Moonlight betrayal: Fated to my enemy.

weight of her own words settl

the world... the one

ce. The words tasted bitter on her tongue, like poison that had festered inside her for too long. She clenched her

pression unreadable, but the concern in h

too much. "No. Don't." Her voice cracked, heavy with the weight of years of

ned steady, unwavering. Then, slowly, he reached out, his

ly. "But I need you to

ry breath felt lik

ything. He made my mother a widow. He made Morgan the Alpha. And because of that, Lucia and her friends never let me live a day in peace.

anchoring her to the present. "I know," he murmured. "

blurred, bu

ry. Maybe then, the pain wo

moon cast long shadows across the ground, making everything feel heavier, like

but not intruding. He did

he dirt as she spoke. "It all started years ago. Before I was even bor

htly, encouragin

en us. Every three years, one pack would take leadership over shared lands, resources, and trade. It was a cycle tha

ut it didn't reach her eyes. "B

kened slightly.

hakily. "The w

I thought the s

was granted an extra th

ows furro

ected disasters-crop failures, rogue attacks. My father asked

ilent, absorb

hey said we were trying to keep control forever. Alpha Derek demanded a council meeting, but when my father

reath, her hands c

the third n

rkened. "The one whe

nod

Third Negotiati

t. The negotiation was supposed to bring peace, but from the

cross the faces of the warriors standing guard, their hands resting lightly on their we

sion hard as stone. Beside him were his strongest war

is expression carefully controlled. But beside him, lurking in the sh

coldly. "Twice. And both times, your

his voice calm but unwavering. "Blue Pack

ek snapped. "You expect us to watch

ng into a smirk. "Rightfully yours? You mea

s. Either the leadership returns to D

read throug

g them. "We don't need to fight. Ther

re is no peace when

ith something almost like regret

oment, but he didn't lower his guard

ckened to a suf

yone could rea

d gasp tore th

ered. His e

st. A dagger-black as night-

gasps fill

erupted i

n blood. His gaze flickered to Charles, co

horror twisting his fea

was t

ody hit t

reath. The

e fragile peace betwee

-

n the

No one knows who did it. Some say it was a rogue assassin. Some sa

tened. "And the

e refused to let them fall. Her

ping her hands in his. "You

bitter laugh

ft but unwavering. "You're sti

d, looking away. "

in a quiet voice, he said,

breath

d her, his

she hadn't said. And somehow, he knew