

Rejected once. Nearly rejected again. And all because I hadn’t been strong enough to shield her from doubt my own or the pack’s.

But this wasn’t the time to crumble. If I couldn’t hold her now, then I would hold the pack steady. And to do that, I needed the truth.

That night, I followed the whispers of my wolf, the gnawing suspicion I had tried too long to silence.

I saw someone on black long coat which had a cap. I tracked him through the dark corridors of the packhouse, his scent sharp, wrong, leading away from the safety of the den and toward the borders. My steps were silent, my fury a quiet storm building in my chest.

And then I saw that this person wasn’t patrolling. He wasn’t guarding. I could also tell he was from my pack because of his scent. He was speaking in low, hushed tones to a shadow at the treeline. A rogue.

The blood in my veins turned to fire.

I didn’t move. Not yet. I wanted to hear. To know.

“…the Alpha suspects nothing,” He muttered. “Tomorrow’s patrol will move west. Be ready.”

The rogue nodded and slipped into the forest. He turned back, wiping his mouth with a grim hand, and I hid behind the pillars immediately.

I stepped into the moonlight, my wolf blazing in my chest.

It was…..