His Abandoned Luna Chapter 187

|| Lilac’s POV ||

Dawn light crept through the war room windows as I rubbed the stiffness from my neck. I'd fallen asleep again at the strategy table, my cheek pressed against a map of the southern territories. The scent of ink and stale coffee clung to me as I blinked awake.

A sharp knock startled me upright just as the doors swung open.

"Lilac."

My dad stood framed in the doorway, his broad shoulders blocking the morning light. Behind him, Alpha Daren waited with crossed arms, his sharp features set in a permanent scowl.

I straightened, wiping at the ink smudge on my cheek. "Dad? What are you doing here?"

"You look like... devastating," Dad said bluntly, striding into the room. His boots left muddy prints on the polished floor.

"Good morning to you too," I muttered, pushing tangled hair from my face.

Alpha Daren didn't bother with greetings. "Pack your things. You're being relocated to the Reventhorn Castle immediately."

My fingers froze on the map I'd been rolling. "Excuse me?"

Dad sighed, pulling out a chair with a screech. "All high-ranking Lunas are being moved to the capital. King's orders."

The parchment crumpled in my grip. "I'm not leaving."

Daren's silver eyes flashed. "This isn't a request."

"Good thing I don't answer to you then." I met his glare without blinking.

The air between us crackled with tension.

Dad pinched the bridge of his nose. "Sweetpea—"

"No." I stood so fast my chair toppled. "Alaric's at the border. Marcus is still recovering. If I leave, who leads the pack?"

Daren scoffed. "A Gamma. Senior warriors. We can appoint somebody temporarily.”

"I am the luna here and I am not leaving.” My voice dropped dangerously. "I am strong enough to defend my pack, my wolf is back as well. I am not leaving my people when Alaric is away."

His jaw clenched.

Dad cleared his throat. "Your wolf is back! That's good news. But the castle has triple security. Magic wards. It's the safest place right now."

"And what about my pack?" I spread my hands over the battle plans. "Should I abandon them because the alpha king has decided—"

"Enough." Dad's tone rumbled through the room. "We didn't come here to argue. We came because we have a solution."

"Then I have a better one," I said.

I flipped open Alaric's latest intelligence report. "The witches are hiding in plain sight. So are the rogues. But they're organized—which means they're taking orders."

Daren leaned over the table. "Your point?"

"We don't know the mastermind yet but we can still attack him by cutting down his army." I said.

"How?" Dad asked.

"We lure them out." I tapped the capital city on the map. "A grand ball. Or better yet—" my lips curved, "—a ceremony. Something important enough to draw every high-ranking wolf in the kingdom."

Daren barked a laugh. "You want to throw a party while wolves are dying?"

"No. I want to set a trap." My fingernail dug into the parchment. "Rosemary in the wine. Certain herbs in the incense. Harmless to wolves, but deadly to anything wearing a stolen skin. And will reveal any rogues in the premises. "

Dad went very still. "Like what happened at the council meeting."

"Exactly."

Silence stretched between us. Outside, the sounds of pack life continued— the clang of training swords, laughter from the kitchens. Normalcy, while the world unraveled around us.

Daren rubbed his chin. "It's reckless."

"It's war," I countered.

Dad exhaled sharply. "Start smaller. A family gathering. Ezra's coming home tomorrow."

My breath caught. My baby brother, back from the border.

Dad continued. "It's significant enough to draw attention, but not so grand as to raise alarms."

"That won't do. We have to do multiple occasions on the same day. We can start with a few packs. Once the pack lands are clear we can move to the capital. Then we need to pull something grand enough to make it a success." I added.

Daren scowled. "And if witches attack my territory?"

"Then we'll be ready." I met his glare.

In the end, they agreed— reluctantly.

Alpha Daren stormed out to "make arrangements," leaving me alone with Dad. The moment the door shut, his stern expression softened.

"You're as stubborn as your mother," he muttered, pulling me into a hug.

I buried my face in his shoulder, breathing in the familiar scent of pine and leather. "Missed you too, dad."

He held me at arm's length, studying the dark circles under my eyes. "When was the last time you slept?"

"Sleep is overrated." I smirked.

"Lilac—" his voice carried warning and care.

"I'm fine, Dad." I squeezed his hands. "Really."

He didn't look convinced, but dropped it. "Ezra's ceremony. Three days. And Lilac?"

I raised an eyebrow.

"Come home."

☆☆☆☆☆

The scent of rosemary and lavender hung thick in the Moonvale Pack's great hall, mingling with the aroma of roasted meats and spiced wine. I adjusted the emerald-green shawl around my shoulders, watching as Alpha Daren raised his goblet in a toast.

"To new alliances," he declared, his silver eyes flickering to me.

Glasses clinked throughout the hall. I lifted my own cup to my lips— pretending to sip— as I studied the crowd.

There.

Near the musicians, one councilman, Darwin, stiffened as the herbal incense reached him. His fingers twitched toward his throat.

And there.

Lady Maris from the western territories broke off mid-conversation, her smile turning rigid.

I caught Daren's eye and gave the slightest nod.

The hunt had begun.

It started with coughing.

Darwin excused himself first, clutching his stomach. Then Maris. Then three others—all moving toward the courtyard where the "refreshment tents" had been set up.

I followed at a distance, my pulse steady.

The courtyard was empty save for Daren's beta and six armed warriors waiting in the shadows.

Darwin never saw the silver net coming.

It dropped from the rafters, wrapping around him as his skin began to bubble. His screams were muffled by a wolfsbane-soaked gag as his true face emerged—sharp-featured and wrong.

Maris tried to run.

She made it three steps before a dart tipped with rosemary extract found her neck.

By midnight, five "wolves" lay bound in the dungeon, their stolen skins discarded like dirty laundry.

Not a single guest in the main hall noticed.

Three nights later, at Alpha Vance's territory, history repeated itself.

This time, it was during his daughter's coming-of-age ceremony. The great hall smelled of lilies and the special "blessed wine" served to all attendees.

I watched from the high table as the first witch—disguised as Vance's own cousin—began clawing at her necklace.

Her skin peeled back like wet parchment when the silver chains touched her.

Vance didn't even pause his speech.

By dawn, seven bodies burned in the sacred pits, their ashes scattered to erase all evidence.

A week later, I sat in Dad's study with Alpha Daren and Marcus, reviewing the final tally.

By the next full moon, seventeen packs had held gatherings.

News of our success spread through coded messages and whispered alliances.

At the Silvermane Pack's summer solstice feast, three witches collapsed after sipping rosemary-laced mead. Their faces melted away in a private courtyard, witnessed only by trusted warriors.

During the Moonpeak Pack's alpha heir's birthday, the ceremonial incense revealed two witches hiding among the honored guests. They were "escorted out" before the cake was cut.

Each event followed the same flawless script

"Seventy-three witches and almost three hundred rogue collaborators had been uncovered." Marcus reported, rubbing his injured shoulder absently. "No leaks. No panic."

And not a single whisper reached the outside world.

Daren poured himself a generous whiskey. "And thanks to our little 'social calendar,' the rogues are too scattered to organize."

I traced the rim of my untouched glass. "They'll adapt. Find new ways to hide."

"Then we'll hunt them too." Dad squeezed my hand. "This was your victory, Lilac."

"Not enough," I whispered.

Because somewhere out there, the master of this game still moved their pieces.

And we had yet to find the mastermind.

The words should have warmed me. But as I stared at the list of names—wolves we'd once broken bread with, now gone without a trace—all I felt was cold.

Ezra's voice echoed down the hall, laughing with his new warrior friends. The sound grounded me.

We will stop when our families are safe.