Chapter 58 Mess with Mine
Dagnoth’s POV
The dungeon smelled of iron and damp stone.
I preferred it that way.
Truth surfaced faster when comfort was stripped away.
The rogue was chained to the center pillar, wrists bound above his head with silver-lined restraints. Blood had dried along his temple. His breathing was uneven but his eyes were still defiant.
Good.
Defiance broke louder.
I dismissed the guards with a flick of my fingers. The heavy door shut behind them, leaving only the crackle of a single torch between us.
“You were paid,” I said calmly.
Silence.
I stepped closer.
“You crossed three marked borders. You avoided outer patrols. You arrived at the eastern garden gate minutes after Dahila reached it.”
His jaw tightened at her name.
“You weren’t hunting blindly,” I continued. “You were waiting.”
He spat at the ground.
“I told you,” he rasped. “I don’t betray coin.”
I grabbed the chain above his wrists and pulled it sharply. The silver burned his skin. He hissed but didn’t scream.
“Coin can be replaced,” I said quietly. “Your life cannot.”
His eyes flickered.
“Who told you she would be there?”
Silence again.
My wolf stirred beneath my skin. Not rage—calculation.
“You knew I would be distracted,” I pressed. “Distracted by what?”
The rogue’s breathing quickened.
He knew.
I leaned closer, lowering my voice. “Was it my Luna?”
The reaction was small. Almost invisible.
But I saw it.
The hesitation.
The slight widening of his pupils.
That was enough.
“You hesitate,” I murmured. “Which means I am close.”
He shook his head violently. “You’re guessing.”
“Am I?”
I released the chain abruptly. He sagged forward, panting.
“You attacked children,” I said coldly. “Do not pretend there is honor in you.”
“I wasn’t told there would be children,” he muttered before catching himself.
The words hung in the air.
I went still.
“You weren’t told,” I repeated softly.
He cursed under his breath.
“Who gave the order?” I demanded.
He closed his eyes.
“I can endure pain,” he said hoarsely.
I studied him for a long moment.
Then I stepped back.
“You misunderstand,” I said quietly. “Pain is not the only tool I possess.”
I turned toward the door.
“You will remain here,” I said without looking back. “No food. No healer. No sleep. And when exhaustion strips your pride, we will continue.”
I left him in darkness.
The palace corridors were too quiet.
Word of the attack had already spread, though no one dared speak it openly. Servants bowed lower than usual. Guards stiffened when I passed.
Fear was useful.
But betrayal was not.
I changed direction before reaching my chambers.
Instead, I went to the Luna’s wing.
The guards outside her door straightened immediately.
“Is she alone?” I asked.
“Yes, Alpha.”
I entered without knocking.
The Luna stood by the window, draped in pale silk, moonlight framing her like a painting. She turned slowly, offering a serene smile.
“You are awake early,” she said softly.
“So are you.”
Her gaze sharpened slightly. “There was an incident.”
“Yes.”
She moved closer. “I heard rogues breached the outer garden. How unfortunate.”
Unfortunate.
“That is one word for it,” I replied.
Her eyes searched my face. “Were the children harmed?”
“No.”
A pause.
“And Dahila?” she asked, almost too casually.
“She lives.”
Something flickered across her expression. It vanished quickly—but not quickly enough.
“You seem tense,” she said, reaching out as if to touch my arm.
I stepped back before her fingers made contact.
Her hand lingered in the air for half a second before she lowered it gracefully.
“Someone within my walls fed information to rogues,” I said directly.
Her brows lifted. “That is a serious accusation.”
“I did not accuse you.”
“But you came here first.”
Because you are the only one with motive.
I held her gaze. “The rogue claimed he was paid.”
She tilted her head. “Rogues lie when cornered.”
“Yes.”
Silence stretched.
She smiled faintly. “You do not truly believe I would endanger this pack.”
“I believe power makes people careless,” I said evenly.
Her eyes cooled.
“I have stood beside you for years,” she said. “Through war. Through famine. Through revolt.”
“And yet,” I replied, “my children were nearly taken within my own borders.”
The air thickened.
“You have grown distant since she arrived,” the Luna said quietly.
This again.
“Do not mistake duty for distance,” I said.
“Is that what this is?” she asked softly.
Her voice carried something deeper. Not accusation.
Jealousy.
“She is under my protection,” I said firmly.
Her gaze sharpened. “And what exactly is she to you?”
The question struck closer than I wanted.
“She is the mother of children within my walls,” I answered.
Not a lie.
But not the whole truth.
The Luna studied me carefully. “Be cautious, Dagnoth,” she said. “Outsiders bring instability.”
“So does ambition,” I replied.
Her lips curved into a faint smile. “You suspect me.”
“I suspect everyone.”
She stepped closer again, lowering her voice. “If I wished harm upon her, Alpha… I would not hire rogues.”
The confidence in her tone unsettled me more than denial would have.
I turned to leave.
“Find proof,” she called softly behind me. “Before you let suspicion fracture your throne.”
Dahila was awake when I returned.
She stood by the hearth, arms folded, eyes watchful.
“You questioned him,” she said.
“Yes.”
“And?”
“He refuses to name who paid him.”
Her jaw tightened. “But you learned something.”
I walked closer. “He claimed he was not told children would be present.”
Her breath caught.
“So the target was me,” she whispered.
“Or you were the bait,” I corrected.
Her eyes flashed. “For what?”
“For leverage.”
Silence fell.
“You spoke to her,” Dahila said suddenly.
It wasn’t a guess.
“Yes.”
“And?”
“She denies involvement.”
A bitter laugh escaped her. “Of course she does.”
“You accuse boldly for someone with no proof.”
“And you defend carefully for someone with too much pride,” she shot back.
The tension snapped tight between us.
I stepped closer.
“Do not test me, Dahila.”
“Then stop shielding her,” she said.
“I shield this pack,” I growled.
“And I shield my children!”
The words echoed.
Our breathing was heavy now. Too close. Too heated.
“You think I cannot see it?” she whispered. “The way she looks at Liam?”
My chest tightened.
“She sees him as threat,” Dahila continued. “As competition.”
“For what?” I demanded.
She hesitated.
Say it.
Say he is yours.
But she didn’t.
“For influence,” she said instead.
Frustration burned through me.
“You are hiding something,” I said quietly.
“And you are avoiding something,” she replied just as softly.
The space between us felt charged.
“Until I have proof,” I said firmly, “no accusations will be made.”
“And if proof never comes?”
“It will.”
My voice left no room for doubt.
A knock sounded at the door.
One of my guards entered quickly and bowed.
“Alpha, the prisoner is weakening.”
Good.
I turned back to Dahila.
“This is not over,” I said.
“No,” she agreed quietly. “It’s just beginning.”
As I left the chamber once more, one truth settled heavily in my mind
Someone inside my palace had moved against what was mine.
And whether it was the Luna or another shadow I had yet to see When I uncovered them—
Mercy would not be part of the outcome.