Chapter 4

Athena

Annoyance was written all over Enzo’s face, but I held my ground.

“Bonnie is not my lover. Watch your words, Athena,” Enzo warned, his voice turning ice-cold as he reached for the door handle.

The second he did that something inside me snapped. A sudden, blinding wave of panic rushed through my veins, wiping away every bit of the sarcastic armor I had just put up.

Without thinking, I rushed over and threw my arms around his waist. I clung to him, my body trembling uncontrollably as I buried my face into his back. I hated that he still had this effect on me.

“Are you going to see her right now?” I asked anxiously.

Enzo stood stiff in my embrace. He didn’t hug me back, nor did he pull away immediately.

“It’s none of your business,” he said.

A bitter lump formed in my throat, but I couldn’t let go yet.

There was something I’ve always wanted to know but was too afraid to ask. I was afraid of the answer. But now, I had to know.

“Three years ago, at your engagement party…” I whispered, my voice breaking. “If my mother hadn’t died for this pack… if Martha hadn’t pressured you… would you ever have accepted my confession? I was your fated mate, Enzo. Would you have chosen me on your own?”

Enzo pried my hands off his waist with unyielding force. He turned around and glared down at me with sheer annoyance.

“Stop playing these pathetic mind games, Athena,” he snapped.

“Just answer me!” I begged, looking up at him through blurred vision. “Please. Just tell me the truth.”

Enzo stared into my eyes, his face completely expressionless.

“No,” he said, his voice flat and firm. “I wouldn’t have.”

He turned around, opened the door, and walked out without looking back.

The door shut behind him, and my legs instantly gave out. I collapsed onto the floor, pulling my knees to my chest as quiet, jagged sobs tore through my throat.

Deep inside my chest, my wolf whimpered in agonized despair. She knew who made that phone call. It was Bonnie. Bonnie had come back to take everything, including my place as Luna.

I didn’t sleep a single second that night.

When morning came, I pulled myself together, fixed my clothes, and went downstairs to the dining room. Martha was already sitting at the head of the table, sipping her tea. The moment her eyes landed on my swollen, red face, her brow furrowed in concern.

“Good morning, dear,” Martha said softly. “Enzo had an urgent matter to attend to early this morning, so he left. I scolded him before he went, telling him he needs to treat you better. You’ve always been an exceptional Luna to this pack.”

I looked at her, watching the gentle, motherly warmth on her face. It was terrifying how easily she wore it.

Sitting down across from her, a cold realization washed over me. I thought of my parents. My mother, an exceptional warrior, had sacrificed her life on the battlefield to protect this pack. My father, the former Chief Warrior, had trained me until my hands bled so I could lead our warriors after his death. I had bled for the Moonlit Pack for years, pushing through my grief to help Enzo rebuild it from a weak, struggling territory into the largest pack in the region.

None of it mattered to her. None of it mattered to any of them. To Martha, I was just a vessel with pure bloodlines, meant to be used and discarded.

“You don’t need to worry about us anymore, Martha,” I said, keeping my tone completely flat and emotionless. “The Moon Goddess will arrange everything as it should be.”

Martha froze, her tea cup hovering inches from her lips. My sudden coldness clearly startled her. She searched my face for a moment, trying to find the desperate, eager-to-please girl she usually dealt with. Finding nothing, she forced a stiff nod, finished her drink, and sent me off.

I didn’t head back to the packhouse. Instead, I drove straight to the northern border.

The welcoming scent of earth filled the air as I stepped out of my truck. Tyler was standing near the treeline, reviewing tactical reports with two border guards. When he saw me approaching, he quickly dismissed the guards and walked over.

“Luna,” Tyler acknowledged as his eyes lingered on my pale face. “You shouldn’t be out here. Your ribs—”

“Did you find anything from the attack site?” I interrupted, cutting him off before he could lecture me. “I need results, Tyler. Now.”

Tyler hesitated. He looked around nervously, reaching into his vest pocket. He pulled out a small plastic evidence bag and handed it to me.

Inside the bag was a polished silver signet ring, stained with dried mud and blood. Engraved on its surface was a detailed crest of a snarling wolf surrounded by ivy.

My heart dropped into my stomach. I knew that ring.

Enzo, Bonnie, and Tyler had grown up together. When Enzo officially took over as Alpha, he personally commissioned three custom signet rings for the pack’s inner circle: one for the Alpha line, one for the Gamma family, and one for the Beta family.

“This belongs to the Beta family,” I said quietly, my knuckles turning white around the bag.

“It was dug out of the dirt right where the rogue leader fell,” Tyler confirmed, keeping his voice low.

The truth hit me like a physical blow. The rogue ambush wasn’t a random attack. It was orchestrated by someone within our highest ranks. Someone from the Beta family.

That narrowed the suspects down to two people: Bonnie, or her father, Rudolf.

Bonnie had lost her wolf years ago, and ever since she returned to the packhouse, she had been clinging to Enzo every chance she got. She openly despised rogues and lacked the connections to command them.

But Rudolf… Rudolf was cunning, ruthless, and had spent decades managing border disputes.

He was the one who had the authority and the dark connections to hire rogue assassins.

I looked up at Tyler, my eyes narrowing as my warrior instincts took over. He took a step back, as he knew what that look meant.

“Tell me… where is Rudolf right now?”