INICIAR SESIÓNBack in Garrett's camp, Vanessa stood waiting. Her arms were folded when a scout rushed in, panting from the run.
"My lady, I bring news. Edwin still lives, your father wounded him, but he did not fall."
For a heartbeat, Vanessa's smile faltered. Then her jaw tightened, her eyes glinting like steel.
"And how is my father?" she asked.
"He is also wounded, but his physician is already attending to him,"
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Draven raised his head slowly, his lined face shadowed with guilt. "Your father's death was no battlefield accident, Edwin. It was planned, piece by piece, long before the clash of steel ever began.""According to how it all played out, I am sure that it was a plot that has been going on for a few years,"Edwin's hands curled into fists. "By whom? What was their motive for killing my father?""He deserved so much better compared to the kind of death he was given. He must have died in a brutal way."Draven's gaze flickered with unease. "The council was divided in those days. Some sought peace. Others... sought power. They feared your father's loyalty to his people more than they feared the enemy. They struck a bargain."Ralph's voice thundered, cutting in. "You lie!" He stepped forward, sword raised. "The council swore to protect him. They stood with him till the end!"
The mutters and growls of his men swelled like thunder. With various blades still pointed at the cloaked figure. Ralph stood tense, ready to cut down the first guard foolish enough to defy him.Then Edwin's voice cut through the noise, cold and commanding."Enough!"The courtyard fell silent. Every sword froze in place.Edwin stepped into the circle, his presence radiating authority. He looked from the cloaked figure to his restless warriors."No one raises a blade without my word. Not against a spy, not against a thief, not against each other. And definitely not against this one."He stopped in front of the figure, close enough to see the steady rise and fall of their chest beneath the cloak."You say you bring truth. Then you will bring it to me alone, just like you wanted.""Thank you for being reason
The guard hesitated but did not lower his weapon. Murmurs spread through the circle, unease thickening.Another guard growled. "What if this is a trap? What if Garrett sent them to slit our throats while we sleep?""You took the words right out of my mouth. I mean, the presence of this spy is more than enough reasons for us to feel uneasy, talk more of letting him in, welcoming him with open arms when we should eliminate him without hesitating," another guard said."Edwin," Tiara softly called, touching his hand. "This is a delicate matter, your men might be wrong and at the same time, they might be right. But I trust your judgement."Ralph's eyes narrowed. "If Garrett had been stupid enough to send a spy into our camp, then they'd already be dead where they stand. I am convinced that they are here for something else. Let the Alpha decide.""My lord, you need to decide fast. The
Edwin's tent was still heavy with silence, the three of them locked in strategy, when the sound shattered it...A loud shout, raw and urgent, echoed across Edwin's campgrounds."Alpha! Alpha! To arms!"Edwin froze, his head snapping up.Ralph's hand was already on his sword, Tiara's wolf bristling inside her. The noise grew louder and louder, followed by the clatter of boots and the ring of steel.Without another word, Edwin strode out of his tent, with Ralph and Tiara close at his heels. The air outside was thick with tension. His men had formed a tight circle in the courtyard, their swords were all drawn, their bodies taut with aggression and suspicion, ready to strike.In the center of the circle stood a figure, cloaked head to toe in black. The hood was pulled low, hiding the face completely. Their stance was still, but every movement of the
"None of those things are true. If for anything, Tiara is the reason we got a wind of the fire, and she is definitely not the cause of Garrett's betrayal. He is simply a traitor who got tired of hiding,"Ralph did not flinch. "Lies, yes. But these lies are dangerous ones. If you do not move quickly, my lord," he whispered. "You will not only lose Tiara, she will also lose her rightful position as luna, and you will lose the pack's faith. And once that is gone, there will be nothing..." He paused, leaving the remaining words heavily hung in the air.For a moment, Edwin closed his eyes, fighting down the rage. Garrett had tried to kill him with a sword. Vanessa was trying to kill and take over his pack with whispers and lies. Both of which were equally deadly.Before Edwin could respond, the entrance to the tent flapped. And both men turned sharply as Tiara stepped in.She removed her hood,
Back in Garrett's camp, Vanessa stood waiting. Her arms were folded when a scout rushed in, panting from the run."My lady, I bring news. Edwin still lives, your father wounded him, but he did not fall."For a heartbeat, Vanessa's smile faltered. Then her jaw tightened, her eyes glinting like steel."And how is my father?" she asked."He is also wounded, but his physician is already attending to him,""How bad is he injured?""He has a cut, slashed through his chest, but according to his physician, he will be better before we know it. It was said that his armor did a good job,""So, Father has not finished the job," she cooly said. "Then we should finish it another way, since the way of war is taking longer than expected."She turned sharply to the table, slamming her hand onto the map of Dark Moon territory. "I
The doors to the arena shut close with a heavy thud, and the lock slid into place. Only Edwin and Ralph remained inside. The fire burned with low intensity in the corner, casting jagged shadows across the walls. Neither of them said a word for a very long moment.Then Edwin finally broke the silenc
The raven Tiara had sent back flew into Edwin'sroom via his open window. A few hours just before dawn. Edwin was deep asleep to the extent that he did not notice when the bird flew into the room.Sleep had eluded him for so many days on his quest to unravel the mystery surrounding the corruption an
Edwin sat in his room, ruminating over the past few days, and ever other thing that they had found out about Tiara's parent's death.Going through the record that laid right in front of him, he zoned out, his mind wandering off in various thoughts. He was deeply engrossed in his thoughts to the poi
The moon had long risen since Edwin and his most trusted warrior, Ralph, slipped through the back corridor of the Alpha Hall, into the archives. Their steps were silent, well-practiced, the sound of their boots muffled, showing years of shared secrets and battle-bonded loyalty between the alpha and







