Moonlit Rebirth: The Alpha's Betrayed Mate

Hidden Truths

☽ Lucan ☾

The horn in Ashridge didn’t stop. It cut through the stone hall and shook dust from the rafters. Ignatius gripped my shoulder and guided me out of the library fast.

“Stay close,” he said. Guards ran the corridor. Some had already shifted, while others carried their weapons ready. I caught it beneath the natural scent of Ashridge. Rogues. More than one. Ignatius snapped orders to the nearest guard. “East wall. Two pairs on the ridge. Contain,” we pushed outside into the cold air. Ashridge’s cabins sat tight behind stone markers. Beyond them, the forest waited, dark and listening. “They tracked you,” Ignatius said.

“I didn’t see them,” I admitted as a wave of guilt washed over me.

“That’s why they did it,” he replied. “They wanted you to lead them here,” my stomach tightened.

“Then they know I looked in your records,”

“Or they suspect,” he said as he gazed over the tree line. “Either way, they are getting bold,” a shout rang from the ridge. A rogue burst from the brush, sprinting along the stones. Ashridge wolves met him hard, dragging him down. More shadows moved behind him. Ignatius shoved a small leather pouch into my hand. “Those excerpts. Keep them dry,” he added, a strip of dark cloth that smelled like bitter resin. “Wrap it around your boot. It will dull your trail for a few hours,” I tied it tight. “You leave now,” Ignatius said.

“If I leave, I drag them back to Moonreach,” I argued. I had to protect Nyra.

“If you stay, you die here,” he said, calm as iron. “And your girl loses her only shield,” somehow his words landed hard. Probably because they were true. He leaned in. “The White Wolf line was hunted for a reason. Don’t underestimate how far they will go to reach her…to take her power. To end her,”

“I won’t,” I promised. He pushed me toward the trees.

“Go. Now,” he ordered, and I made a run for it. I cut through the eastern slope and kept my breathing controlled. I stepped through water where I could and crossed broken ground where prints wouldn’t hold. Twice I heard branches snap behind me, too measured to be deer. I knew I was being followed. I had to change my plan of action. I crept forward and then doubled back and climbed one of the bigger trees. Then I waited. I watched. When I saw them, I froze as I held my breath. They ran right past me. Four of them. Still, I waited. Almost two hours passed, and when they didn’t come back, I slowly untangled myself and started the journey home. I made sure to keep my steps light and my breathing low. But I knew I had lost them. By nightfall, I reached Moonreach territory. Relief came with tension. The truth was that I was tired and hungry. But our border markers stood firm, even though the forest felt too quiet. Two guards stepped out as their eyes narrowed in confusion.

“Lucan,” Timothy said. “Where have you been?”

“Gathering herbs,” I replied, my voice flat. I gestured to the bag I had slung over my shoulder. “As per Iseya's request,” I added. Timothy glanced at Adam, who looked bored. But Timothy frowned as he studied me.

“You smell like another pack,”

“I went far,” I said. “Move,” Adam immediately stepped back, but Timothy hesitated. A moment later, he let me pass. Inside, Moonreach wasn’t calmer. People watched me the way they watched Nyra. Like we were trouble. I ignored them and headed straight for our cabin. Nyra opened the door before I reached it. Almost as if she had been anticipating my arrival. Her hair was loose, her face pale, and her eyes too sharp.

“Finally, you are back,” she said, and her voice cracked as she reached for me.

“I’m back,” I answered as I wrapped my arms around her.

“Did you find anything?” she asked when she pulled back. I nodded as I led her into the living room.

“I did,”

“Tell me,” she urged. I spread out the papers.

“Ashridge keeps old records. They call White Wolves Moonbound. Chosen by the moon’s will. Packs turned it into a legend and started calling it a goddess, but the records treat it like a force, not a person,” Nyra’s brows drew together.

“So, I’m…chosen?”

“You are marked,” I said. “And that is why they want you,”

“What can a White Wolf do?”

“Resist Alpha pressure,” I said. “Sense deceit during moon rituals. Disrupt blood rites. Break corrupted bonds,” Nyra exhaled slowly.

“That explains why Zarek’s rejection hurt, but it didn’t break me,”

“It also explains why Vespera’s ritual failed when you shattered the artifact,” I said. Nyra tapped a sketch.

“This symbol. I saw it in the lair,”

“It’s part of a rite called the Hollow Rite,” I said. “They use an artifact shard…Veinstone. It anchors the ritual and helps siphon power,” Nyra’s fingers curled.

“So, if I destroyed one, they can find another,” she sounded defeated, and I sighed softly as I nodded.

“Yes,” I admitted. “That means that they will try again,” her gaze lifted, steady and cold.

“And the Rogue King? Vaelor?”

“Old records call him an exiled Alpha. Ignatius warned that when he moves, packs burn,” I said. This wasn’t exactly news to either of us, but still. The magnitude of the situation was hard. Nyra’s eyes shone with anger held under control.

“Then we need proof against Vespera. We need to show the elders,” I nodded in agreement.

“We build a case. We watch. We catch her meeting someone she shouldn’t…the more information we have, the better we can argue to prove the truth,” Nyra’s shoulders dropped slightly. It was as if she was overcome with relief. Relieved to have a plan in place. Something solid.

“Thank you,” she said quietly. “For believing me. For going to find this,” I reached out and took her hand in mine before I squeezed gently.

“Hey, I’m here,” I reassured her, but Nyra studied me closely. I tried to pull back, but she gripped my hand in hers.

“Lucan…you are hiding something,”

“I’m not,” I lied, softly. The truth was, I had held back the sharpest edges. The warning that someone had followed me into Ashridge territory. The sense that this was bigger than one traitor inside Moonreach. Nyra needed hope, not more fear. Her grip slackened, and I gathered the papers and tied the cord. “Rest,” I told her. “Tomorrow we start watching,” Nyra nodded, but then she hesitated. “What?”

“If they come again…I will not hide, Lucan,” she warned. My chest tightened as I stared at her.

“You won’t have to face them alone,” I said as I went over to the window and looked outside. It was dark, and I was not only tired but hungry.

“I made a chicken salad, Lucan,” Nyra said, and I couldn’t help but smile. She knew me all too well. “It’s in the fridge. Eat, shower, and get some rest,” she added before she left me alone. I did exactly as she suggested. I ate a big portion of the chicken salad, washed out my bowl, and took a long, hot shower before I climbed into bed.

☽☾