The Alpha’s Borrowed Luna
Chapter 188
“You can’t possibly think I can return back to the Ravenhollow pack, I said when Gabriel outlined his idea.
“Hear me out, okay?” Gabriel leaned forward, his expression intent. You alone know the ins and outs of the Ravenhollow pack more than any other person, and with those wings, getting in wouldn’t be as hard.”
“Is there not any other way? Kieran asked, his frown deepening.
“There is; we send in the soldiers alone, and they meet their deaths, Gabriel replied bluntly.
“I had been banished from the pack,” I reminded them, trying to ignore the twist in my stomach at the thought of returning.
Gabriel adjusted one of the maps. “Then we should reschedule. If you attack by nightfall it would be a better cover.”
“Maybe I should go too,” Kieran said, moving to stand beside me.
“No,” Gabriel’s response was immediate and firm. “You cannot leave the pack; things could go wrong and if you are sighted that would be seen as an act of war, they would come for this pack.”
“But we are sending her despite that, right? I do not fear war, and you know that.” Kieran’s voice had taken on an edge I rarely heard.
“Elowen only needs to get the soldiers into the pack and keep watch on the passage,” Gabriel explained. “And I could go with her, but leaving the pack defenseless wouldn’t be a good idea.”
“You will take my place till I am back,” Kieran insisted.
“If the Alpha King has you,” Gabriel said quietly, “he could request anything of us, and we would have to deliver.”
The truth of those words hit me hard. If Kaius captured Kieran, it would put the entire Storm Wardens pack at risk. I couldn’t allow
that.
“Kieran. He is right. You shouldn’t come,” I said, placing my hand over Kieran’s. “I would go.”
Kieran exhaled slowly, clearly unhappy but understanding the logic. They will recognize you by your scent, so you would need the scenturia potion; its function is to mask your scent, also a hood.”
“And how would you get this potion?” I asked, surprised.
“We grow velatum gemin here in this pack.”
“But that is… I trailed off, astonished.
“Impossible? Not many are willing to go so deep in agriculture. We grow the rare gem in a hidden field; no one has to know about
this.”
Gabriel cleared his throat. “Zed–one of those who previously came seeking help after his pack was attacked–is willing to offer ten of his soldiers to go with you.”
“So what is the plan? I asked, my decision made.
“As he had already stated: All you need to do is get those soldiers in and out, that’s it,” Kieran explained. “You don’t need to do anything more. Zed believes his soldiers would fish out the information necessary. Any of the Ravenhollow soldiers that get in your way, you kill them.”
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Chapter 188
I nodded, though the thought of killing anyone from Ravenhollow–eople I’d known, perhaps even considered friends–made my stomach turn. But what choice did I have? If Kaius truly was behind these attacks, behind the death of that child in the photograph, he needed to be stopped.
That evening, my mother walked into my room without knocking, catching me off guard as I quickly pulled on a shirt to hide the scars that had formed where my wings retracted into my back.
“You seem to be very busy with Kieran lately… we don’t even have time to talk anymore, she said, sitting on the edge of my bed.
“I’m so sorry, it’s just… the last time… I…” I fumbled for words, unsure how to explain my absence.
“It’s alright. I know you like him, and I think he is good for you; he makes you happy, and you seem to be moving on.” Her smile was gentle. “But the last time, you left a letter–that had kept me quite worried; you aren’t the type to leave letters.”
“Mom, I left a letter; no big deal.” I tried to sound casual.
“Elowen, for some reason it did feel like a goodbye. I might be overthinking, but I wondered why you would write to me when you could simply talk to me.”
The concern in her eyes made it impossible to keep lying. “You are right. There is a lot happening now; there are people out there who believe in me, people out there who need help, and I want to help them, mom.”
Understanding dawned in her eyes. “You are leaving, right?”
“Yes, mother. But I would be safe.” I couldn’t promise that, not truly, but I needed her to believe it.
She was quiet for a long moment, studying my face. Then, surprising me, she nodded. “You are more than just my daughter, and maybe I should begin to understand that. I would leave you to rest now, but don’t forget to put some ointment on that scar on your
back.”
I stiffened. “What?”
She smiled sadly. “I’m your mother, Elowen. I notice things.” She touched my cheek gently. “Whatever you’ve become, whatever you need to do, just come back to me, okay?”
As she left, I sat in stunned silence. She knew–perhaps not everything, but enough. And still, she supported me.
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