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830 Words
The council hall was filled with tension, the scent of dominance thick in the air as the pack’s highest-ranking see testing us," one of Luca’s Betas said. "He wouldn’t send a messenger unless he thought we were weak."
Luca leaned forward, fingers drumming against the table. "Then we remind him why attacking the Bloodmoon Pack is a mistake. But before I decide how to handle this..." His gaze flickered to me again. "Zuriel, what do you think?"
Silence. Every head in the room turned toward me.
He was testing me. He wanted to see where I stood.
I held my chin high, meeting his stare without flinching. "If we retaliate too soon, we’ll be walking into a trap," I said smoothly. "But if we make them think we’re preparing for war, they’ll hesitate. That hesitation gives us an opening—one we can use to strike first."
A beat of silence. Then, to my shock, Luca nodded in approval.
"She’s right," he said.
The room murmured, some in agreement, some in disbelief. I had just proven myself as a strategic Luna—something that made me feel both satisfied and sick at the same time.
As the meeting ended, Luca caught my wrist before I could leave.
"Stay," he murmured.
The others filed out, leaving me alone with him.
"You didn’t hesitate," he said after a long silence.
I forced a smirk. "Would you have preferred I did?"
His fingers tightened slightly on my wrist, his grip warm and firm, but not forceful. "No," he said, voice low. "I prefer a Luna with sharp instincts."
There was something in the way he said it—something unspoken, heavy. He wasn’t just testing my loyalty anymore. He was watching me. Studying me.
Luca stepped closer, the space between us narrowing, his presence overwhelming. His scent—deep, woodsy, laced with something darker—wrapped around me, making my breath hitch for just a second. Too close. Too dangerous.
His thumb brushed my pulse point before he let go. "You belong here," he said, almost softly. "And I’ll make sure everyone knows it."
Then he was gone, leaving me standing there, pulse unsteady.
I should hate him.
So why does it feel like I’m starting to understand him?
Later that night, I stood by my window, staring into the darkened forest. The whispers from the throne spirit had disappeared since I left my old life behind, but the silence felt heavier now.
A rustle of leaves. A shifting of shadows.
I didn’t turn as the shape-shifter emerged from the darkness behind me, his voice a low hiss. "You're playing a dangerous game, Zuriel."
I clenched my fists. "I have Luca’s trust. That will make it easier to bring him down."
"Or harder," he countered. "Do not forget why you’re here."
His hand lifted, revealing a small scroll with a red wax seal. "Your next task," he said. "The Alpha keeps a weapon in his war chamber. It is the key to his pack’s survival. Steal it."
I took the scroll, my pulse pounding. This was dangerous. Too dangerous.
"You hesitate," the shape-shifter whispered. "Are you growing attached?"
I snapped my head toward him, voice sharp. "Never."
But even as I said it, doubt curled in my stomach.
Luca found me in the packhouse corridors as I was heading to my room.
"Walk with me," he said. It wasn’t a request.
I fell into step beside him, every part of me on high alert. Had he discovered something?
"You were impressive today," he said after a moment. "Not many could have stood their ground in that council room."
"It was only logic," I replied, keeping my voice neutral.
Luca hummed, but there was something unreadable in his expression. He was studying me.
After a long pause, he said, "I don’t trust my Betas completely. They follow because I lead. They respect my strength, but loyalty? That’s harder to come by."
His gaze flickered to me. "You, on the other hand..."
I tensed, waiting.
"You’re different."
For a moment, neither of us spoke. He stood too close, his presence overpowering, like he was trying to see into me, past the mask I wore.
I forced a small smirk. "Is that trust I hear, Alpha?"
A ghost of a smile touched his lips, but it didn’t reach his eyes. "Trust is dangerous, Zuriel."
I knew that better than anyone.
Midnight.
I moved like a shadow through the packhouse, my heart steady, my steps silent.
The war chamber was deep within Luca’s territory, heavily guarded. I had studied the shifts, memorized their movements. This was my only window.
Slipping inside, I found the artifact instantly—a silver dagger with ancient runes, resting on a pedestal.
One touch. One mistake. That’s all it would take.
I reached for it—
Footsteps.
I barely had time to react before the chamber door swung open.
Luca stood in the doorway.
His eyes locked onto me.
I was caught.
- Writer
