Blood Moon Betrayal

Blood on Snow

I crouched at the edge of the cliff overlooking the lower river crossing, my fingers curled around the leather grip of my spear. Below me, Blackthorn warriors moved through the trees in near silence, burying silver traps beneath the frost-hardened earth exactly where Silas had ordered.

No one questioned my presence anymore.

That was still the strangest part.

Three days ago, these same wolves would have crossed the road to avoid standing near me. Now they looked toward me for instructions before placing barriers or checking the riverbanks.

Cassian climbed the ridge toward me, his boots crunching against the thin layer of ice. "The eastern patrol just returned," he said. "No movement near the border."

"That doesn't mean anything," I replied.

"It means you were right."

I glanced toward him. "About what?"

"Your father." Cassian stopped beside me and folded his arms against the cold. "He isn't attacking like a desperate rogue. He's planning like a commander."

I looked back toward the river below. The water cut through the valley like black glass beneath the moonlight. On the far side of the bank, the forest thickened into a wall of shadows.

Somewhere out there, Rowan was watching us.

"He always preferred patience over force," I said quietly. "When I was younger, he used to leave marks in the woods to test whether I could track him."

Cassian studied me for a moment. "And could you?"

"Most times."

A faint smile touched his mouth before fading again. "Don't be hard on yourself. Silas trusts you completely now."

I don't say anything, just let the weight of those words settle over me.

Suddenly a shrill howl split through the valley below making every warrior straighten and alert.

Another howl followed. Short. Urgent.

Cassian’s expression dropped. "Scout signal."

A gray wolf burst through the tree line moments later, shifting mid-run into human form. It was Darien, one of the northern scouts. Blood streaked across his forehead.

"Movement…near the western bank," he panted. "At least twenty rogues. They're using the tree line for cover."

Cassian swore under his breath. "Where’s the Alpha?"

"Near the grain stores with the southern patrol."

The moment the words left his mouth, flaming arrows tore through the darkness.

One struck the frozen riverbank. Another slammed into a supply cart.

The entire valley erupted into chaos.

"They're trying to burn the reserves!" I shouted.

Blackthorn warriors surged toward the crossing. Rogues burst from the forest in coordinated lines instead of a reckless charge. Some carried hooked chains to drag barricades apart while others fired arrows tipped with burning cloth toward the grain wagons behind the defenses.

This wasn't a raid. The precise targets of their attack gave that away.

I ran down the ridge with Cassian beside me, the freezing wind tearing through my cloak. By the time we reached the crossing, wolves were already fighting knee-deep in mud and snow.

I spotted Silas immediately.

He stood near the center of the defensive line in his human form, sword flashing beneath the moonlight as he drove back two rogues at once. Even weakened from the silver poison, he moved with brutal precision.

But Rowan’s wolves weren't trying to win the fight.

They were creating distractions.

Then I saw it.

Three rogues breaking away from the battle with oil cans strapped across their backs. They were heading straight for the grain stores.

"Silas!" I yelled.

One of the rogues hurled a can. It shattered against the side of a wagon, thick black oil spilling across the wood.

Another raised a torch.

I sprinted toward them.

The first rogue saw me coming and swung a curved blade toward my ribs. I ducked beneath it and slammed the butt of my spear into his throat hard enough to send him stumbling backward. The second rogue lit the oil and flames exploded across the wagon.

Heat slammed into me as fire raced toward the stacked grain crates behind it. If the reserves caught fire, Blackthorn would starve before winter ended.

I grabbed a nearby tarp soaked with snow and threw myself toward the flames.

Pain ripped through my palms as I smothered the fire against the wagon. Smoke filled my lungs. Another rogue crashed into me from behind, knocking me hard into the frozen ground.

The impact sent sharp pain through my side.

The rogue raised a dagger.

Before he could strike, a black wolf tore through him with enough force to snap bone.

Silas.

He shifted back almost immediately, blood covering his arms as he hauled me upright. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," I coughed.

It was a lie.

The rogue’s blade had sliced across my ribs during the fall. Warm blood soaked beneath my tunic.

Silas noticed instantly. His expression darkened.

My eyes widen when Rowan leaps out of the forest. He wasn't hiding this time. Moonlight caught the silver strands in his dark hair and the scar running along his jaw. His eyes locked onto mine across the battlefield.

"Still protecting the wolves who chained you?" he called.

Silas stepped slightly in front of me.

My father laughed softly. "Look at you, Blackthorn. Guarding my daughter like she belongs to you after throwing her into the dirt."

"She belongs to this pack," Silas said coldly.

Rowan’s gaze shifted toward me. "Come with me, June. The Blackthorns will never truly forget what you are. You know that."

Around us, the battle seemed to dull for a moment beneath the weight of his voice.

"I already made my choice," I replied.

Disappointment flickered across his face before hardening into anger.

"Then die with them."

He lunged.

Silas met him head-on, the clash of steel echoing across the crossing. Rowan fought like a wolf with nothing left to lose, striking fast and vicious while the remaining rogues tried to force openings through the Blackthorn line.

I grabbed my spear again despite the burning pain in my side.

Silas blocked a strike aimed at his throat, but Rowan twisted suddenly and drove a hidden blade toward his injured shoulder.

I moved before thinking.

I slammed my spear sideways between them, knocking Rowan’s arm off course. The blade sliced across my ribs instead.

Pain exploded through me.

But Rowan was exposed.

Silas drove his sword forward instantly.

At the same moment, I twisted the spear and thrust upward with every ounce of strength I had left.

The sharpened point punched deep into Rowan’s side just below his ribs.

My father let out a raw, furious snarl.

Blood poured down the dark fabric of his coat.

For the first time in my life, I saw real shock in his eyes.

Silas stepped forward to finish it, but the remaining rogues closed around Rowan immediately, dragging him backward toward the trees.

"This isn't over!" Rowan roared as they retreated into the darkness.

The battle collapsed into silence broken only by heavy breathing and the crackling remains of fire near the wagons.

My legs suddenly felt weak. Silas turned toward me just as blood began soaking heavily through my tunic.

His face lost all color.

"June."

I tried to answer, but the world tilted violently. Strong hands caught me before I hit the ground.

Silas lowered himself with me into the snow, one arm wrapped tightly around my back while his other hand pressed against the wound at my ribs.

"Stay awake," he ordered roughly.

"I'm trying," I whispered.

His jaw clenched hard enough to c***k stone. "That was not the agreement."

Despite the pain, a weak laugh escaped me. "What agreement?"

"The one where you stop getting stabbed every time I turn around."

I looked up at him through blurred vision, the fear in his eyes stunned me more than the wound. Like the thought of losing me was something unbearable.

"He’s hurt badly," I murmured. "I hit his lung."

A grim satisfaction flickered across Silas’s face. "Good."

The snow began falling harder around us, dusting silver across the battlefield. Behind Silas, Blackthorn warriors moved through the wreckage of the crossing, extinguishing flames and dragging bodies away from the riverbank.

But Silas didn't move.

He stayed kneeling in the snow with one hand against my ribs and the other gripping mine so tightly it almost hurt.

And for the

first time since the Blood Moon Ceremony, the hollow ache between us felt warm instead of empty.