Chapter 6

Gloria POV:

The lake house was a trap. I knew it the moment Darwin suggested it. But a wolf does not run from a trap; she springs it on her own terms.

Back at the Pack House, the atmosphere was suffocating. Darwin was pacing in the living room, checking his watch every thirty seconds.

"I have to go out," he said abruptly, not meeting my eyes. "Pack business. There's a dispute over the western territory lines."

"Of course," I said, my voice devoid of emotion. "Go be the Alpha."

He didn't kiss me goodbye. He didn't even look at me. He just grabbed his keys and walked out.

As soon as his SUV disappeared down the driveway, I moved.

I didn't need a car. I was a Shadow Council agent. I went to my hidden stash in the back of the closet-a loose floorboard under the carpet-and pulled out a small vial of silver dust and crushed wolfsbane. It was a tracking powder, illegal in most territories.

I sprinkled a pinch into the air. To a human, it looked like dust motes dancing in the light. To me, it illuminated his scent trail like a neon highway.

I followed him.

He didn't go to the western territory. He drove to the edge of town, to a seedy motel called "The Moon's Rest." It was a place where Rogues-wolves without a pack-often stayed. It was dirty, smelling of stale beer and desperation.

I parked my car a block away and approached on foot, sticking to the shadows. My inner wolf was silent, prowling with intent.

I found his black SUV parked in the back. Room 104.

I crept up to the window. The curtains were drawn, but there was a gap. Just enough for me to see.

Darwin was there. And so was Elyssa.

They weren't having sex this time. They were plotting.

I pulled out my phone, activated the high-gain microphone app I used for Council missions, and hit record.

"She knows something," Elyssa was saying, pacing the small room. She was rubbing her belly, playing the part of the fragile mother-to-be perfectly. "The way she looked at me in the hospital... she knows I'm winning."

"She knows nothing," Darwin said, sitting on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands. "She's just jealous. She's barren, Elyssa. It makes a she-wolf bitter."

"When are you going to do it?" Elyssa whined, stopping in front of him. "You promised. Once the heir is born, you said you'd make me Luna. The Benefactor is getting impatient, Darwin. He says if you don't secure the line, he'll find someone who will."

"I know!" Darwin snapped. "I'll handle the Elders. But I can't just throw her out. The Council will ask questions. Her family... they were respected warriors."

"Respected dead warriors," Elyssa spat. "She has no one. Just reject her, Darwin. Send her to the Omega quarters. Or exile her."

Darwin looked up. His eyes were cold, lacking the warmth I had once drowned in. "I was thinking of the Rejection Ceremony."

My breath hitched. The Rejection Ceremony was a public humiliation. It wasn't just breaking up; it was stripping a wolf of their rank, their mate, and their dignity in front of the entire Pack.

"Yes!" Elyssa clapped her hands. "Do it! Do it before the pup arrives. I don't want that woman anywhere near my baby. What if she tries to hurt him out of spite?"

"She won't," Darwin said, though he sounded unsure. "But you're right. We need to secure the succession."

He stood up and pulled Elyssa into a hug. "I'll handle it. I sent her to the lake house to get her things. Tonight... tonight I'll set the stage."

"Make sure she understands," Elyssa whispered into his chest. "Make sure she knows she lost."

"She lost the moment she failed to give me a son," Darwin replied.

I stopped recording.

My hand was shaking, not from fear, but from a rage so cold it burned. "The Benefactor." So Christian was right. This went deeper than just infidelity.

He failed you, my inner wolf growled, her voice sounding like grinding stones. He betrayed the Moon Goddess. He is not an Alpha. He is prey.

Suddenly, a sharp pain spiked in my temple. A Mind-Link.

Gloria? Darwin's voice echoed in my head, sounding deceptively calm.

I'm here, I replied, staring at him through the window as he picked up his phone.

Change of plans. Meet me at the Sacred Lake pier in an hour. We need to talk about the separation terms. I want to be fair to you.

Fair. The word tasted like ash.

I'll be there, I sent back.

I watched him kiss Elyssa one last time before grabbing his jacket.

I turned away from the window, my silver eyes glowing in the darkness.

"Yes, Darwin," I whispered to the night air. "Let's talk."