Semua Bab The Luna He Marked To Silence the Truth: Bab 11 - Bab 20

Aria's POVThe bus ride lasted a day and a night.I leaned against the cold window. The silver burn on my right shoulder throbbed, a constant reminder of the last two years.The pack territory faded into a concrete skyline. A neutral city. No packs. No rules.This is where I belonged.No Alpha Aura. No full moon ceremonies. No one who could declare me a non-existent Luna with a single word.The sun was just rising when I got off the bus. I dragged myself through the streets and finally found the address: a non-descript research institute."Aria?" The door opened. A woman in her forties frowned at me, her eyes full of concern. "God, you're so thin!"Aunt Diana pulled me into a hug, so tight it almost brought tears to my eyes."It's okay now," she murmured, her voice rough. "You're with your aunt. No one can hurt you here."She didn't ask about the past two years. She just poured me a glass of hot water, quickly set me up in a small apartment, and Aunt Diana put me to work in her greenho

Aria's POVThe moment the silver cuffs closed around my wrist, someone shoved me hard to the ground.My knees hit the concrete. A sharp pain shot through me."Let her go!" Diana screamed behind me, but two officers held her back.I sat on the floor, glaring up at the Enforcer. A fire was burning in my throat, but I couldn't speak.Just then, the station doors were thrown open from the outside.The sound of uniform military boots. Step, by step, they echoed, shaking the floor."You are the law?"A voice as sharp and cold as ice came from the entrance.I whipped my head around.Julian strode in, wearing a dark coat, followed by two lines of fully armed royal guards. They were silent, disciplined, radiating a deadly calm.His faint cedarwood scent exploded into a suffocating, pureblood Lycan Aura.Instantly, every wolf in the station buckled, their knees weakening from pure instinct.The Enforcer who had been so arrogant just moments before went pale. He grabbed the table to keep himself

Aria's POVThe numbers on the report blurred together.I'd been staring at the screen for five minutes and hadn't read a single word.The Council mandate was issued three days ago.The Alpha of Silverpaw, who was supposed to remain in his territory for two full years, petitioned the Lycan Council to leave his territory early. He cited Pack merits.I read the notice over and over, then crumpled it up and threw it in the trash.It didn't matter if he came or not.That's what I told myself. But for the next few days, I found myself strangely sensitive to every footstep outside my office.This afternoon, my assistant knocked and came in, a strange look on her face."Ms. Aria, there's a gentleman downstairs to see you." She paused, lowering her voice. "He says his name is Caleb."The hand holding my pen froze.The nib dug into the report, leaving a sharp, black line."Send him up," I heard myself say. My voice was flat. So flat, it sounded like a stranger's.When the elevator doors opened,

Aria's POVThe party ended close to midnight.Julian opened the car door for me, but he didn't start the engine."Not driving tonight," he said, loosening his tie and tossing it in the back seat. "Let's walk. It's only a few blocks."I frowned. "You've been drinking.""It's an excuse," he said with a lazy smile, but his eyes held a seriousness I couldn't quite read. "Walk with me."The night air was cool. The streetlights stretched our shadows long behind us.We walked side by side, neither of us mentioning the showdown at the party, or Caleb's grim face, or Rowan's trembling hands."You didn't have to help me today. I could have handled it myself," I joked, trying to break the silence."I know," Julian said, turning to look at me, a slight smile on his lips. "Just helping out. Taking out the trash for you.""Helping out?""Mmm, helping out," he repeated, his tone so light it made it sound like nothing, but it was strangely comforting.He stopped when we reached my apartment building.

Caleb's POVOn the northern border, the snow came earlier than usual this year.The wind threw icy pellets against the windshield of the SUV."Alpha, here's the battle report from the Rogue stronghold," my Beta second-in-command said, handing me the file. His voice was low. He didn't dare look at me.I took the file, glanced at the numbers, signed it, and tossed it onto the passenger seat.My Beta turned up the heat, but he still didn't speak.He didn't know, and he didn't dare ask, about the necklace I'd been clutching in my coat pocket for the entire drive.It was old, the plating worn and dull, a tiny crack on one edge.A cheap thing I’d bought years ago with my first Alpha stipend.I never thought this necklace would become my only comfort.Late at night, when the camp was quiet, I would sit alone in the truck, rubbing it between my fingers for hours.I'd close my eyes and see her again, at that Pack Full Moon Party.The lights, the music, the crowd. And her, in a white dress, the