Page 54 of The Alpha's Lunar Crown

"It has a train station that goes straight to Silver Pack, cutting off hours of road trip."

"Is this the only route there? I don't think he'll want to travel publicly, "I query, eyeing the spot suspiciously. It's a public transport system, and most of the people present will be humans. I doubt Damon will be stupid enough to drag a boy through the crowd."

"It is not," Selene replies, but it is the fastest, and Damon is a familiar face. I doubt Ronan understands the danger he's in, which will be to his advantage. They'll be a boy and his uncle traveling together."

"Oh, Goddess," Rora groans, sinking into the sofa behind her and burying her face in her palms. "What have I done?"

"You didn't do anything," Selene replies. "You're not responsible for the evil in the hearts of men."

Liam, who has been quietly gathering intel in the background, clears his throat. "Lucien, I also just received word from Queen Alice."

I turn to him. "Queen Alice?"

"I spoke to her earlier," Aurora says. "I was going to tell you about it. She's a friend of a friend, so I was able to get an audience."

I nod, signaling to Liam to continue.

"She's pushing to pass the new laws faster than anticipated. If she succeeds, Silver Pack will lose their ability to act unchecked and pay dearly for their actions."

It's good news, but it won't save Ronan. "It's not enough," I say, "We need to act now."

Aurora straightens, her eyes burning with determination. "Then let's go get our son."

I look at her, really look at her. She is much different from the soft, vulnerable girl I used to know. In her place is a woman with the fierceness that would ridicule a warrior and a will that will bend the very fabrics of fate itself. And for the first time, she called him our son. Our son.

I hold out my arm to her, and she slips her slender fingers into my open palm without hesitation. I have no doubt we're in this together.

I press a kiss onto the back of her palm. "Let's go get our son," I repeat her words, leading us out the door with Liam tapping aggressively into his phone behind us and Selene barking orders into her phone, ordering the assembly of all her warriors.

This is war.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Aurora

The abandoned estate on the outskirts of Silver Pack territory was our best lead. The air is thick with tension the moment we arrive, an eerie silence settling over the perimeter. Not even the birds are chirping, and you can hear a pin drop. They know we're coming. Our warriors position themselves in the shadows, waiting for the command.I stand at the front, every instinct on high alert. My wolf, though silent, pulses beneath my skin, craving blood and vengeance. This is the angriest I've ever seen her. Every protective instinct is out, and she can't wait to tear Damon apart.Selene walks up to the entrance, standing beside me, sharp eyes scanning the perimeter. "He's in there," she murmurs.

My breath gets caught in my throat, and I feel a hand softly squeezing mine. I don't need to turn to know who it is. His presence has always had a way of reassuring me."Stay close to me," he says. I have a good mind to tell him I can hold my own, but the look in his eyes lets me know he doesn't mean it in an authoritative manner. Just like me, he's worried, and despite how hard he's trying to hide it, the situation is a delicate one.

I nod, my eyes blazing with determination. Liam signals that the warriors are ready, and Selene does a quick check with her warriors.

Everyone is ready. Silver Pack has hurt a lot of people and taken loved ones from a lot of people. It's finally time to make them pay for all of it.

Selene signals she's ready, and Lucien locks eyes with me, his brow raised in a questioning manner. I suck in a deep breath before sending a quick prayer to the Goddess.

I am half-blood and have no prior training in combat. The only thing I have fueling me is maternal instinct and rage from being toyed with and betrayed.

Behind these walls are warriors trained to kill. I am no match for their strength. As though he could read my mind, Lucien's hands squeeze around mine again. "I'm here, Rora, and I'll die before anything happens to you."I believe him. Our history might not give room for a lot of trust, but I know with every fiber in me that he'll protect me. My wolf knows it, too, because a certain glow of confidence shimmers through her, straightening my spine.A sharp movement flashes through the window. I give Lucien a quick nod, and he gives the signal.

Chaos erupted the moment we breached the estate. Wolves clash, metal meets flesh, and growls and shouts echo through the halls. I move through them like a storm, cutting down any enemy in my path.There are torn limbs and body parts flying around me, but they fuse into a blur. My sole focus is on finding Ronan.

A grey wolf charges at me, forcing me to pull out the dagger Lucien forced into my palm on our way here.She's not a very big wolf, and I'm confident I can easily take her on, but I'm trying to maintain my human form. That's the only way Ronan will recognize me.

The wolf snarls at me, teeth bared and saliva dripping from the corner of her mouth. Her eyes are dark and malicious, and something tells me she's been waiting for this moment.I position myself to attack the moment she lunges, but she's cut mid-air by a white wolf biting into her neck with so much force the cracking sound of her spine fills the air.

Selene. She gives me a little nod, not releasing the whimpering wolf beneath her. I send her a nod of gratitude before making my way further into the estate.Then, I hear it.

A child's cry.

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