The Rise Of The Betrayed Luna (Amorah and Holmes) novel Chapter 31

Chapter 31

AMORAH

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I kept seeing his face every time I closed my eyes. The witness had reached for me, trying to speak, trying to finish what he started, and then he was gone before he could say enough. His last words stayed with me, repeating in a way I could not ignore.

“The twins… not just heirs… hidden rite…”

That was not something said by mistake. That was something he had held onto even while he was dying, and that mean it mattered more than anything else he could have told me.

Conrad did not allow me to stand there any longer. His hand closed around my wrist firmly, and he pulled me away from the lower wing before I could look back again. His grip was not rough, but it was not gentle either, and it made it clear that I did not have a choice in that moment.

“We move now,” he said in a low voice.

“There will be more guards,” I replied.

“There will,” he answered. “Which is why we leave before they arrive.”

I followed him without arguing further, even though my chest still felt tight. My wolf was unsettled beneath my skin, pacing with unease, but I forced myself to stay focused on the path ahead instead of what we had left behind.

We moved through the passageways quickly, avoiding the main corridors, until we reached a part of the pack house that remained quiet at this hour. Only then did Conrad stop, releasing my wrist as he turned to face me fully.

“You hesitate again, you die,” he said.

I held his gaze, steady despite the weight of his words, “I was not hesitating.”

“You were,” he replied. “And you will not do it again.”

His tone left no room for argument, and I felt something shift in me at the way he said it. It was not just a warning.

I took a breath, steadying myself before speaking again. “The witness said something before he died.”

Conrad did not respond immediately. He watched me instead, his expression calm but focused, as if measuring every word I was about to say.

“He said the twins are not just heirs,” I continued. “He said something about a hidden rite.”

There was a brief pause before I added, “Do you know what that means?”

Conrad did not answer the question. His gaze remained on me, unreadable, and that silence told me more than a direct reply would have.

“You do know,” I said.

“I know enough,” he replied.

“Then explain it,” I said immediately.

He did not move. “No.”

The word came without hesitation, and it stopped me for a second. I felt the frustration rise, but I did not step back.

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Chapter 31

“You expect me to walk into something I do not understand?” I asked.

“I expect you to follow what has already been agreed,” he said.

That made my jaw tighten slightly. “That contract did not include secrets like this.”

“It included terms,” he replied. “You accepted them.”

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I shook my head once. “You want an heir within a year. You want me to leave everything behind and follow you. You brought me into something that is clearly bigger than what you said, and you expect me not to ask questions?”

Conrad stepped closer then, closing the space between us in an authoritative way. I felt the shift immediately, the weight of his presence becoming stronger without him needing to raise his voice.

“You ask too many questions for someone who already agreed,” he said.

I did not move. “I agreed to terms, not to being used.”

His eyes stayed on mine, steady and sharp. “You are being given what you asked for.”

“I asked for support,” I replied. “Not to be kept in the dark.”

He studied me for a moment longer, and I could feel the tension between us settle into something steady and direct. It was not chaotic, but it was not calm either.

“You think this is about fairness,” he said.

“I think this is about control,” I replied.

There was a brief pause, and then something in his expression shifted slightly. was not a softening, but it was not rejection either.

“That is the point,” he said.

I held his gaze, refusing to look away. “Then you should have said that from the beginning.”

“I did,” he replied. “You just chose to hear it differently.”

My wolf stirred at his words, restless but alert. “He is not lying,” she said quietly.

“I know,” I replied.

That did not mean I had to accept it without pushing back.

“I am not following blindly,” I said.

“You are not blind,” he replied. “You are aware enough to know what matters.”

“And what matters is that I am still missing something,” I said.

Conrad did not deny it. Instead, he stepped even closer, stopping just within reach, his voice lowering slightly as he spoke.

“You are missing information that does not change your position,” he said.

“It changes everything.” I replied.

“It does not,” he said. “You still need what I offer.”

I did not answer immediately. He was right about that part, and we both knew it.

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Chapter 31

“But that does not mean I accept everything without question,” I said.

His

gaze remained on mine, and for a moment.

“That is why I chose you,” he said.

The words caught my attention, even though I did not show it immediately,

“Your resistance,” he continued. “Your ability to stand where others would step back.”

I did not respond, but I felt the change in the air between us again. It was not softer, but it was more defined.

“It will not change the outcome.” he added.

I exhaled slowly, forcing myself to stay focused. “Then tell me what happens next.”

“You leave Silvercrest,” he said.

The answer came without delay, and it made my chest tighten again.

“When?” I asked.

“Now,” he replied.

I shook my head immediately. “No.”

His expression did not change.

“I am not done here,” I retorted. “Holmes is still exposed. The truth about the twins is still within reach.”

“It was within reach,” he corrected. “You lost that chance.”

“The witness was one chance,” I said. “Not the only one.”

“It was the only one that mattered,” he replied.

I felt frustration rise again, but I kept my voice steady. “You do not know that.”

“I do,” he said.

“And I do not agree,” I replied.

That was when his tone changed. It did not become louder, but it became colder.

“You staying here has already failed,” he said. “The witness is dead. The council is compromised. Holmes is ahead.”

I held my ground. “That does not mean I stop.”

“It means you adapt,” he replied. “And you do it now.”

I narrowed my eyes slightly. “Or what?”

There was a brief pause before he answered.

“Or I take control of the situation in a way you will not like.”

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