Chapter 27

Chapter 27


The air still reeked of blood when Kilian, in his wolf form, raced back toward the heart of the castle. The screams of the defeated wolves were fading slowly into the distance, but what truly drove him forward was the bond that tied him to his queen… to his mate. He could feel her: wounded, exhausted, but alive.

Laikan reached the central courtyard just in time to see her. Her bare body was covered in crimson marks, her blonde hair now soaked in blood, her eyes still flashing with Nyra’s lingering power. She stood tall, proud, though her body trembled. Not from fear, but from restrained fury.

Laikan approached her, carefully licking the blood from her abdomen, displaying a concern far beyond that of a king. Luciana raised a trembling hand and stroked his snout.

—I'm fine... Are you?

His amber eyes gleamed before shifting back to human. In seconds, Kilian stood before her, not a shred of clothing on him, just as the laws of their kind dictated after each transformation. Liana, who had been watching from a distance, rushed over with a cloak.

—I’ll fetch one for you, Your Majesty —she said, covering her eyes at the sight of the naked king, and vanished quickly.

Gabriel and Ian arrived shortly after, their expressions serious, though victorious. Both were already clothed, courtesy of ever-prepared Liana.

—Thanks to the Moon Queen’s strategy, none of the allied clans were harmed —Gabriel reported—. Our warriors held the entrances and captured several Grays as they tried to flee through the eastern wing.

Luciana smiled fiercely. They had challenged her on her own ground.

—Where are they? Take me to them. I want to know who ordered this attack.

Kilian watched her with a furrowed brow. He recognized that tone. It belonged to the woman who had ruled empires in past lives… not as queen of a people, but as the executioner of traitors.

Still, he nodded.

—I’ll go with you.

The castle dungeons smelled of damp stone and rusted metal. A narrow hallway lit by poorly placed torches barely illuminated the faces of the prisoners: five men, all covered in dried blood, bruises, and an aura of defeat.

Luciana, now dressed thanks to Liana, entered without hesitation. She walked as if death itself cleared the way before her. None of the guards stopped her. They knew exactly who she was. They knew what she was capable of.

Gabriel escorted her to the end of the row. There, a broad-shouldered, middle-aged wolf with a scar across his neck glared at her with disdain.

—You… —she said with a cold smile—. You’ll be first.

Delicately, she removed the pin holding up her hair. It was blackened silver, forged with her initial. She held it between her fingers and turned it to see the flames reflected on its tip.

—Would you hold this, Kilian? —she asked, with a calmness so false it sent chills—. He’s about to learn the true meaning of pain.

Kilian didn’t question her. He simply took hold of the prisoner’s shoulders, with Ian helping to restrain him against the wall. They exchanged glances, puzzled by Luciana’s terrifying serenity as she approached.

—This —she said, showing the pin to the man— is a simple object. Small, harmless… right? But if you know where to use it, it can extract more truths than a whip or a dagger.

She leaned down, took the man's right hand, and studied it. His fingers were thick, crusted with scars.

—You’ve got twenty fingers —she whispered, with a smile almost maternal—. But I’m sure by the third, you’ll be begging to confess.

The man spat blood onto the ground. Luciana didn’t flinch.

—Let’s begin, then...

Without warning, she slid the pin beneath his index fingernail. The man’s scream echoed through the dungeons like a demon’s wail. Kilian tightened his grip. Ian frowned, uneasy… but didn’t let go.

—Who sent you? —Luciana asked calmly.

The prisoner only screamed.

With surgical precision, she repeated the process on the middle finger. Another scream. Another glance exchanged between the alphas. Kilian was beginning to understand that the woman he had chosen as his mate had far more darkness in her than he had ever imagined… and he couldn’t help but be fascinated.

—Speak —Abigaíl commanded, wiping the blood from the pin with her own cloak—. Or shall I move on to the feet?

The man trembled. His lips parted, and he murmured:

—It was Kara! She sent us!

Luciana raised an eyebrow.

—Kara?

He nodded weakly, tears streaming down his face.

—She promised us land… trade routes… access to the Golden Valley. She said if we could eliminate you during your coronation, the chaos would weaken the North and she could seize control from within.

Kilian released the traitor abruptly, his face pale with fury.

—What exactly was the plan?

—We were to kill you —he said through sobs—. Kill the Moon. Without a queen, without the bond, the North would fracture over the succession. Some clans were already unsure… others were just waiting for a sign to break away. She… she used us as cannon fodder. But she swore, swore that if we could break your bond with the king, the rest would be easy…

Luciana turned, her back straight, her expression unreadable.

—And you came anyway? —she asked with a bitter smile.

The wolf lowered his head in defeat. She let the pin fall to the ground with a faint metallic cling.

—You should all understand something —she continued—. I’m not a queen born of privilege or lineage. I am a wolf born of war, of loss, of fire. I am not merciful. And if anyone ever again raises a hand against this kingdom… —she leaned in until her face was inches from the prisoner’s— I will tear them apart, finger by finger, bone by bone. And then, when nothing remains, I will burn their soul.

She turned and walked toward the exit. Her voice rang out like a funeral bell.

—Gabriel, make sure this testimony is recorded. Tomorrow I’ll convene the Council to inform them of Kara’s betrayal. She has not only betrayed her blood… she has signed her death sentence.

Kilian followed in silence. Ian stayed behind with Gabriel, still processing what they had just witnessed.

Out in the hallway, Kilian took her hand.

—My Luna...

—Don’t ask me anything yet —she murmured—. Today… I was what I needed to be.

And though the king said nothing in response, the way he squeezed her hand was enough for her to know he, too, was willing to protect her… even from the darkness still burning within.