Chapter 140 Miguel's Guidance

Chapter 140 Miguel's Guidance
POV: Luna

I couldn't stop thinking about the symbol on Selene's door.
Someone inside Silverwood was helping the Thornhearts. Someone with access. Someone we saw every day.
Could it be Cole?
The thought made me sick.
That night, exhausted from guard duty and stress, I fell into a deep sleep.
The otherworld materialized around me slowly.
I was standing in the familiar clearing. But it felt different. Emptier somehow.
"Miguel?" I called out.
For a moment, nothing.
Then I felt him. Not a presence exactly. More like warmth in my mark.
A shimmer appeared. Barely visible. More suggestion than form.
Miguel.
Or what remained of him.
"Luna," his voice whispered. Faint. Like wind through trees.
"I need help," I said. "I don't know who to trust anymore."
The shimmer moved closer. I could barely make out his features.
"Trust is earned. Not given freely."
"I know. But Cole... I thought I could trust him. Thought I knew him."
"People hide their true selves. Especially when ambition conflicts with love."
"Are you saying he doesn't love me?"
"I'm saying love can coexist with deception. One doesn't negate the other."
My chest tightened. "Then how do I know if anyone's being honest?"
"Listen to your instincts. Your wolf knows truth when she feels it."
"My instincts are confused. Cole feels wrong but familiar. Safe but dangerous."
Miguel's form flickered. "Those closest to you can hurt you most. Because they know your vulnerabilities."
"So I should just trust no one?"
"Trust selectively. Watch for actions, not words. Promises are easy. Follow-through is rare."
I thought about Cole's promises. About how he kept saying he'd explain. Kept asking me to wait.
But he never actually did explain. Never actually proved himself.
Miguel's essence pulsed in my mark. Warm. Comforting.
"There's something else," he said. "Your mark. It's changing."
"I know. The Guardian Bond with Selene—"
"Not just that. Something deeper. Ancient mate magic is awakening."
My heart stopped. "Mate magic? But you and I—"
"I was never your true mate, Luna. I loved you. You loved me. But the bond wasn't fated."
Tears burned my eyes. "How can you say that?"
"Because it's true. And you need to accept it." His voice softened. "I was your first love. Your anchor when you needed one. But I was never meant to be your forever."
"Then who is?"
"That's not for me to say. But your mark knows. It's calling to him."
"Him who?"
But Miguel was fading. His form becoming more translucent.
"Wait! I need more answers!"
"You have everything you need. Trust your instincts. Follow your mark. And remember—" His voice was barely audible now. "Betrayal comes from those you least suspect. But so does salvation."
Then he was gone.
I woke up gasping, tears streaming down my face.
Nova stirred. "Luna? You okay?"
"Bad dream."
"Want to talk about it?"
"Not yet."
I looked at my mark. It was glowing faintly. Pulsing with energy I didn't recognize.
Mate magic.
Miguel said my mark was calling to someone.
But who?
Cole? Despite his deception, we were bonded. Surely that meant something.
Or was it someone else?
Liam's face flashed through my mind. The way my mark had reacted when he touched me during the rogue attack. The warmth that spread through my chest when he smiled.
No. That was impossible.
I barely knew him.
But Miguel's words echoed. Your mark knows.
I got up and went to the window. Dawn was breaking, painting the sky pink and gold.
Somewhere out there, someone was planning to hurt Selene. Maybe hurt me too.
And I couldn't trust the person I'd thought would always have my back.
I needed to be smarter. More careful.
Starting now.
After breakfast, I went to the library.
If Cole was involved with Victoria's clan, there had to be evidence. Messages. Meetings. Something.
I started with the obvious. School records. Class rosters. Who was in what clan.
Lyric had access to a lot of digital information through her "hobby" of documenting everything.
But I needed physical proof. Something concrete.
I searched through old yearbooks. Student organization records. Anything that might show connections between Cole and the Thornhearts.
Hours passed. Nothing.
I was about to give up when I found it.
A file tucked in the back of an old cabinet. Student disciplinary records from five years ago.
Cole's name was there. Along with several others I recognized.
Victoria Thornheart. Claire something. Marcus.
They'd all been disciplined together for "unauthorized magical experimentation."
The punishment was light. A warning. Community service.
But it confirmed they knew each other. Had worked together before.
My hands shook as I photographed the file with my phone.
This was evidence. Not definitive proof, but enough to raise questions.
I was putting the file back when I noticed something else.
A folded piece of paper tucked behind it.
I pulled it out carefully.
It was a note. Written in code.
I recognized some of the symbols. Basic substitution cipher. Lyric had taught me how to crack them last year.
I grabbed paper and started decoding.
Phase One: Complete. E.W. trusts implicitly. Guardian Bond forming as predicted.
Phase Two: Monitor princess movements. Report to V.T. weekly.
Phase Three: Await signal. It-Girls' Plan proceeds on schedule.
E.W. Eclipse Wolf. Me.
V.T. Victoria Thornheart.
It-Girls' Plan.
Cole wasn't just connected to Victoria's clan.
He was actively working with them. Against me.
My vision swam. I felt like I was going to be sick.
How long had this been going on? Since the beginning of the year? Longer?
Had anything between us been real?
I took photos of the note and put everything back exactly as I'd found it.
Then I left the library, my mind racing.
I needed to confront him. Needed answers.
But Miguel's warning echoed. Those closest to you can hurt you most.
If I confronted Cole directly, would he lie? Manipulate me again?
Or worse, would he see me as a threat and do something drastic?
I found my friends in the common room.
"I need to show you something," I said.
We went to a private study room. I showed them the photos.
Everyone went silent.
"He's been planning this," Aria said quietly. "From the beginning."
"Maybe before the beginning," Sienna added. "This level of coordination takes time."
"What's the It-Girls' Plan?" Nova asked.
"I don't know. But whatever it is, I'm apparently a key part of it."
"We need to tell the Headmaster," Lyric said.
"Not yet. If we tip our hand too early, they'll just cover their tracks."
"So what do we do?" Nova asked.
"We play along. Act like I don't know. And we gather more evidence."
"That's dangerous," Aria warned.
"Everything's dangerous right now. But if we're smart, we can turn this around."
Through the pack bond, I felt Cole's presence somewhere in the building. Calm. Confident.
He had no idea I'd found the note.
Good.
That gave me an advantage.
That afternoon, I had combat training with Cole.
I forced myself to act normal. Smiled when appropriate. Responded to his instructions.
But inside, I was analyzing everything.
The way he positioned me during drills. Always exposed. Always vulnerable.
The way he paired me with Victoria's people. Testing me? Or setting me up?
The way he watched me. Not with love. With calculation.
How had I not seen it before?
"Good work today," Cole said at the end of class.
"Thanks."
He moved closer, lowering his voice. "Luna, I know things have been tense between us. But I want you to know I care about you. Everything I do is to protect you."
Through our bond, I felt his sincerity.
Which made it worse.
He believed his own lies.
"I know," I said, keeping my voice steady. "I trust you."
The words tasted like ash.
"Good." He kissed my forehead. "I'll see you later?"
"Yeah. Later."
I left before he could see my expression crack.
That evening, I was in my dorm when I found it.
Another note. Slipped under my door.
Different handwriting than the coded message. Rushed. Urgent.
Luna,
I know you found the file. I know you have questions.
Meet me at the north tower at midnight. Come alone.
Trust no one.
\- C
Cole.
He knew I'd found evidence. And he wanted to talk.
Alone.
Every instinct screamed trap.
But I also needed answers.
I looked at the note again. Trust no one.
Including him.
I made a decision.
I'd go to the meeting. But I wouldn't go alone.
Through the pack bonds, I reached out to my friends.
I need backup. North tower. Midnight. Stay hidden.
Responses came immediately.
We're there. - Nova
Already planning positions. - Aria
I've got your back. - Lyric
Be careful. - Sienna
I waited until 11:45, then headed out.
The north tower was old. Abandoned. Used for storage mostly.
The perfect place for a secret meeting.
Or an ambush.
I climbed the stairs slowly, every sense alert.
The tower was dark. Empty.
I reached the top and waited.
Minutes passed. Nothing.
Then I heard footsteps.
Cole appeared from the shadows.
"You came," he said.
"You asked me to."
"I wasn't sure you would. After you found the note."
"So you admit it. You've been working with Victoria's clan."
"It's not what you think."
"Then explain it. Now. No more lies."
He looked at me, conflict written across his face.
Finally, he said, "I can't. Not yet. But soon. I promise."
"Your promises mean nothing to me anymore."
"Luna, please—"
"No. I'm done with this. Done with you manipulating me. Using me."
"I never used you!"
"Really? Because that note said otherwise. Phase One: Get the Eclipse Wolf to trust you. Phase Two: Monitor the princess. What's Phase Three, Cole? What happens to me in the It-Girls' Plan?"
His expression shuttered. "You need to drop this. For your own safety."
"Is that a threat?"
"It's a warning. You're digging into things you don't understand. Things that are bigger than you."
"Then help me understand!"
"I can't!"
"Why not?"
"Because if I tell you, they'll kill you!"
The words hung in the air between us.
"Who will kill me?" I asked quietly.
"I can't say. But they're powerful. Connected. And they will not hesitate to eliminate threats."
"And you're protecting me by lying to me? By working with people who want to hurt the princess?"
"I'm protecting you by keeping you ignorant. The less you know, the safer you are."
"That's not your decision to make."
"Yes, it is. Because I love you. And I won't let you die because of this."
Through our bond, I felt his truth. He did love me.
But he also didn't trust me enough to tell me the truth.
And love without trust was just another form of control.
"We're done," I said.
"Luna—"
"I mean it. This relationship. This bond. We're done."
"You can't break the pack bond."
"Watch me."
I turned and started walking away.
"Luna, wait. There's something else. Something you need to know about—"
A sound stopped him. Footsteps. Multiple people.
Victoria and her clan appeared, surrounding us.
"Well, well," Victoria said. "Looks like someone couldn't follow simple instructions."
She was looking at Cole.
"This isn't what we agreed," he said.
"Plans change. You were supposed to keep her distracted. Instead, you're having emotional confessions." Victoria's eyes were cold. "That's disappointing, Cole."
"We had a deal."
"And you broke it. So now we do things my way."
Her clan moved closer, forming a circle around us.
I reached for my Eclipse power, ready to fight.
But Victoria raised her hand. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. We have leverage."
She gestured, and two of her followers dragged someone forward.
Selene.
She was gagged, hands bound, eyes wide with fear.
"Let her go!" I shouted.
"Give us what we want, and we will."
"What do you want?"
"Your mark. Your Eclipse power. Your connection to the otherworld." Victoria smiled. "Everything that makes you special. We want it all."
"That's impossible. You can't just take Eclipse power."
"Maybe not. But we can take you. And force you to use it for our purposes."
I looked at Cole. He was pale, clearly not expecting this.
"This wasn't the plan," he said.
"I told you. Plans change."
"Victoria, this is too far—"
"Shut up, Cole. You've served your purpose. The Eclipse Wolf is mine now."
She raised her hand, and dark magic surged forward.
I threw up an Eclipse barrier, but there were too many of them.
The barrier cracked.
I was about to be overwhelmed when suddenly, my hidden backup arrived.
Nova burst through a window in full wolf form.
Aria appeared from the stairwell, magical energy crackling around her hands.
Lyric and Sienna came from different directions, perfectly coordinated.
And someone else.
Liam.
He moved like water, fast and deadly, taking down two of Victoria's clan before they could react.
"You really thought she'd come alone?" he said, grinning. "That's just insulting."
The fight erupted.
My friends and I working in perfect synchronization against Victoria's clan.
I shifted fully and went straight for Selene.
But Victoria was faster. She grabbed Selene and held a blade to her throat.
"Stop! Or the princess dies!"
Everyone froze.
"Good," Victoria said. "Now, Luna. You're going to come with me quietly. Or I slit her throat right here."
"Don't do it, Luna!" Selene shouted through her gag.
But I couldn't let her die.
I started to move forward.
Then Cole did something unexpected.
He attacked Victoria.
She wasn't ready for it. The blade flew from her hand.
Selene broke free and ran to me.
"Go!" Cole shouted. "Get out of here!"
"Cole—"
"Just go!"
Victoria's clan was regrouping. We were outnumbered.
Liam grabbed my arm. "He's right. We need to retreat. Now."
We ran, leaving Cole behind to face Victoria's wrath.
As we fled down the stairs, I heard Victoria scream, "This isn't over, Eclipse! We will have what we want!"
We didn't stop running until we reached the Headmaster's office.
He listened to our story, his expression growing darker with each word.
"This is worse than I thought," he said. "We need to lock down the Academy. No one in or out until we've identified all the conspirators."
"What about Cole?" I asked.
"He made his choice."
"He saved us. That has to count for something."
"Or it was a ploy to maintain your trust."
I wanted to argue. But I didn't know anymore.
The Headmaster dismissed us with orders to stay in groups at all times.
We headed back to the dorms, exhausted and shaken.
"You okay?" Liam asked me.
"No. But I will be."
"That's my girl."
The casual endearment made my heart flutter.
Through my mark, I felt warmth. Recognition.
Miguel's words echoed. Your mark knows.
I looked at Liam and saw him watching me with genuine concern. Real care.
No manipulation. No hidden agendas.
Just honest, straightforward support.
Maybe Miguel was right.
Maybe my true mate had been in front of me all along.
And I'd been too blind to see it.