Luna vs. Alpha's Folly

The phone slipped from my trembling fingers, clattering against the marble floor of my healing center. The sound echoed through the empty corridors like a death knell, but I barely heard it over the roaring in my ears.

"Dead." The word replayed in my mind, each repetition driving the knife deeper into my chest. My sister was dead.

I sank to my knees, my Luna composure crumbling as the reality crashed over me in waves. The patrol captain's words had been clinical, professional: "Rogue attack on the eastern border. One casualty. I'm sorry, Luna."

But it was the footage that destroyed me.

My hands shook as I pulled up the security feed on my tablet, the screen blurring through my tears. There it was, clear as daylight—Carmen Silva, our pack's Beta female, leading a group of rogues directly to where my sister had been gathering herbs. Not stumbling upon them by accident. Not fighting to protect pack territory. Leading them.

The betrayal cut deeper than grief. Carmen, who had sat at our dinner table. Carmen, who had sworn loyalty to our pack. Carmen, who had been my friend.

The healing center's front door burst open, and I looked up to see Malaya rushing toward me, her face streaked with tears. She dropped beside me, pulling me into her arms as we both dissolved into anguish.

"I saw the footage too," she whispered against my hair. "Liana, Carmen killed her. She led those rogues right to her."

Rage began to burn through my grief, hot and consuming. I pulled back from Malaya's embrace, wiping my tears with the back of my hand. "We have to tell Weston. He needs to see this evidence."

Malaya's expression darkened. "Do you really think he'll listen? He's been spending an awful lot of time with Carmen lately."

I stood on unsteady legs, my Luna strength beginning to reassert itself. "He's my mate. He's our Alpha. He'll demand justice for our pack."

But even as I said the words, doubt crept into my voice like poison.

---

Twenty minutes later, I stood outside Weston's office, the tablet containing the damning footage clutched in my hands. My heart hammered against my ribs as I raised my fist to knock, but the door swung open before I could make contact.

Weston stood there, tall and imposing in his perfectly pressed shirt, his dark hair slightly disheveled. His green eyes, usually warm when they looked at me, seemed distant and cold.

"Liana." His voice was flat, emotionless. "I heard about the attack."

"Weston, I need to show you something. The footage from the patrol cameras—"

"I've already reviewed the security feeds." He stepped aside, gesturing for me to enter his office. "It was a tragic accident. Rogues breached our border defenses."

I moved past him, my wolf bristling at his dismissive tone. "It wasn't an accident. Look at this." I thrust the tablet toward him, the video already queued. "Carmen led them directly to her location. This was planned, Weston. This was murder."

He barely glanced at the screen before setting it aside. "You're grief-stricken. You're seeing things that aren't there."

My Luna aura flared, filling the room with my outrage. "I'm seeing exactly what happened! Carmen betrayed our pack. She killed my sister, and you're going to let her get away with it?"

Weston's eyes flashed gold, his Alpha dominance rising to meet my challenge. "You will not make accusations against my Beta without concrete proof."

"The footage IS proof!" I snatched the tablet back, replaying the damning video. "Look at it, Weston. Really look."

He moved to his desk, pulling out a manila folder. "I have proof too, Liana. Proof that Carmen was on the opposite side of the territory when the attack occurred. Witness statements. Radio logs."

The folder landed on his desk with a heavy thud, and I stared at it in disbelief. "Those are fabricated. You know they are."

"I know that my Beta has served this pack faithfully for years." His voice carried the unmistakable edge of his Alpha authority. "I will not see her destroyed by your grief-fueled paranoia."

The words hit me like a physical blow. I stumbled backward, my mate bond screaming in protest at his betrayal. "She's not just your Beta, is she?"

Weston's jaw tightened, but he didn't deny it.

"Answer me!" My voice cracked with pain and fury. "Is Carmen more than your Beta?"

He straightened to his full height, every inch the Alpha who had never been challenged. "What Carmen is to me is none of your concern. What matters is that she's innocent, and I will protect her from your baseless accusations."

The mate bond that had once been my greatest joy now felt like chains around my soul, binding me to a man who would choose another woman over justice for my family. Over me.