Page 69 of Moonlit Fate

“Could be,” Atticus mused. “Either way, it seems the shack wasn’t just offering healing; it was leading us to answers.”

“Answers we need,” I said.

Without another word, Atticus and I shifted into our wolf forms. The transformation was swift, a rush that never ceased to thrill me. My fur bristled with the energy of the magic inside me.

Side by side, we burst through the forest, muscular legs propelling us. The wind whipped through my fur as we ran, every muscle in my body in perfect harmony with Atticus. The trees blurred past, reduced to mere strokes of green and brown as we raced against time itself. With each leap, the manor drew closer. My pack drew closer.

We approached the daunting silhouette of my home and slowed, our forms shifting back to human in a pull of sinew and skin, a transformation that never lost its wild grace. Thanks to the magic, I still had the book tucked against me. I didn’t question how that worked—it was far beyond my abilities.

Atticus stood beside me. “Ready?”

“I am.” I drew on courage I hadn’t known I possessed until he’d entered my life.

As we crossed the threshold, the atmosphere bristled with tension. Ragnar met us in the foyer, his luminescent silver eyes betraying his fury. Beside him, Larkin exuded an aura of smug satisfaction, his smirk a crack in his otherwise stoic demeanor. Atticus stiffened, his muscles tightening. A predator ready to pounce.

“Back again, rogue?” My father’s disdain rang through the air as he glared at Atticus. “Your presence here is as unwelcome as it was before.”

Atticus’s jaw clenched, but he remained as calmly controlled as the stillness of a winter lake. “I come bearing no ill will, Alpha Ragnar. Only concern for your daughter and your pack.”

I could tell it took immense effort for him to maintain that calm. An electric current charged the air around us.

“Your concern has been noted,” Ragnar said, each word deliberate and slow.

I stepped forward, placing a hand on Atticus’s arm, a silent message of solidarity. The manor was my birthright, but it was this man, this rogue, who was my future.

“We need to talk,” I said to my father. “There are things you must know.”

Ragnar glanced at me, the intensity in his eyes softening a fraction. A silent conversation passed between us, a lifetime of expectation distilled into a single moment.

“Come.” He turned on his heel and disappeared through the grand entrance of the manor.

Larkin followed, the gleam in his eye reminiscent of a blade catching the light just before the strike. I suppressed a shiver, knowing full well the complexity of the web we were about to step into.

“Come on.” I squeezed Atticus’s arm before releasing him and moving to follow my father. With each step, my future pressed down on me, but it was a burden I no longer bore alone.

We followed my father and Larkin into the library, where I wasted no time getting to the point.

“Atticus saved me!” I exclaimed, my voice echoing through the room. “While you were busy playing politics with Larkin, Atticus and his people defended our borders against the Crimson Fang. I was injured. I almost died!”

Before my father could interject, I kept going. “Your choice of mate for me has brought nothing but unrest. By aligning with the Crimson Fang, you’re not just gambling with my future, Father, but the future of our entire pack.” The words spilled from my lips, each an unspoken plea for him to see reason.“We now need an alliance with the rogues. Without it, we are vulnerable on all sides.”

Ragnar narrowed his eyes as his face flushed in anger. He advanced toward me, inspecting me with a skeptic’s gaze. “If you were so gravely injured, where is your injury now?”

I knew better than to mention magic to a man rooted in reality. “It’s a long story, but I was healed. And I am standing here before you because of that fact.”

“Your tales grow tiresome. And they make me question whether you have the wisdom to lead this pack.”

“Believe what you will, Father,” I said softly, steeling myself against his judgment. “But know this—my loyalty to our pack is as unyielding as yours. And I will do whatever it takes to protect them.”

“Ragnar,” Atticus said, “I wasn’t alone when I heard Larkin’s betrayal. Eldan was there. He heard every vile word that slithered from Larkin’s lips.”

I nodded at Atticus, urging him to share it all. The truth needed to come out, now more than ever.

“Tell us, then,” Ragnar said in challenge as he crossed his muscular arms over his chest, a formidable silhouette against the stone walls of the library.

“Eldan and I heard Larkin plotting with the Crimson Fang, speaking of things no true member of Silver Claw would dare whisper,” Atticus said, head held high, his tone somber. “He spoke of Aria’s imminent death, said she needed to be kept alive until they were mated to secure his own ascension. You cannot ignore this.”

“Surely you cannot believe these lies, Alpha?” Larkin said scornfully.

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