The Crimson Fang Pack house was eerily quiet as I slipped through the shadows, my heart pounding against my ribs. Three days had passed since my escape, and I needed to retrieve my mother's Luna amulet—the last connection to my royal heritage. I hadn't anticipated finding the pack in such chaos.

Voices drifted from Kyren's study—urgent, excited whispers that made me freeze in my tracks.

"The documents are flawless," Melody's voice purred with satisfaction. "No one would ever question their authenticity."

I pressed myself against the wall, straining to hear more.

"Are you certain these rituals are correct?" Kyren's voice held an edge of desperation. "The Alpha King's bloodline is notoriously protective of their traditions."

Melody laughed—a sound so cold it sent shivers down my spine. "I lived with Jane's family for years, remember? I watched every ceremony, memorized every ritual. These forged documents will convince even the most skeptical elder."

My blood ran cold. She was using her time as an Omega in my father's household against me—against my entire family.

"The Silverfang Alliance insignia is perfect," Kyren murmured, awe evident in his voice. "And the bloodline certificate..."

"Signed with the royal seal I created from watching Jane's father use his," Melody finished proudly. "I've been planning this for years, Kyren. Everything is in place."

I risked a glance around the corner. Melody stood before the pack elders, her posture regal as she displayed a collection of ancient-looking scrolls and documents. The room smelled of aged parchment and ink—scents that should have triggered suspicion but instead seemed to impress the assembled wolves.

"These prove beyond doubt that I—not Jane—am the true heir to the Alpha King," Melody announced, her voice carrying the practiced authority I'd once helped her develop. "The illegitimate daughter of Alpha King Bruce, hidden from the world until now."

Kyren's eyes gleamed with ambition as he examined the documents. I could see the calculations running behind his gaze—the political power, the alliances, the strength a connection to the Silverfang Alliance would bring.

"This changes everything," he breathed, reaching for Melody's hand. "If you are truly of royal blood..."

"I am," she insisted, squeezing his fingers. "And with me as your Luna, we can claim what we deserve."

The elders murmured among themselves, examining the forged evidence. I watched in horror as they nodded in acceptance, one by one.

"Then it's settled," Kyren declared, his voice ringing with newfound confidence. "I officially name Melody as Luna of the Crimson Fang Pack."

The announcement sent a ripple through the room. Some faces showed confusion, others excitement. But no one questioned the validity of Melody's claim.

"Long live Luna Melody," the elders chanted, bowing their heads in submission.

I backed away silently, my mind racing. This was worse than I'd imagined—not just betrayal, but a calculated coup using my own family's legacy as ammunition.

---

Two weeks later, I watched from the shadows as Melody strutted through the pack house, her new authority evident in every step. The Luna amulet—my mother's amulet—gleamed at her throat, a theft that made my wolf howl with rage.

"Another shipment ready for transport," she instructed a young Delta, gesturing to crates being loaded onto trucks. "And make sure the armory inventory reflects these... adjustments."

The Delta nodded eagerly. "Yes, Luna. Though I'm curious—why are we moving so much of our weaponry to the southern territory?"

Melody's smile didn't reach her eyes. "Pack security, of course. We need to strengthen our borders."

But I knew better. The southern territory was notorious rogue land—lawless and dangerous. No legitimate pack would send valuable weapons there.

I followed the trucks at a safe distance, watching as they disappeared down the winding mountain road. When I returned to observe the pack house, I noticed something even more disturbing—financial documents left carelessly on an officer's desk.

The numbers told a story of systematic theft. Large transfers to offshore accounts, weapons shipments marked as "training supplies," and funds diverted from essential pack programs.

Melody was bleeding the Crimson Fang Pack dry.

I slipped back into the forest, my mind racing with possibilities. The pack's strength was measured in its resources—its weapons, its finances, its people. With each passing day, Melody was weakening them all.

The irony wasn't lost on me. While Kyren dreamed of power through his false connection to the Silverfang Alliance, his pack was becoming vulnerable from within.

And I had the perfect opportunity to watch it all crumble before I delivered the final blow.

The Silverfang Alliance's healing chambers had done wonders for my body, but my soul remained fractured. I sat on the edge of my bed, fingers tracing the empty spot at my throat where my mother's Luna amulet once rested. The silver crescent moon pendant had been her final gift to me before she died—the last physical connection to both her and my royal heritage.

"I need to get it back," I whispered to myself, my voice stronger than it had been in weeks.

My father appeared in the doorway, his powerful frame filling the space. "You're planning something dangerous," he stated, his golden eyes seeing right through me.

I met his gaze without flinching. "I left my mother's amulet behind."

"You'll have it back," he promised, his voice gentle but firm. "My warriors are preparing to march on the Crimson Fang Pack within the week."

"By then it might be too late," I argued, rising to my feet. "Melody knows what that amulet means to me. She'll destroy it just to hurt me."

I could see the conflict in his eyes—the need to protect me warring with respect for my autonomy. Eight years of separation had created a chasm between us, but in moments like this, I could see the father I'd once adored.

"I don't need an army," I said quietly. "I designed their security system. I know every blind spot, every weakness."

"Jane..." he began, but I cut him off.

"Please, Father. Let me do this one thing myself."

---

The night wrapped around me like a cloak as I approached the Crimson Fang pack house. Three weeks had passed since my escape, and the place looked different somehow—diminished, as if the life was draining from it.

I moved silently through the shadows, my body remembering the paths I'd walked for eight years. The guards followed the same patterns I'd designed, making their movements predictable. I slipped past the outer perimeter with ease, a ghost haunting familiar halls.

The pack house was quieter than usual. Many of the younger wolves had been sent on "training missions"—a fact that had not escaped my notice during my surveillance. Melody was stripping the pack of its future strength, just as she was draining its resources.

I made my way to what had once been my bedroom, heart pounding against my ribs. The door creaked slightly as I pushed it open, and I froze, listening for any response. Nothing.

The room looked the same, yet different—like a stage set rather than a living space. I crossed to the far corner, where a loose floorboard concealed my most precious possessions.

My fingers worked quickly, prying up the board to reveal the small cavity beneath. There, wrapped in silk, lay my mother's amulet—the silver crescent moon catching the moonlight filtering through the window.

Relief flooded through me as I clasped it around my neck, the familiar weight settling against my skin like coming home.

Then I caught it—the subtle shift in the air. My scent. My distress. The unmistakable tang of royal blood.

"Find her!" someone shouted from below. "The rogue is in the house!"

Cursing my carelessness, I bolted for the door, but it swung open before I could reach it.

"Look what we have here," Melody's voice dripped with false sweetness as she stood in the doorway, Kyren at her side. "The disgraced Luna returns."

I backed away, my hand instinctively going to the amulet at my throat.

"Still wolfless, I see," Melody continued, her eyes gleaming with malice. "What a pathetic sight."

Kyren's expression was unreadable, but I could see the calculation in his eyes. "You've come back to die, Jane."

Before I could respond, Melody let out a piercing scream. "Help! The rogue has returned to kill me! The true heir is under attack!"

Heavy footsteps thundered down the hall as Jett, the pack's Gamma, appeared with a dozen warriors behind him. His massive frame filled the doorway, his eyes narrowing as he took in the scene.

"Luna Melody, are you harmed?" he asked, his loyalty to the pack hierarchy evident in every line of his body.

"No, Jett," Melody replied, her voice trembling perfectly. "But she's here to finish what she started. She wants to assassinate the true royal heir!"

Jett's gaze fell on me, confusion and anger warring in his expression. "The Luna said you were dead."

"Clearly not," I replied, straightening my spine despite the odds against me.

Melody's face twisted with hatred. "Execute her," she ordered. "This rogue has come to destroy everything we've built."

Kyren crossed his arms, a cruel smirk playing at his lips as he watched the scene unfold.

Jett hesitated only a moment before his loyalty to pack hierarchy won out. With a nod to his warriors, he advanced toward me.

"Luna's orders," he growled, and lunged forward.