Chapter 45 Sabotage
POV: Luna
"Eclipse, you're up."
Ryder's voice cuts through the morning fog as I stand at the edge of the training grounds with the rest of my class.
Today's exercise is solo tracking. We're supposed to follow a scent trail through the forest, find the marked target, and return without getting lost.
Simple enough.
Except my gut is telling me something's off.
"You'll have one hour," Ryder continues, holding up a small vial. "Your target is marked with this scent. Track it, tag it, come back. Don't shift fully unless you absolutely have to."
I nod and take the vial, committing the smell to memory. It's sharp and earthy, like pine mixed with something metallic.
"Any questions?"
"No, sir."
"Good. Move out."
I head into the forest, leaving the other students behind. The trees close in around me quickly, blocking out most of the morning light.
I uncap the vial again and take another deep breath, letting my wolf senses sharpen. The scent is faint but traceable. It leads deeper into the woods, away from the usual training paths.
My mark tingles slightly, and I ignore it. I can't think about Miguel right now. I need to focus.
The trail winds between thick tree trunks and over fallen logs. I move carefully, checking the ground for signs. Broken twigs. Disturbed leaves. Anything that might indicate someone passed through here recently.
About fifteen minutes in, I find the first marker. A small flag tied to a low branch, soaked in the tracking scent.
One down. Two more to go.
I keep moving, following the trail as it curves toward a rocky outcrop. The terrain gets rougher here. Steeper.
That's when I notice the rope.
It's strung between two trees at ankle height, almost invisible in the shadows. I stop just in time, my wolf instincts screaming danger.
That wasn't part of the exercise.
I step carefully over it and continue, but now I'm on high alert. Something's wrong.
The second marker should be close. I can smell it stronger now, just past a cluster of boulders.
I climb over the rocks, using my hands to pull myself up. The stone is rough under my palms, and I'm focused on not slipping when I hear it.
A soft crack.
I freeze.
Then the rock beneath my left hand shifts.
Not naturally. Like it was loosened on purpose.
I jerk my hand back just as the stone breaks free and tumbles down, crashing into the ones below. The whole section starts to collapse.
I scramble backward, my heart pounding. If I'd put my full weight on that rock, I would've fallen. Could've broken bones. Could've been trapped under rubble.
This wasn't an accident.
Someone tampered with this.
My wolf surges forward, and I let her. Just a partial shift. Enough to sharpen my senses and strengthen my reflexes.
My nails extend slightly. My vision sharpens. Every sound becomes clearer.
I circle around the unstable rocks and find another path up. This time I test every handhold before trusting it.
When I reach the top, I find the second marker. But something's wrong with it too.
The flag is shredded. Like someone took a knife to it.
And written in the dirt beneath it, barely visible, are two words.
"Too slow."
My blood runs cold.
Someone's been here. Someone's watching.
I scan the trees, but I don't see anyone. Just shadows and branches swaying in the wind.
I need to finish this. Find the third marker and get back.
The final trail leads toward a steep ravine. The scent is strong here, pulling me toward the edge.
I approach carefully, testing each step.
The third marker is tied to a branch hanging over the drop. To reach it, I'd have to lean out pretty far.
Too far.
This is definitely a trap.
I look around for another option. There's a fallen tree nearby that bridges part of the ravine. If I can get across that, I might be able to reach the marker from a safer angle.
I test the log. It seems stable.
I start across slowly, keeping my weight balanced. The ravine drops about twenty feet below me. Not deadly, but enough to hurt badly if I fall.
Halfway across, I hear it again.
That soft crack.
The log shifts beneath my feet.
Someone cut through it partially. Just enough that it would hold until someone got to the middle.
I don't think. I just move.
My wolf instincts take over completely. I push off hard and leap toward the other side. My partial shift kicks in fully. Claws extend. Muscles coil.
I hit the opposite bank and claw into the earth, pulling myself up.
Behind me, the log crashes into the ravine.
I lie there for a second, breathing hard, my heart hammering.
Someone tried to hurt me. Really hurt me.
And I have a pretty good idea who.
I spot the third marker hanging from a nearby tree, within easy reach now. I grab it and head back toward the training grounds, moving faster this time.
When I emerge from the forest, Ryder is waiting. He takes one look at me, muddy and scratched, with my claws still partially extended, and his expression darkens.
"What happened?"
"The course was sabotaged," I say, trying to keep my voice steady. "Tripwire. Loose rocks. Cut log over the ravine."
Ryder's jaw tightens. "You're sure?"
"Positive."
He glances past me toward the forest, then back at me. "You're the first one back. No one else has returned yet."
Which means whoever set those traps is still out there. Waiting.
"Come with me," Ryder says.
He leads me away from the training grounds toward the equipment shed. Once we're inside, he closes the door.
"Show me your hands."
I hold them out. My claws are still extended, and there are scratches across my palms from grabbing onto rocks.
"You shifted."
"Partially. I had to. The log was breaking and I needed to jump."
Ryder nods slowly. "You did the right thing. Better to shift than fall." He pulls out a first aid kit and starts cleaning the cuts on my hands. "But this is serious, Luna. Someone deliberately tried to injure you during a training exercise."
"I know."
"Do you know who?"
I hesitate. I know it was Darius. Everything about those traps had his mark on them. The calculated placement. The way they were designed to look like accidents.
But I don't have proof.
"I have suspicions," I say carefully.
Ryder studies my face for a long moment. "Darius Kane."
It's not a question.
I nod.
"He's been watching you since day one," Ryder says. "Testing you. Trying to figure out your weaknesses." He finishes bandaging my hands. "But this crosses a line. I'll report it to the administration."
"Will they do anything?"
"They should. But Darius comes from a powerful family. They'll want evidence." He meets my eyes. "Which means you need to be more vigilant. Watch your back. Don't go anywhere alone if you can help it."
"I can handle Darius."
"I know you can. But you shouldn't have to." Ryder's expression softens slightly. "You're here to learn, not to fight off sabotage from other students."
The door opens and Nova bursts in, out of breath.
"Luna! Are you okay? I heard you had an accident on the course."
"Not an accident," Ryder corrects. "Sabotage."
Nova's eyes go wide. "What? Who would—" She stops. "Darius."
"That's my guess too," I say.
"I'm going to kill him."
"No, you're not." Ryder's voice is firm. "Both of you are going to be smart about this. Report anything suspicious. Stay together when possible. And Luna, no more solo missions until we figure this out."
He dismisses us, and Nova and I head back toward the dorms.
"I can't believe he actually tried to hurt you," Nova says. "Like, I knew he was a jerk, but this is next level."
"He sees me as a threat."
"Because you are a threat. To his ego and his stupid Alpha status." She links her arm through mine. "But we're not going to let him win."
We're almost to the dorm entrance when I see him.
Darius.
He's standing near the training grounds with a few of his friends, watching us. When our eyes meet, he smirks.
That cold, calculated smirk that makes my blood boil.
He says something to his friends, too quiet for me to hear from this distance. Then he looks directly at me again.
His lips move, forming words I can read even without hearing them.
"Your luck won't last."
Then he turns and walks away, his friends following behind him like loyal dogs.
Nova's grip on my arm tightens. "Did you see that?"
"Yeah."
"He's not even trying to hide it anymore."
She's right. Darius just openly threatened me. And he knows I can't prove anything.
"Come on," Nova says, pulling me toward the dorms. "Let's get you cleaned up properly. And then we're telling everyone what happened. The whole friend group needs to know."
We head inside, but I can still feel Darius's eyes on me. Still hear his words echoing in my head.
Your luck won't last.
Maybe he's right.
Maybe my luck is running out.
But I'm not going down without a fight.