Все главы A Luna's Vengeance : Глава 11 - Глава 20

The Nightshade compound sprawled across a valley floor like a sleeping giant, all dark stone and sharp angles that seemed to claw at the sky. Unlike Bloodfang's grand halls with their soaring arches and decorative flourishes, this place was built for war functional, intimidating, designed to withstand siege and assault.As our small party crested the ridge overlooking the compound, I felt the weight of dozens of eyes upon me. Word had already spread about the Bloodfang exile in their midst, and wolves emerged from buildings and training grounds to catch a glimpse of their enemy's former Luna.The hatred was palpable, rolling off them in waves that made my skin crawl. I kept my chin high despite their stares, refusing to give them the satisfaction of seeing me cower.Marcus rode beside me, his weathered face impassive as he guided his horse down the winding path. "You'll be housed in the servants' barracks," he said without preamble. "East wing, bottom floor. The other omegas will show

The main hall of the Nightshade compound was built for intimidation. Massive stone pillars supported a vaulted ceiling that disappeared into shadows, while weapon displays lined the walls like silent sentries. At the far end, raised on a dais of black marble, stood the Alpha's chair not quite a throne, but close enough to make the point.Darius sat in that chair now, his gray eyes cold as winter stone. Around him, his senior warriors formed a semicircle of barely contained hostility. I recognized Agatha immediately, her auburn hair catching the torchlight as she fixed me with a stare that promised violence.Marcus stood to one side, his weathered face grim as he held a collection of papers that I somehow knew spelled my doom. Other faces I didn't recognize watched me with the predatory stillness of wolves deciding whether I was prey or threat.Elena guided me to the center of the hall and then stepped back, leaving me alone under the weight of their collective scrutiny. The sound of m

The prisoner was dragged into the training grounds in chains, his face a mass of bruises and dried blood. He was young, perhaps twenty-five summers, with the lean build of a scout or messenger. But his eyes held the desperate cunning of someone who knew his life hung by a thread.Darius descended from his seat, approaching the captive with predatory grace. The crowd remained silent, every wolf straining to hear what would be revealed."You claim to have intelligence about a spy in my pack," Darius said, his voice carrying deadly quiet across the grounds.The prisoner nodded frantically. "Y-yes, Alpha. The Shadow, they call themselves. Been feeding information to Bloodfang for months patrol routes, defensive positions, everything.""Lies," Agatha snarled from beside me. "This could be another deception, designed to make us turn on each other."But something in the prisoner's desperate sincerity rang true. I could see it in Darius's expression, the way his shoulders tensed with the weig

The council chamber buzzed with controlled urgency as Nightshade's leadership gathered to plan their defense. Maps covered every surface, marked with red ink that traced enemy movements and potential attack routes. Warriors bent over tactical displays, their voices low and intense as they debated strategy.I stood near the chamber's edge, uncertain of my place in these proceedings. Two hours ago, I had been a suspected traitor facing execution. Now, somehow, I found myself included in the pack's most sensitive military planning.Darius commanded the room from behind a massive oak table, his presence drawing every eye like a magnet. Despite his recent wounds, he radiated the controlled authority of an Alpha who had faced impossible odds before and emerged victorious."Current intelligence suggests three separate attack columns," Marcus reported, pointing to marks on the central map. "Main force here, approaching through Thornfield Pass. Secondary force moving through the eastern valley

The forest was a cathedral of shadows as our strike force moved through the darkness. Thirty Nightshade warriors rode in perfect silence, their horses' hooves muffled by strips of leather wrapped around each shoe. We were ghosts in the night, death given form and purpose.I rode beside Darius at the formation's head, my borrowed armor feeling strange against skin that had grown accustomed to servant's clothes. The throwing knives Moira had given me hung at my belt, their weight both comforting and terrifying. In a few hours, I would discover whether I truly had the stomach for war.The bond mark on my wrist pulsed faintly, not with warning but with anticipation. Whatever power lay dormant within me seemed to sense approaching violence, stirring like a predator scenting prey.Marcus raised his hand from behind us, signaling a halt. We had reached the interception point a narrow valley where mountain streams converged, creating the only viable path through the rocky terrain. If my intel