More Reward The moment we reached the main hall , voices rose in alarm , bouncing off the walls like a warning bell . " Alpha Darius ! You cannot take her ! " Beta Richard's voice boomed , his posture rigid with both fear and duty . His gaze darted between me - weak in Darius's arms - and the towering figure of his own alpha behind him . Darius's growl reverberated through his chest and into me , low and menacing . " Stand aside . " His command rolled like thunder , laced with pure alpha authority . The walls seemed to hum with it , the air crackling as wolves in the hall lowered their heads under its weight . " She belongs to this pack . You can't just take her ! " Alpha Efrein's voice rang out , cold and clipped , his eyes hard as stone . " She belongs to no one ," Darius cut in , his voice sharp as steel , each word slicing through the silence . " Not to this pack . Not to the family who abandoned her . And certainly not to the male who betrayed her with her sister . " Gasps rippled through the hall like a wave , whispers spreading among the pack members who had gathered to witness the standoff . My eyelids fluttered , heavy , but I could sense them - eyes watching , ears straining , hearts beating faster at the spectacle unraveling before them . And then came his voice . The one I once thought would always be my shield , my safe place . A voice that used to set my heart racing with love , now twisted into something that filled me with nothing but revulsion . " Alpha Darius , you do not know the whole story . " Michael said . His voice was firm , but I heard the cracks in it . " We did not have any choice . I chose Kathy as my mate long before I discovered Elaine was my fated one . And Kathy ... " His hand reached out , brushing protectively over my sister's swollen belly . " She carries my pup . I could not abandon our child . " The air thickened , pressing down on me like a vice . My throat burned as I forced my eyes open . And there they were - Michael , the male the Moon Goddess destined for me , standing tall but pale , and beside him Kathy , my sister , her hand curled possessively around the swell of her stomach . His pup . Their pup . The one they celebrated while mine bled out of me . Darius did not falter . His stride remained steady , his hold on me protective , his eyes glowing faintly with his wolf's power . " You had your chance to protect her , " Darius said , his words a deadly blade . " You failed . Now she is under my care . " 1/3 < Chapter 32 More Rewards " You dare take a member of my pack ? " Alpha Efrein's voice boomed again , his power rolling through the hall like a storm . Several wolves bowed their heads instinctively , cowed by their alpha's dominance . " She was yours once - a pack member ," Darius snarled back . " And you broke her . Her mate rejected her . Her parents abandoned her , favoring one sister over the other . " His gaze cut to Kathy , venom dripping from his voice . " And as if that was not enough , you destroyed the innocent life of the Goddess's blessing while you all celebrated your so - called mating . Now she is mine to protect . And you will not stop me ." A murmur of shock rippled again , confusion and disbelief spreading like wildfire . " What do you mean ... destroyed the innocent life ? " Kathy's voice cracked , soft and trembling . Tears welled in her eyes as she looked from Darius to me . " Sister , what does Alpha Darius mean ? " She asked again , her tone breaking with panic . Slowly , my head lifted . My eyes , hollow and empty , locked on hers . My voice came out flat , devoid of emotion , as if I were recounting a tale that no longer belonged to me . " The moment you marked each other was the moment you ripped my pup out of me ," I said , my words falling like stones in the silence . " Isn't it ironic , Kathy ? Michael chose you because he said he couldn't abandon your pup . But you - and him - are the reason my pup is dead ." The hall froze . Michael's face went ashen , his body stiff with shock . Kathy staggered backward , her hand flying to her mouth before she collapsed to her knees , sobbing . " No ... no , it can't be ... " She whispered , her tears dripping onto the polished floor. Michael's eyes were wide , his face pale , his lips parted as if the air had been ripped from his lungs . Despair twisted his features , and for the first time , I saw the guilt tear through him like claws . " No ," he choked , shaking his head . " No , tell me that isn't true . Please , Elaine ! Tell me that isn't true . " His voice cracked , breaking into a desperate plea . But I only looked at him , empty and hollow . " I gave up everything for this pack . I gave up my rightful place as your Luna , I gave up my mate . My family . My life . And still ... it wasn't enough . Even my pup was taken from me ." My voice never wavered , never broke , because there were no tears left to shed . I was numb . Michael staggered as if struck , one hand gripping his chest , his breath ragged . Each word pierced him deeper , and still I went on . " Michael ," I said , my voice cold , lifeless . " I have nothing left of my pup but pain . But you - every time you see the mark on your neck , every time you touch it - you will remember . You will remember that the reason you carry that bond is because my child died . " < Chapter 32 More Rewards Michael swayed on his feet , sickened , his face twisted in agony . His knees nearly buckled . Kathy's sobs filled the hall , her cries of despair echoing against the walls . My parents stood frozen , their faces pale , speechless . Even Alpha Efrein and Luna Beatrice looked shaken , their stern composure cracking under the weight of the truth . Darius's voice thundered again , pulling every eye back to him . " Now , move aside ," he commanded , his power rolling like a tidal wave . He paused , his gaze cold and merciless . " Or I will ask my beta to contact the council . Do not think I won't . The only reason I have not yet done so is because Elaine asked me not to . Because you know what will happen if the council learns the truth - that you rejected your mate , that you abandoned the Moon Goddess's will , and that your choice cost the life of a child blessed by her . Rejection alone is frowned upon ... but the death of a pup ? " His eyes glowed , his voice dropping into a deadly growl . " Your entire pack would suffer the consequences. The threat hung heavy in the air , suffocating , undeniable . " Do not force me to do this , Alpha Efrein , Darius warned , his power crashing against the hall like thunder . " Because I will go to war to protect her . My pack will go to war for a pack member . We do not abandon our own . New or old , she is mine to protect . " The silence that followed was deafening . Every wolf in the hall held their breath , waiting . At last , Alpha Efrein's face hardened . His jaw ticked . And then , slowly , he gave a single nod . The tension shattered . The guards stepped aside . The crowd parted . The path to the great doors lay open . And Darius carried me forward , past their lowered heads , past their broken pride , past the ruins of the life I once knew . Without looking back . 3 Comments Get Bonus ( Ad ) >