Chapter 152

I inhaled deeply through my nose, closing my eyes as I focused on the lingering scent in the air. It was faint but unmistakable—the trace of a she-wolf. The same one I had pursued. Yet, there was no menacing presence tied to it. That only reinforced my suspicion that EH had personally left the previous notes on my pillow, but not this time. Was she working for him? If so, that would place her among the six warrior groups from the Blue Moon Pack. But who the hell was she?

One thing was certain—if she was meant to be a spy, she was far from subtle. She had stormed into my room, flicking on every light as if she had no concept of stealth. It was hard to believe that someone so reckless could be connected to the elusive EH.

Then, a realization struck me—she had been escaping through the employees-only stairwell. That meant she either worked at the hotel or had disguised herself as part of the staff. If that were the case, she could have easily accessed a universal key, making it effortless to enter my room undetected.

It also explained how she vanished so quickly. She must have been familiar with the hotel’s layout, knowing exactly where to run and which turns to take to avoid capture.

I glanced back at EH’s note. It wasn’t just a warning—it was a threat. A clear message meant to deter me from getting involved. But if that was his intent, he was out of luck. I wasn’t changing course. If anything, this only solidified my decision to tell Kenzo about EH and the messages. He had already suspected that navigating Crimsonville would be dangerous. Did that mean he would be there too? And if so… whose side would he be on?

Exhaustion pressed down on me like a weight. I had reached my limit. If I didn’t get some sleep soon, I’d collapse where I stood. I locked my door twice, then wedged a chair beneath the handle as an extra barrier. It was a ridiculous precaution, but right now, I needed any shred of security I could get.

After making sure the window couldn’t be opened from the outside, I took the lace from one of my boots and tied the handle to the lamp beside my bed. Another pointless measure, but my tired mind had abandoned logic at this point.

Satisfied that I had turned my room into a makeshift fortress, I collapsed onto the bed. Sleep claimed me the moment I shut my eyes.

Four hours later, I woke to the sound of footsteps echoing through the hallway. Dawn was creeping in, casting the world in muted shades of gray. I slipped out of bed and padded to the door, peering through the peephole.

A breath of relief escaped me when I saw it was only the Blue Moon warriors—what was left of them after drinking themselves into oblivion. About six of them staggered toward their rooms, swaying on unsteady legs.

Shaking my head at their carelessness, I removed the chair from under my door and cracked it open slightly. That was when I spotted Bopha, utterly wasted, being half-dragged by one of our packmates.

“Damn, fucker…” she slurred.

“Shh!” The guy beside her tried to hush her, casting nervous glances around the hall. “Alpha might hear you!”

“So what?!” she snapped, flinging her hand as if aiming at invisible targets. “How can he say that this bitch will become his Luna? She’s only a fucking human!”

The guy supporting her sighed, shifting her weight against the wall as he fumbled for his key. “Bopha… Thalassa is Alpha Kenzo’s mate. Get over it already,” he said, his voice edged with frustration as he finally pushed her into the room.

"Mate..." Bopha muttered bitterly, biting her lip in resentment.

Her companion escorted her inside, then reemerged moments later, closing the door behind him with an exhausted sigh.

I shut my own door just as he turned, ensuring he wouldn’t catch me eavesdropping. Oddly, I didn’t even feel angry that Bopha had insulted me again. If anything, I felt a twinge of pity. My instincts told me she had feelings for Kenzo, and though I couldn’t change that, I wished she would find her true mate someday.

At least her heartbreak had momentarily distracted me from EH’s warning.

Needing to clear my head, I pulled on a pair of sweats and went for a run around the area. Running always helped me process things faster.

According to the plan, each team was supposed to head to Wineville once they handled the southern packs. From everything I knew, the operation had gone smoothly, which meant the Blue Moon warriors and the Royal Army should be arriving in town soon. I could hardly wait—I needed to speak with Icarus, and this time, Kenzo would be part of that conversation.

After an hour of running, I returned to my room, took a quick shower, and made my way downstairs for breakfast—or rather, a morning feast.

The townspeople’s generosity was overwhelming. They had set up massive tables right outside the hotel, filling them with every dish imaginable. At first, I worried about the sheer amount of food, but then I realized it was exactly what the hungover warriors needed—a perfect balance of carbs, proteins, and fats to bring them back to life.

I smirked, watching the zombie-like warriors shuffle to their seats, their movements sluggish and dazed. That was when Kenzo approached, a steaming mug in his hand.

“Morning, beautiful,” he murmured, his voice dipping into that deep, gravelly tone that sent warmth through my chest.

"Good morning, Alpha," I greeted, my voice even, though urgency flickered beneath it. Leaning in slightly, I lowered my voice. "I need to talk to you. Something happened last night..."

His expression immediately darkened with concern. "What happened? Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," I reassured him, my fingertips grazing his arm in a fleeting touch. "But it's about our attack on the Southern Moon Pack and Crimsonville."

His eyes sharpened, assessing me, before he gave a curt nod. "Fine," he murmured, taking a measured sip of his coffee. "The council meeting starts at ten sharp. We'll talk after."

I acknowledged his response with a brief smile. It worked in my favor—Icarus would be there, which meant I could gather both him and Kenzo in one place.

Breakfast passed in a strangely peaceful haze, as if the looming war was nothing more than a distant dream. For a fleeting moment, I allowed myself to sink into that illusion. But reality came crashing back like ice water the moment I stepped into the council chamber.

Ronan, Alistair, and Icarus were already inside. My lips twitched into a smile at the sight of Icarus, but he only responded with a grim nod. My brows furrowed as I studied him, sensing something was off. He caught my questioning look and shook his head subtly, mouthing that he’d explain later.

I followed closely behind Kenzo as he moved toward his seat. Just before sitting, he turned, pulling out the chair beside him in an unspoken invitation. No one seemed surprised by the gesture, as though they had already resigned themselves to the idea that I would eventually accept the role of his Luna.

The thought grated against me, but I pushed the irritation aside with a slow exhale. There were far more pressing matters at hand.

The council proceeded efficiently—each team confirmed their tasks had been completed. The Great Five were in Blue Moon’s custody, a portion of our forces remained stationed to secure the conquered territories, while the rest gathered at Wineville, preparing for the assault on the Southern Moon Pack.

I had originally wanted to be deeply involved in strategizing the attack, hoping to minimize unnecessary casualties. But now… now I knew the people I had hoped to protect were already gone. My mother’s side of the pack had been freed from slavery, yet the only two people I had ever considered family were dead. At this point, there was only one thing I wanted—to see my father answer for every crime he had committed.

When the meeting finally concluded, I wasted no time pulling Kenzo and Icarus into my quarters. The tension between them was palpable, but I ignored it. Their mutual disdain didn’t matter right now—what did was the conversation we needed to have.

Closing the door behind us, I met both their gazes firmly. "This is serious. I need your full attention."

I started with the basics, explaining to Kenzo everything about EH—the coded messages he had sent to Selene, the connections to the degenerates' attacks, and the message Hadrian had received from EH, calling himself the "New King." Then, I reached the part that mattered most—when the messages started coming directly to me while I was in Blue Moon territory.

Kenzo’s jaw tightened, his hands curling into fists as restrained fury simmered beneath his exterior.

"Why the hell didn’t you tell me sooner?" he ground out through clenched teeth.

"I was being careful," I said evenly. "There could’ve been a spy within Blue Moon, and I didn’t know how close they were—"

Kenzo let out a frustrated growl. "Still, you should have told me. I would have protected you."

I hesitated. "I wasn’t sure if it was the right call to involve you. At first, I thought this was purely a vampire matter..."

Kenzo’s gaze bore into me. "At first?" he repeated, leaning in as if he could extract the truth just by studying my expression.

Swallowing, I reached into my pocket and retrieved the note from last night, handing it to Icarus.

The moment his eyes scanned the words, his entire body went rigid. "Son of a bitch!" he spat, then passed the paper to Kenzo.

Kenzo’s expression twisted with rage. "What the hell does this mean?! Is this bastard from the Southern Moon Pack?"

"Whoever he is, he has someone highly skilled working for him—someone inside Blue Moon," Icarus said coldly, a bitter smirk tugging at his lips.

A chill ran down my spine. "What do you mean?" I asked, my voice quieter now.

Icarus exhaled sharply, jaw tightening. "I had someone watching over Thalassa, keeping an eye out for anything unusual." He turned to Kenzo first before his gaze locked onto mine. "Yesterday, we lost contact with him. This morning, when we arrived in Wineville…" His throat bobbed as he clenched his fists. "We found him dead."