ra’s POV

“G–Gamma?”

Orik’s voice cracked like a kid who’d just been smacked with reality.

“No,” Co snapped, her voice pitching into disbelief, “you’ve got to be joking.”

She looked at me as if I’d grown two heads.

“You? Gamma? Of Blood Moon?” she barked out augh so sharp it felt like a p. “Did you hit your head too hard when you got kidnapped? A limp noodle like you leading soldiers? Don’t make meugh.”

I just stood there with a calm smile, letting her sputter and stew. It was funny–how much she still needed to believe I was weak. That belief protected her from the truth.

“You used to cry when Olive shoved you,” she continued, eyes wide with mocking disbelief. “And now

preteriding to be someone?”

“You can’t be serious.” Ruvan’s voice cut through. He looked at Cael, fury bubbling under his fake civility. “We already have a Gamma in Direstone Keep. Garron. Heard of him? So unless you’ve got a death wish, stop throwing titles around like confetti just because you drive a shiny car.”

Cael’s brow arched with cool amusement.

Then heughed.

Loudly.

“What’s so funny, boy?” Co snapped, clearly offended.

Before Cael could answer, Vessa stormed forward. She shoved her way between Cael and the Diaz n with eyes zing.

“Open those crusty eyes and take a good look, you overfed toad,” she snarled. “That’s Alpha Cael of Blood Moon Pack. You insulted both him and our Gamma–and trust me, you won’t walk away untouched if you do it again.”

The color drained from the Diaz family’s faces all at once.

Blood Moon Pack. The name hit them like a p.

Even Mieta tooked like her soul just evacuated her body.

Ruvan swallowed hard. iOrik /ifumbled a step back and tripped over a root,nding t on his ass with a thud.

“Alpha Thorne…i” /iCael’s voice turned cold. “I wasn’t aware that your citizens enjoy spitting on their guests. If this is the wee your allies get, perhaps

BloodMoon should reconsider its involvement.”

Thorne’s jaw clenched. He said nothing.

“Permission to shred them, Gamma?” Vessa asked, fists already curled, soldiers shifting behind her like a rising wave of fury.

Cael’s troops immediately dropped intobat/stance. Muscles tensed. Eyes gleamed with readiness.

Orik screamed like a toddler, crawling backward on all fours.

“No, no, no–please! Gamma! You’re amazing! I was just–just testing you!” His voice shook as he groveled, “Spare me, I beg you!”

bI /bstared down at him with a tight smile. Pathetic.

Chapter 19.

This was the same man who shoved me in front of a furious husband once just to save his own cowardly hide. I still had the scar on my scalp.

Thorne snapped, his tone sharp. “Mr. and Mrs. Diaz, control your son.”

Ruvan yanked Orik up by the cor. “Sorry, sorry,” he muttered. “He panicked. But your Gamma overreacted-”

I cut him off, voice ice–cold. “I have every right to react to a threat. Speak again, and I’ll consider you one.”

Thorne looked at me and exhaled through his nose, trying for diplomacy. “ra… we’re not here to start a war on day one. Let’s not escte things.”

He always said that.

Whenever they pped me, insulted me, used me, he told me not to make a scene. He never said anything to them–only to me.

But I wasn’t that ra anymore.

Still, I raised a hand, and my soldiers stood down without hesitation.

“I’ll let it go,” I said coolly. “For now.”

Cael nced at the sun. “It’ste. Let’s get to the lodging site. My people need rest.”

“Of course,” Thorne said, gesturing to his Beta. “Myles will guide you to the central za.”

Mi pulled out the fake sweetness. “I’ll stay here with my family for a while.”

Thorne didn’t even blink. He just nodded and turned away.

Once the troops rolled out, the moment they were out of earshot, Co whipped around and screamed, “You knew she word?!”

“I thought I could handle her!” Mi cried. “I thought I could make her disappear again!”

Co grabbed Mi’s arms. “Don’t worry, baby. We’ll fix this.”

was alive? And you didn’t say a

Ruvan joined in with a sneer. “She may be Gamma over there, but this is Direstone Keep. We own this ce. Let’s remind her.”

Mi wiped away a tear, a malicious smile forming. “What do we do first?”

Co reached for her phone. “Step one: mess with her amodations.”

The hotel looked familiar. Of course it did. The Diaz family built it.

Cael, Vessa, and the rest of the Blood Moon officers were escorted ito /ithe top floor. Presidential suites, gourmet catering, personal concierges. The usual

treatment.

But I never got my key.

“Excuse me,” I asked the concierge, who had been avoiding eye contact with me for thest ten minutes. “Where’s my room?”

He gave me a fake smile that didn’t reach his eyes,

“Follow me,

Miss.”

He led me past the lobby, around a side entrance, down two flights of concrete stairs,

The air grew colder, damper.

Finally, he stopped in front of a tiny rusted door.

“Here you are,” he said, and tossed my bag inside like it was garbage.

I stepped forward and looked in.

It smelled of mildew and rotten wood. The bed was a b of iron with a stained sheet. No windows. A single flickering bulb dangled from the ceiling.

“This is a utility closet,” I said tly.

The concierge smirked. “It’s your assigned space.”

I turned to him slowly. “Then here’s my response.”

Without flinching, I mmed the door shut from the outside–locking him inside instead.

His muffled yells echoed down the hallway.

I pulled out my phone, dialing Vessa.

“Send a team to my location. We’ve got another Diaz trap to clean up.”

Because if they thought this was how my stay in Direstone Keep would begin—

They were in for a much nastier surprise.

–

Comment