Page 51 of The Alpha's Lunar Crown

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The meeting with Queen Alice is set for the next evening. I leave Ronan with his nanny and drive out to the designated location—an estate on the outskirts of the city, tucked away behind thick iron gates and a perimeter of security that made even the Blackwood Pack look lax in comparison.

When I step inside, Alice is waiting for me in a grand sitting room, her presence commanding yet surprisingly warm. She gestures for me to sit, studying me with sharp, knowing eyes.

"Aurora Belmont," she muses. "You've been causing quite a stir."

I smile tightly. "Not intentionally, your majesty."

"No, but that's often how the most important changes begin." She leans forward. "Tell me, why are you here?"

I don't hesitate. "Thank you for giving me an audience on such short notice. It means a lot to me and my pack."She gives me a gentle smile. "A friend of Katherine's is a friend of mine. Go on."

"Blackwood and Silver Pack have been at war for longer than I can remember. It's getting worse, and Silverpack is beginning to hurt other packs. People are dying, and there's no way to curtail the excesses of Silver Pack without a full-blown war or intervention from the royal family." "Is this what brings you to me?" she questions with a raised brow. I don't blame her. She's probably wondering why a half-blood nobody is so concerned with pack business."Yes, my queen. The situation is jeopardizing the lives of those I care deeply for."

"You know," she starts, leaning into her chair. "About five years ago, the alphas from both packs were here to seek a solution to the same issue."

The memory of Lucien telling me about the meeting slowly trickles into my present. It was around the time when he picked Selene over me, and I had buried the memory deep to keep the pain away. "I recall this happening, but I never got the context or detailed explanation about the rivalry or its history."

Alice regards me for a moment before nodding. "The rivalry between your pack and Silver Pack isn't just a simple territorial dispute. It dates back centuries—to the time when the kingdom was still establishing its rule. Blackwood was always one of the strongest packs, but Silver Pack was ruthless and always believed they deserved whatever Blackwood had. There was a time when they nearly overthrew the balance of power."

A frown creases my face. "And now?"

"Now, they still crave that power. Their current alpha has been waiting for the right opportunity to strike."

"Alpha Lucien's leadership was weakened when he lost his wolf," I say, realization dawning on me. "That made Blackwood vulnerable."

Alice inclines her head. "Exactly. The kingdom's legal system has never been properly structured to handle inter-pack conflicts like this. We've always relied on balance—on alphas respecting their borders. But Silver Pack doesn't play by those rules. It's clear we need reform, and I intend to make that happen."A surge of admiration rises in me. Queen Alice is one of the few leaders who has seen the flaws in the system and wants to change them. "How can I help?"

Alice studies me carefully. "By doing what you're already doing—standing at the heart of this conflict and asking the right questions."

I nod, absorbing everything. But a nagging feeling settles in my stomach. There is more to this war than just territory. And then, as if fate itself decided to drop the final piece of the puzzle into my lap, Alice speaks again.

"I also suspect there are spies at work within both packs."

The words send a chill down my spine. "Spies?"

Alice nods. "People with hidden ties, feeding information to Silver Pack. Some of them have personal vendettas. Others are in it for power."

My mind races. Spies. Hidden alliances."I took a special interest in the conflict between your pack and Silver Pack, and not too long ago, one of my sources confirmed the alpha of Silver Pack has an illegitimate son."

"An illegitimate son?" I echo her words, wondering how it all fits into the grand scheme of things."Yes. I hear he had him with a human before he got married, and now, he has promised him the alpha position if he can prove his worth by defeating Blackwood."I let the information sink in. Everything suddenly made sense. The resurrection of an age-long hostility with a reasonable trigger. All of this is for a bastard son to prove his worth to his father. What is it with alphas and needing their sons to prove their worth?

"This son, do you know how he is or what he looks like?"

Queen Alice hesitates, and that lets me know she knows something. "Please, the lives of many innocent people hang on this. This can prevent the bloodbath."

She takes another minute before answering. "Damon, he goes by the name Damon White. He is a slippery son of a gun, but my sources—"

The rest of the queen's words fade beneath the ringing in my ears. The air is suddenly too thick for me to draw in, and I feel like the room is closing in on me.

My eyes sting, and everything is spinning. The whole world tilts on its edge, and the balance sustaining everything I thought I ever knew shifts, sending everything out of place.

"Aurora, Aurora." The queen's voice sounds like a distant echo in a long-forgotten part of my brain before it grows louder.

"Aurora."

I blink, returning my focus to her and forcing myself to maintain a neutral expression. "I'm sorry about that. I was just going over the name to make sure I've not met anyone like him."

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