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Chapter 12: Liability
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Under the Shadow of the Moon Chapter 13: Exiled
Delaney“Are you going to tell me why the hell there are people after you?” Pollux asks right away. “And don’t lie to me. Don’t tell me that you don’t know what they’re talking about.”I feel extremely helpless right now. Having to explain myself to him is not something I ever thought I would have to do, but right now, he’s the one in charge, and unless I want to leave this place and try my luck elsewhere, I’ll have to cooperate. “I might have an idea,” I admit. “But I’m not sure. Nothing makes a lot of sense to me.”His rigid stance speaks volumes about his impatience. I lick my lips and say, “When I left the prison, they gave me an envelope with a new identity and instructions to leave the city. But Paola brought me here, and I fell in love with this place and what you were all fighting for, so I decided to stay.”“Who sent that to you?” he asks evenly. I shrug. “I don’t know. The letter wasn’t signed.”“Who do you think could’ve sent it?”I never really thought about it. I tell h
Under the Shadow of the Moon Chapter 14: Setting Out
DelaneyAfter making our way to the surface, Paola and I don't say much to each other. I tried to convince her that she should stay behind. There's no reason why she should have to suffer because of me; because I was exiled. But Paola refuses to listen. I don't have many belongings. Everything I own fits in a plastic bag, and she mentioned the same thing. The surface feels different this time around. I didn't think I'd see the sky again, but here I am, walking down a lone road with my best friend next to me. Do we have a plan? Absolutely not. I have some money, and it'll really come in handy. I haven't told her about it yet. I guess I'll just have to see where we'll go. "I know a place," Paola tells me. "It's pretty rough, but unless we want to spend the night in the streets, that's is the only place we have to go."I agree, and we head there. Whenever I think about the fact that my plan practically blew up in my face, I feel slightly embarrassed and disappointed. I should’ve kn
Under the Shadow of the Moon Chapter 15: In The Alleyway
DelaneyI hold in my gasp and press my back against the rough brick wall, praying to the goddess that the two men didn’t see me. The man in the alleyway continues whimpering while his assailants hover above him, raining kicks and punches down on him. I look from left to right and don’t spot a single person that I could call for help. They’re going to kill that man. I can’t do a thing to stop them. Years in prison has taught me to mind my own business. What could I do against two men? The least I can do is call for help. I decide to turn away and head back to the hotel, and I run directly into someone. A man. He’s tall and wearing a fitted black suit. A scar is running down the left side of his face, and his hair is tied back in a ponytail. The smile he gives me is wicked, and instills fear in me. Before I know it, he grabs my arm and starts dragging me toward the alleyway. No. I use my free hand to punch him in the face, but that does more damage to him than to me. My fingers ar
Under the Shadow of the Moon Chapter 16: Heavy Heart
Delaney Pollux shoots the old man a glare and yells at him to mind his business when he ogles me. I’m covered in mud, and I have a few scrapes on my arms. Plus, there’s the dead man’s blood in my hands. I look like I walked straight out of a crime scene, which is exactly what happened. Paola exclaims when she sees us, and her eyes are as wide as saucers. “By the goddess. What happened!?” “We can’t stay here long,” Pollux barks as he heads into the bathroom. I think of sitting on the bed, but decide that I’ll just make it dirtier. But it seems we aren’t staying anyway, so I just sit. “What happened?” Paola asks me hurriedly. “I saw a man being killed, and then I was attacked by the assailants,” I briefly explain. “Pollux showed up and killed one of them, I think.” Paola touches her chest. She glances at the entrance of the bathroom, where Pollux is wiping his wet hands on a dirty towel with a scowl. He casts it aside, and then says to us, “We have to move. We’ll be bla
Under the Shadow of the Moon Chapter 17: Convincing Speech
Delaney I make sure not to make any noise as I open the door to the basement, and step out. It’s almost six in the morning, and everyone is asleep. This is the best time for me to slip out because nobody will see me and ultimately, this is the best decision that I’ve made for myself. I can’t stay and hurt the people around me. It’s a selfish thing to do. Paola is the only friend I’ve ever had, and to know that I’m endangering her with my presence makes me feel sick to my stomach. Pollux is right; he cares for her, which is why he can’t stand me. I’ve been pulling his sister into my messes and it hasn’t been three full days since my release. I’m trouble. Perhaps I always have been. I left some money for her under the pillow. It’ll help her figure some things out, and I hope it’ll also double as an apology for bringing her into this. When I get upstairs, there isn’t anyone around. Their uncle left the front door unlocked yesterday, probably so make it easy for us to slip out befor
Under the Shadow of the Moon Chapter 18: Investigation
Alec Alpha Fredrick slams his fists on the table. "That traitor was my Beta! I don't think any of you understand what my pack is going through right now!"I rub my eyes, and feel exhaustion spreading all through my body. I don't like the topic of rebels, for some reason. It creates this sickening feeling in my gut that I don't know what to do with. Rebels in our midst. The last time it happened, it was disastrous. My father had been Alpha then; I was just a kid that didn't understand much of what was happening. "I feel quite ashamed," he adds before rubbing his reddened face. Everyone else is quiet and looking at him, even my Betas. I make eye contact with Trevor's father, and he stares back at me blankly. I don't know what anyone is thinking right now. All I know is that this has put a stop to the investigation of Delaney Waters, so I couldn't be more relieved. That gives her more than enough time to leave the city and establish herself somewhere far away from here. And maybe, j
Under the Shadow of the Moon Chapter 19: Nothing Is For Free
Delaney The matter of me trying to get away while Paola was sleeping is forgotten.Pollux doesn't mention it to his sister when she wakes up, and neither do I. I don't know how I feel about sharing secrets with him, mostly because I'm not sure that I trust his intentions one hundred percent. It feels like he's doing all of this for an ulterior motive, only, I have no idea what it could be. Pollux is a mystery to me, but my hope is that I'll figure him out the longer we stay in each other's presence. I don't want to assume the worst just yet, but I'll definitely be more cautious around him. We leave as soon as Paola wakes up. On our way to the car, I ask him, "Where are we going?""Somewhere," he simply answers.His vague responses infuriate me, but I'm trying to be patient. He saved my life, and so far, he hasn't made a decision that got us into trouble. I don't have anywhere to go in any case, so it's only natural to let him take charge. I’ll keep an eye out, though. There’s no
Under the Shadow of the Moon Chapter 20: Escaping Reality
AlecThings have gotten extremely complicated since I found out that Delaney Waters is still in the city. I’ve been having a hard time locating her; that’s a good thing and a bad one. It’s good because that means the other Alphas can’t find her either, and it’s bad because I need to make her leave the city before she gets herself in more trouble. Shit, I wish I didn’t care what happened to her. I don’t know why I feel so responsible for her. I got her arrested because at the time, I had no control and my father was in charge. I didn’t want her to die. But I’ve since corrected that mistake and got her out at the first opportunity. Whatever she chooses to do with her freedom is on her. But if she’s caught, they will kill her. There’s no way around it. As I head into the next meeting, I find everyone there, and their faces are all grave. Fear course through me, as thick as blood, as I make my way to my seat. There’s always the possibility that someone found her before me, of course,
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Under the Shadow of the Moon Chapter 102: Feeding Lies
DelaneyIn the morning, there’s an agitation somewhere deep in the settlement that wakes me up right away. I turn on my side, and see Paola staring at me. It seems the same noise has woken her up as well. I ask her, “Do you know what’s happening?”“No,” she says. “What time is it?”Before I can answer her, there’s a sharp knock on our door and Francesca walks in. “I’m sorry ladies. I wouldn’t have come in so quickly if it weren’t an emergency.”I sit up. “What happened?”“They’re saying something ridiculous,” she explains. “Some of the scouts that keep a close eye on the Alphas and everything that goes on in the city have just reported that Tobias Renner has been captured. Your father, Delaney. I mean, can you believe that?”My eyes widen, and my heart drops to the pit of my stomach. “What?”“We’re worried because it might mean that our informants got the wrong information, which means that they’re on to us. That’s bad, and we’re trying to figure out what to do now that we can’t trus
Under the Shadow of the Moon Chapter 101: Fight For Survival
Alec The whole city is looking for the rebels, particularly Tobias Renner and his troublesome red-headed daughter. I couldn’t stop it or say no, not without making myself seem suspicious. I had to agree with it. Either way, I’m in control of everything that happens. Everyone’s looking up to me to take care of this and make this all go away, and this is easier to do when the people who were suspicious of me are now dead. Well, not all of them. Carla is alive still, and she suspects of me even though she hasn’t said a word about it. She hasn’t said anything since she woke up, to her precise, and I don’t know if it’s a head injury or whether she’s choosing to stay mute. As long as she doesn’t say anything, I’m good to go. She hasn’t gotten out of bed either, and the healers don’t know what’s wrong because she refuses to communicate and doesn’t want to leave the house. I check up on her only when I’m sure she’s asleep. One thing I can say is that I’m glad she’s not participating in a
Under the Shadow of the Moon Chapter 100: Empty
DelaneyI hear Paola say my name. “Delaney?”I turn to look at her over my shoulder, and see her in Cade’s arms. I’m outside, getting some fresh air, and I’m standing right next to a metallic garden table with the polished green paint. He sets her down on one of the matching chairs, and then retreats. It’s almost like he was never here.I sit down beside her, and her eyes follow me the entire time. I stare at her face for a few beats, unsure of what to say. During my rant in there, I’d forgotten that she would be there, listening to everything that I was saying about her brother. I don’t know what came over me. The fact that he would ask me what’s wrong when he let innocent people die just touched a part of me that I didn’t even know existed. I’m angry, and I don’t trust that anger. “My brother…” she begins before trailing off. I give her some time to get her thoughts in order, and she then asks me, “Were those things you said true? Did he really do that?”I wait for a few beats, t
Under the Shadow of the Moon Chapter 99: Confrontation
DelaneySince Cade told me what he’d seen and heard, I’ve been in a deep, pensive state. It’s much more than just me thinking too much, though. It’s something else. It’s an overwhelming feeling of guilt that really could kill me. Guilt, helplessness, and regret, all mixed in one. It’s a truly miserable feeling. Because I had to realize way too late that Alec didn’t have anything to do with the attack, even though Carla had been leading the whole thing. He hadn’t known. This explains why I felt so guilty whenever I thought that he had betrayed me. It was because he hadn’t. He’d been innocent. He’d even tried to help the cause, which means that the second explosion had been his doing. And if Pollux had done the right thing and told us, so much could have been avoided. Alex wouldn’t be dead, and neither would Matteo. I’ve been too busy being angry to be able to cry about this. Pollux…he’d betrayed me in the worst possible way. He’d betrayed the whole rebellion in the most horrible w
Under the Shadow of the Moon Chapter 98: Missing Her
Alec“Alpha Alec,” one of my Gammas says right as he enters my office. “Here’s the list of the casualties you requested. Also, the newly appointed Alphas have accepted your meeting request for this afternoon.”“Thank you, Jason,” I tell him before taking the envelope from his hand. My whole body hurts still, particularly my back, but I’m starting to heal well. The problem with burns is that they take time to heal, and they tend to leave scars. I’m not too worried, but it is in inconvenience. I’ve stayed home for what feels like an eternity now (even though, in reality, it’s only been a few days), when I should be doing better things. I scan through the page in front of me. Twenty-seven deaths, including security and some of the cleaners who’d been on shift the day of the explosion. All the Alphas gone, except for me. Even my Beta, Carla’s father, died in the explosion. She just doesn’t know because she hasn’t woken up yet. I’m the only one who survived it. This is a mere confirma
Under the Shadow of the Moon Chapter 97: Cade’s Confession
Delaney The new location is supposedly safe, and I believe that because it’s in the middle of nowhere. I don’t think anyone could stumble upon us by accident. I look around and all I see is greenery. We must be in the middle of the woods somewhere, which makes sense because we’re living with rogues now, and they have a completely different way of living. The rogues are resourceful, I’ll give them that. There are shelters carved out of the land itself—wooden structures that blend into the thick foliage, and paths so overgrown you’d miss them if you didn’t know where to look. It’s rudimentary compared to the life I’ve known, but it’s safe. Safe. That word doesn’t feel real anymore. Not after the last few days. I’m still in shock concerning the bombing two days ago. Those of us who go into town come back saying that it’s all over the news. The Alphas have died. That’s all that’s being said. Names haven’t been released yet, and my guess is that the packs are trying to keep this
Under the Shadow of the Moon Chapter 96: Two Bombs
AlecWhen I look up, my vision is completely blurry, and there’s a mess all around me, but that’s not the first thing that I notice. Carla.She’s lying beneath me, and she’s unconscious. There’s also blood near her head, which makes me think that she hit her head way too hard when I collided against her due to the explosion. I roll off her, groaning. I’m filled with a sense of urgency. I have to move. I have to do something. I check the time on my watch, and my eyes widen when I realize that this bomb went off way too early. Twenty minutes too early, to be exact. What the hell happened? Did something happen to the timer? Granted, I don’t know how to truly set up a bomb. I just followed the instructions I thought made more sense. But the timer was right. I’d made sure of it. I don’t know what happened, but there’s not enough time for this. I have to get out of here, and I have to find a way to help Carla. I rise, even though my head is fucking pounding, and then haul Carla up befo
Under the Shadow of the Moon Chapter 95: Two Explosions
DelaneyMy ears are ringing from the explosion, and the windows of the car have all cracked. My head is a pounding mess, and I’m having a hard time seeing things clearly. Goddess, was the explosion meant to be that way?I look around at the car. Francesca is raising her head too, and I notice that there’s a piece of glass lodged on her hairline. I gasp, and point at it. “Francesca.”She frowns, and then she brings up her hand and feels the glass. Her face is a mask of horror, and she says to me, “By the goddess, don’t look.”I look away, and I imagine she removes the glass because when I look back at her, it’s gone and a bleeding gash is left behind. She presses her sleeve against it, and then stares out of the window. The building is up in flames, and I hate how long it takes me to process everything. Matteo is dead by now, and I’m guessing that so are the Alphas, as he’d planned. There’s no way anyone inside that building survived the explosion. It’s starting to fall apart, and th
Under the Shadow of the Moon Chapter 94: Timing
Alec I check the time on my watch. It’s 7:45 on the dot, which means that in forty-five minutes, at 8:30, this entire courthouse will go up in flames. Since the bomb has a timer, I don’t have to do a single thing. I’ll just have to show up to the meeting and then excuse myself right before it happens. It’s a good thing that I’m not the head of the meeting. One of the Alphas from our neighboring city will be giving the speech. I’ll be in the background, where nobody will see me. It hasn’t been easy to get the job done, because I had to do it myself. I put all the bombs that we recovered from the rebels under the ground, the same ground where the meeting will be held. The massive office is covered in a blue carpet, so the floor is never seen. All I had to do was remove a few tiles, dig just enough for the bomb to fit into the whole, and then cover it up. I did it last night, and all by myself. It’s incredible how easily one can slip in here when being an Alpha. Nobody questioned it,
