chapter seven
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CHAPTER SEVEN
THE BETRAYAL
Liana barely slept that night.
Her mother's letter remained on the desk beside her bed.
DO NOT TRUST ANYONE WHO CLAIMS TO KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT HER. NOT EVEN THE ALPHA.
Every time she closed her eyes, those words returned.
She didn't know whether Kael was protecting her or hiding something from her.
The following morning, Liana left her room and found Ethan waiting outside.
“Alpha wants to see you.”
“Where?”
“The training grounds.”
Liana followed him downstairs.
The estate was unusually quiet.
“Where is everyone?” she asked.
“Preparing for tonight's council meeting.”
“Council meeting?”
Ethan nodded.
“The elders are coming.”
“Why?”
“To discuss you.”
Liana stopped walking.
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Ethan looked uncomfortable.
“Because of the Moonstone.”
Before Liana could ask another question, they reached the training grounds.
Kael stood in the center, speaking to several guards.
When he saw Liana, he dismissed them.
“Come here.”
Liana walked toward him.
“You wanted to see me?”
“Yes.”
Kael held out a small box.
“What's that?”
“Your mother's pendant belongs inside it when you're not wearing it.”
Liana frowned.
“Why?”
“Because its energy can be detected.”
“By whom?”
“Anyone searching for the Moonstone.”
She took the box.
“You keep saying people are searching for it, but you still haven't told me where it is.”
“We don't know.”
“Then how am I supposed to find it?”
Kael's expression softened slightly.
“Maybe you aren't supposed to find it yet.”
Liana looked away.
“I don't know who to trust anymore.”
Kael stepped closer.
“You can trust me.”
She looked into his eyes.
“My mother told me not to.”
A long silence followed.
Kael didn't become angry.
Instead, he said quietly, “Your mother had a reason.”
“Then tell me what it was.”
Before Kael could answer, a scream came from the mansion.
Everyone turned.
Ethan immediately ran toward the building.
Kael grabbed Liana's hand.
“Stay with me.”
They hurried inside.
A guard was lying unconscious near the staircase.
Ethan crouched beside him.
“He's breathing.”
Kael looked around.
“What happened?”
Another guard pointed toward the upper hallway.
“We saw someone running toward the archive.”
Kael's expression darkened.
“The archive?”
“Yes.”
Kael immediately moved.
Liana followed.
They reached the archive doors.
They were open.
Inside, shelves had been overturned.
Documents covered the floor.
Ethan picked up a torn page.
“Alpha…”
Kael took it.
His face changed.
“What is it?” Liana asked.
He handed her the page.
At the top was her family name.
VALE BLOODLINE — CLASSIFIED
Liana's heart raced.
“What does classified mean?”
Kael didn't answer.
Then Ethan suddenly pointed toward the window.
“Someone escaped.”
Kael ran outside.
Liana remained frozen.
Then she noticed something on the floor.
A small black ring.
She picked it up.
The same symbol from her mother's pendant was engraved inside.
“Liana!”
She quickly hid the ring in her hand.
Kael returned.
“Did you find anything?”
Liana hesitated.
“No.”
It was the first lie she had ever told him.
Kael studied her face.
For a moment, she wondered whether he knew.
Then Ethan shouted from the doorway.
“Alpha! There's another message.”
Everyone turned.
A piece of black paper had been pinned to the wall.
Kael pulled it free.
His eyes moved across the words.
His expression became dangerously calm.
Liana whispered, “What does it say?”
Kael looked at her.
“It says the traitor is already inside the pack.”
Liana's fingers tightened around the hidden ring.
Suddenly, she wasn't sure whether the traitor was someone Kael trusted…
or someone she trusted.
And for the first time, Liana wondered if the stranger from the forest had been warning her about the Black Moon Pack—or leading her into something much more dangerous.
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