Chapter 26

I sat alone in the darkness, my tears blurring the world around me. They soaked through my sleeves, hot and endless, as though my body was shedding every ounce of grief I had buried inside. The emptiness in my chest felt like a dull, aching hole, something that nothing, not time, not words, could fill.

How could he be gone? My father, the Alpha, the one whose laughter had once shook the walls, whose strength had seemed as eternal as the moon itself. In one brutal night, he was ripped from us, taken by the Rogue King's merciless hand. I replayed that horrifying image over and over in my mind, his body, still and cold on the ground. I would never hear his voice again. Never feel the warmth of his embrace, or the comfort of his presence. Gone... just like that.

Beside me, my mother, Isabel, sat near the packhouse steps, her eyes distant and lost, staring into nothing. Her body slumped as though it couldn't bear the weight of her sorrow. The vibrant, fierce fire that had once burned in her eyes was now gone, extinguished by grief so immense it drained the life out of her.

"Mom…" My voice cracked, barely above a whisper as I reached out and placed a trembling hand on her shoulder. "Please… just say something."

Slowly, Mom turned to me. For a fleeting moment, I saw a glimmer of recognition in her eyes. But then, she looked away, as if the world had slipped from her grasp. When she spoke, her voice was barely audible, almost lost in the wind. "I see him everywhere, Malinda," she murmured, her voice breaking, a ghost of the strong woman I used to know. "I close my eyes, and I hear him. I hear his voice… telling me everything will be alright. But it's not. Nothing is alright."

My heart shattered at her words, the weight of her pain suffocating me. I had never seen her like this, so broken, so empty. I wanted to reach into that darkness and pull her out, to say something, anything, that would ease the raw, open wound between us. But what could I say? How could I comfort her when my own grief felt as boundless as the night?

Just as the suffocating weight of it all threatened to pull me under, I felt a familiar warmth behind me. Strong, steady arms wrapped around my shoulders, grounding me in a way only one person could, Damon. He held me close, his warmth a balm against the cold ache in my chest. His silent presence was a reminder that I wasn't alone in this.

"Malinda." His voice was a low murmur, comforting in its softness. "I've started the plan."

I turned in his arms, blinking through the haze of my tears. "What... what plan?"

Damon's gaze met mine, his expression unwavering. There was a fire in his eyes, a fierce determination that made my heart skip a beat. "We're going to end this, Malinda," he said, his voice hard, cutting through the sadness. "The Rogue King will pay for what he's done. To your father, to our pack, to everyone he's ever hurt. I've set a trap, and soon, he'll walk right into it."

A flicker of hope stirred in my chest, slicing through the heavy fog of grief. I could see it now, the fire in Damon's eyes, the resolve of a leader willing to do whatever it took to protect his people. "How...?" I whispered, desperate to know.

Damon tightened his grip on my shoulders, his voice steady, unyielding as he explained. "I've had my warriors spread rumors about the Moon Goddess Ceremony," he said. "It's known across the land now. We've made it clear it will be held at the northern mountain, and only the weakest pack members will remain behind."

I froze, a sharp realization hitting me. The Moon Goddess Ceremony? Was he really risking this sacred event for revenge?

"But... the ceremony," I stammered, my voice barely above a whisper. "Are we really going to hold it there?"

Damon's lips twisted into a dark, almost satisfied smile. "There is no ceremony, Malinda," he said, a wicked gleam in his eyes. "That's the trap. We've made it look as though we're vulnerable, like we've sent away our strongest warriors. But in truth, every pack under my rule will have their fiercest fighters lying in wait."

A shiver ran through me, a mix of awe and anticipation bubbling in my chest as his words sank in. I could almost picture it, the Rogue King, overconfident and smug, walking right into the ambush. The memory of his cruel smile as he taunted my father's dying form burned in my mind, reigniting a fury I hadn't let myself feel.

"When they come…" My voice trembled with barely contained rage. "What happens then?"

Damon's gaze remained steady, his voice low and filled with a dark promise. "They'll be surrounded by the strongest warriors from every corner of the land. We'll close in on them, give them no way to escape. This time, there will be no mercy, Malinda. We will finish them all."