Aria's POV
"Well, well," Marcus's voice cuts through the darkness. "Isn't this interesting."
Luna Catherine moves in front of me instantly. Her body blocks the entrance to the den like a shield.
"Marcus," she says, her voice hard. "What are you doing here?"
"Following you, Luna." His shadow fills the opening. "Did you really think I wouldn't notice you sneaking out of pack territory? Stealing supplies? Coming to find the little liar?"
"She's not a liar," Luna snaps.
My heart pounds so hard I can hear it. My wolf snarls weakly, but I'm too exhausted to shift. Too weak to fight.
If Marcus attacks, we're dead.
"Oh, but she is." Marcus crouches down, his face coming into view. That handsome smile looks like poison now. "She lied about the baby being Dominic's. She lied about being some innocent victim."
"You forced her to confess publicly," Luna says. "You set her up."
"I exposed the truth." His eyes find mine in the darkness. Cold. Cruel. "Didn't I, Aria?"
I can't speak. Can barely breathe.
Luna's hand reaches back, finds my arm, squeezes gently. Telling me to stay quiet. Stay still.
"What do you want, Marcus?" she asks.
"Just checking on our little exile." He tilts his head. "Making sure she hasn't died yet. That would be... unfortunate."
Something in his tone makes my blood freeze.
"You want her alive," Luna says slowly. "Why?"
Marcus's smile widens.
"Because dead girls can't reveal secrets."
"What secrets?"
He laughs. The sound echoes off the rocks, making my skin crawl.
"You found the birth certificate, didn't you?" He looks at Luna. "In the archives. Hidden where no one was supposed to look."
Luna stiffens.
"How did you—"
"I've been watching you, Luna. For weeks now. Ever since you started asking questions about the Moonwhisper Pack massacre."
My breath catches.
The Moonwhisper Pack. My real family.
"You know," Luna breathes. "You know who she is."
"Of course I know." Marcus's eyes lock on mine. "I've always known. Since the day the Winters brought her to Silvermoon. A three-year-old orphan with silver streaks in her hair and power she couldn't control."
"Silver..." I whisper.
My wolf. My fur has silver in it now. Just like—
"Just like her mother," Marcus finishes. "The Luna of the Moonwhisper Pack. The most powerful Alpha bloodline in the region."
"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Luna demands.
"Because keeping her hidden was more valuable." He stands up, brushing dirt from his pants. "The people who ordered the Moonwhisper massacre paid very well for confirmation that every pack member died. Every. Single. One."
Horror floods through me.
"You helped them," I choke out. "You helped murder my family."
"I was fifteen." Marcus shrugs. "My father helped. I just... inherited the contract when he died. And the very generous payment that comes with making sure no Moonwhisper wolves survive."
"You monster," Luna hisses.
"I'm practical." His smile fades. "And now I have a problem. Because little Aria here didn't just survive—she got pregnant with an Alpha heir. A baby that will carry Moonwhisper blood AND Blackthorne blood."
My hand moves to my stomach protectively.
"You can't touch her," Luna says.
"I can do whatever I want." Marcus's voice turns cold. "But killing her now would raise questions. Dominic might not believe the baby is his, but others saw how he looked at her that night. How he watched her leave his office."
"He rejected me," I whisper.
"He rejected the situation." Marcus crouches again. "But his wolf recognized yours, didn't it? Even weak and pathetic as you were, something in him knew."
Tears burn my eyes.
"The mate bond," Luna says softly. "It was real."
"Real enough to complicate things." Marcus nods. "So here's what's going to happen. Aria is going to disappear. Quietly. Completely. And in a few months, when her body is found—tragic rogue attack—no one will ask questions."
"I'll tell Dominic," Luna says desperately. "I'll tell him everything—"
"Tell him what? That you believe a lying omega over his Beta? That you think I'm part of some conspiracy?" Marcus laughs. "He'll think you've lost your mind. Just like he thinks Aria lost hers."
He's right.
Dominic won't believe us. Won't even listen.
"Besides," Marcus continues, "if you tell anyone, I'll make sure the baby dies first. Slowly. While Aria watches."
Luna's whole body shakes with rage.
But we both know we're trapped.
Marcus has all the power. All the control.
"Now," he says cheerfully, "I'm going to go back to the pack and report that I followed you, Luna, but lost your trail. You'll return tomorrow, tell everyone you needed time to grieve the exile. And Aria will stay here, slowly starving, until nature takes its course."
He starts to stand—
Luna moves faster than I've ever seen.
Her hand flies out, grabbing a sharp rock from the den floor. She lunges forward and drives it into Marcus's leg.
He screams.
"RUN!" Luna shouts at me.
I scramble out the back of the den, my weak body screaming in protest.
Behind me, I hear fighting. Snarling. Marcus roaring in rage.
"I SAID RUN!" Luna's voice again.
I run.
My legs shake. My vision blurs. But I run.
Through trees. Over rocks. Deeper into neutral territory.
Behind me, a wolf howls.
Marcus.
But then another howl joins it.
Luna.
She shifted. She's fighting him.
I want to go back. Want to help her.
But my wolf snarls: She's buying us time. Don't waste it.
I run until my legs give out.
When I finally collapse, I'm in a small clearing. The moon is high overhead.
I lie on my back, gasping, one hand on my stomach.
"Please be okay," I whisper to the baby. "Please, please be okay."
Footsteps approach.
I try to get up but can't.
If it's Marcus, I'm dead.
But the figure that appears is Luna. Human form. Covered in blood and dirt. Limping badly.
"Luna!" I gasp.
She collapses beside me.
"He's... he's not dead," she pants. "But I hurt him badly. Bought us time."
"You're bleeding—"
"I'll heal." She grabs my hand. "But we can't stay here. We have to move. Now."
"I can't—"
"You can." Her voice is fierce. "You're an Alpha's daughter, Aria. You're stronger than you know."
She pulls a backpack from her shoulders. Inside are supplies. Food. Water. Medicine.
"I packed this before I left," she says. "I was coming to find you anyway. Marcus just... accelerated the timeline."
I stare at her.
"You left the pack? For me?"
"A pack that exiles pregnant wolves isn't worth my loyalty." Her eyes are fierce. Determined. "And a pack that covers up genocide doesn't deserve my service."
Tears stream down my face.
"Why are you helping me?"
"Because it's the right thing to do." She helps me sit up, pushes water into my hands. "And because I failed you once. I won't fail you again."