Chapter 4

Lilith clenched her fists and flashed back to when she went to the rogues pack..

“You have what we want?” The leader, a scarred brute named Darius, stepped forward, his voice low and grating.

Lilith swallowed. “I told you—I can weaken the patrol routes. You’ll have a way in. That’s the deal.”

Darius let out a short, humorless laugh. “That’s part of it.” His gaze flickered over her, assessing. “But information only gets us so far. We need more. A sign of good faith.”

Lilith’s pulse hammered. “What kind of sign?”

Darius smirked, reaching out suddenly. She flinched as his fingers brushed the diamond necklace at her throat. “This’ll do.”

“No,” she said sharply, jerking back. “Not this.”

Darius’s smirk vanished. “Why not?”

Lilith’s mind spun. The necklace was too obvious. It was a gift from Ronan, given in front of the entire pack. If anyone saw it missing, questions would arise.

She had worked too hard, manipulated too much to have everything crumble over something as simple as a missing piece of jewelry.

“I need to keep up appearances,” she said smoothly, forcing a smirk of her own. “If Ronan sees me without it, he’ll get suspicious.”

Darius studied her, unimpressed. “Then what do you have to offer?”

Lilith hesitated. Then, she slipped her hand into the pocket of her cloak, feeling the cool metal of the matching bracelet Ronan had gifted her alongside the necklace.

It wasn’t as noticeable. It wasn’t something the pack would immediately recognize as missing.

She pulled it out, holding it up between her fingers. “This.”

Darius took it, turning it over in his hand. “And you’ll make sure the guards are in the right place when we strike?”

Lilith nodded. “You’ll get your opening. Just don’t get caught.”

Darius grinned, pocketing the bracelet. “Oh, don’t worry, sweetheart. If anyone gets caught, it won’t be us.”

The memory shattered as Lilith snapped back to the present, her breathing uneven.

The bracelet.

Amanda had found it.

Lilith’s spine straightened. “Selene must have stolen it,” she said quickly. “She must have planted it there to frame me!”

Nyx smirked.

Amanda turned sharply to Ronan. “You’re the Alpha. Judge her.”

Ronan’s gaze flickered between Amanda and Lilith. His jaw was tight, his hands clenched at his sides. “She’ll be locked up until we can sort this out.”

“No,” Nyx cut in, stepping forward. “She framed the last Luna—Selene. We all know it. Locking her up isn’t enough. She should be banished.”

Lilith’s breath hitched. “B-Banished?” Her voice cracked. “Ronan, you can’t—”

Ronan exhaled, rubbing his temples. He looked like he wanted to argue, but before he could, Lilith straightened and spoke quickly.

“I’m pregnant.”

Silence.

Then Nyx laughed again, louder this time, tilting her head back. “Pregnant?” She scoffed. “You are bluffing again.”

Lilith’s hands trembled, but she forced a smile. “It’s the truth.” She turned to Ronan, eyes pleading. “I was waiting for the right moment to tell you, but now—” She choked on the words. “Now you’re ready to throw me away?”

Ronan stared at her, his expression unreadable.

Nyx stepped closer, eyes glinting with cold amusement. “So that’s your play?” She clicked her tongue. “You shouldn’t trust any word that comes out of her mouth.”

Lilith’s head snapped toward her. “What are you talking about?”

“If you don’t throw her out, step down as the Alpha too, the pack would never tolerate this kind of ruling.” Nyx said in anger.

“And if you won’t, we are going to turn our backs against you, and that means we are cutting ties with this pack, and if you think we are useless just think of when you would need us again, at your dying moment.” Amanda said and gave the bracelet and necklace, then walked away.

“Your dying moment means anytime you need fighters, anything war is knocking on your door.” Nyx said and threw the necklace on the floor.

Ronan exhaled sharply, his patience fraying. “Everyone, dismissed.”

The room buzzed with tension, but no one dared challenge him.One by one, the pack members turned and walked away, their silence heavy with disapproval.

Lilith let out a slow, shaky breath. She had won.

For now.

Ronan’s grip tightened on her wrist the moment the last person left. Without a word, he dragged her through the halls, his pace quick, his shoulders tense. Lilith stumbled slightly, but she kept up, her mind racing for the right words.

The moment they stepped inside his private chamber, Ronan slammed the door shut and pushed her against the wall. His hands pressed into the wood on either side of her head, caging her in.

His voice was low, dangerous. “Are you really pregnant?”

Lilith hesitated, her heartbeat hammering. Then she gave him a small, nervous smile. “No.”

Ronan’s jaw clenched. “You lied?”

“I had to,” she snapped. “Do you think I was going to stand there and let them banish me? I did what I had to do to survive.”

Ronan’s nostrils flared, his anger barely contained. “And what happens when the pack finds out you lied?”

Lilith leaned in slightly, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Then we don’t let them find out.”

Ronan studied her, his gaze dark and unreadable. His breathing was heavy, controlled. “You just bought yourself time, Lilith. That’s all. A lie like this won’t hold forever.”

Lilith’s lips curled into a smirk. “It doesn’t have to.” She reached up, tracing a finger down his chest. “If you truly want to secure your place as Alpha, if you want an heir, we can make it happen.”

Ronan pulled back slightly, his brows furrowed. “You just said you aren’t pregnant.”

Lilith’s eyes darkened. “I can’t be. I never will be.”

Silence stretched between them.

Ronan’s voice dropped to a harsh whisper. “What do you mean?”

Lilith’s smile didn’t falter. “I’m infertile, I can’t give you children.”

Ronan stiffened. His hands curled into fists at his sides.

She continued, her voice smooth, calculating. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t have an heir.”

Ronan shook his head, his patience thinning. “You’re not making sense.”

Lilith pushed off the wall, stepping closer. “We can take a child, Ronan. A maid and a warrior’s child. Someone we can mold, claim as our own.” She tilted her head, watching his reaction carefully. “No one has to know.”

His silence stretched, and then he let out a humorless laugh. “You’re out of your mind.”

Lilith lifted a brow. “Am I?”

Ronan looked away, running a hand through his hair.

Lilith took another step forward, her voice lowering. “Think about it. An heir secures your leadership. It keeps the pack loyal. No one dares to challenge me if the child is yours or not.”

He was still listening.

She pressed on. “One of the maids, maybe. We find someone loyal, someone desperate enough, we can give her some money. Have her sleep with a warrior, and if she gives birth to a strong pup, we take it.” She leaned in, her breath warm against his skin. “And then we kill her.”

Ronan’s hands twitched.

Lilith smiled, satisfied. “We can use Kara,” she murmured. “Selene’s former maid.”

Ronan exhaled slowly, shaking his head. “Kara is—”

“She’s weak. She has no family. She won’t fight back, we can just give her a large amount of money she dare not refuse, she is going to be kept hidden away from the pack till she gives birth and then we kill or poison her.”

A long silence followed.

Lilith knew she had him.

Unbeknownst to them, Kara stood at the entrance, frozen.

Her hands trembled as she pressed herself against the wall, her breathing shallow. Every word had landed like a dagger.