bChapter /bb48 /b

A heartbeal of silence.

Then another.

Suddenly, his hand unclenches, releasing Jasmine’s hair with a vicious shove that sends her stumbling against the wall. She bgasps /bas she copses to the floor.

His bloodshot, furious eyes snap to mine, glowing red with rage.

“You fucking bitch,” he snarls. “How did you find this ce?”

He whips his head toward Jasmine, his jaw clenched as he res at her like she’s nothing but dirt beneath his boot.

“You told her, didn’t you?” he spits. “Think she’s your savior now just because she’s mated to your precious Alpha brother?”

His hand lifts again, faster this time, ready to strike.

“Touch her again,” I growl, my voiceced with the raw edge of my wolf, “and I swear to the fucking Goddess–I will end you.”

He freezes mid–motion, his eyes narrowing.

“End me?” he says with a twisted grin. Then heughs–a cold, ugly sound that poisons the air. “Do you even know who the fuck I am? After Jack, I’m the strongest in this pack. I could snap your neck in half before you even blink.”

He puffs out his chest with pride.

I step forward, lifting my chin and holding his gaze. “Then leave. If you want to keep your body in one piece, get the fuck out–while I’m still being nice.”

That stings. His eyes twitch, nostrils ring as his jaw tightens.

“What are you going to do?” he sneers. “Call Jack? Beg him to save you?” He leans in closer, his eyes gleaming with cruelty. “You don’t even bear his mark. You can’t mind link him. So tell me, Luna–how exactly are you going to save her? Or yourself?”

He paces now, circling me like a predator. “You’re nothing but a pretty little toy he brought home. And once I’m done with you, no one’s going to find your body.”

Jasmine lets out a soft whimper, but I don’t break eye contact with Khaos. His words are cruel, meant to cut–but they only sharpen the de I’m holding inside me.

I give him a faint smirk. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

A flicker of something passes through his eyes–challenge, defiance, pride.

He can’t back down now.

He roars–and lunges.

And that’s when the shift takes overb. /b

I feel the snap of bones, the rush of power through my veins, fur erupting along my skin in an instant. I shift mid–air, my wolf bursting forth with a power that shatters the doorframe behind me and cracks the wall with the force of my leap.

I hear Jasmine gasp sharply.

But my focus is locked on Khaos.

His eyes widen in horror as my wolf ms into him, the sheer size of me knocking him off his feet like ba /bragdoll. He hits bthe /bfloor hard, and I don’t give

bhim /btime to recover.

bMy /bws sink binto /bhis face.

He screams.

b+15 /b

Good.

Irake my ws down againb, /bbfury /bexploding with each swipe. Blood spurts, his hands iling weakly, trying to push me off–but it’s useless. He’s nothingpared to me.

He whimpers. Whimpers. That big, proud, snarling Beta is whimpering beneath me.

Pathetic.

He falls to his knees, face shredded, sobbing and shaking. Blood drips from his chin, forming a growing pool on the floor.

I shift back in a blink, my feetnding gracefully beside him. My clothes are still intact–thank the Moon Goddess–and I stare down at him, grinning with bdark /bsatisfaction.

“You should’ve stayed in your fucking ce.b” /b

I step over him like the trash he is and turn to Jasmine.

She’s frozen. bWide/b–eyed. Barely breathing.

“Jasmine,” I say gently.

She doesn’t move. Her hands are trembling, lips parted like she wants to say something–but nothinges out.

So I walk over, bend lowi, /iand slide my arms beneath her, lifting her like a child. She’s weightless in my hold, soft and silent, her head falling against my chest bas /bbI /bcarry her out of that cursed house.

She doesn’t speak, but her fingers curl against my shirtb, /band that’s ball /bI need to know—for now.

She’s safe.

And he’ll never touch her again.

“Take me to the treehouse,” Jasmine whispers against my neck, her voice so fragile I almost bthink /bI imagined it.

nce down at her in my arms. Her face is pale, her eyes ssy with exhaustion. I nod silently and keep walking, holding her close like she might break if I let go. Her body trembles–and I know it’s not from the cold.

We reach the giant tree nestled in the heart of the forest, hidden from every predator, mate, and monster. She mutters something under her breath, and just like before, the bark ripples and shifts.

1 step inside without hesitation.

The familiar warmth hits me instantly, wrapping around us like a nket. Wood and herbs. Dust and memory.

I head straight to the tiny bedroom tucked in the corner and gentlyy Jasmine on the soft, messy bed. Her fingers twitch when I start to pull away.

*y’ll give you some btime /bto rest-”

“Your wolf…” she says suddenly. Her voice is small but clear, bcutting /bthrough the quiet like ba /bbpin /bdropping

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I turn around.

She’s sitting up now, leaning against the headboard, her fingers gripping the nket like a lifeline. Her wide eyes search mine, filled with disbelief and

Test

“ith unlike anything I’ve ever seen before,” she murmurs, her voice shaking. “She’s probably bigger than all of the male wolves in the pack. How… how is that even possible? You’re just a female.”

The word just lingers in the air like an insult. Her voice isn’t cruel–but the implication stings all the same. Curiosity cloaked in condescension.

I stare at her for a long moment, saying nothing. I know Jasmine doesn’t mean any harm. She’s just shocked. Still, her reaction is exactly why I’ve always hidden bthat /bside of myself.

Until today.

My wolf isn’t dainty. She’s not the graceful Luna everyone expects. She’s fierce. Monstrous. Powerful. And mine.

I sigh and lower my gaze to the floorboards. “I didn’t have a choice,” I say quietly. “There was no way I could’ve taken Khaos down in human form. Sol trusted my instincts.”

Silence stretches between us like a bridge ready to copse.

“Rest.” I murmur. “When you wake up, maybe it’ll all feel like a dream.”

I bturn /bto leave.

“Don’t go,” she pleads quickly, reaching out. “Please. Don’t leave me alone.”

I freeze. I can feel her fear—raw and real. She’s not afraid of me anymore. Not exactly. She’s afraid he’lle back.

“I can’t stay,” I say gently. “I need to get to Jack’s private library. There’s something I need to find–”

“Jack’s library?” she cuts in with a small scoff. “You mean the one I helped organize from top to bottom? Do you know what that means? I know where every book is. I’m the best person to help. That ce is huge and full of nonsense–half of it isn’t even worth reading.”

I blink, taken aback as she pushes herself off the bed, still swaying slightly, but already marching toward the tall bookshelf nestled in the treehouse wall.

“I’ve got everything here,” she adds, waving a hand at the towering’shelves. “All the books that matter.”

Augh escapes me before I can stop it. “Fine,” I say, smirking. “You win.”

She shes me a small, tired smile and walks us to the shelf. A firece crackles nearby, painting everything in a warm orange glow. The scent of burning wood and old paper fills the room, grounding me.

The first time I came here, it felt like a dream. It still does. No wonder this is her sanctuary. A ce where even her mate can’t reach her.

“So,” she says, running a finger along the spines of the books, “what exactly are we looking for?”

I pause, eyes drifting over her eager expression.

“You’re scared,” I say quietly. “You think I’ll go tell your brother what happened. That’s why you want to keep me close.”

She sighs, lips pressing into a thin line. The answer is written all over her face.

b“/bbI /bget it,” I continue. “But you just found out my secret–my wolf is my biggest secret. You think I’d turn around and betray yours? Even if you hadn’t seen her… I’d still keep your privacy safe.”

Our eyes meet. “Now we both have something to keep from the world.”

69%

Jasmine looks away. Her voice is small when she says, “But what about Khaos? He knows your secret too…”

Het out a shortugh, surprising her,

“He won’t tell,” I say, smirking: “His pride won’t let him. Imagine having to admit to the entire pack that he got his ass handed to him by a woman. Yeah, we’re safe. For now.”

She nods, some of the tension finally draining from her shoulders. “Alrightb… /bSo what are we looking for again?”

Thesitate. “A ne. You weren’t at the party when I wore it.”

“What did it look like?”

“It’s delicate… silver chain, but the pendant is this blue sapphire. The kind that catches the light and shimmers like the ocean.”

Jasmine tilts her head, thoughtful. Then she starts pulling books off shelves, muttering to herself.

I follow her lead, scanning pages, flipping through volumes thick with dust and time. We move fast but carefully, the silence broken only by the asional whisper of paper and the crackle of fire.

After what feels like an hour, Jasmine suddenly gasps.

“Is this it?” She says, rushing to my side with a book open in her hands. She points at a detailed illustration.

My breath catches.

It’s the exact same ne.

“It looks exactly like mine,” I say, grabbing the book.

She reads aloud from the passage beneath it. “This ne is crafted only for the Alpha Queen, passed down through generations. Worn as a symbol of divine right and unity, its magic binds the bloodline to the throne.“”

Her brows shoot up. “You sure it’s not fake?”

I stare at the image, the blue stone glittering on the page like it’s alive.

A cold knot coils in my stomach.

“I… I don’t know,” I murmur. “There’s no way I should have something that belongs to an Alpha Queen.”

But deep down, I know.

It’s not fake.

And that’s what terrifies meb. /b