Moonlight In Chains (Trinity and Asher) novel Chapter 68

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The door creaked as I pushed it open, the old wood groaning like it remembered me. Dust swirled in the faint moonlight spilling through the windows. My old house smelled the same -earth, timber, and a hint of the past–but the air was colder, heavier.

I stepped inside, setting my bag down with a thud. “Home.” I whispered to myself, though the word felt strange on my tongue.

“I’ve been waiting for you.”

The voice came from the shadows of the living room. Male, low, and smooth. My entire body went rigid. My wolf surged, claws scratching at the edge of my control.

I spun, eyes narrowing, scanning the dark. “Who’s there?”

A man stepped out of the gloom, tall and lean, dressed in dark clothes that didn’t belong to any pack I knew. His eyes glinted silver in the dim light, unnerving and calm. He smiled faintly, as though this were his home, not mine.

“You don’t know me.” He said softly. “But I know you. All about you.”

I took a step back, my heart hammering. “What do you want?”

“To help you.”

“Help me?” I barked out a bitter laugh. “You break into my house and think I’ll believe that?”

His smile didn’t falter. “You’re surrounded by liars, little wolf. They hide things from you. Things that could destroy you. You’re stronger than they want you to believe.”

My fists curled. “You don’t know anything about me.”

“Oh, but I do.” His tone was light, but his words were sharp. “Your parents. Their games. The Alpha’s secrets. Amy’s true face. Even Asher’s choices. They’ve all kept you in the dark.”

Ice crawled up my spine. “Who are you?”

He tilted his head. “Someone who isn’t your enemy. Someone who’s been watching, waiting for the right moment to reach you.”

I took another step back, my eyes darting to the door. My wolf whispered that this man was dangerous, but my gut said he was telling the truth–at least about knowing too much. “If you know so much, then tell me. What do they want from me? What is Amy?”

He smiled again, but this time it didn’t reach his eyes. “It’s not my truth to tell. Not yet. But

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when the time comes, you’ll need me. Remember that.”

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The bond to Asher flared suddenly, a pulse of raw fear and urgency shooting through me like a live wire. He was coming.

The man’s head lifted slightly, like he’d sensed it too. “Ah. He’s close.”

“What-” I started, but in the blink of an eye, he was gone. No sound, no scent, nothing. The space where he’d been was empty except for the cold.

The front door slammed open.

“Asher!” My voice cracked, half from relief, half from shock.

He was already at my side, hands gripping my arms, scanning me for wounds. “Are you hurt? I felt it-”

“No.” I whispered, my eyes darting to the empty shadows. “But there was someone here. A man. He knew things. He-”

Gage and Arlo swept in behind him, their wolves close to the surface. Petra was last, eyes sharp, scanning the corners of the room.

“There’s a trace of someone.” Gage growled, sniffing the air. “Not a pack wolf.”

“Coward ran when he heard us coming.” Arlo muttered, fists clenched.

Petra’s eyes flicked from me to Asher. “We need to talk. Privately.”

Asher turned, still scanning the house like he could pull the stranger back by sheer force of will. “Not now-”

“Yes, now.” Petra’s voice cut sharp. “She deserves to know the truth. Keeping her blind will only get her hurt.”

My pulse thudded in my ears. “What truth?” I snapped.

Asher’s grip on me tightened. His jaw clenched.

Petra’s gaze softened, but her tone stayed firm. “Let the boys wait outside. This is between

us.”

The twins hesitated. Asher looked like he wanted to argue, but Petra’s stare silenced him. With a reluctant nod, he motioned Gage and Arlo toward the door. They went, though Gage lingered, his eyes locking on mine with an intensity that said he didn’t want to leave me alone.

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“I’ll be right outside.” He promised.

The door clicked shut, leaving only Petra, Asher, and me in the heavy quiet.

Petra folded her arms. “You want to know about Amy.”

The name made my stomach twist. “Yes.”

Asher ran a hand over his face, pacing like a caged animal. “Petra-”

“She deserves the truth, Asher.” Petra snapped. “She’s already risked enough.”

My voice came out sharp. “Just tell me. Who is she?”

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Petra’s eyes softened, then hardened again. “She’s not related to your parents. Not to you. She’s nothing to this pack by blood. But she is dangerous.”

I swallowed hard. “I already knew that much.”

“You don’t know half of it.” Petra stepped closer. “Asher met her while he was away. She wasn’t just some girl passing through. She was hunting. And she was hunting him.”

Shock slammed into me. I turned to Asher, but he wouldn’t meet my eyes.

“What?” My voice was barely a whisper.

Petra continued, steady and deliberate. “She wanted him. Obsessed over him. When she found out he already had a mate–when she found out it was you–she snapped. She tried to force him to break the bond.”

My chest tightened. “She what?”

“She gave him a choice.” Petra said, jaw tight. “Leave you… or die. And when he refused- when he told her he’d rather die than betray the bond–she tried to kill him. She nearly

succeeded.”

The room spun. My knees buckled. Asher was there instantly, catching me before I fell.

“She… she tried to kill you?”

Asher finally met my gaze. His eyes were full of torment. “I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to carry that weight. I didn’t want you to know how close I came to-” His voice broke. “I swore I’d protect you, even if it meant keeping this from you.”

It would have been my fault if she had killed him. I told him that I wouldn’t accept him as a mate and that’s why he left town.

CHAPTER 68

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I shook my head, tears burning. “You should have told me. You should have trusted me.”

His grip tightened. “I was trying to protect you from the nightmares.”

Petra’s voice came again, calm but heavy. “And now she’s here. Under the Alpha’s protection. Not because she’s forgiven, not because she belongs here, but because she has something

he wants.”

I blinked at her. “What could she possibly have?”

“Information.” Petra said simply. “Amy has been running with enemies of this pack. Rogues, traitors, wolves who want to see us broken. She knows their numbers, their camps, their leaders. She came here claiming she’d trade that knowledge for protection.”

My stomach churned. “So the Alpha trusts her? Just like that?”

“Trust?” Petra’s expression darkened. “No. But he believes she’s more useful alive than dead. He’s keeping her close while he decides what to do with her.”

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