CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & NINETY THREE


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    CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & NINETY THREE


    Talia’s POV


    “What is she doing here?” I demanded.


    All of ra’s confidence left her and her posture stiffened. She sat tray down with shaky hands. ra then dropped to her knees.


    “Princess, no, Luna Talia,” ra said, her voice shaking. “I…I’m so sorry.” The words came out fast and desperate, as if she had been holding them back for a long time. “I never wanted to betray you. I swear I had no choice.”


    The other omegas in the kitchen stopped what they were doing to watch. I grit my teeth. Was she acting vulnerable to gather sympathy?


    “Get up,” Nn ordered and ra quickly got up. “No one is going to harm you. Tell Talia what you told me.”


    ra swallowed hard and looked at me as she wiped tears from her face. “Viki threatened me,” she said. “She said if I didn’t do exactly what she told me, she would kill me. I didn’t care at first until she threatened my family.”


    My chest tightened. “And why didn’t you tell me when all this happened? I could’ve protected you.”


    “How? Alpha Jason had stopped confiding in you. He only cared about Viki,” ra answered. “I couldn’t risk Jason not believing you.”


    Her words stung, but she was right. I was the only one delusional about Jason still loving me. Even though I understood her, it didn’t make me feel any better about her betraying me.


    “She forced me to lie,” ra continued. “She made me nt things, repeat stories, twist events so that everyone would doubt you. After that, she never stopped torturing me. She told me I should be grateful she let me live.”


    “So, how did you end up at Bloodmoon?” I asked.


    “I finally ran. I couldn’t take it anymore,” ra said quietly, “I had nowhere to go. I wandered until I reached Bloodmoon’s border. The guards caught me, but Alpha Nn saw that I wasn’t dangerous. He let me stay as a maid.”


    Nn nodded. “Her story was consistent after being interrogated multiple times. I believed her.”


    I looked back at ra. I could see the fear in her eyes as if she was reliving the trauma all over again.


    ‘We can forgive her. Make her prove herself,’ my wolf suggested.


    “You will swear to me,” I said slowly, “that you will never betray me again. No matter who threatens you. No matter what they promise. Swear that you will report to me, no matter what.”


    ra nodded vigorously, “I swear it,” she said. “On my life, on my wolf.”


    “Understand this clearly, ra, I forgive you, but that doesn’t mean I trust you. You will have to earn back my trust.”


    “I understand,” ra replied at once. Only time would tell if ra was telling the truth or not.


    Nn turned to her. “You will serve Talia now,” he said. “With loyalty.”


    “Yes, Alpha,” ra said.


    He left us then, exining he needed to return to his meetings. When he was gone, I released a breath I had not realized I was holding.


    After breakfast, I asked ra to show me around the pack grounds. De joined us, exining that Marco was still tied up with Nn and the senior members.


    Bloodmoon’s territory was very simr to Silverfang, but surprisinglyrger. I understood why Nn wanted to hold onto the territory on his own no matter what. But what caught my attention was the grand garden.


    CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & NINETY THREE


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    It was wide and immactely maintained, with flowering hedges and stone paths that curved gently through the greenery. I didn’t realize Nn and I had so much inmon.


    Several maids were scrubbing benches and trimming nts under the supervision of a familiar figure. It was Maggie. She stood with her hands folded behind her back, issuing instructions.


    “Is she serious?” De asked. “She’s acting like a drill sergeant.”


    When Maggie noticed us approaching, she turned her attention to me. There was hostility in her eyes just like when we first


    arrived.


    “Miss Talia,” she said coolly.


    My wolf stirred at once, a low, displeased warning echoing through me. ‘She is testing you.’


    “You will address her properly. She is Luna-to-be Talia,” De said firmly.


    “I was just showingdies the grounds as instructed,” ra said carefully. I raised an eyebrow at ra’s timidness with Maggie.


    Maggie stepped forward, blocking the path. “This garden is reserved,” she said. “It is Alpha Nn’s private space. You should not be here.”


    De’s expression hardened. “That is not your decision to make. The future Luna can go anywhere.”


    Maggie’s lips curved into a polite smile, but her eyes held malice. “I don’t know what it was like in Silverfang, but Bloodmoon has rules. Until the Luna ceremony isplete, she is not my Luna.”


    “You don’t get to decide that,” De said sharply.


    Maggie remainedposed. “I am only enforcing what has always been in ce.”


    “And who are you to enforce anything?” De growled.


    “You need to put her in her ce,’ my wolf urged.


    I watched Maggie silently and ced a hand on De’s shoulder. “We will leave,” I said calmly.


    De turned toward me in surprise, but I met her gaze and shook my head slightly. This was not the moment.


    Maggie smirked in satisfaction for a brief moment before going back to her calm fa?ade. “Thank you for understanding, Miss Talia.” Her emphasis on my name was another jab, but I wasn’t going to take the bait.


    As we walked away, De reached out through our mind link. “She does not like you,” she said quietly.


    “I know,” I replied.


    “And you’re just going to allow her to talk to you like that?” De asked.


    “No, but this wasn’t the ce to deal with her,” I replied.


    “You should tell Nn before this gets out of hand,” De suggested.


    “Don’t worry. I n to,” I said.


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