The Rise Of The Betrayed Luna (Amorah and Holmes) novel Chapter 85

Chapter 85

AMORAH

Conrad dismissed everyone except me and leaned both hands against the edge of the large table. His jaw looked tight, and 1 noticed the slight pause in his breathing before he straightened again.

“Which faction agreed to stand with Holmes?” I asked.

“The Blackridge faction,” Conrad answered. “Three Alphas tied to trade routes and council influence. If they support the succession hearing openly, other undecided packs may follow.”

“They are trying to isolate you before the hearing even begins,” I replied, “This is not just about leadership anymore.”

“No,” Conrad answered quietly. “It stopped being only about leadership the moment Holmes involved outside factions”

I stayed beside him while he reviewed additional reports from the council network. The meeting dragged late into the night, but neither of us left the office.

A servant eventually brought

drink at first, too focused on

“You missed two messa

His

eyes

shifted ba

“You saw them

A faint loo

“You

nd fresh documents before leaving again without speaking. Conrad barely touched the

hrough council responses.

stern alliances,” I pointed out.

apers before he exhaled softly. “I saw them.”

em,” I corrected.

e before he finally picked up the coffee. “You are getting too used to correcting me.”

to needing it,” I replied.

eath of amusement from him, and the tension more often between us without either of us fre

ile we sorted through voting patterns, terri mes now without needing explanations, w hed speaking.

Geen paying attention,” he remarked.

choice,” I answered. “Your world bec

studied me for a second before

estion caught me off guard ediately.

n already here,” I re

stayed

ased slightly. Moments like that had

old rivalries tied to the council. I started tance at me differently whenever I answered

T

moment Holmes decided to make this public.”

nents. “You speak about it like you plan to stay. lowered my eyes to the reports instead of answering

way now would not change anything.”

nodded once and returned to work. The silence afterward felt

the twins. The deeper safe house remained heavily guarded, and two aw me approaching.

wyer

en 1 entered the moths, but the will lifted her head the moment she noticed me. Zane sat on the

ronning knives Conrad’s warriors used for practice

“ler de vegyzetbe geeting benar them

“Jagts trashri’s dery Ime namered. So I wayed awake too.”

ky’s when she my hand the moment I sat bede her. “Are things bad again?”

“Things are complicated I mowered carefully. But you are safe here

Ime conet afhæed a the word cafe. I am tired of hearing that

“You would rather hear dangerous?” I asked

I would rather know what is happening he replied.

1 looked a hun for a moment before speaking again. “Conrad is handling it.”

“That is the problem” Zime mattered. “Everyone keeps saying he will handle it while everyone else waits.”

The ferration surprised me, but I understood it. He hated feeling helpless.

“You have been training with the guards,” I said. “Why?”

The shoulders wiffened sightly. I do not want to stay useless forever,”

Before I could answer, Kyra tightened her hold on my hand. “Will you still come back tomorrow?”

The question whtened something inside me immediately. “Of course I will.”

She relaxed after hearing that, and Zane finally looked away from the knife in his hand. I stayed with them a little longer before returning to Conrad’s office.

When I walked back inside, Conrad had removed his jacket and loosened the collar of his shirt slightly. He looked exhausted even though he was still forcing himself through another stack of reports.

“You should rew” I said.

“Bo should you, he answered without looking up.

Í thered clones and took the document from his hand before he could stop me. “You are pushing too hard again”

His expression hardened slightly at that. “I do not have the luxury of slowing down.”

“Yeni ako do nea have the luxury of collapsing” I replied.

Tivat made him rally meet my eyes. For a moment neither of us spoke.

The instability worsening. I sat quietly: “Stop pretending it is manageable.”

Comad leaned back in his chair and rubbed a hand across his jaw. “Stress accelerates it faster now.

214

ne mowered before his words did

745 pm Pppp

Chapter 85

Strough that the souncil has wanted swag” “We wish the paket for overrons dispo the

aggressively otherwise?

The honesty in his voice hit ouder than I expected. We looked away I’d now storms fove the fore some understood how long he hadprobably been carrying this one

“You should have told me earlier. I wait wokly

“You already had enough problems tied to me he a

1 stepped closer to him slowly. “That stopped being your dessen en ”

Something shifted in his expression after I said that. He reached for my hand without hewadion this time and I let him keep it

We stayed there quietly for a while before eventually returning to the reports jogether Somerane near daven exhaustion finally caught up to both of us.

I did not even realize when I fell asleep beside him on the couch inside the office. The last thing I remembered was Conrad pulling a blanket over me before leaning back beside me instead of returning to the desk.

When I woke later, sunlight had already wanted pushing through the window. Conrad was will sleep beude me one arm resting loosely against mine.

A knock sounded against the office door a few seconds later

“Enter”

One of the older council wolves stepped inside carefully with a sealed document in hand. His eyes shifted briefly toward me before returning to Conrad

“I came privately for a reason” the older wolf said. “The hearing is gaining attention faster than expected”

Conrad stood slowly. “Explain.”

“If this becomes public enough, your enemies may stop targeting, only you” the wolf answered. There are already discussions about using Amorah against you before judgment day”

Chapter 86