Josie
The woman blinked at with wide eyes, her lips parting just slightly like she didn’t expect to confront her directly. "I have no idea what you’re talking about," she said, her voice level but strained. "I respect you... a lot... as the Alpha’s future Luna. But I can’t answer questions I don’t know anything about."
I exhaled slowly, pressing my tongue against the inside of my cheek. I hated feeling powerless, hated that I was the oga and she was the one with authority. But I wouldn’t let that show. Not now.
"You’re the easiest person to talk to," I said carefully, slowly, keeping my tone even as I stared her down. "Especially after what happened at the party. But if you decide to get on our nerves..." I let the pause settle, like poison in the air. "It wouldn’t be so good for you."
That landed.
Her back straightened, and I could see the panic flood into her expression.
"I didn’t an to hide anything," she said quickly. "Varen... he helped and my children when he didn’t have to. I’m not going to take that for granted. Truly."
I didn’t respond. I waited. Let her talk.
"Michelle used her authority to silence . She told if I spoke out, she’d make sure I never found work again. And I believed her. I thought you were outside that night before the video ever started spreading. I did. I just... I didn’t know for sure."
"You stayed silent," I said, my voice colder now. "You should’ve crosschecked the facts. You should’ve spoken up. Instead, you hid like a coward. You’re an Alpha, aren’t you? Start acting like it."
Her jaw trembled, and her shoulders dropped like the weight of the past had finally caught up to her.
"My husband gave pride," she whispered, eyes glistening. "He was an Alpha. He made people listen. But now he’s dead. And since then... no one looks at the sa. I’m not respected like I used to be. I was afraid. I didn’t want to be hurt like that again."
I stared at her for a long second, and then I sighed. "Be ready to say the truth when the ti cos."
She looked up, eyes wide and unsure.
"I want to know who catered that day," I said sharply. "Nas. Faces. All of them."
She nodded slowly, like a woman who had finally realized her ti of silence was over. "I’ll be there," she said. "For the crown."
That was sothing.
I spent the next hour pushing every barrier, knocking on every door, summoning every record until I had a complete list of the waiters who worked the night of the party. Each na, each photo, I reviewed with sharp eyes. But one of them... he kept avoiding .
I noticed him in the hall, quickening his pace the mont he caught sight of . Like I wouldn’t notice. Like I’d let him disappear.
I clenched my fists. "Guards," I barked. "Do your jobs."
The man tried to run, but he didn’t make it far. They cornered him fast, dragging him back by the arms. He thrashed in their grip, panic blazing through his eyes.
"I didn’t do anything! I swear! Please, please let go!"
I turned my head for a mont. I hated this. Hated the fear, the screaming. Hated what it said about the world we lived in. But I couldn’t afford to be soft.
I stepped forward and slapped him hard across the face. My hand stung from the contact, but I didn’t flinch.
"You have five minutes," I said coldly, "to tell why you had the guts to spike my mate’s drink. Or are you not afraid of the repercussions?"
His eyes grew impossibly wide. He swallowed hard, lips trembling. "I—I didn’t an to... I was just following orders! I was—"
A loud crack echoed through the corridor.
I froze.
The man jerked violently before collapsing onto the floor, a pool of red spreading quickly beneath his shirt.
For one awful second, the world stood still. Then everything exploded.
"No!" I gasped, dropping to my knees beside him. "No no no—he was about to talk!"
"Get help!" I scread, turning toward the nearest guard. "Don’t just stand there! Get the dic—he can’t die!"
"Where’s the shooter?!" another guard shouted.
The corridor erupted with movent as the guards fanned out, trying to find the direction the shot had co from.
I pressed my hands against the wound on his side, but the blood was gushing too fast. "Stay with , stay with —don’t you dare die!"
A hand landed on my shoulder. I looked up.
"It was from inside," the guard said grimly. "The shooter’s one of ours."
My heart stopped. "What?"
"The angle—close-range. They had access. They were stationed within our periter."
He didn’t need to say more.
It was soone we trusted.
I sat there, hands soaked in blood, unable to process how far this had all gone. How deep this betrayal had cut. Soone had silenced him before he could say a word. Soone who knew what he was about to confess.
"Check every guard that was stationed within this wing," I said through clenched teeth. "I want reports in ten minutes. And find surveillance."
"Yes, Luna."
That was when I heard the footsteps pounding toward . I looked up just as two shadows blurred into motion.
"Josie!"
Kiel’s voice broke through the madness, and I barely had ti to react before his arms wrapped around . He pulled to my feet and into his chest, holding like I might shatter.
"I’m fine," I said hoarsely, but my hands were still shaking.
Varen was there too, his arms wrapping around both of us. "Are you hurt?" he asked, his voice raw with worry.
"No," I whispered. "Just..."
My throat tightened as I looked down at the blood on my hands.
"Soone killed him before he could talk."
Kiel pulled back enough to look in the eye. "Who?"
"I don’t know," I whispered. "But whoever it is... they’re close."
The three of us stood there in silence, surrounded by chaos and blood, with only one thought burning in our minds.
Soone was still hiding.
And they were willing to kill to keep their secrets buried.
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