บททั้งหมดของ The Alpha Who Lost the Moon: บทที่ 11 - บทที่ 20

Mira's POVI wait outside Kael's office until well past two in the morning.The hallway is silent except for the creak of old wood settling and the distant sounds of patrol wolves changing shifts. My boots are still muddy from tracking Nyra through the forest. My shirt smells like pine and damp earth.The door opens before I knock.Kael looks like he hasn't slept in days. His hair is disheveled, his shirt untucked. There are shadows under his eyes that weren't there a week ago."Come in," he says.I step inside and close the door.He leans against his desk, arms crossed. "Report."I pull out my notes, though I don't need them. Every detail is burned into my memory."She met with twelve omegas tonight. Safe house, three miles north of the summit grounds. Hidden location, no pack scent markers. They came from at least six different territories."Kael's jaw tightens. "What did they discuss?""Rescue operations. Safe passage routes. Emergency contacts." I pause. "She healed one of them. A

Kael's POVThe battle is over but I can't stop shaking.My hands won't steady. My wolf won't settle. The adrenaline from watching Nyra turn rogues to ash still burns through my veins like poison.I find her in the east courtyard.She's alone, standing among broken stone and scattered torches. Blood streaks her arms, glowing faintly silver in the firelight. Her shoulders are rigid, her breathing too controlled.She knows I'm here. I can tell by the way her spine straightens."You should be with your pack," she says without turning."They're fine.""Good for them."I step closer. The bond flares between us, sharp and violent. "We need to talk about what happened.""What's there to talk about? Rogues attacked. I stopped them. End of story.""You could have been killed."Now she turns. Her eyes flash silver in the dim light. "But I wasn't.""You fought alone against fifteen trained killers.""And I won.""That's not the point.""Then what is the point, Kael?" Her voice rises. "That I shou

Nyra's POVThe letters arrive within the same hour.I'm in the neutral territory clearing when Elena finds me, breathless from running. She holds three sealed envelopes, each bearing a different pack's insignia."They all came at once," she says. "Riverbend, Mistwood, and Clearwater."I take them carefully. The seals are formal, official. The kind of correspondence that changes things.I open Riverbend first.After careful consideration, Riverbend Pack formally declines Alpha Draven's trade proposal and accepts the terms offered by Nyra Vale, the Moonshadow. We believe this arrangement better serves our pack's needs and values.Mistwood's letter says essentially the same thing. So does Clearwater's.Three packs. Three rejections of Silverclaw in favor of me.Elena watches my face. "Is this good?""It's dangerous.""But they chose you.""They chose fairness over power." I fold the letters. "The Council won't forgive that.""Let them try to stop us."I look at her. At the determination

Nyra's POVThe cabin is too small for this conversation.There's nowhere to stand that isn't close. The fire crackles behind me. Kael fills the space near the door, dripping rainwater onto the worn floor.Rain pounds the roof like a drum. The sound is deafening, drowning out thought.Or maybe I'm just not trying to think."You can't build a network without Council approval," Kael says. "It's direct violation of territorial law.""Territorial law protects alphas. Not omegas.""It protects everyone.""Does it?" I turn to face him. "Tell that to Elena. Tell that to the nineteen-year-old I pulled from a forced bond last week. Tell that to every wolf your precious system discarded.""I'm not defending the system.""You're just benefiting from it."His jaw tightens. "That's not fair.""Fair?" The word tastes bitter. "You want to talk about fair?""Nyra. . .""You rejected me in front of the entire pack. You stood there and declared I wasn't worthy. And now you're in my sanctuary talking abo

Nyra's POVI wake to the smell of cedar and rain.For one disoriented moment, I don't remember where I am. Then reality crashes back. The cabin. The negotiation. The way Kael cornered me against the wall and looked at me like I was something he'd lost and found again.I sit up slowly.Kael is across the room, leaning against the far wall. Watching me.There's something in his expression I've never seen before. Something raw and broken and utterly without armor."How long have you been awake?" My voice comes out rough from sleep."Most of the night.""You should have slept.""I couldn't."I notice his jacket draped over me. Still damp. Still smelling like him.I should throw it off. Should put distance between us immediately.Instead, I pull it closer."Why are you watching me?""Because I'm trying to remember.""Remember what?""What you looked like before I broke you."The words hit harder than they should. I force myself to meet his eyes."You can't fix this by staring at me.""I kn