The corridor was quiet, but my ears caught every word, every footstep, every sigh. I pressed against the wall, careful not to make a sound. I didn’t know what I was expecting. Anger, lies, half-truths, but I knew I had to hear this.
My mother’s voice came first, low and firm. “Tell me the truth, Luna. You’ve been hiding it for years. Where is my family in all this? What did you let happen?”
I held my breath. Her voice stirred something inside me. My pulse thudded in my ears like a warning drum.
The Luna’s reply trembled. “You don’t understand, Mara. The things I’ve seen… the orders I’ve carried out. The blood on my hands…”
“Orders?” My mother snapped. “From who? You’ve let Alpha Aleric get away with this for decades!”
“I didn’t lie.” the Luna whispered. “I protected who I could. But t
