The Rise Of The Betrayed Luna (Amorah and Holmes) novel Chapter 76

Chapter 76

AMORAH

The report reached us just before dusk, delivered directly into Conrad’s wrategy root by one of his outer patrol wolves The wolf crossed the room quickly, his breathing, rough from travel and handed the sealed opdate to Conrad withour wasting time on formalities.

I watched Conrad read the contents once before hi jughened sightly, and that small reaction alone told me she situation had already changed.

“The opening phase has started,” Conrad revealed as he handed the report to me. “Bethany is no longer preparing the ritual at Obsidian Hollow. She has already begun it.”

I read through the message carefully, noticing the details immediately, Ritual markings had been activated across the outer edge of the Hollow, movement had increased around the lower paths, and witnesses from smaller packs had already started arriving

Bethany was not hiding what she was doing anymore, and that made the situation more dangerous than before

“She wants everyone to see it happen,” I muttered as I lowered the report. “That means she believes she cannot fail”

Conrad leaned one hand against the large table between us, his attention remaining on the map spread across it. “It also means she wants legitimacy afterward,” he replied. “Public rituals are harder to challenge once completed.”

The room remained quiet for a moment while the rest of his inner wolves waited nearby for instructions. None of them interrupted him, and none of them questioned the direction of the conversation. Conrad carried authority naturally, and every wolf inside the room responded to it without hesitation.

He straightened slightly before pointing toward the western side of the map. “We move in groups instead of one direct force. Bethany expects a frontal response, which means the main route will already be prepared against us.”

One of the wolves beside the far wall stepped closer. “Do we divide at the lower ridge or before the forest line?” “Before” Conrad answered immediately. “I want overlapping coverage on every active path leading into the Hollow.”

I studied the map again before stepping closer beside him. “If she has outsiders there, they will not know the terrain well.” I pointed out. “They’ll rely on marked routes and visible entry points.”

Conrad glanced toward me briefly before nodding once. “Which means the secondary path becomes more useful than the direct approach.”

I looked at him properly then, realizing we had reached the same conclusion without needing further explanation. That awareness stayed between us quictly for a second before Conrad shifted his focus back toward the others in the room.

“We move through the eastern line first, he instructed. “No large formation until we confirm numbers inside the Hollow.”

The wolves acknowledged the order immediately before moving to prepare. The room slowly emptied after that, leaving only Conrad and me near the strategy table. I rested both hands against the edge of the map while reviewing the marked routes again, and I became aware of Conrad stepping closer beside me without speaking.

“She’s moving faster dian expected,” I admitted quietly.

“She’s running out of time, Conrad replied.

turned slightly toward lum. “Your sound certain about that

1/4

743 pm PPPP

Charter

Ther

you alreach know what he h

Hated on me for one thing back and the no

“That is not the same thing

“No.” he agreed calmh. ” isn’t

The answer frustrated me slightly but not enough to start an argument Contad

time but he still stopped short of full truth whenever the conversation reached has soduse for o deeper plans

I exhaled quietly before stepping back from the table. Then tell me what matter

Conrad finally looked directly at me again. “What matters right now is keeping you out of second before she completes the final stage?

“And if she already started?”

“Then we interrupt the process before it stabilizes.”

I nodded slowly, accepting the answer for now.

Conrad moved toward the doorway before glancing back at me. “Come with me”

I followed him out of the strategy room and through the inner grounds without questioning wi had already settled across the territory, and patrol wolves moved along the penisseser watt tuse overed out us carried preparation, but there was no pay site transeny

“That’s the difference between your pack and Silvercrest” 1/observed while walking beside tum without losing re

They sale Conrad replied “Bethany was trar fearsECOND

The answer sayed with nasaking soward to fi

2/4

y

7:43 pm P P P P

Chapter 76

dislike unnecessary losses,” he corrected.

爆 2010

The wind moved lightly through the field as silence settled briefly betweeft us again. Conrad stood close enough that I could feel the warmth from him despite the night air, and lately that awareness had become impossible to ignore no matter how hard I tried.

“You trust me more than you did before Ladmitted quietly.

Conrad looked down at me without stepping away. “You’ve earned it.

The simple honesty in his voice caught me off guard more than I expected. There was no calculation behind the words, and no distance either.

Before I could answer, footsteps approached quickly from the direction of the main grounds. One of Conrad’s patrol wolves crossed the field toward us, stopping several feet away before lowering his head respectfully.

“Alpha King,” the wolf began carefully. “The deeper safe house remains secure. Additional guards have been rotated into position, and both twins are accounted for.”

Relief settled in me immediately, even though I had trusted Conrad’s protection already. “How are they handling the restrictions?” I asked.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify