Trouble had already begun to brew within our new packlands.
Whispers of discontent reached my ears, stories of many tense encounters with neighboring packs, and the unsettling presence of outsiders at our borders.
Something was wrong, and as the Luna of the Moon Shard pack, I needed to speak with Alpha Eugene about it.
The moon was high when I made my way to his quarters, hoping for answers. But as I approached, low voices from inside stopped me in my tracks. Eugene was there with his subordinates and a foreign aura coming from a stronger force. I pressed myself against the wall, ears straining to make out the conversation.
It was Eugene and Chiron, the pack we had an ordeal with.
My stomach tightened. I had never trusted the Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack. He was ruthless, cunning, and always had a problem with everyone. But why was he here now?
"You know the price, Eugene." Chiron's voice was calm, yet laced with amusement. "I'm offering you a choice. That guy's nephew or your daughter, Keshia."
My breath caught in my throat. Keshia? My daughter? What kind of twisted deal was this?
Silence stretched between them before Eugene finally spoke. His voice was low, hesitant. "If I give you Keshia… Will this end here? No further demands?"
I nearly gasped aloud. My legs felt weak beneath me, but I forced myself to stay silent. My mate, my Alpha, was considering giving our daughter away.
No. No, this had to be a misunderstanding.
Chiron chuckled. "You have my word. I'm nothing if not reasonable."
Another long pause. Eugene exhaled sharply. "Then… I choose Keshia."
A violent shudder ran through me. My hands clenched into fists, nails biting into my palms. He had chosen. He had chosen our daughter over some other child, over another life that wasn't even ours to barter with in the first place.
A hot wave of fury surged through me, washing away any remnants of hesitation.
I stormed into the room, my vision red with rage. "You will do no such thing!"
Eugene's head snapped up, his golden eyes wide with shock. Chiron, however, merely smirked, leaning back against the wall as if he had been expecting my entrance all along.
"Sarah-" Eugene started, but I cut him off.
"Don't you dare speak." My voice trembled, not with fear, but with barely contained fury. "Did I hear you correctly? You were going to give Keshia away?"
Eugene's expression twisted in guilt, but he didn't deny it. That hurt more than anything else.
"The Blood Moon Pack is too strong," he said, his voice heavy. "If we refuse them, they'll wipe us out. We've only just settled here, Sarah. We can't afford a war."
"So you'd sacrifice your own daughter instead?" My voice broke, but my anger did not waver. "Did you ever consider fighting for her? For us?"
Chiron let out an exaggerated sigh. "This is quite the dramatic display. But I don't have all night. Either you honor your Alpha's decision, or we settle this another way."
I turned to him, baring my teeth. "You'll get nothing from me, Chiron. I'd rather die than let you take my daughter."
Chiron tilted his head, his smirk widening. "That can be arranged."
Before I could react, a strong grip closed around my arm. Eugene pulled me roughly aside, his voice low and firm. "Sarah, this decision is final."
I wrenched my arm free, glaring at him. "Like hell it is!"
His eyes darkened, frustration flickering across his face. "You're not thinking rationally. If we resist, we all die. Keshia included. This is the only way."
I shook my head wildly. "No. There has to be another way. We can fight, we can run-"
Eugene's grip tightened again, his golden gaze pained. "I won't let you interfere."
Realization hit me too late. Before I could twist away, his hand moved to the back of my neck. A sudden pressure, a precise strike. Pain exploded through my skull, white-hot and overwhelming. My vision blurred, my limbs turned to lead.
"No-" I gasped, my voice barely a whisper.
Darkness swam at the edges of my sight. My body collapsed, my last ounce of strength fading. The last thing I heard was Keshia's terrified cry before everything went black.
