Chapter 105 Trump Card

Chapter 105 Trump Card
HER

Derik asked me to take a walk around the territory with him. As we talked about whatever he thought would make me feel better, I couldn't help but notice the stark differences between the packs.

The Black Wolf pack members walked around casually, wearing next to nothing. I even caught sight of a few "assets" swinging freely beneath their loincloths. The women wore slightly more fabric, but their clothes were practically sheer.
Their bodies caught my attention too.
They were breathtaking—the kind of women who could easily command a bed, with lush breasts, full hips, and tiny, delicate waists.

Most men I knew would lose their minds surrounded by so many bombshells.

Their cabins were more rustic than the ones in the New Moon pack, but they were massive. Aside from Derik’s alpha estate, I saw other opulent, almost intimidating structures. In terms of architecture, it felt like I had traveled through time and space straight into some medieval fantasy.

The New Moon Pack was simpler. Their homes weren't as imposing, but they were more modern, if you could call it that. I figured Ares’s people had been more influenced by humans, while Derik’s pack showed very few traces of what the human world would consider Western "civilization."

As we walked, I also noticed several pack members watching us, trying and failing miserably to be discreet. Their stares were strange—a heavy mix of anxiety and expectation.

When we reached an open area that looked like a plaza, a welcoming shift caught my attention: the relative silence. No shouting, no screaming, no toddlers throwing tantrums or crying.

"I don't see any children around. Where is everyone?"

Derik took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. His eyes turned an even deeper shade of blue as they reflected the endless horizon.

"There are no pups here."

"What do you mean?" I blinked. "You wolves love sex, and you don't use protection with your fated mates. This place should be crawling with mini-wolves running wild and driving the adults crazy."

"Do you want to know the ultimate irony of my fate?"
he began. For a second, it seemed like he wasn't going to give me a straight answer, but I stayed quiet, waiting to hear what he had to say since his expression had turned so deadly serious. "Ares always tried to prove he wasn't lost, that he wasn't a monster, let alone cursed. Meanwhile, my pack... we actually are cursed."

"Cursed how?" I asked as he stopped walking. He turned to face me, locking his hands behind his back.

"My ancestors committed a grave sin against Hecate. They rejected their true Luna to be with a mistress. Because of that, the Moon Goddess severed her bond with the females of this pack, stripping away their fertility. Later, we suffered more losses to war—Lunas taken from us far too soon. The females of the Black Wolf pack have a devastatingly hard time conceiving."

Derik exhaled sharply, running a hand over his face and through his short hair.

"You see, in my pack, hair is a symbol of honor. Cutting our hair short means we have disgraced ourselves."

I listened intently, my curiosity piqued. I suddenly remembered that both he and General Adanir had short hair.

"About one solar cycle ago, my Gamma found my fated mate and brought her to me on one of our ships. She was out at sea, but close enough for my Beast to catch her scent. My wolf roared with pure joy, recognizing the bond instantly. I was desperate to hold her in my arms and claim her as the Luna of my pack. But before her feet could even touch our shores, there was an accident. The ship exploded and sank... dragging my soulmate down into the depths of the sea."

"I am so sorry, Derik..."

"We never found her body to give her a proper burial and honor her memory. On top of my own grief, my pack is trapped in a limbo. I severed my bond with the previous Luna—who wasn't a born Luna anyway—just to prepare for my fated mate's arrival. But she never got to step onto my lands to accept us."

"I am so sorry for your pain, truly. But I don't understand how it works. How can her death affect the fertility of so many people?"

"Lunas are the very soul of the pack. A true Luna is born, not made. You, Esmeralda, might not realize it, but by accepting Ares, you forged a Luna bond with his pack, even without an official coronation ceremony."

"Me? But... I didn't accept anything!"

"You stepped onto his lands, you bled for them, and you accepted the bond subconsciously. It’s in your nature. Ares’s mark only reinforced it. Because of you, their females are fertile and protected until a new Alpha takes over and a new Luna arrives."

"In the notes, Alaor said Estela wanted to keep me as the Alpha's breeder because the pack desperately needed a Luna."

"Estela is a Beta. She has zero spiritual influence over the females. Keeping you alive and close by ensures the pack’s stability, even after she takes the Luna throne she doesn't deserve. Plus, there’s a sadistic side to her plan. The twisted pleasure of turning the rightful Luna into the Alpha's sex slave, forcing you to bear his pups—legitimate heirs who would be forced to serve her bastard child, a usurper."

"She is completely psychotic!"

"Possibly. Or just plain evil. Malice is real, believe me. Some creatures find genuine pleasure in spreading misery. The ultimate irony is that if you had already given birth to an heir, the pack wouldn't need you alive this badly. I know of a similar case where a pack functions normally without a born Luna because, before she died, the true Luna managed to give birth to the pack's heir. There is no limbo there, just a usurper. But that's a story for another time."

"I can't believe Ares would ever allow something like that. Even if he doesn't care about me, he would care about his heirs. Especially since he knows the pup Estela is carrying isn't his."

"Ah, I have a theory about that. I could be wrong, but I believe the plan was always to kill Ares too. Think about it. Alaor is an Alpha who believes he has a right to that throne, and the pup in Estela's womb is his. If that pup is born, Ares's beast will never recognize it. He might even kill the child in front of the entire pack. Ares has to die. That way, Alaor becomes the new Alpha, Estela becomes the Luna, and you, my dear Esmeralda, become their ultimate trump card."

"Me? If they kill Ares, what do they plan to do with me?"