The Rise Of The Betrayed Luna (Amorah and Holmes) novel Chapter 64

Chapter 64

AMORAH

My chest felt tight as I pushed myself upright on the bed. The room was dark and quiet, but the feeling from the dream did not leave with it. I stayed still for a moment, pressing my palm against my chest as I tried to settle the rhythm that refused to

return to normal.

I did not move right away, because I knew it was not just a bad dream. The image stayed clear in my mind, the weight of the children in my arms, the moment they were taken without warning. It felt personal in a way I could not explain, and that alone made it harder to ignore.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed and sat there, leaning forward slightly as I rested my elbows on my knees. My fingers pressed together as I tried to think through it, but the more I focused, the less sense it made. It was not tied to anything I had seen or experienced, and that unsettled me more than anything else.

A quiet knock came at the door, followed by a brief pause that told me whoever stood outside was waiting, not forcing entry. I lifted my head, already knowing who it was before I spoke.

“Come in,” I called, my voice lower than usual but steady enough.

The door opened, and Conrad stepped inside, closing it behind him without making unnecessary noise. His attention settled on me immediately, not scanning the room, not distracted, only focused on me.

“You’re awake,” he noted, his tone calm as he took a few steps closer.

“I am,” I replied, straightening slightly but not fully standing.

He did not move any closer after that, giving me space without stepping back entirely. His posture remained composed, but there was awareness in the way he watched me, as if he had already noticed something was not right.

“You didn’t rest well,” he said.

It was not a question.

I let out a slow breath before answering.

“No,” I replied, lifting my hand briefly to brush it against my neck. “Something woke me.”

His gaze remained on me, waiting without pressing.

“A dream?” he asked after a moment.

I hesitated, not because I did not want to answer, but because I did not know how to explain it.

“Yes,” I answered finally.

He inclined his head slightly, acknowledging it without interrupting.

“It stayed with you,” he observed.

I nodded once, meeting his gaze briefly before looking away again.

“It didn’t feel random,” I replied. “That’s what makes it harder to ignore.”

(*

He remained silent for a moment, then stepped a little closer, closing some of the distance without making it feel forced.

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Chapter 64

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ou don’t need to explain it if you’re not ready,” he said.

I looked at him again, noting the way he spoke without pushing for details.

“I don’t have an explanation, answered. “Only the feeling that it meant something.”

He accepted that without challenge.

“Then we don’t dismiss it,” he replied.

That response settled something in me more than I expected.

I pushed myself up to stand, letting my shoulders straighten as I moved away from the bed. The tension had not disappeared, but it had shifted into something I could work with.

“We still have a situation to deal with,” I said.

“We do,” he answered.

I moved toward the table near the center of the room, where maps and reports had already been placed earlier. Conrad followed, stopping close enough that I could feel his presence beside me without him touching me.

“The boundary report came before I rested,” I continued, placing my hand lightly against the table. “They were testing entry points, not pushing through.”

“They were measuring response time,” he replied.

I nodded once.

“And now they know you don’t leave gaps,” I added.

“They know this section is not their entry,” he said.

I turned slightly toward him.

“Which means they’ll try somewhere else,” I replied.

“Or they’ll change their approach entirely,” he answered.

I leaned forward slightly, focusing on the layout in front of me.

“They won’t waste time repeating the same move,” I said. “Bethany doesn’t work that way.”

“No,” he agreed. “She adapts quickly.”

I traced one of the outer paths lightly with my finger.

“She could shift attention back to Silvercrest,” I continued. “Force pressure there while keeping your territory on alert.”

“That would divide focus, he replied.

I glanced at him briefly.

“But you won’t divide it,” I said.

“No,” he answered.

Chapter 64+

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the certainty in his tone did not leave room for doubt.

“I’ll need confirmation on the twins,” I added, straightening slightly. “Not a general report.”

“You’ll have it,” he replied.

I studied him for a moment.

“You’re not questioning that,” I noted.

“You need it,” he answered. “That’s enough.”

That response stayed with me longer than I expected.

I turned back to the table, but I was more aware of him now, the space between us, the way he stood close without stepping into me. The tension that had been building over the past days returned quietly, not overwhelming, but present enough to notice.

“You didn’t hesitate,” I said.

“About what?” he asked.

A

“Letting me stay involved at this level,” I replied.

He shifted slightly, not away, but enough to face me more directly.

“You’re already involved,” he answered. “Keeping you out of it would be a mistake.”

I held his gaze for a moment.

“You trust my judgment,” I said.

“I do,” he replied.

The honesty in that answer did not feel forced.

I let out a quiet breath, then nodded once.

“Then we move forward with that,” I said.

“We will,” he answered.

The moment lingered after that, neither of us stepping back. I became aware again of how close we were, the distance between us small enough that I could feel the heat of his presence without contact.

My hand rested against the table, and his moved slightly, not touching mine, but close enough that it could have.

Neither of us pulled away.

The silence stretched, not uncomfortable, but filled with something that had not been addressed. I lifted my head slightly, meeting his gaze again, and for a moment, it felt like everything else had fallen away.

He did not move forward, and I did not step back. The tension stayed right where it was.

A knock at the door broke the moment before it could shift further. Conrad stepped back first, not abruptly, but enough to create space again.

Chapter 61

Enter, he called

One of his wolves stepped inside, stopping a few paces away with his head slightly lowered.

“Alpha King.” he began. “Repost from the outer watch.”

Conrad turned his attention fully to him.

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