Chapter Ninety two

The scent of blood still clung to the air in the Moon Shadow pack"s council chamber, a faint, metallic tang that mingled with the musky odor of wolf and the damp earth of the approaching spring. Zoe, her shair pulled back from her face, sat at the head of the long oak table, the polished surface reflecting the flickering flames of the hearth. Her eyes, the same shade of midnight blue as the moonless night, scanned the faces of the council, her gaze lingering on each member, assessing their reactions to her words.

She had become Luna by the most brutal of means, the murder of Alpha Landon, her own husband. The council had been complicit in his death, their silence a tacit agreement to her ascension. Zoe had ensured their cooperation, a well-placed threat here, a whispered promise there, twisting their fear into loyalty.

The council members, their faces etched with worry and a hint of reluctant awe, sat rigidly in their chairs. There was a vacancy at the far end of the table, where Beta