Chapter 99 Lies, lies, lies

Chapter 99 Lies, lies, lies
Hey, my loves!
We are officially in the final stretch, though I have a feeling this book will be even longer than The Alpha's Miracle. As soon as I wrap this up, I’ll be diving into Orium and Odessa's story (honestly, sometimes I write Orium, sometimes Orion, lmao). Get ready, because their story is going to make you guys so mad! Hehe.
XOXO!

HIM
"Alpha Ares," Lord Zaffir spoke, his voice carrying the calm authority of an ancient immortal. "I am pleased to see that your lycan nature has returned even more powerful than before. However, I assume this means our previous plans are officially aborted."
"I am grateful to you, Lord Zaffir, for everything," I replied, my voice deep, vibrating with the newfound power running through my veins. "But I believe the human world is no place for me, not now that I am whole again."
"Know that you will always be welcome for a visit, both at my castle and my son’s."
He extended his hand. I locked my fingers into his in a firm grip that sealed a silent, unyielding alliance. A vampire I had actually learned to trust.
"Well, I must head back to my own territory before my Alpha returns and notices my absence," Lord Agar chimed in, adjusting his cuffs. "I despise having to explain my every move, but these young Alphas nowadays... you know how they are."
I shook Lord Agar's hand, offering a respectful nod for coming to tend to my wounds.
"Can you explain to me how my female managed to mark me?" I asked, the burning phantom sensation of the bond still searing my neck. "How is that possible?"
Lord Agar chuckled, a knowing glint in his eyes. "Does it really need an explanation, boy? She is a born Luna. A direct blessing from the Moon Goddess into our lives."
"But humans do not possess the mating toxin to trigger a bond," I insisted, my inner wolf pacing restlessly, still confused by the sheer power of the pull.
"She is no ordinary human. Hecate works in mysterious ways," Lord Agar replied, his tone turning serious. "Luna Esmeralda possesses everything your inner lycan needs. That should be enough for you, Alpha Ares. Cherish the blessings you have been given, young man. Dófona, accompany me to the border, please. We have matters to discuss."
I escorted my guests to the grand doors. Before they could even clear the courtyard, General Igor came sprinting toward me. His face was entirely bloodless, a sickly pale that made my instincts spike.
"My Alpha... she isn’t there!"
"What do you mean, General?" I growled, a dark foreboding wrapping around my chest.
"The human Luna... she’s gone! Her cell is completely empty. We can't find a single trace of her anywhere. No scent, no track. Nothing!"
Panic, raw and blinding, pierced through my mind. I took off toward the dungeons, my generals sprinting right behind me, the heavy thuds of our boots echoing like a death toll.
"Who was on guard duty?" I demanded.
"Adolf, Glen, Ivan, Atos, Aramis, and Renu," Igor choked out. "They are all dead, Alpha. Poisoned."
My entire world shattered the moment I stopped in front of the open cell.
The cell was cold, stagnant, and completely empty. The faint, sweet scent of my female lingered only on the rough cot. It was agonizingly weak. This wretched, dark place was no place for my Luna. I had put her here.
The heavy iron door swung loosely. Her intoxicating perfume vanished completely just a few feet into the corridor. No clues. No tracks. No scent of whoever had taken her.
Remorse slammed into my chest like a physical blow, choking the air from my lungs.
Where is she? Is she safe? What have I done?
The beast inside me reared its head, claws tearing at my conscience. If anyone dares to touch a single hair on my female's head... I will burn the entire continent to ashes.
"Where are the Gamas?" I roared, my aura flaring so violently that the generals bowed their heads.
"Under house arrest, Alpha. General Antero is being held in the dungeons of the old Alpha mansion."
I stopped dead in my tracks, a wave of self-loathing crashing over me. In a fit of blind rage, I had let my fury dictate my actions. I had locked away the Gamma General—the very wolf born and chosen to protect my female.
This was my fault. If he had been free, he would have scented the threat.
No time for self-pity, I snarled internally. I needed to get my female back. I needed to drag her back home, safe, into our bed where she belonged.
"Release him! Order a full mobilization. Assemble every available warrior, especially the Gamas. Sweep every inch of our territory. Finding the Luna is our absolute priority!"
Not even a few minutes later, a roar echoed through the grounds. A furious Gamma General came charging straight at me. He launched himself into the air, his fist flying directly aimed at my jaw.
With a swift, practiced reflex, I caught his fist mid-air. But he didn’t stop. He was lightning-fast and deadly agile, exactly what a Gamma should be. I dodged a lethal succession of strikes, but he was relentless, driven by pure rage.
Losing my patience, I began to strike back. But he was incredibly skilled, slipping away from my blows with the same dexterity he used to attack.
My inner wolf was tolerating the Gamma’s disrespect only because of his sacred bond to our Luna. But the beast was rapidly losing its temper. Driven by pure Alpha instinct, the absolute need to command submission flared to life inside me.
I landed a brutal punch square to his face, throwing him off balance. But as he went down, he used his momentum to sweep my legs. I twisted to dodge, but I wasn't fast enough. My knee crashed into the dirt.
He lunged to spring back up, but I threw my entire weight over him, locking my arm around his throat in a suffocating rear-naked choke.
"What did you do with the Luna?" he rasped, his face turning dangerously red under the crushing pressure of my arm.
"I didn't do anything!" I growled near his ear. "She’s been taken. She's missing, and I need your help to find her!"
"You didn't do anything?" he choked out, a bitter scoff escaping his lips. "Are you out of your mind? Didn't you throw her into a freezing cell all by herself?"
"She committed a crime!"
"That bitch Estela did too, and she's walking around free as a bird!" the Gamma snarled, fighting against my grip. "What kind of mate privileges his mistress over his own destined soulmate?"
"Estela is not my mistress! Shut your damn mouth!"
I released my grip and shoved him away from me. He stumbled back, gasping for air, his eyes burning with hatred.
"Oh, really? Because that's exactly what she's telling everyone! The Council has already decided to reduce Luna Esmeralda to nothing but a breeder, while Estela is set to be named the official Luna of the pack! How do you have the nerve to say you didn't do this to her?"
My blood ran cold. I knew nothing about this. Those were not my orders. How could he accuse me of a betrayal I hadn't even conceived?
"Did you take her?" I asked, my voice dropping to a dangerous, low pitch. If he believed I was capable of such cruelty, as a Gamma loyal to the Luna, he would absolutely help her escape me. "Tell me where she is, Gamma, or I swear to the Goddess I won't be held responsible for what I do to you."