Chapter 79 Rogue Alliance
LIRA POV
I woke to find him gone.
Again.
The space beside me on the cabin floor was cold, empty. Through the bond, I felt him moving away, putting distance between us.
"He left." The words came out hollow. "He left me again."
"Lira." Ryn appeared from the other room. "He didn't abandon you. He went back to handle the pack."
"Same difference." I pushed to my feet, ignoring the ache in my muscles. "He chose them over me, like he always does."
"He chose to give you space." Ryn handed me water. "There's a difference."
"Is there? Because it feels exactly the same."
Through the bond, I felt Kael's exhaustion, his pain. Felt him collapse somewhere far away.
Good. Let him hurt like I'd been hurting.
"You need to eat." Ryn started preparing food. "You burned a lot of energy fighting those rogues."
"I need to leave." I moved to the window, scanning the forest. "Elias won't stop sending hunters, staying here puts you in danger."
"Where will you go?" He didn't sound surprised. "Back to Darkfang?"
"Never." The word came out venomous. "I'm done with that prison."
"Then where?"
I pulled out my mother's journal, finding the page I'd marked weeks ago. "Silvermoon ruins, my birthright."
"Lira, that's insane." Ryn turned to face me. "Elias controls that territory. He'll kill you on sight."
"Let him try." I said as fire flickered across my hands. "I'm done hiding, done running from my destiny."
"Your destiny is to die alone in the wilderness?" His voice turned sharp. "Because that's what'll happen if you go there unprepared."
"Then I'll prepare." I grabbed my pack. "Train harder, get stronger and become the Luna my mother wanted me to be."
"Vera wanted you alive." He blocked the door. "Not martyred."
"My mother is dead because alphas like Kael's father murdered her." Rage burned through me. "I won't honor her memory by cowering in a cabin."
"You'll honor it by being smart." He didn't budge. "By building alliances before you charge into suicide."
"What alliances?" I laughed bitterly. "I'm a wolfless outcast to Darkfang. A threat to Elias, a target for every bounty hunter in the territories."
"Not to everyone." A new voice spoke from the doorway.
I whirled, flames coating my entire body. A massive man stood there, easily six and a half feet tall, with silver-streaked black hair and eyes like molten gold.
"Easy, little Luna." He raised his hands. "I'm not here to fight."
"Then what are you here for?" I kept the moonfire burning. "Who the hell are you?"
"Darion Nightshade." He stepped inside carefully. "Alpha of the Rogue Coalition and I'm here to offer you sanctuary."
The name sent chills down my spine. Darion Nightshade—the rogue alpha Mira had tried to frame me with.
"I know what you're thinking." He moved to sit on a chair, uninvited. "Mira forged that letter using my name and tried to make it look like we were conspiring."
"How do you know about that?" Ryn demanded.
"Because I have spies everywhere." Darion's smile was sharp. "Including Darkfang, I know about Mira's, about Kael's crumbling authority, about Luna Lira running into the wilderness."
"And you thought you'd capitalize on it?" I let the flames grow brighter. "Use me as a weapon against Darkfang?"
"No." His voice turned serious. "I thought I'd offer you what Kael never did. Real protection, training and power."
"In exchange for what?" I didn't trust this. "Rogues don't give something for nothing."
"In exchange for your help reclaiming Silvermoon." He leaned forward. "Elias Thornfield is a cancer on these territories. He rules stolen lands, spreads corruption, and works with supernatural bounty hunters who threaten all wolves."
"Why do you care?" I asked. "You're a rogue, pack politics shouldn't matter."
"Because rogues are wolves too." His eyes hardened. "And Elias has been hunting us for sport. Selling our young to laboratories. Using his alliance with your hunters to exterminate anyone who won't bow."
"So you want to use me to take him down." I lowered the flames slightly. "Because I'm the rightful Silvermoon alpha."
"Partly." He admitted. "But also because you deserve better than what Darkfang gave you, better than cowering in cabins while your mate chooses his pack over you."
"Kael killed Mira for me." I say my voice wavering slightly. "Risked everything."
"After he fucked her repeatedly while he casted you aside." Darion's voice was brutal. "After he tortured you with silver chains. After he humiliated you publicly, one murder doesn't erase months of abuse."
He was right. And hearing it stated so plainly made my chest ache.
"What exactly are you offering?" I forced myself to ask.
"Training with the best warriors in the territories." He counted on his fingers. "Access to ancient texts about Moonblood magic. Political alliances with every rogue pack from here to the coast. And an army to help you reclaim what's yours."
"An army of rogues." I said skeptically. "How stable is that?"
"More stable than you'd think." He pulled out a map, spreading it on the table. "I've united fifteen rogue packs under one banner. We have structure, territory, laws. We're not the feral monsters pack wolves think we are."
I studied the map. His territory was vast, spanning unclaimed lands from the northern mountains to the eastern forests.
"Why haven't pack alphas wiped you out?" Ryn asked what I was thinking.
"Because we're useful." Darion smiled. "We handle problems packs don't want to acknowledge. Hunt threats that cross boundaries. Maintain order in neutral zones."
"You're mercenaries." I realized.
"We're survivors." He corrected. "And we're offering you a chance to be more than Kael Thorn's broken mate."
The words hit me like a punch.
"I'm not broken." My voice came out defensive.
"Then prove it." He stood, moving to the window. "Come with me. Train with warriors who won't coddle you. Learn to lead without an alpha overshadowing you and become the Luna your bloodline demands."
"And then?" I asked. "Once I'm trained? What do you expect in return?"
"Help me destroy Elias." His voice turned cold. "Take back Silvermoon. Create an alliance between rogue territories and pack lands and end the corruption that's poisoning our world."
"That's a pretty speech." I moved beside him. "But I've heard pretty speeches before, what is the real price?"