The Betrayed Luna

9

Lucien POV

As the alpha who had marked Cassius, I could feel when he was in danger. That was the point of our bond wolves swore loyalty to their alpha, and in return, they got protection. The moment Cassius got into a fight, I felt it. I immediately reached out to Luca through the pack bond.

Cassius didn’t start fights, but he didn’t back down from them either. I couldn’t tell if he was facing one wolf or many but I wasn’t going to let him fight alone.

“What’s going on?” Luca asked, peeking into my tent, then stepping back as I moved toward him.

“Cassius’s in trouble,” I said.

Luca’s fists tightened. His eyes scanned the half-set-up campsite. “Close by?”

“He already checked nearby in wolf form,” I said. “Now he’s finishing up on the SHADOWFEN.”

A low growl rumbled from Luca’s chest. That meant Cassius could be miles away.

“Then we take the other SHADOWFEN,” he said, striding toward it with long, strong steps.

Like me, Luca was built for fighting, though taller six and a half feet, dark brown hair falling over his forehead, giving him a playful look that hid his strength. Watching him move with focus and power made me proud of our small pack. Even without our wolves, we could handle almost any human enemy though few dared fight us. Wolf shifters controlled the northwest now.

A sudden shift in the bond made me feel lighter, like a weight had been lifted. The danger was over.

“Wait,” I called after Luca as Cassius sent me a mental signal the best he could manage from so far away.

Thanks to the pack bond, we could talk in wolf form, but only within howling distance. The fact that Cassius sent feelings instead of words meant he was far away. But it didn’t matter.

He was safe.

The wind carried a faint warning as my fellow alpha exhaled, shoulders dropping just a fraction. “Good. He’s cleared the area… let’s hope it stays that way.”

I kept my eyes on the shadows. Danger never slept here in Emberfang, and we all had our jobs. I’d sent Cassius out to scout while Luca and I unloaded supplies, each step heavy with caution.

Time crawled. Then, nearly an hour later, a low hum of a distant SHADOWFEN cut through the silence. Relief hit me like a wave.

Luca had been my friend since childhood, before we even shifted. Cassius, exiled from his old pack, was harder to know but he’d earned my respect the moment I met him. Loyal, strong, quiet… someone who protected his own without needing to prove it.

After we were exiled, Luca and I built the Howling Echo from the ground up. When Cassius appeared again, I offered him a place with us. He didn’t hesitate shifted, bared his throat, and accepted my pack mark. His old pack tattoos vanished before nightfall.

“Someone’s with him,” Luca warned. Our muscles tensed, instincts ready, though I trusted Cassius enough to know he wouldn’t bring danger to our doorstep.

Then I saw her. A woman. My growl was automatic.

Women and I never mixed well. One had taken everything from me my brother, my pack, my freedom. Cassius? He had a soft spot, a weakness I didn’t share.

I’d make sure this one caused no trouble. Clever, secretive, dangerous… she was probably why Cassius had been attacked in the first place.

The SHADOWFEN ground to a halt, and she jumped down from the back with smooth, effortless movement. Her gaze swept over me and Luca, sharp and measured, like she was weighing her next move.

“Cassius,” I said, my tone edged with caution, subtle enough that she might miss it.

Cassius’s eyes flicked to me, catching the warning. Two years in my pack had taught him how to read me and I hoped it would be enough for us to exchange what we needed without giving her an advantage.

He raised the keys, signaling for her to step closer. We circled our belongings, tight and watchful, the air tense with unspoken rules. She looked around, and despite the empty clearing, I felt my senses spike. Why was she even here, in the Emberfang?

I studied her. Lean and strong, though slightly undernourished. Fresh bandages wrapped her forearms. Her long, white hair was pulled back in a ponytail, echoing Cassius’s dark hair. Skin so pale it seemed almost luminous it was clear she rarely worked outside.

“This is Selena,” Cassius introduced. “And this is Pack Alpha Lucien and his first enforcer, Luca.”

He didn’t reveal Luca was an alpha though she could probably tell. Instead, he kept it simple. Every alpha had an enforcer to manage their pack, no matter the size.

Selena lifted her chin and met my gaze. My body stiffened. She quickly dropped her eyes, a subtle tactic letting me think she wasn’t a threat. Alphas could sense each other at a glance. I didn’t feel a full alpha presence in her but she wasn’t just another ordinary wolf either.

“Why did you bring a stranger here?” I demanded, my voice cold and sharp.

Cassius lowered his head but stole a quick look at me before dropping his gaze again.

“She was attacked… hurt and exhausted,” he said slowly. “I thought it would be safer for her to stay here than out in the woods.”

He sounded uneasy, like he was holding something back. I could have questioned him in wolf form, using the pack bond to speak privately, but shifting now would have been too obvious. She would’ve known we had secrets.

I’d deal with him later, once she was gone.

“We can’t take in every lost wolf in the Emberfang, Cassius. She can’t stay,” I said firmly.

Cassius flinched as if I’d hit him. Selena gave a small, calm nod but let her shoulders sag. She started toward the trees, but Cassius reached out and caught her hand. She froze.

“Not even for one night, Lucien?” he asked, voice pleading. “She’s alone… exiled, like us.”