Adriana sat on the edge of her bed, the note still clutched between her fingers. The ink shimmered like a bruise in moonlight.
"He's not who you think he is."
She had read the sentence ten times, trying to make sense of it. The words didn't make sense—until they did. The late-night conversations Adrian ended too quickly. The hesitations. The way he always steered her away from the southern edge of the territory. The way Lira had glanced at him sometimes—tight-lipped, unreadable.
Adriana's heart warred with itself.
The bond told her he was hers. But something deeper—a quiet, gnawing voice—was beginning to question if that was enough.
---
By morning, Adriana had made up her mind.
She would confront Adrian—but not until she had proof.
She dressed quickly, wearing one of the black training outfits Lira had given her. It was light and flexible, made for movement and speed. She laced her boots tighter than usual, securing a small silver dagger at her waist.
There was one place she hadn't been allowed to go: the West Wing.
Adrian claimed it was under renovation.
Lira called it a "forgotten archive."
But Adriana had seen warriors slip in and out of there late at night. Once, she'd even seen Adrian enter—alone—and emerge hours later with blood on his collar.
She waited until the estate quieted, then slipped from her chamber and crossed the silent halls.
When she reached the West Wing, the heavy oak door loomed like a warning. A protective rune shimmered above the handle. She stared at it, focused on her core, and whispered the command Lira had taught her.
"Rescindo."
The rune fizzled, then blinked out.
Adriana stepped inside.
---
Dust swirled in thick clouds. The room was massive, lined with sealed chests, old maps, and columns of documents. On the far side stood a wall of shelves, but one part of it was different—metal, not wood.
She approached it slowly.
It wasn't a shelf.
It was a vault.
And it was open.
Inside were file folders, stamped with the Crescent Moon insignia, and names she didn't recognize. But one folder stopped her cold.
"Operation Hollow Fang: Reinstatement Candidate — Subject A. Vance."
Her blood ran cold.
She flipped it open. Inside were surveillance photos of her. Adriana walking to school. Adriana in her dorm room. Adriana arguing with her professor. Dated weeks—even months—before she ever met Adrian.
Her hand trembled.
They'd been watching her.
She turned another page—and there it was.
A signature.
Adrian Vance.
---
A sound behind her.
Adriana spun—and found Adrian standing in the doorway, jaw clenched.
"You followed me," she said.
He stepped into the room. "You weren't supposed to see this."
Her voice cracked. "Then tell me what it is. Why are there files on me? Why were you watching me before we met?"
Adrian didn't answer right away. He looked tired, older somehow.
"It started as a mission," he said. "The elders believed a hybrid Luna existed. I was assigned to track her. Confirm her identity. That's all."
Her eyes narrowed. "Track her? I'm not a fugitive."
"You weren't. But they were scared. The Obsidian Order was already moving again. We knew they'd be looking for you too. I volunteered for the assignment to keep you safe."
"No," she whispered. "You volunteered to control me."
"That's not—"
"I trusted you, Adrian. I opened my soul to you."
"I didn't expect to feel anything, Adriana," he said, voice breaking. "But the moment I saw you in that bookstore, the mission didn't matter anymore. I couldn't report back. I couldn't let them use you."
"You still lied."
"I fell in love with you," he said.
"But you began with a lie."
Silence crushed the space between them.
Adriana turned, pressing the folder against her chest.
"If I hadn't bonded to you," she said, "would you have still stayed?"
Adrian's eyes darkened. "I don't know."
That was worse than any lie.
---
Adriana didn't sleep that night.
Instead, she sat beneath the crescent tree outside the estate. Her magic buzzed restlessly, her heart torn between rage and heartbreak.
She needed clarity.
And the only place she might find it was in Lira's sanctum.
---
Lira was already awake when Adriana arrived.
"I was expecting you," she said without looking up. "The storm in your eyes is impossible to miss."
"He lied to me," Adriana said. "He tracked me. Like I was prey."
Lira sipped from her silver cup, then set it down. "Do you still love him?"
"I don't know what love feels like anymore," Adriana replied. "I only know I can't stop needing him."
"Then the bond is still intact," Lira said. "But fraying."
Adriana dropped the folder onto the table. "What is Operation Hollow Fang?"
Lira's eyes scanned the papers, lips pressed into a line.
"It's a relic program," she said finally. "One designed to weaponize hybrids like you against the Order. The council feared they couldn't control you, so they tried to find one before the Order did. Someone they could mold. Train. Use."
"And Adrian was part of it."
"At first," Lira said. "But he was also the one who leaked intel that helped me protect your location. Without him, the Order would have found you years ago."
Adriana exhaled shakily. "I don't know what to do."
Lira leaned forward. "You do what Luna queens have always done. You choose. With your heart, yes—but also with your spine."
Adriana looked at her, fire returning to her chest.
"Then I choose to lead. With or without Adrian."
Lira smiled. "Then it's time to give the pack a reason to follow you."
---
Later that day, Adriana summoned the Crescent Moon warriors to the outer ring.
It was an ancient place—once used for duels and declarations. Word spread quickly. They gathered in a circle, watching with curious eyes as Adriana stepped into the center wearing a silver-trimmed cloak and pendant glowing like fire.
Lira stood beside her, proud.
Adrian stood on the edge of the circle, unreadable.
"I am not just the Luna," Adriana said. "I am not just a bondmate. I am a hybrid, born of fire and blood. And I will not be silenced by fear."
Some warriors exchanged glances. Others watched in awe.
"I have seen the Order's face. I have heard its whispers in the shadows. And I tell you now—they are already inside our borders."
A low murmur swept through the crowd.
"I will not hide. I will not run. I will lead. And if you follow me, I swear this: the Obsidian Order will fall."
Silence.
Then a voice shouted, "To the Luna!"
The chant began low, then surged.
"To the Luna!"
"To the Luna!"
Adriana lifted her hand, her pendant flashing.
And for the first time… she felt it.
Not just power. Not just fire.
Authority.
---
But behind the crowd, cloaked in shadow, one figure turned away.
Slipping back into the woods.
A figure with violet in their eyes.
And the mark of the Order on their wrist.