A Ceremony, A Ghost, And A Lost Wolf Pup Chapter 08

A Ceremony, A Ghost, And A Lost Wolf Pup Chapter 08

I spent the next few weeks recovering at Brianna’s house.

During that time, Aaron would show up from time to time and wait downstairs.

I didn’t want to see him.

One evening, I walked to the left window and pushed it open.

The sky glowed gold beneath the setting sun.

Backlit by the fading light, I couldn’t make out his expression.

I could only make out his head slightly bowed, his shoulders slumped forward.

There was an indescribable loneliness about him.

Without hesitation, I snapped a photo and sent it to Juliet.

As always, she bristled immediately.

A second later, I watched Aaron answer a phone call.

It worked like a charm. Every single time.

Half an hour later, Juliet sent me a picture.

[Don’t get too smug, Diana.]

[I told you before—whenever I need him, he’ll drop everything and come to me.]

In the photo, Aaron leaned against a window.

—

A cigarette rested between his fingers.

Smoke obscured part of his face.

When we first got together, he smoked too.

Later, after I got pregnant, he quit for the pup.

He’d told me he only smoked when his life felt completely dark.

He’d also promised that once he quit this time, no matter how hard things got, he’d never smoke again.

Turns out his promises had always come cheap.

I pushed the thought away and deliberately provoked Juliet.

[And that’s supposed to impress me?]

[It’s not like he gave you a mating mark.]

Juliet stopped replying.

I knew she had taken the bait.

A few days later, the SilverMoon Pack hosted its annual New Year’s Alliance Banquet.

Half the Alphas and Lunas across the werewolf continent were invited.

Juliet sent me another photo.

[He’s taking me to a Pack Council banquet. We’re back together.]

I replied with a single word: [Okay.]

—

The truth was, I had helped Aaron a great deal in securing his position as Alpha heir.

The SilverMoon Pack alliance was one of my contributions.

Three years ago, the SilverMoon Pack’s Alpha heir had been kidnapped by rogues near the border.

I happened to be passing through.

I shifted and tore through the rogues with my claws, rescuing their Alpha heir.

Since then, Luna Tina of the SilverMoon Pack had treated me as a close friend.

The moment she saw Juliet openly clinging to Aaron at the banquet, she contacted me.

[Luna Diana, why didn’t you come to the SilverMoon Pack New Year’s Alliance Banquet?]

I replied, feigning ignorance: [I’ve been a little busy.]

[I saw a woman with Alpha Aaron. I wasn’t sure if she was his sister.]

[What woman? Can you send me a picture?]

[Of course.]

Several photos arrived one after another.

In the first, Juliet wrapped her arms around Aaron’s neck while taking a selfie.

In the second, she sat on his lap.

—

In the third, she was draped all over his chest.

Perfect. More than intimate enough.

I saved every photo into my evidence folder.

But even I hadn’t expected Juliet to be this reckless.

She sent me something even more explicit.

A photograph of a used condom.

[He slept with me.]

It was filthy. So filthy it took me a long while to push down the nausea and keep going.

[How does this prove it was Aaron?]

A new photo arrived almost immediately.

Aaron was shirtless, his eyes closed.

Juliet’s pale fingers rested against his lips. The intimacy was unmistakable.

I saved that one too.

Perfect. I finally had everything I needed.

I made three copies of all the evidence—Juliet’s messages, the photos, the images Luna Tina had sent me.

One copy went to Aaron. One went to the Pack Council.

And the last one went to my mother.

—

Inside hers, I included an additional statement.

If she continued clinging to her twisted beliefs, I would sever all ties with her.

I continued to press the Pack Council, stating that Aaron had openly violated werewolf law

After completing a mate ceremony, he had marked another she-wolf, betraying the mate chosen by The Moon Goddess.

As his fated mate and Luna of the Stormridge Pack, I jointly demanded that he be stripped of his Alpha title.