Chapter 34 Love, Lies and Traps
The following morning, Derek spent the day playing his role perfectly.
He moved through the estate like a man barely holding himself together. His steps were slow. His posture hunched slightly. He avoided eye contact with pack members and spoke only when necessary.
The performance was for one person. Silas.
And Silas was watching. Derek could feel his eyes tracking him through the corridors. Measuring. Calculating.
Good. Let him think the attack had broken something fundamental. Let him believe Derek was finally ready to give up on Amanda.
By afternoon, Derek sat in his study, staring blankly at papers he wasn't reading. His door was open. An invitation.
It didn't take long.
Footsteps approached. Familiar. Confident. The sound made Derek's hands clench beneath the desk.
"Derek?"
Silas stood in the doorway. His expression was carefully arranged into concern. Worry etched into every line of his face.
"May I come in?"
Derek looked up slowly. Let exhaustion show in his eyes. "Sure."
Silas entered. Closed the door gently behind him. Moved to the chair across from Derek's desk. "How are you feeling? That attack was severe. I was worried."
The lie tasted like ash in Derek's mouth. But he swallowed it. Played along.
"I'm alive. Barely."
"Thank the goddess." Silas leaned forward. "Derek, we need to talk about Amanda."
Derek's jaw tightened. "What about her?"
"She attacked you. Nearly killed you. I know you want to believe she's innocent, but the evidence is clear." Silas's voice dropped. Sympathetic. Understanding. "Sometimes the hardest truth is that we trust the wrong people."
Derek forced himself to look away. To appear conflicted. "I don't know what to think anymore."
"I understand. She's your wife. You wanted to believe in her. But Derek, she's dangerous. Her gift is unstable. She can't control it." Silas paused. "Maybe it's time to consider an annulment."
The word hung in the air. Derek wanted to lunge across the desk. To wrap his hands around Silas's throat and squeeze until the lies stopped spilling from his mouth.
Instead, he nodded slowly. "Maybe you're right."
Silas's expression shifted. Relief. Satisfaction. Quickly masked but Derek saw it. The predator sensing victory.
"I know this is hard. But it's the right decision. For you. For the pack. For everyone."
"What about the combat trials? They're in four days. Without my wolf..."
"I'll fight in your place. As your brother. It's my right. My duty." Silas stood. "You've carried this burden alone for too long, brother. Let me help. Let me take some of the weight."
Derek looked up at him. At the man who'd been his best friend. His brother. The person he'd trusted more than anyone.
And saw nothing but a snake wearing familiar skin.
"Thank you, Silas. I don't know what I'd do without you."
Silas smiled. Warm. Genuine. Perfect.
"That's what brothers are for. I'll always be here for you. No matter what."
He left. The door closed softly behind him.
Derek sat in the silence. His hands were shaking. Not from weakness. From rage.
Soon, he promised himself. Soon, I'll make you pay for every lie. Every betrayal. Every moment you smiled while destroying me.
His wolf stirred. Agreeing. Hungry for justice.
While Derek played his part, Amanda and Moira worked at the Sacred Grove.
The grove sat deep in Nightfang territory. Ancient trees formed a natural circle around a clearing. Moonlight filtered through the branches even during the day. The air hummed with old magic.
"This place has power." Moira walked the perimeter. Her fingers traced invisible lines. "Good power. It will amplify our wards."
Amanda followed. Carrying supplies. Crystals. Herbs. Chalk for drawing symbols.
"How do the wards work?"
"They don't just block dark magic. They reveal it. Make it visible. When Silas tries to use his power here, everyone will see exactly what he is." Moira knelt. Began drawing the first symbol. "No more hiding behind smiles."
Amanda's birthmark pulsed. Responding to the grove's energy. "What do you need me to do?"
"Channel your gift. Let it flow into the ward work. Your light will strengthen them. Make them unbreakable."
They worked for hours. Drawing symbols. Placing crystals. Weaving magic. Amanda's power flowed golden and warm. Moira's was blue-white. Ancient. The two energies tangled together. Creating something neither could achieve alone.
"You're stronger than you realize." Moira glanced at her as they worked. "Your gift doesn't just heal. It purifies. Cleanses darkness."
"I never wanted to be special. I just wanted to be seen."
"Sometimes being seen is the most powerful magic of all." Moira's voice was firm. "Your father dismissed you. Your sister overshadowed you. But look what you've become despite them. Because of them."
Amanda's hands trembled. "What if I'm not strong enough? What if Silas is too powerful?"
"Then Derek will be there. And Victor. And Owen. And Riley. And me." Moira looked at her directly. "You're not alone anymore, child. None of us are."
By evening, the wards were complete. Invisible but present. Waiting.
"What now?" Amanda asked.
"Now we wait for Derek to lure Silas here. And then we spring the trap."
Across the territory, inside the stone walls of Moonveil Pack, Alpha Elias Hale lifted his head as a scout rushed in.
"Nightfang is in unrest. Derek Livingston was attacked. His mate turned on him. The pack is fracturing."
Elias leaned back. Interest sparked in his cold grey eyes.
"Nightfang controls the eastern ridge. Prime land. Fertile. Strategically positioned between our borders and the river."
A slow, predatory smile curved his mouth.
"Let them bleed each other dry. When they're too weak to stand..."
He tapped the map spread across the table.
"We'll take what should have been ours from the beginning."
His wolves murmured with approval.
"Prepare the warriors. We strike the moment Nightfang falls to its knees."
Meanwhile, in Emberfang territory, Isabella stood in shadows.
She was Lucian's Beta. Had been for years. Loyal. Efficient. Everything he expected.
But she'd also watched him scheme. Watched him sacrifice his own daughter to gain power. Watched him ally with darkness.
And she'd grown tired of it.
Isabella pulled out her phone. Dialed a number she'd memorized but never dared to use.
It rang three times before Amanda answered.
"Hello?"
"Amanda Kingswell. Or should I say... Amanda Livingston." Isabella's voice was low. Strained like she was speaking through a locked door.
Amanda froze. "Who is this?"
"Isabella. Lucian's Beta. And I'm risking everything by calling you." Isabella looked over her shoulder. Her breath unsteady. "Your father is meeting with Silas tonight. They're finalizing something. I don't know what, but it's bad. Very bad."
Amanda's heart lurched. "My father is meeting Silas?" The words tangled in her throat.
Isabella hesitated. "Amanda... what Lucian did to you wasn't fair." Her voice cracked for a moment. "Be careful. Trust no one from Emberfang. Not even me."
Before Amanda could respond, Isabella hung up.
Amanda stared at her phone. Pulse roaring in her ears. Her father plotting with Silas. Her sister suddenly on her way. Everything tightening around her like a trap.
She ran.
Derek was still in his study. Papers scattered across the desk. He looked up, already sensing trouble when he saw her face.
"Amanda? What is it?"
She told him everything. Every word Isabella had whispered.
When Amanda finished, Derek went still. Too still. The kind of stillness that comes before a storm or a kill.
"Lucian and Silas... together?" His voice was low. Venom under every syllable. "Then whatever they're planning, it's already in motion."
"And Lena. She's arriving today. This can't be a coincidence, Derek. It feels wrong."
He didn't argue. He didn't need to.
He simply pulled out his phone, typed the message to Silas, and hit send.
The trap snapped shut.
Silas replied instantly.
Derek turned the screen to her. "He bought it."
Amanda swallowed. "When?"
"Tonight. At the Sacred Grove."
His eyes sharpened. All warmth gone.
"Where everything started."
He stepped closer. His voice low and lethal.
"And tonight, Amanda... everything ends."