Chapter 16
Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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“I told you… didn’t I?” Alpha Collin Black hissed. “We cannot do this now!” He held
his wife’s arm trying to pull her away from the tent. “We are currently p>
“I merely want to see my daughter,” Genevieve hissed.
The rain had not let
1. up.
It beat mercilessly against the northern canopy, drumming down the leaves in a constant rhythm like the war drums of the gods themselves. The forest floor had turned to mud, a thick, sucking quagmire that clung to every step, swallowing boots whole and making the very act of standing feel like defiance.
Rainwater streamed through the trenches, carving shallow rivers that ran slick with ash and blood. The wind carried the tang of iron and wet bark, and overhead, lightning spiderwebbed across the sky like a warning from the heavens.
Yet none of that stopped Luna Genevieve.
She stood just outside the central war tent, cloak soaked through, raindrops catching in her black hair like a crown of cold fire. Her head was bowed in the perfect image of maternal grief, and her hands trembled as she clutched them before her chest. She didn’t flinch when thunder cracked above her.
Celeste stood beside her, pale and trembling, arms folded over her soaked gown. Every now and then she glanced toward the soldiers passing nearby, ensuring their eyes stayed on them. She pressed closer to her mother, like a daughter seeking comfort.
It was all part of the performance.
Genevieve dropped to her knees in the mud.
“My Lord Cassian,” she called, loud enough for every ear within shouting distance to hear. Her voice wavered, practiced to perfection. “Please… I beg of you. Let a mother see her daughter p>
The words echoed.
Heads turned. Curious whispers rippled through the ranks. The sight of the proud Luna, on her knees, soaked, voice breaking, was a scene crafted for witnesses. And Genevieve knew it.
She could already feel their gazes on her like a thousand invisible hands. The weight of attention pressed in, and she smiled to herself. Let them watch. Let them believe.
Behind her, Alpha Collin gritted his teeth. “Genevieve, stop this,” he hissed under his breath, gripping her shoulder. “We have bigger things to deal with, our patrols are stretched thin, the
11:05 Wed, Sep 10
Chapter 16
Genevieve stiffened. “How dare you p>
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“I dare because I bled tonight,” Rio snarled. “Because my people bled. And you, standing here, stirring panic, sowing doubt, insinuating that my Lord, the Prince of the North, has harmed your daughter? Are you trying to distract us? Because if you are… that sounds a lot like treason p>
For a moment, the only sound was the rain pounding harder against the tent, and the distant roar of thunder rolling across the mountains.
Genevieve’s jaw ticked. She had not expected this level of pushback. Rio was clearly sharper than she anticipated. Still, she wouldn’t retreat.
“I don’t care about politics,” she said, raising her chin. “I only want to see my daughter p>
“You want to be seen wanting to see her,” Rio snapped back. “Don’t pretend otherwise p>
“You-” For a split second, Genevieve appeared stunned, lips parting in mock disbelief. But inside, satisfaction bloomed. This was exactly what she wanted. The more resistance they threw at her, the easier it would be to twist the story, make them all believe Lord Cassian had something to hide… something violent.
“If she’s hurt… if she’s… gone… we have the right to know,” Celeste said suddenly, her voice cracking just enough to sound real. “At the very least, let our physicians examine her. She’s still the Alpha’s daughter. Please… I’m begging you p>
Rio stepped forward, boots squelching in the mud, his presence like a drawn blade. “Enough. Leave. We don’t have time for this circus p>
“Luna. Celeste,” Alpha Collin snapped through gritted teeth. He had seen enough. With one swift motion, he grabbed Genevieve by the elbow, dragging her back without ceremony. “Return to my tent. Now p>
Genevieve hissed in protest, trying to yank free, but he didn’t loosen his grip. “And
you too,” he growled at Celeste, eyes sharp with warning.
However, just as they turned to leave, the flap of Cassian’s tent rustled open. Physician Mendez stepped out, rain beading along his shoulders, his expression cold as he eyed them.
“The Lord is willing to see you now,” he said calmly, eyes sweeping over each of them. “Please,
Come in p>
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Chapter 16
outer ridge was breached just hours ago. This is not the time for theatrics p>
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Genevieve didn’t even look at him. “This isn’t theatrics,” she said sweetly. “I am a mother, Collin. How do you want me to deal with this, huh p>
“I warned you about this p>
The flap of the tent snapped open, and a towering figure stepped out, drenched in rain but solid as a wall of stone. Lieutenant Rio walked out.
“Step back,” Rio said coolly, his hand resting on the hilt of his blade. “The Lord is occupied p>
Genevieve didn’t rise. She lifted her face toward Rio, her tears indistinguishable from the rain. “Please,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “I only want to see my daughter. I want to know she’s alive p>
“You’re here to cause a distraction,” Rio replied sharply. “That’s all this is.” The words cut through the gathering crowd like a knife.
Celeste stiffened beside her mother, her fingers twitching. “That’s not true,” she said weakly.
Rio’s gaze shifted. “Is it not? Because where I stand, my brothers and sisters lie gutted in that tent. My Lord hasn’t slept. My comrades haven’t stopped bleeding.” He took a step forward, the mud squelching under his boots. “And here you are, making a spectacle. Kneeling like a widow before a grave when your daughter isn’t even confirmed dead p>
Genevieve’s eyes narrowed. “Then let me see her, she challenged. “If she’s alive, if you truly have nothing to hide, why refuse a mother her right to see her child p>
Rio didn’t flinch. “Because you’ve forfeited that right the moment you let your daughter marry to the lord,” he said coldly. “She is one of us now. Now quit your nonsense, stop planting doubt and undermining the Lord’s commands or don’t blame me for being
ruthless p>
“What are you hiding, then?” Genevieve snapped, rising slowly. “Is she too injured to be seen? Or perhaps… already dead? Did Lord Cassian harm my daughter on their wedding night p>
Gasps rose from nearby soldiers. Genevieve smiled inwardly. Yes. This was her purpose all along. She wanted to use everyone to pressure Cassian into letting her see Atasha.
Celeste looked between them, then lowered her head, as if barely holding herself together. “Mother,” she whispered, the perfect picture of a grieving sister. “Please p>
Rio’s lip curled. “What I want to know, Luna,” he said, voice dangerously soft. “Is whether the Nightfall Pack is working with the enemy. Because that would explain a lot p>
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Chapter 17