All Chapters of A Spy's Gambit: Forsaken by the Pack, Claimed by the Alpha.: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Liora's POV"Follow me."He turned and walked deeper into his chambers, his bare feet silent on the cold marble floors. I hesitated for just a heartbeat before following, my own bare feet padding softly behind him. The chambers were larger than I had realized—a sprawling suite that seemed to stretch on forever, with doors leading to rooms I hadn't yet explored.He stopped at a door near the far end of the suite and pushed it open, revealing a study that made my breath catch in my throat.This is...The room was magnificent. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lined every wall, crammed with leather-bound volumes and rolled parchments. A massive oak desk dominated the center of the space, covered in maps and documents and strange instruments I didn't recognize. A fireplace crackled in the corner, casting warm light across the room, and tall windows looked out over the moonlit grounds.But it was the maps that drew my attention—the beautiful, intricate maps that covered nearly every available s

Cassian's POVThe light faded, and the ring vanished back into her palm.I stood frozen, my mind struggling to process what I had just witnessed. A holographic map. Projected from a ring. A ring that Liora had pulled from her pocket like it was nothing, like it was just another tool in her arsenal.What the hell is that thing?The question burned in my mind, demanding answers I knew she wouldn't give. I had seen many strange things in my years as Alpha—enchanted weapons, cursed artifacts, objects of power that could bend reality to their will. But a ring that could project maps? That could store information in a way that defied explanation?That's not just any ring. That's a master spy's tool.My eyes fixed on her hand, watching as she slipped the ring back into her pocket. Her movements were casual, almost dismissive, but I caught the slight tension in her shoulders, the way her fingers lingered on the fabric as if reluctant to let it go.She's hiding something. Something important.

Julian's POVA few hours earlier.The car sped through the darkness, and I leaned back against the leather seat, my jaw clenched so tight I thought my teeth might crack.Samantha was crying beside me.Her face was blotchy, her eyes swollen, her nose running like a faucet. She clutched at my arm with those perfectly manicured nails, digging them into my sleeve like she was drowning and I was her only lifeline."He can't do this to me!" she wailed, her voice grating against my ears like broken glass. "He can't just—just throw me in a cell like I'm some common criminal! I'm the Luna of Ashfall! I'm—""You're lucky he didn't kill you," I muttered, not bothering to look at her.She gasped, as if I had reached over and slapped her across her pretty little face. "How can you say that? How can you—""Because it's true."She stared at me, her mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping for air. And then, predictably, she burst into fresh tears.I rolled my eyes and turned back to the window.

Liora's POVThree days.Three days of poring over documents, of analyzing security footage, of interviewing everyone who had been within a hundred yards of Cassian's study on the night of the poisoning. Three days of chasing shadows and coming up with nothing but dead ends.I sat at the desk in the small study Cassian had given me, surrounded by stacks of papers, photographs, and notes. The room was cozy—a far cry from the cold, imposing grandeur of the rest of the manor—with a fireplace that crackled cheerfully in the corner and windows that looked out over the gardens. It should have been comforting.It wasn't.Nothing fits.I pushed back from the desk and began pacing, my bare feet silent on the thick carpet. My mind was a whirlwind of facts and figures, alibis and timelines, and yet—nothing. No matter how many times I rearranged the pieces, they refused to form a coherent picture.Oliver was with Cassian until one in the morning. Verified by three separate guards. He left, went to

Cassian's POV"Hello, Julian."The silence on the other end of the line was deafening. I could hear his breathing—shallow, rapid, the breathing of a man who had just realized he had made a terrible mistake."C-Cassian," he finally stammered. "I—I didn't expect—""No, I imagine you didn't." I kept my voice calm, controlled, the way I always did when I was about to destroy someone. "You called my Luna. On her private line. At night. What could possibly be so urgent that you felt the need to contact my wife?""I was just—I was checking on her. Making sure she was all right."Checking on her. The words made something dark and violent twist in my chest."How thoughtful of you." I glanced at Liora, who was watching me with wide eyes, her face pale. "And what conclusions did you draw from your checking?"There was a pause. And then, to my surprise, Julian's voice hardened."She doesn't belong with you," he said. "She never did. You're a monster, Cassian. A beast. Everyone knows it. She's onl