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Adrian shook his head in disbelief. “So what you’re telling me …”
“I know it’s hard to believe,”Luna said.“Victor has a charm to him that’s hard to see through. But I’m asking you to see with your eyes and your heart, not with your mind.”
“My trusted advisor … poisoned your pack against you …”
“And killed my lover.”
Adrian looked at her skeptically. “Do you have any proof of that?”
Luna nodded.“I was at his side when he died. Three rogue assassins…wolves from around the area…broke into his home and ambushed him. I ran as fast as I could.”
“But you still don’t know it was Victor,” Adrian countered.
Luna looked down at the ground, so near defeat.
“I know I just came into your life, and you’ve known Victor longer than you’ve known me,” Luna said. “But I’m asking you to have faith in me. I know what Victor did because of how he swooped in and took control after Darius died. I know he’s guilty because of the things he said.”
Adrian nodded in response, but she could still sense she hadn’t won him over.
“If not for me, then for the good of your pack, please hear me,”Luna said.“The way he works is insidious. At first, he builds trust among the pack. Then, he lets the pack lead itself into ruin, believing in conspiracies and shadows until nothing remains.
“On his own, he’s a snake,”Luna continued.“He’s poisonous to the touch but not unbeatable. What you have to worry about is the cancer he spreads in his path. You’ll wake up one day, and you won’t recognize yourself anymore, much less the pack you gave your life to grow.”
Adrian pursed his lips, obviously giving heavy consideration to Luna’s words.
Another foul gust blew past, and Luna was afraid she might lose him to his doubt.
TEN
ADRIAN
Adrian managed to convince Luna to return home so they could discuss this further. Now, back in their human forms and dressed, they had met in her cabin so he could continue to hear her side of things.
He tilted his head slightly, listening intently as she spoke, his heart pounding in his chest with each revelation. He couldn't imagine Victor doing such things, but the truth was right there in front of him … in her words, in her eyes, in the way she moved her lips, and the tremor of her hands as she spoke.
He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself against the intense mix of emotions churning within him. Surprise, anger, betrayal … and something else. Hope? Confusion? He couldn't quite put his finger on it.
Luna’s voice grew louder and more urgent as she continued, filling the small cabin with its velvety timbre. He watched as tiny beads of sweat trickled down her forehead before rolling into the grooves of her brow, her eyes wide and pleading with him to believe her.
Her fingers tightened around his arm like steel bands as she told him about Darius's murder and the look of desperation on her father's face that fateful night. The image was seared into Adrian's mind now, haunting him like a ghost that refused to be exorcised.
He forced himself to focus on what was important … finding the truth, but he knew because of their bond that what she spoke of was true. Every word.
"What do you need from me?" he asked finally, his voice low and gravelly with determination. "I'll help you however I can. But I can’t let you kill him. That would be bad on several levels. Especially with my pack trusting you."
She looked at him then, really looked at him, her eyes searching his face for some sign of disbelief or rejection. But Adrian merely nodded, his expression serious and determined. It was as if he had known what she was about to say all along.
A deep sigh escaped her lips, and she leaned back against the cabin wall. She traced small circles on her upper arm with her free hand.
"Then I need you to help me get justice," she whispered. "I need you to help me prove what a monster he is."
Adrian's heart ached for her, feeling the weight of her fear and desperation. He gently pulled her into a hug, pressing his cheek against her hair. The smell of lavender and vanilla filled his nostrils as he held her close, and he tried his best to calm the storm raging inside him.
He felt her heartbeat pounding against his chest, echoing his own as she revealed more about that fateful night. Each word sent a sharp pain shooting through him, but he remained strong for her sake. His jaw clenched tightly, determination etched onto his features as he listened intently.
As she spoke of Darius's murder, Adrian's stomach dropped at the thought of someone bringing harm to her friend. He wanted nothing more than to find out who did this and make them pay for their actions.
He pulled her closer into his embrace instinctively, pressing his cheek against her hair as if trying to absorb some of her pain. He held her tightly.
