Five: Moonlit Betrayal

Mara’s POV

“Did you hear that?” whispered a voice behind me as I stepped out.

I froze mid-step, my wolf tensing beneath my skin, every muscle coiled. The dim torchlight of the servants’ corridor flickered across stone walls, casting long, moving shadows.

“I didn’t hear anything,” I replied evenly, my eyes narrowing at the figure huddled against the wall. It was Lira, one of the younger servants, her hands trembling as she clutched a tray of food.

“You didn’t hear that?” she pressed again, panic edging her voice. “Something moved… someone was watching!”

I tilted my head, studying her. She smelled of fear, yes, but there was something else, a faint undercurrent of wolf, restless and waiting. Curious and dangerous. I had to keep her close… for now. Information first.

“Calm down,” I said softly, stepping closer. My presence alone made her back stiffen. “If you want to survive here, you need to move quietly. Always.”

Her wide eyes flicked to mine, her lips parting. “You… you’re not afraid?”

I allowed a faint smile, but it didn’t reach my eyes. “Fear is a luxury rogue like me can’t afford.”

The words barely left my mouth before a soft, almost imperceptible click echoed from deeper in the corridor. My wolf growled low, claws raking at my insides. He’s close. I pressed a hand to the wall, moving Lira behind me, letting her feel the immediate presence of someone or something, watching us.

“Go to your quarters,” I ordered, keeping my voice low but sharp. “and don’t make a sound.”

She bolted before I could say more, leaving only the echo of her steps and the faint smell of terror in her wake. I pressed my back against the wall, eyes narrowing into the darkness. Whoever, or whatever was out there knew exactly where I was.

I didn’t move. Instead, I let my wolf stretch, creeping up my spine like a shadow, listening. The corridor remained still, yet the hair on my arms rose. My senses sharpened, my heart slowing into a calculated rhythm, waited for the mistake.

A figure emerged from the shadows, tall, lithe, moving without a sound. My pulse hitched as the scent hit me first: Bloodfang, yes… but something darker, something familiar.

“Mara,” the voice hissed, low, urgent, a whisper meant for only me.

I stepped forward, dagger in hand, or at least, the memory of it, my wolf itching for claws I couldn’t unleash yet. “Who are you?” I demanded.

The figure paused, leaning against the wall, arms crossed. A hood shadowed their face. “I don’t have time to waste. Meet me tonight, by the east tower. Alone.”

My wolf snapped, growling, but I silenced her with a thought. Caution, not confrontation.

“Why should I trust you?” I asked, stepping closer. Every instinct screamed danger.

“Because I know why you’re here. I know what you want.” The figure slipped into the darkness, disappearing before I could take another step.

My wolf howled softly in frustration. Too many players and many masks.

I pressed my back to the wall, heart still pounding, mind already mapping the east tower. The Blood Moon was less than a week away, and every move here was a step closer to war, or death. I had to be ready.

By midday, I was moving through the packhouse, my tasks carefully performed, my senses alert to every whisper, every sideways glance.

Servants stared, wolves lingered too long in doorways, and I felt the Alpha’s presence before I even glimpsed him. He prowled the corridors like a shadow that belonged to the walls themselves. I could smell him before I saw him, the dominance, the unyielding strength, the thread of curiosity and irritation that wound through every step.

“You move differently when you think no one’s watching,” Ronald said, his voice low and smooth, cutting through the corridor. I froze, but didn’t flinch. He emerged from the shadows, hands behind his back, eyes narrowing like molten gold.

“I move differently when I don’t want to get caught,” I replied evenly, tilting my chin.

His lips curved faintly. “Clever,” he murmured, pacing closer. “Too clever for your own good.”

My wolf growled softly, vibrating through me. Control yourself.

“I’ve learned from the best,” I said, letting my voice carry just enough defiance to tease him without revealing anything.

Ronald’s eyes flicked to the east tower. The corners of his mouth tightened imperceptibly. “The Blood Moon comes,” he said, almost to himself. “It always changes things.”

“Yes,” I whispered, keeping my tone even, careful not to show the thrum of nerves that always came when he spoke like this. “It’s coming.”

He didn’t respond, simply turned and disappeared into the shadowed hallway. I let out a quiet breath. Observation first, action later.

Night came fast, moonlight spilling through the high windows of my quarters. I had prepared, memorized, and planned. Everything in the east tower was visible from the ledge, everything I could reach without raising suspicion.

The hooded figure appeared like a shadow melting into the night, the click of their boots barely audible against the stone.

“You came,” I whispered, dagger finally in hand, hidden beneath my cloak.

“I did,” they said softly. “You’re in more danger than you realize. Bloodfang isn’t just an Alpha… the council has moved, and they’ve planted spies throughout his household.”

My pulse hitched. “Spies? Here? Who?”

“They don’t reveal themselves to me. They hide in plain sight. Servants, guards… even his advisors. If the Blood Moon passes and you’re unprepared…” The voice trailed off, leaving the threat hanging like a blade above my head.

“Why are you helping me?” I asked, cold and sharp. “Do I even know you?”

“You don’t need to know me. You need to survive.” The figure moved closer, finally lowering the hood. The face was masked in shadow, features obscured. Only the voice remained, a whisper that carried power, warning, and danger.

I narrowed my eyes. “If you betray me…”

“You’ll be dead before dawn,” they interrupted smoothly. “I know. That’s why I came. You’re not just any rogue… you’re the last Silverfang. The bond between you and the Alpha… it’s more than he realizes.”

My wolf growled low in my mind, claws raking at my insides. The bond… he knows, but doesn’t understand it. Yet.

“What do you want from me?” I pressed, steady but sharp.

“To survive tonight and to watch the pieces fall,” the figure said, before disappearing into the shadows as silently as they had arrived.

I pressed my back to the cold stone of the tower, mind racing. Spies… the Alpha’s bond… the Blood Moon… Everything was converging, tightening around me like a noose. One wrong move, one glance in the wrong direction, and I’d be dead.

I didn’t sleep. The hour before midnight crept like a predator stalking its prey. I moved through the servant corridors, every footfall measured, every shadow studied. My wolf howled softly, restless, drawn to the scent of danger from Ronald.

I reached the east tower just as the clock struck midnight. The moon bathed the stone in silver, casting long, sharp shadows. I paused, scanning, no sign of the hooded figure, no hint of movement.

And then I heard it: a whisper of cloth against stone.

I spun, dagger raised. My wolf surged, claws itching to erupt. From the shadows, a figure emerged, tall, imposing. Golden eyes glimmered in the moonlight, a faint scar catching the silver. Ronald.

“You shouldn’t be here,” he said, voice low, dangerous.

“And yet I am,” I replied evenly, keeping the edge of my own sharpness intact. “I heard whispers. I followed them.”

His wolf growled beneath the surface of his skin, low and feral, eyes narrowing. “You are playing a dangerous game, Mara,” he said. “You think you can step into my territory and survive.”

“I don’t think,” I said, stepping closer. “I know.”

He took a slow step toward me, the space between us charged, heavy with dominance, desire, and unspoken danger. My wolf hissed, claws dragging beneath my ribs.

Then… a flicker of movement behind him. Shadows detaching themselves from the stone. My blood ran cold.

I whirled, too late.

A blade glinted in the moonlight.

And before I could react, it sliced through the air toward Ronald.