Chapter 66

*Charolette’s POV*

The call came in not long ago—confirmation from the Silas. Eyes had been spotted near the lake house. Damon’s rogues had found them. Just as expected. Everything is unfolding exactly as planned.

When this ambush was set in motion, Silas contacted me directly. His voice was tense, urgent, but steady. He asked me to prepare our warriors and meet five miles from the lake house—the designated rendezvous point where the three allied packs would gather. From there, we would wait, listen, and take out Damon’s group as soon as they revealed themselves.

Now, standing in the dark with the wind stirring around us and the scent of anticipation in the air, I feel the weight of what’s to come—and the pain bubbling underneath it all.

I feel for her—my Luna.

She’s endured so much for justice.. Betrayed, exiled, and cast aside by the very people she protected, all because of something as pointless as a chromosome. Her birthright was ridiculed. Her voice silenced. Her strength overlooked. Only because she doesn’t have a dick.

And I understand that pain better than most.

When I was born, my father took one look at me and saw failure. No son. No heir of his Gamma title. Just a daughter he never wanted. From that moment on, he made sure I knew it. The old Alpha—even more heartless—only fueled his cruelty. Together, they made my mother’s life, and mine, a living hell.

But then came Anna.

When she was promised to Silas, everything changed. She agreed to marry him to stop the abuse, to win his approval, to buy her even a shred of peace. And it worked. Suddenly, she was his pride, his purpose—his golden child. The future Luna. He draped her in admiration, spoiled her with affection, and paraded her around like she was royalty. Meanwhile, my mother and I were left behind—forgotten, bruised, belittled.

My only true reprieve came when Anna and I were sent into hiding. It was the first time I’d ever felt air that didn’t taste like fear. But that moment of peace shattered the day I received the news.

My mother had been executed. Not just my father. Not just the old Alpha. My mother—gentle, soft-spoken, innocent. A woman who had endured every cruelty and every beating. Who protected me the best she could. Who never once deserved the fate they gave her.

They lined her up beside the man who broke her, and they ended her life as if she were no different.

That grief never turned me bitter at the world—but it carved my rage into something focused. I didn’t hate the leading packs. I didn’t hate Evergreen. I hated him. My father. For what he did to us. For what he made us suffer. For involving her. For stealing her from me.

And that’s why I understand our Luna’s pain. The exile. The betrayal. The loss. The judgment passed on her for something as meaningless as a chromosome. She’s clawing her way through the same darkness I came from—seeking justice for what was done to her, for her pack, as ungrateful as they are.

She isn’t just fighting for a title. She’s fighting to reclaim what was taken.

And damn it, she will.

They will regret for ever doubting her capabilities.

They will bow to her.

"The rogues have shown themselves! Move out and take those bastards down!" the Evergreen Beta bellows, standing shoulder to shoulder with Alaric and the Midnight-Moon Alpha.

Finally. I was starting to doze off from the waiting. Time to wake up and break some bones.

Alaric gives the order. "Shift and take to the skies. Lag behind just enough to catch them off-guard. We cut off every escape route."

He stays grounded with the Evergreen wolves, while I lead our pack into the air. As if there’s any doubt which of us rules the skies. I flash him a quick smirk before shifting—my wings stretch wide, and the wind greets me like an old friend.

Within ten minutes, the lake house is in view.

Below, the first wave of warriors has already clashed with the rogues—the same ones I used to call brethren. The ground quakes with their fury. Despite being outnumbered, the rogues fight like animals cornered. Dangerous. Desperate. They always were.

They think they’ll find salvation in the sky as some take off from the ground.

They’re wrong.

The skies belong to us.

We descend like a winged storm. The moment their eyes lift and see us, I almost laugh. The surprise on their faces—it’s delicious. They thought we wouldn’t come? That we wouldn’t be ready?

Dumbasses.

We clash mid-air. I strike one down, wings flaring, claws slicing into muscle. I drive him to the ground and don't hesitate—my jaws close around his throat before he can even scream. It's clean. Efficient.

Then I freeze.

A scent hits me like a blow—Burning firewood and citrus, sharp and earthy, curling into my lungs and setting every nerve on fire. But there's something else beneath it… something wrong. Rot. Decay. A shadow buried under warmth, threatening to overwhelm.

I lift my head, instinct burning in my veins, and see him.

A tall, broad-shouldered wolf—dark-haired, newly shifted back into human form. His body radiates strength, coiled and controlled. He’s not from my pack, but the Evergreen, by the look of him. And not just any warrior—his aura pulses with dominance. Alpha blood.

His eyes meet mine.

And something within me stills.

He’s draped in shadow—an aura of darkness that clings to him like tar, thick and poisonous. I can see it—feel it—swirling around him, whispering lies into his thoughts. But beneath that, behind his eyes, an internal war rages.

Him… and whatever has its claws in him.

He’s fighting alongside his wolf. But they are failing.

My breath catches in my throat. The battlefield noise fades into a distant hum.

My mate.

Of all times, of all places.

He’s my mate. And he is under Damons control.

Of course, it would happen now—when blood spills like rain and the air is thick with death. But the bond doesn’t wait. The goddess never asks if the timing is right.

I stare at him, stunned, fury and awe clashing in my chest. He’s mine. But he’s not whole.

Not with that darkness still holding on.

And somehow, through that sticky blackness… I feel his gaze soften. Just for a moment. Just for me.

Then the shadows pulse again—and his eyes harden and darken to obsidian, then he turns away.