The Wolfless Contract Luna (Grace and Ethan) novel Chapter 20

**Chapter 20: Grace Alone in Rescue**

**Grace’s POV**

The message is devoid of Lori’s name, yet I can feel the implications weighing heavily in the air.

It doesn’t even come from Damien’s number.

But deep down, I know. Every fiber of my being screams that he has Lori.

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= Menu

My hands tremble as I fixate on the screen. ‘Third outpost in the border Black Forest. Small cabin.’

“Grace.” Ethan’s voice slices through my spiraling thoughts. “I—damn it. I’m sorry, but I need to take care of something. It’s urgent.”

I lift my gaze to meet his. His expression is taut, his jaw clenched in a way that suggests whatever news he received has shaken him to his core.

“Go,” I reply, my voice surprisingly steady, though my heart races. “Do what you need to do.”

He hesitates for a moment, his eyes searching mine for reassurance. “Are you—”

“I’m fine. Just go.”

With that, he exits, and the door clicks shut behind him, leaving me in a suffocating silence.

‘Move. Move now.’

I can’t confide in Ethan. I can’t risk Damien harming Lori the instant he senses I’ve summoned help. Besides, Ethan is clearly preoccupied, the tension radiating off him palpable, like a wolf barely restrained beneath the surface.

I slip my phone into my pocket and stride toward the door.

*****

The garage attendant barely glances in my direction as I approach.

“I need a car,” I state firmly. “Alpha Ethan’s orders.”

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The attendant nods, tossing a set of keys for a black SUV my way. “Fuel’s full. Drive safe, Luna.”

‘Luna.’ The title feels foreign, uncomfortable. I’m not Ethan’s Luna—not truly.

Yet, I take the keys anyway, feeling their weight in my palm.

The highway unfurls before me, dark and foreboding, headlights piercing through the encroaching dusk.

My knuckles whiten as I grip the steering wheel. Each passing mile is a reminder that every second Lori is out there, suffering because of me.

‘This is a trap. You know it’s a trap.’

Of course, it’s a trap. Damien isn’t foolish. He’s caught Lori, sent this message, and now he’s poised to ensnare me as I walk right into his web.

But what choice do I have?

Lori went to Darkrock for me. He risked everything to spy on Damien and gather the evidence I desperately need. If he dies because I was too afraid to confront Damien—

No. I refuse to let that happen.

My hand instinctively moves to the gun tucked into my waistband. Silver bullets. I had snatched it from Ethan’s weapons room on my way out—a small pistol, easily concealable.

It may not be enough if Damien brings his whole pack, but it’s something. Better than nothing.

‘Please let Lori be alive. Please.’

*****

The cabin materializes through the trees, exactly where the message indicated it would be.

Small. Isolated. No other structures for miles around.

I park the SUV and turn off the engine. The silence envelops me, broken only by the whispering wind rustling through the pines.

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= Menu

= Menu

“Luna Grace.” Lori’s voice drops to a whisper, filled with urgency. “It’s a trap. You have to—”

“I know it’s a trap!” My voice cracks under the weight of my desperation. “I know, but I couldn’t—I wouldn’t leave you to—”

“How touching.”

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