The silver blade flew straight at Aurelia's head. She ducked just in time, feeling the knife whistle past her ear and embed itself in the wooden post behind her.
"Too slow!" barked Commander Hayes, the pack's head trainer. "If that had been a real enemy, you'd be dead."
Aurelia wiped sweat from her forehead and reached for another knife from the weapons table. Her arms ached from hours of training, but she couldn't stop. Not when Lyanna's life depended on her being stronger.
Not when she needs to erase the name "Murderer," from her shoulders
"Again," she said through gritted teeth.
Hayes nodded with approval. "That's what I like to hear. But this time, don't just throw it. Feel it."
"Feel what?"
"The power in your blood," Hayes said. "Your mate told me what you are. Stop fighting it and use it."
Aurelia gripped the knife handle tighter. For the past week, ever since agreeing to help save Lyanna, strange things had been happening. Sometimes she could sense people's emotions just by touching them. Sometimes she knew things she shouldn't know, like when it was going to rain or when someone was lying to her.
She closed her eyes and tried to do what Hayes said. Feel the power.
The knife grew warm in her hand. When she opened her eyes, silver light was flowing along the blade like liquid moonlight.
"What the hell?" she breathed.
"There it is," Hayes said with satisfaction. "Now throw it."
Aurelia hurled the glowing knife at the target across the training yard. It flew faster than any normal blade should, cutting through the air like lightning. When it hit the wooden target, the entire post exploded in a shower of splinters.
"Holy shit," Aurelia stared at the destruction she'd caused. "How did I do that?"
"Bloodline magic," said a cold voice behind her. "How fascinating."
Aurelia spun around to see Selene standing at the edge of the training yard. The blonde she-wolf looked like she'd swallowed something sour, her green eyes fixed on the destroyed target with obvious jealousy.
"Selene," Aurelia said carefully. Good day ,"I didn't know you were watching."
"Oh, I've been watching everything," Selene said, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "Watching you play Luna. Watching you convince our Alpha to start a war for your precious sister. Watching you pretend you belong here."
Hayes stepped between them. "That's enough, Selene. The Luna is under my protection during training."
"Luna?" Selene laughed, the sound like breaking glass. "She's a rogue with some party tricks. That doesn't make her our leader." Especially not my leader , she growled.
Anger flared in Aurelia's chest, and suddenly every knife on the weapons table started glowing with silver light. Both Selene and Hayes took a step back.
"Whoa there," Hayes said carefully. "Control it, Aurelia. Don't let emotion drive the power."
Aurelia took deep breaths until the glow faded. But she kept her eyes locked on Selene.
"I'm not pretending anything. And I'm not starting a war. I'm finishing the one Valen started ten years ago when he took my sister."
"Your sister who might not even want to be saved," Selene shot back. "Did you see how she looked at you in the forest? She hates you." She doesn't even remember you, why not save the pack the stress of fighting a lost battle .
The words hit like physical blows, but Aurelia didn't back down. "Then I'll help her remember who I really am."
"Assuming we survive long enough," Selene said. "Half the pack thinks this rescue mission is suicide. The other half thinks it's not worth risking pack lives for one girl."
"What do you think?" Aurelia asked.
Selene's smile was sharp as a blade. "I think some people aren't worth saving."
Before Aurelia could respond, Selene turned and walked away, her hips swaying like she owned the place.
"Don't let her get to you," Hayes advised. "She's just jealous because Cazriel chose you over her."
"Wait, what?" Aurelia stared after Selene. "She wanted to be with Cazriel?"
"Wanted? Hell, she's been throwing herself at him for years. Everyone expected he'd make her his chosen mate before you showed up."
A sick feeling twisted in Aurelia's stomach. No wonder Selene hated her so much. She hadn't just taken the Luna position ,she'd taken the man Selene loved.
"Hayes," she said slowly. "How much does Selene know about our plans to rescue Lyanna?"
Hayes frowned. "She shouldn't know anything. That information is supposed to be restricted to the Alpha's inner circle only."
But even as he said it, Aurelia could see the worry in his eyes. They were both thinking the same thing.
"I need to find Cazriel," Aurelia said, already heading toward the house.
She found him in his office with Beta Darius, both men bent over maps and battle plans. When she burst through the door, they looked up in surprise.
"Aurelia, what's wrong?" Cazriel asked, immediately on his feet.
"I think we have a problem," she said breathlessly. "Selene knows about the rescue mission."
Darius straightened, his face going pale. "That's impossible. We've been very careful about who"
He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes widening with realization.
"What is it?" Cazriel demanded.
Darius looked between them, shame written all over his face. "There's something I need to tell you both."
Aurelia's heart sank. She could feel the betrayal coming like a storm on the horizon.
"I've been in contact with someone from the Bloodmoon Pack," Darius said quietly.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees. Cazriel went very still, and Aurelia could see the Alpha power building in his eyes.
"Explain," Cazriel said, his voice deadly calm.
"My sister," Darius said desperately. "She's one of Valen's prisoners. Has been for two years. He said if I gave him information about our pack, he'd let her go."
"You've been spying for Valen?" Aurelia couldn't believe what she was hearing. "This whole time?"
"I never gave him anything important!" Darius said frantically. "Just little things! Guard rotations, training schedules"
"What about the rescue mission?" Cazriel's voice was like ice. "Did you tell him about that?"
The silence stretched forever. Finally, Darius nodded, tears streaming down his face.
"He has my sister," he whispered. "She's all the family I have left."
Cazriel moved faster than Aurelia had ever seen him move. One second he was behind his desk, the next he had Darius pinned against the wall by his throat.
"You betrayed your entire pack," Cazriel growled. "You betrayed me. You betrayed her." He jerked his head toward Aurelia. "For what? A sister who's probably already dead?"
"She's not dead!" Darius choked out. "He sends me pictures! She's alive!"
Aurelia grabbed Cazriel's arm before he could crush Darius's windpipe. "Wait. Let him talk."
Cazriel's muscles were tense as steel under her touch, but he loosened his grip enough for Darius to breathe.
"What exactly did you tell Valen about our plans?" Aurelia asked.
"Everything," Darius whispered. "The route we were planning to take. How many warriors. When we were planning to attack."
Aurelia's heart sank. Their carefully planned rescue mission was now a trap.
"It gets worse," Darius said, his voice barely audible. "Valen knows about your power, Aurelia. He knows you're the other twin. And he wants you alive."
"Why?" she asked, though she was afraid of the answer.
"Because tomorrow night isn't just about mating Lyanna," Darius said. "It's about a ritual. Something called the Twin Moon Binding."
"What does that mean?" Cazriel demanded.
Darius met Aurelia's eyes, and she saw her own terror reflected back at her.
"It means Valen plans to drain power from both twins during the blood moon," Darius said. "Lyanna's and yours. If he succeeds, he'll become the most powerful Alpha who ever lived."
The room went dead silent. Aurelia felt like she couldn't breathe.
"There's more," Darius whispered. "The ritual requires a sacrifice. The life force of someone the twins both love."
"Who?" Aurelia asked, though part of her already knew.
Darius looked at Cazriel with eyes full of regret. "You," he said. "Valen plans to kill your mate in front of both of you. The trauma and grief will make your combined power easier to steal."
Before anyone could respond, the office door crashed open. Kane burst in, his face white with panic.
"They're here," he gasped. "Valen's army. They're surrounding the pack lands right now."
Cazriel went to the window and pulled back the curtain. In the distance, Aurelia could see them ,dozens of wolves with glowing red eyes, moving through the forest like shadows.
"How many?" Cazriel asked grimly.
"At least a hundred," Kane said. "Maybe more."
Aurelia's knees went weak. They were outnumbered three to one.
"They're not here to fight," Kane added. "They're here to deliver a message."
"What message?"
Kane looked at Aurelia with pity in his eyes. "Valen says if you don't come willingly by midnight tonight, he'll start executing his
prisoners. One every hour."
"Starting with who?" Aurelia whispered.
Kane's next words hit like a crushing blow: "Starting with your father."