Semua Bab BLOOD MOON BETRAYAL: A FORBIDDEN WEREWOLF ROMANCE.: Bab 41 - Bab 50

Training with the elders began the next morning in a secluded clearing deep in the pack territory. Sarah, Thomas, and Rose had set up a space that felt almost sacred—stones arranged in a circle, herbs burning in small dishes, and the ground cleared of all debris.Elena had come to observe as promised, leaning against a tree with her arms crossed, watching everything with sharp, critical eyes."First," Sarah said, "we need to teach you to control your emotional triggers. Your powers respond to strong emotions, which makes you unpredictable and dangerous—both to yourself and others."For the next two hours, they put me through exercises designed to test my emotional control. Rose would say something deliberately insulting, trying to make me angry, while I had to keep my powers contained. Thomas would tell me heartbreaking stories about families killed by the Council, trying to make me sad, while I maintained my composure.It was exhausting."You're doing well," Sarah said during a b

The next few days were torture. I went through the motions—training with the elders, eating meals with the pack, having conversations with Kieran—all while knowing the truth about why I was really here.The worst part was that my feelings hadn't disappeared just because I'd learned about his betrayal. When Kieran smiled at me, my heart still skipped. When his hand brushed mine accidentally, I still felt that electric spark. When he looked at me with those silver eyes, I still felt drawn to him.It made me hate myself almost as much as I hated him."You're distracted," Sarah observed during training one morning. "Your energy is scattered, unfocused.""Sorry," I said, trying to center myself."What's bothering you?" she asked, gesturing for Thomas and Rose to take a break.I considered lying, but something about Sarah's direct gaze made me want to tell the truth. "Have you ever cared about someone even though you knew you shouldn't?"Sarah's expression softened with understanding.

We walked back to the pack house in tense silence. When we entered, several pack members looked up, clearly curious about what had happened. Elena stood near the window, her expression knowing but neutral."Everyone out," Kieran said. "I need to talk to Laila. Privately."The room cleared quickly, though I saw Marcus throw me a concerned look before he left. Elena was the last to go, pausing at the door."Don't let him off easy," she said to me quietly.Once we were alone, Kieran gestured to the couch. "Will you sit? Please?"I remained standing, arms crossed. "You said you'd tell me the truth. So talk."He ran his hand through his hair, looking exhausted. "Where do you want me to start?""Start with Damien. What did he do to Seraphina?"Kieran's expression darkened with pain and rage. "Seraphina discovered that someone was feeding information to the Purist Council.""She was investigating, getting close to the truth. Damien was the one giving them intelligence about families

Over the next week, I found myself in a strange state of limbo. Kieran's explanation had shifted something in me, but I couldn't quite trust it. Every kind gesture felt like it could be another layer of manipulation. Every time he looked at me with those silver eyes, I questioned whether I was seeing genuine affection or just a well-practiced deception.I threw myself into training with the elders, pushing my body and powers to their limits. Sarah seemed to understand that I was using physical exhaustion to avoid emotional processing."You're running from your feelings," she said during one particularly brutal session. "You can't train hard enough to make them go away.""I'm not running," I said, breathing hard. "I'm preparing.""For what? To leave? To fight? Or to convince yourself that you don't care about him?""All of the above," I muttered.Thomas laughed. "That's the problem with the mate bond, girl. You can't logic your way out of it. You can't train hard enough to ignor

The aftermath of Damien's visit left the pack tense and alert. Kieran doubled the security patrols, and Sarah insisted on accelerating my training. Everyone understood that Damien's arrival was just the beginning.But the mate bond between Kieran and me had shifted something fundamental. What had been tentative and uncertain was now openly acknowledged. Pack members watched us with new understanding—I wasn't just a guest or a tool anymore. I was their future Luna.The responsibility of that should have terrified me. Instead, it grounded me.Three days after Damien left, Kieran found me in the library researching the Purist Council. I was so absorbed in the old documents that I didn't hear him enter."The Council was founded over a hundred years ago," I said without looking up. "Their official purpose was to 'preserve the integrity of werewolf bloodlines.' But really, they've been systematically eliminating anyone with magical abilities.""I know," Kieran said, sitting across fr