The Rise Of The Betrayed Luna (Amorah and Holmes) novel Chapter 14

Chapter 14

AMORAH

The chamber did not settle after the elder’s announcement. Voices rose in controlled tones as elders spoke among themselves, while the guards remained stationed near the doors with rigid posture.

The tension lingered in the air as though the ritual had only been paused rather than ended.

I did not move immediately, my gaze fixed on the basin at the center of the circle. The blood inside it had gone completely still, and something about that silence felt wrong in a way I could not ignore.

It was not the stillness of completion, but the absence of something that should have been there.

I turned my head slightly, letting my attention shift without drawing attention. Holmes no longer watched the basin, and that alone confirmed what I had already begun to suspect.

His focus had returned to the elders, his expression composed, his posture controlled, as though nothing about the interruption had unsettled him.

Anyone else might have believed it but I did not.

I stepped back slowly, creating distance between us without making it obvious. This time, he did not stop me, and that lack of reaction spoke louder than any argument he could have made.

“Luna Amorah.”

The voice came from one of the senior elders, firm enough to cut through the shifting noise in the chamber. I turned toward him, meeting his gaze without hesitation.

“You will remain available until the council concludes its review,” he said, his tone leaving no room for interpretation. “You are not to leave the grounds.”

“I have no intention of leaving.” I replied, keeping my voice even.

His gaze lingered on me for a moment, as though measuring my words against my expression. Then he gave a short nod and turned away, already moving into quiet discussion with the others.

The chamber began to shift as some of the Alphas moved toward the exit, their voices low but intent. Others stayed behind, their attention lingering on Holmes in a way that had not been there before. The interruption had not erased suspicion; it had only redirected it.

That worked in my favor.

I moved toward the edge of the chamber, needing space to think clearly. Before I could reach the exit, a presence stepped into my path and forced me to stop.

I looked up.

The stranger stood in front of me, closer now than before, his presence steady in a way that did not demand attention but held it all the same. His gaze was fixed on me, sharp and observant, as though he had been waiting for me to reach this point.

“You noticed,” he said quietly.

It was not a question.

“Yes,” I replied, holding his gaze. “They disrupted the rite”

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Chapter 14

He did not react with surprise, which told me everything I needed to know. Instead, he shifted his attention briefly toward the guards near the doors before returning it to me.

“They prepared for it,” he said.

The certainty in his voice settled something inside me. It aligned with what I had already seen, what my instincts had already warned me about.

“You’re certain.” I said.

*Yes.

There was no hesitation in his answer, and that steadiness made it easier to trust what he was saying. Around us, the chamber continued to empty, but the noise seemed distant compared to the clarity of this moment.

“You saw something.” I said.

“I saw enough.” he replied.

For a brief moment, silence passed between us, but it did not feel uncertain. It felt like shared understanding, like standing on the same side of something without needing to say it directly.

Then we act before they adjust again,” he said.

The words were simple, but they carried direction.

“You speak as if you are part of this,” I said, watching him closely.

“I am now.” he replied.

Something about that answer settled deeper than I expected. It was not reassurance, but it felt like support, and that difference mattered more than I wanted to admit.

Before I could respond, footsteps approached behind me. I did not need to turn to know who it was.

Holmes.

His presence reached me first, controlled and familiar in a way that made my shoulders tighten slightly. Then his voice followed, calm but edged.

“You seem to have found support quickly.”

I turned slowly to face him, keeping my expression neutral. His gaze moved between me and the man beside me, assessing, calculating, already drawing conclusions.

“You should be careful who you stand beside,” he continued.

“I made my choice.” I said.

His eyes narrowed slightly, just enough to show irritation beneath the control.

“That was never your strength,” he replied..

Before I could answer, the stranger shifted closer to my side. The movement was subtle, almost unnoticeable, but it placed him within my space in a way that made a statement without words.

Holmes noticed immediately.

“You are overstepping,” he said.

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Chapter 14

“I am observing.” the stranger replied, his voice even.

Holmes held his gaze for a moment longer before looking back at me. There was something different in his expression now, something less certain than before.

“This is not over,” he said.

“I know.” I replied.

For the first time since the ritual began, something real crossed his face. It was brief, but it was there, and it was not anger

It was concern.

He turned without another word and walked away, his steps controlled but slightly faster than before. I watched him go, my thoughts already moving ahead of the moment.

“He will move again,” I said.

“Yes,” the stranger replied. “He already has.”

I turned toward him. my attention sharpening.

“What does that mean?”

Instead of answering immediately, he shifted his gaze toward the exit. I followed his line of sight, my focus narrowing as I searched for what he had already noticed.

“Watch,” he said quietly.

At first, nothing stood out. Then I saw them.

Two of the guards who had entered earlier were leaving the chamber, moving quickly but without drawing attention. One of them carried something covered in cloth, held carefully against his body.

The shape was familiar.

Too familiar.

“The basin,” I said, the realization settling instantly. “They’re removing it.”

I did not wait.

I moved quickly, crossing the chamber floor with purpose. The guards had already reached the doorway when I closed the distance, my voice cutting through the space between us.

“Stop.”

They froze.

Slowly, they turned toward me, their expressions guarded. One of them bowed slightly, his grip tightening around the covered object.

“Luna” he said.

“Where are you taking that?” I asked.

“For cleansing,” he replied. “By order of the council”

“Which elder gave that order?”

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Chapter 14

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