The Rise Of The Betrayed Luna (Amorah and Holmes) novel Chapter 12

I did not sleep. The night passed with my eyes open and my thoughts moving in circles I could not stop. Every time I tried to rest. I heard Bethany’s voice again, soft and certain, followed by Holmes’s reply. It stayed with me in a way that made my chest feel tight and my stomach uneasy.

By the time the first light of dawn reached my window, I was already dressed.

My wolf had not rested either. She stayed close beneath my skin, alert in a way she had not been in years. The weakness that had followed me for so long felt distant now. Something had changed. I could feel it clearly.

A knock sounded on the door.

“Luna Amorah.” a guard said. “The council is ready.”

I walked toward the door and opened it without answering.

Two guards stood outside.

Holmes stood behind them.

For a moment, we simply looked at each other.

He appeared composed, as always. His posture was straight, his expression controlled, his presence steady. Anyone looking at him would see an Alpha fully in command of himself and his pack.

But I knew better now.

“Walk with me,” he said.

His voice was calm.

I held his gaze. “I can go on my

own.”

“The council expects us to arrive together,” he replied.

There was no warmth in his tone. Only expectation.

I stepped past him.

“I don’t care what they expect.”

His hand closed around my wrist before I could take another step.

The contact was firm, immediate, and familiar in a way that made something inside me recoil.

I went still.

“Enough.” he said quietly, “You will not create a scene before the elders.

I looked down at his hand, then back up at him.

“Take your hand off me.

1/5

of bas body, the steady presence of his wolf pressing forward instinctively. It used to calm me. It used to

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anged for a brief second. It was subtle, but 1 saw it That flicker of awareness before he forced his expression back

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ad

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Silence

The

him, uncomfortable with the tension.

closer, lowering his voice.

way you are behaving”

ever trusting you*

tened. But he said nothing else. Instead, he

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walking This time, I followed.

what mattered.

siready fill

oment we stepped in

Toom. Elders stood in a wide circle around the center, their For the rite has been carved into the stone floor, old symbols

Chapter 12

I remained still where I stood, watching everything closely without allowing any reaction to show on my face. This was the moment I had forced into existence, and I refused to miss even the smallest detail. Nothing about this could be undone

now.

The elder’s

expectation.

gaze shifted toward me. “Luna Amorah, you will witness the rite,” he said, his tone carrying both authority and

“I understand.” I replied, my voice steady despite the tension building inside me.

Holmes returned to stand beside me, positioning himself deliberately close. The distance between us was almost nonexistent, and I could feel the steady presence of his wolf at my side, controlled and unwavering. It used to be something

I leaned into without thought. Now, I kept my gaze forward and refused to acknowledge him.

The elder raised his hand, signaling the beginning.

“The Bloodline Verification Rite will now reveal the truth.”

At his words, the runes ignited fully. Light spread across the markings carved into the floor, connecting each symbol in a flowing pattern that led directly to the basin at the center. The glow was not blinding, but it was impossible to ignore. It carried an ancient weight that settled over the chamber and demanded attention.

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