Moonlight In Chains (Trinity and Asher) novel Chapter 173

CHAPTER 173

The field was too still after what had just happened.

The wolf lay in the pen again, breathing steady, head down as though nothing had occurred. But I could

still feel it. The ghost of that voice echoing through my mind.

You already know.

The words pulsed at the back of my skull, heavy and certain.

Asher didn’t take his eyes off me. “Trinny.” He said quietly, “What did it say to you?”

I forced a breath, trying to steady my voice. “It just said… I know who it is.”

Emily took a cautious step forward. “What does that mean?” She asked, her tone curious but laced with

something sharper beneath.

I looked at her…really looked. Her hands were clenched tight at her sides, her eyes fixed on the wolf. It

wasn’t just curiosity. It was fear. And whatever fear she had, it wasn’t for us.

“I don’t know yet.” I said evenly. “But it’s not hostile. It hasn’t made a single aggressive move since it got

here.”

Asher gave me a questioning glance, but he didn’t push. He knew me well enough to see that I wasn’t

saying everything. Not here, not in front of her.

The others started talking strategy again. Who’d take the next watch, what we’d do if the wolf turned

violent, if we’d alert the nearby allies for backup. I just nodded when they spoke, but I didn’t contribute

much. My head was somewhere else entirely.

That voice. The tone of it. The way it had known me.

It wasn’t the first time I’d felt something like that. An old, familiar pull that I couldn’t explain. But this time, it was stronger. Personal.

“Alright.” Asher said finally, breaking the heavy silence. “We’re calling it for tonight. Everyone gets a few

hours of rest. Gage, Arlo… you two have first light duty.”

The twins nodded, though their attention seemed half on Emily. She hadn’t moved. Her eyes were still locked on the wolf, her body tense, as though she was waiting for it to say or do something.

When Asher and I turned to head back inside, I glanced over my shoulder once more. The wolf hadn’t looked away from me. Its golden eyes were steady, aware and intelligent. And when our gazes met again, that pressure brushed faintly at the edge of my mind.

Later.

I blinked. The word was faint. Almost a whisper. And then it was gone.

We climbed the stairs to our room in silence. The air in the hallway felt cooler than usual, maybe because I

CHAPTER 173

couldn’t shake the chill crawling up my spine. Asher closed the door behind us and locked it, his

expression already questioning.

“Trinny.” He said quietly, “What really happened out there?”

+25 Points

I hesitated, walking to the window. The moonlight washed over the trees, silver and still. “You’ll think I’m losing it.”

He came up behind me, resting a hand on my shoulder. “Try me.”

I turned to face him. “It spoke to me. Not out loud. Through a mind–link.”

He frowned. “A mind–link? That’s not possible unless it’s…”

“I know.” I cut in. “That’s what I thought too. But it happened. It said it could only talk to me. And then it

said I already know who it is.”

He studied me carefully, eyes sharp. “Do you?”

I exhaled slowly. “Yes. I think… I think it’s one of ours.”

Asher blinked. “One of ours? You mean…”

“I mean a shifter.” I said, voice low. “But not from our pack. Maybe from Eclipse. Maybe older than that. It’s

… strange, Asher. It felt familiar. Not family, exactly, but close. Like it knows me…or my bloodline.”

He rubbed a hand over his face, pacing a few steps. “Alright. So it’s a shifter trapped in wolf form. That’s

happened before, though rarely. But why you? Why now?”

I hesitated, and that’s when the faint voice returned. Just one sentence, quiet but clear as thought.

She’s not what she seems.

My chest tightened. My eyes flicked toward the door, though I knew no one was there.

“Asher.” I said softly, “It just spoke again.”

He froze. “What did it say?”

I swallowed hard. “It said… she’s not what she seems.”

His gaze hardened immediately. “Emily.”

I nodded.

He started pacing again, hands clenched. “That would explain a lot. The twins acting strange, ignoring

orders, being protective of her like it’s instinct instead of choice. And her reaction tonight. She wasn’t scared of that wolf. She was scared it might expose her.”

“I don’t want to accuse her of something without proof.” I said quietly. “But the wolf’s reaction to her

wasn’t normal. When she moved, it growled. Not like it wanted to attack her, but like it was warning us.”

Asher’s voice was a low growl now. “Then we treat her like a potential threat until we know more. Keep her

< CHAPTER 173

close, don’t give her any reason to suspect we’re onto her. And we protect the twins from whatever hold she’s got on them.”

I nodded, though my stomach twisted at the thought. “They’ll fight us if we push too hard.”

“I know. That’s why we’ll handle it quietly.”

I walked over to the bed and sat down, my hands trembling slightly. The exhaustion from the night was settling in, but my mind wouldn’t slow down.

Asher crouched in front of me, taking my hands. “What else did it say? Anything about who it is?”

I met his eyes. “Not yet. But it’s scared, Asher. It’s terrified of her.”

He blinked. “Of Emily?”

“Yes.” I nodded slowly. “It said she’s not what she seems. But there was more emotion behind it. Fear and

pain. Like it’s been through something… something she caused.”

Asher’s jaw tightened. “Then we find out what she is. Rogue or not, there’s something she’s hiding. And I’ll

be damned if I let her endanger this pack.”

I squeezed his hand. “We’ll handle it. Together.”

He leaned forward and kissed me softly, then straightened. “You need sleep. You haven’t rested properly in

days.”

I smiled faintly. “Neither have you.”

He chuckled. “Fair point. But one of us has to stay awake for now. I’ll take first watch.”

“Asher…”

“Trinny.” His tone was firm but gentle. “You’ve done enough tonight. Let me take it.”

I sighed and nodded, lying back against the pillows. He stood near the window, arms crossed, watching the dark tree line beyond the training field.

The packhouse had gone quiet again, but the air didn’t feel peaceful anymore. It felt charged. Waiting.

Before I drifted off, I heard Asher mutter under his breath, “Whatever that wolf is, we’ll find out. And whatever Emily’s hiding, she won’t hide it for long.”

The next morning, I woke to the smell of coffee and the low murmur of voices downstairs. When I came down, the twins were already in the kitchen, Emily perched between them at the counter. She smiled when she saw me. Too quickly and too perfectly.

“Morning.” She said, voice bright.

“Morning.” I replied evenly, studying her.

Asher handed me a mug. “We checked the pen. The wolf hasn’t moved an inch. Calm as ever.”

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* CHAPTER 173

“That’s good.” I said, forcing a smile. “Maybe it’ll shift soon.”

+25 Ponte

Emily’s eyes flicked to me briefly, but she said nothing. Her fingers were wrapped around her cup, knuckles white.

Arlo yawned. “We’re heading into town later, grab supplies, check on construction at the east border.” “Good idea.” I said. “But take guards with you. Just in case.”

He frowned. “You think something’s coming?”

I shrugged. “You know me. I like being prepared.”

Emily’s gaze lingered on me a moment too long before she looked back down at her coffee.

Asher caught the glance too. He didn’t say anything, but his hand brushed against mine under the table. A silent reminder that we were on the same page.

The wolf hadn’t spoken again since last night. But every time I glanced out the window toward the pen, I felt it. Watching and waiting.

Later, when the others were gone, I returned to the pen alone. The morning air was crisp, sunlight spilling across the grass. The wolf was still there, eyes half–open but alert.

I stepped closer to the fence. “I know you can hear me.” I whispered.

For a long moment, nothing happened. Then, faintly, the pressure brushed my mind again.

She’s not who they think she is.

Who is she? I asked silently.

A pause. Then the answer came, sharp and cold:

She’s the one who killed me.

My breath caught. “What…”

Before I could finish, the connection snapped. The wolf’s eyes closed again, its body going still.

And I stood there in the morning light, heart pounding, realization sinking like ice in my veins.

Whatever Emily was… she wasn’t just a rogue.

She was dangerous.

And now, I was the only one who knew.

But how could this thing be laying here right in front of me alive and moving after saying that Emily killed

him?

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