The Rise Of The Betrayed Luna (Amorah and Holmes) novel Chapter 30

CONRAD

I watched her as we moved through the lower wing, and I did not miss the change in her. Amorah was no longer reacting to what was happening around her. She had adjusted, and now she was moving with purpose, her focus fixed on the outcome instead of the emotion behind it.

That alone confirmed what I had already decided.

My wolf stirred again, restless in a way that had become constant whenever she was near. “Mate,” it said, the word firm and insistent, pushing against my control. I ignored it, forcing it back, but the pull toward her did not lessen.

If anything, it grew stronger.

She did not hesitate as we moved, her steps quiet and measured, her attention fixed ahead. There was no fear in her posture, no uncertainty, and that made her more dangerous than she realized.

I slowed slightly and caught her arm, stopping her before she stepped further into the passage. She turned toward me immediately, her expression sharp but controlled, ready to move again.

“We don’t follow them blindly,” I said.

Her eyes held mine. “We don’t have time to wait.”

“We don’t waste time by walking into a trap,” I replied.

She exhaled, steadying herself, but she did not argue further. That was enough.

I released her arm and stepped slightly ahead, taking the lead without needing to explain it further. “They’re heading toward the outer passage,” I continued. “If they move past that point, they leave Silvercrest territory.”

Her gaze sharpened. “Then we stop them before they get there.””

“Yes,” I said. “And if we fail, Holmes closes everything completely.”

The words settled between us without resistance.

No second chances.

We moved again, faster now. The lower wing narrowed into a tighter passage, the path ahead dim but clear enough for us to track movement. I could already sense them, their presence shifting through the space ahead.

Before we reached the next turn, I stopped again.

She nearly stepped into me before halting, her body close enough that I could feel the tension in her. She did not move back immediately, and neither did I

“When this is over,” I said, my voice low but firm, “you don’t stay here.”

Her gaze lifted to mine without hesitation. “That’s not your

decision.”

“It is,” I replied.

“I still have unfinished business,” she said. “I’m not leaving until I get what I came for.”

She was not refusing out of impulse. She had already made that decision long before I said anything.

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12:58 Sat, May 30 MM M·

Chapter 30

For a moment, I let the silence sit between us. Then I nodded once.

It was not an agreement. It was an acknowledgment.

“We move now,” I said.

She did not argue again.

We advanced through the passage, closing the distance quickly. The sound of movement ahead became clearer, the guards no longer hiding their steps as they prepared to move out.

I stepped forward first as we reached the final turn and moved into the open space beyond.

The guards reacted instantly.

Two moved to intercept, their stance shifting as they recognized me too late. I did not slow down. My wolf pushed forward as I closed the distance, and I struck without hesitation.

The first guard went down before he could react properly. The second tried to shift, but I was already in front of him. I forced him back with force, enough to stop him without wasting time.

Behind me. I heard Amorah move.

She did not interfere. She did exactly what she needed to do.

The remaining guards turned, their formation breaking as they tried to adjust. That was their mistake.

I stepped through them, removing the immediate threat with precise movements. There was no wasted motion, no hesitation, only control.

Within moments, the path was clear.

“Now,” I said.

Amorah moved past me without delay, her focus already on the objective. At the center of the passage, two guards had been holding someone between them.

The witness.

She was still standing, but barely. Her posture sagged slightly, her strength clearly reduced, but he was alive.

That was enough.

Amorah reached her first, her hand steady as she moved closer. “Can you hear me?” she asked.

Her head lifted slightly, her eyes struggling to focus before settling on her. Recognition passed through his expression, faint but present.

She reached toward her, his hand unsteady.

I moved to secure the remaining guards, ensuring none of them could interfere. My attention remained split, part of it still on Amorah, part of it tracking everything around us.

“The twins…” the witness said, her voice strained.

Amorah leaned closer. “What about them?”

She swallowed, forcing the words out. “Not just heirs… hidden rite…”

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Chapter 30.

My attention sharpened instantly..

“What rite?” she asked.

Before she could answer, something shifted.

A sharp sound cut through the space. The witness jerked forward. Then went still.

For a second, nothing moved. My gaze dropped to his chest.

An arrow was stuck in her hest.

Amorah froze beside her, her hand still near her arm, her body tense as the realization set in. The guards we had taken down were no longer the threat.

This had never been just a transfer.

Movement surrounded us.

I reacted without hesitation, stepping forward and pulling Amorah back behind me. My body shifted slightly, placing myself between her and the direction the attack had come from.

“Stay behind me,” I said.

My wolf surged forward, no longer restrained. The shift in my presence was immediate, controlled but dominant in a way that filled the space around us.

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