Chapter 66: Unmasking the Truth

Claire’s POV

Silence gripped the Lunar Council’s chamber like a noose tightening around my throat. The letter in Elder Varian’s hands, bearing my supposed signature, felt like a death sentence waiting to be pronounced.

Across from me, Jared wore a cold smug look on his face. Behind Jared was Lilian, her visage contorted into a lecherous smirk, eyes blazing with anticipation like she had already won. The councilmen clustered together, whispering and frowning to one another with their faces flashing between doubt and suspicion.

A voice from Varian broke the quiet. "This letter links you to a long-term plot against Midnight Moon and the council as a whole, Claire. It is a serious offence if this is accurate.

I made myself breathe to maintain a steady pulse. Turning the council against me and casting doubt on everything I had worked for was precisely what Jared and Lilian wanted. However, they had misjudged me.

I took a step forward and spoke in a firm but calm tone. "I never wrote that letter."

Jared laughed. "Of course you’d say that."

I continued to concentrate on the council, ignoring him. "This is a forgery, I swear on Redwater and my honour. You can verify that it did not come from my hands by testing the ink, the seal, or anything else you require."

After examining me for a while, Varian handed Elder Elara the letter. She traced the wax seal with her fingers as she looked it over. She acknowledged, "The mark is correct," "But the handwriting… it does seem slightly off."

For a brief moment, Jared's grin wavered.

I turned abruptly to him. "Jared, you are desperate. You are telling every lie you can to protect yourself because you know you are losing control."

His eyes darkened, but I turned back to the council before he could say anything. "If you want proof of who the real schemers are, I have something better."

I extracted a small stack of documents, sealed with the Midnight Moon insignia, from the inner pocket of my cloak. Jared's face flashed with uneasiness.

I stated, "I’ve spent weeks uncovering Jared’s corruption," in a firm and unambiguous voice. "This is evidence of his secret dealings—resources stolen from his own pack, illegal alliances, and most importantly—his collaboration with Lila to manipulate this war for their own gain."

There was a whisper in the council.

Elder Varian removed the papers from my grasp while glancing over their contents. His face changed slowly, from bewilderment to barely disguised rage. Elara took a sharp breath as he handed them to her.

She whispered, "This… this is undeniable," as she looked up at Jared.

Jared's mouth clenched. "Where did you get those?"

I glared back at him. "You think you’re the only one with spies, Jared?" I gave the words time to register. "I was discovering the truth while you were busy making up lies. You have no loyalty from your pack. Many of them witness your transformation into a despot who is prepared to give up everything for his own pride.

Lilian moved forward with a smooth voice, but Jared's lips formed a thin line. "And yet," she purred, "you think the council will accept you? Jared? That you have been collecting evidence selflessly, a traitor to your original pack?"

I spoke sharply as I turned to face her. "I had to leave Midnight Moon. Lilian, you took care of that, did not you? With my eyes blazing into hers, I moved closer. "You worked in the background, whispering in Jared's ear and controlling him. What was the amount you promised him? Strength? A lie-based future?"

A glimmer of something—something perilously near uncertainty—went through Lilian's eyes, but her smirk remained unwavering.

I continued. "You killed Cassius because he got too close to the truth, didn’t you?"

The chamber echoed with gasps.

"Do not twist this, Claire," Jared yelled. You do not have any evidence.

Rowan had been quiet about most of the charges, so I turned to him abruptly. "Rowan, tell them what you found."

Rowan took a step forward and spoke steadily. "I overheard conversations about Cassius's removal between Lila and an unidentified contact. The specifics align with the circumstances surrounding his demise. He looked to the council. "We examined the ink. Lila's hand held the written orders.

A stunned silence descended upon the council.

Elder Varian's eyes grew stony. "Is this true?"

At last, Lilian's grin broke. "This is ridiculous—"

"It’s true," a voice cut in.

When a figure emerged from the shadows, everyone's heads turned.

A warrior from the Midnight Moon, his hands shaking, his face white.

"Alpha Jared," he said hesitantly, "we did not sign up for this, but we followed your orders for years." Forging documents and killing Cassius—this is not the pack we vowed to serve."

Jared's eyes flickered with betrayal. "You—"

With a blood-stained parchment in his hand, the warrior advanced one more step. "I discovered this in Lila's quarters. She has signed a direct order to silence Cassius.

Jared's face twisted in anger as he whipped towards Lilian. "You told me Cassius acted alone!"

Lilian became agitated at last. She yelled, "You needed him gone, Jared!" "The council would have been against you because of him! I was saving you, but you could not see it because you were too blind.

Jared was having trouble breathing. "You betrayed me."

Something bitter curled Lilian's lips. "I fulfilled my obligations. Simply put, you were too frail to complete the task.

Chaos broke out in the chamber. Warriors shifted uncomfortably, council members whispered to one another, and Jared and Lilian stood like two enemies about to tear each other to pieces.

The room fell silent as Varian slammed his staff into the floor.

His eyes blazed with rage as he declared, "This deception will not go unpunished," "Jared, Lilian—you have disgraced this council, your pack, and the very laws we stand for."

Jared balled his hands into fists. "You can’t do this," he growled. "You can’t take my pack from me!"

Elara's eyes were icy. "You took it from yourself."

Lilian appeared shaken for the first time.

Jared became desperate in his rage. "I will not permit you to do this. I constructed Midnight Moon! You owe me—"

"ENOUGH," roared Varian. "You will both answer for your crimes. With immediate effect, Jared, you no longer hold the title of Alpha.

The room exploded once more, with voices rising in surprise and incredulity. Warriors of the Midnight Moon looked at each other, some relieved, some unsure.

Jared appeared to be unable to understand the words as he stood motionless.

I kept a close eye on him, anticipating the impending explosion.

However, I was not prepared for what came next.

Jared laughed quietly and without humour.

Slowly, he raised his eyes, burning with something fresh.

"I may have lost the council," he whispered, more to himself than to others. "I may have lost my title."

Then he grinned.

"But the war isn’t over."

He lunged—at me—before anyone could react.

Jared was too quick, but Derek's roar split the air.

As his claws swept over my shoulder, pain burst into my vision, and then—

Everything turned dark.