Reclaiming My Broken Luna by Selene Souchon

Chapter 409: Deception

Astrid's POV

The tension in the council chamber clung to my skin like a second layer of sweat.

Every time I closed my eyes, I could still see Alpha Cedric's smug expression from the last meeting, his words twisting the air with doubt and discontent.

Killian and I walked side by side through the dimly lit hall, his golden eyes sharp and focused.

Neither of us spoke as we headed toward the war room, our minds occupied by the same burning question: could Cedric truly be working with the rogue king?

The war room door creaked open, revealing Ryder standing at the center of the table, maps and documents scattered before him.

He looked up as we entered, his expression grim but composed.

"Alpha. Luna," Ryder greeted, bowing slightly.

"What did you find?" Killian asked, his voice steady but clipped.

Ryder straightened, his gaze meeting Killian's. "We've been discreetly monitoring Alpha Cedric's movements as you requested. There's nothing concrete yet, but... there's something off."

I frowned, stepping closer to the table. "What do you mean, 'off'?”

Ryder tapped a finger on the map spread before him. "Cedric's patrols have been irregular. His warriors are reporting gaps in his territory's defenses-places rogues could easily exploit. Yet, there's no indication he's bolstering those areas or even addressing the issue."

Killian's jaw tightened. "You think he's leaving those gaps intentionally?"

Ryder hesitated before nodding. "It's a possibility. More concerning, we intercepted a message sent from one of Cedric's scouts. The message was encrypted, but its destination wasn't one of the packs."

My heart sank. "Then where was it sent?"

Ryder met my gaze, his voice steady. "It was heading east-toward rogue territory."

The room seemed to shrink around me, the weight of the revelation pressing down on my chest.

whose golden eyes burned

is true..." I began,

and unyielding. "If it's true,

the war room with instructions to continue his

we walked through the halls, my mind raced with possibilities,

think it's him?" I asked softly, my voice

answer immediately, his gaze

trust him," he said finally.

the knot in

been abrasive,

far beyond mere

we turned a corner, a messenger appeared, his

Killian, Luna Astrid," he gasped,

is it?" Killian demanded,

said, his voice trembling. "He's left his territory. And

narrowed, his jaw tightening. "Rogue

the

situation hit me like a blow. If Cedric was heading toward rogue territory, it could only mean one thing: he was going to

to

to me, his voice

"If Cedric

king, we can't

without answers."

nodded, my resolve hardening. "Let's

edge of Cedric's territory, the moon casting

trusted group of warriors,

steps silent as he

"We tracked him heading east. If we move quickly, we can intercept

the group. "We move in silence. If Cedric is meeting with the rogue king, we need to catch him in

through the forest,

weight of what we were about to do pressing heavily on

the border of rogue territory, the sound of voices reached my ears. Killian held up a hand, signaling for us