Chapter 60 Chapter 0060

Chapter 60 Chapter 0060
•RUMI•

I had never come to the lower quarter by choice.

This part of the pack house had poor infrastructure and buildings. It was where Blackwood had first taken root, but the families of the low-ranked families still lived there.

The omega workers in the kitchen, farms, and clinic were often underpaid, so they could never afford to build decent homes.

I pulled my coat tighter and kept my head down. The last thing I wanted was to be recognized.

Many people were aware of my affair with the Alpha. And if Raven hadn't forced Tristan to make her stay, I would've been officially declared as the next Luna.

For two days, I had stayed locked in my room, circling the same thoughts over and over since Tristan walked out.

Every time, I landed in the same place.

I needed allies. I needed people who were angry and who wanted to see another Luna beside Tristan’s side.

Since Katerina had refused to help me, I was going to help myself.

I spotted the first group who were sitting outside a low stone building. Two older men and a woman were working with nets.

They were fishermen and probably had nothing much to get by each day.

They watched me approach but didn’t move.

“I’m not here for trouble,” I murmured, stopping a few steps away. “I just want to talk.”

The woman narrowed her eyes. “About what?”

“About the pack,” I answered. “About how things have been.”

One of the men let out a slow breath and dropped the rope in his hands. “You’re the Alpha’s woman,” he scoffed. “The sister.”

“Yes.”

“Then what do you want from us?”

"Raven has been the Luna for five years, but she has done nothing for us," I replied, leaning closer. "Instead, she sits with the Alpha and the Elders to discuss strategies of wars that aren't her business. She was supposed to bring balance and nurture everyone, but she has constantly failed in her purpose."

"How can we trust you?" The woman asked, straightening up. "You might be here to get us into trouble with the Luna."

"I am sleeping with the Alpha," I answered, lowering the coat from my face. "If there is anyone who hates the Luna more than you, it is me."

They narrowed their eyes as they looked at me. And when the woman sat down, and relaxed her face, I knew they were interested in hearing my plan.

"Raven has blackmailed the Alpha to let her stay in the pack house and continue being the Luna by lying to him. She is doing this so she will continue getting money from your labor." I stopped in front of them. "As her sister, I know her more than anyone in this pack. So, I want you to stand with me in removing her."

The omegas were many in numbers, but easier to manipulate than the ranked werewolves. Those ones were difficult to persuade.

After an hour of talking to them, many omegas gathered as well and expressed their feelings of being let down by Raven.

They all concluded that she had to be removed as Luna and replaced with me. I walked out of the gathering smiling and feeling triumphant.

I was heading back toward the main path when a voice called out from a narrow doorway I had already passed twice.

“Girl.”

I stopped and turned.

An old woman stood there, small and worn by time. Her white hair was pulled back tightly, her face lined with years, but her eyes were sharp.

“You’re Maddie’s youngest." She smiled.

My chest tightened at the sound of my mother’s name. “Yes.”

She stepped aside. “Come in.”

I hesitated only a second before entering.

The room was small but warm. Herbs hung from the ceiling in drying bundles, and clay pots covered every surface. The air was thick with earthy, layered scents that had built up over years.

“I knew your mother before she married the Gamma,” the woman added, sitting down on a chair and gesturing for me to sit. “She was kind and loved her daughters more than they ever realized.”

My chest tightened.

“She would have wanted better for you,” the woman continued.

“She would have," I answered. "Which is why I must be the Luna."

The old woman sighed. “She would have wanted you safe."

She reached behind her and pulled out a small cloth pouch. Inside was a dried herb, dark and finely ground, with a faint sweetness beneath the bitterness.

“I’ve been watching you,” she murmured. “If you’re going to do this, do it properly.”

I looked at the pouch. “What is it?”

“Something old,” she replied. “It works with an Alpha’s nature, during a full moon when instinct takes over. This brings that out.” She placed the pouch on the table. “Mix it into something warm. Something he’ll drink without thinking.”

I stared at it. “Are you sure it will work with him? He's not my mate."

“If it’s consummated in that state, the bond will form,” she answered. “Not fated, but strong enough. Breaking it would cost him more than he’d accept.”

I picked it up and smiled. This was exactly what I wanted. If Tristan became my mate, he would do everything at my command.

“You knew my mother?"

“I did. That’s the only reason I’m helping you instead of letting you fail.”

I closed my hand around the pouch. “Thank you.”

•••

That evening, I took my time getting ready. I then went to the pack house and slipped into the kitchen without anyone noticing me, especially Raven.

I made Tristan’s coffee exactly how he liked it, black with honey. I poured the herb in and watched it dissolve completely into the dark liquid.

Then I carried it to his office and knocked once.

“Come in.”

He was at his desk and typing something on his laptop when I walked in.

“I came to apologize,” I answered, placing the cup in front of him. “I overstepped. What happened with Raven wasn’t my place.”

He studied me for a moment. Then he reached for the cup.

“I’m glad you understand,” he answered, taking a long sip. “It was never about choosing between you. Raven is carrying my heir, and that's my priority right now.”

“I know,” I replied, watching him drink.

“She and I will announce the pregnancy to everyone,” he continued, already reaching for another sip. “And I expect you to be civil. Whatever happened between us stays private.”

“Of course.”

He finished the coffee without hesitation.

I stood there, still and composed, hands folded, face calm, while something ancient and irreversible slipped quietly into his blood.

“Thank you,” he answered, glancing at the empty cup. "I needed that."

"Of course." I smiled.