And in a twisted way, he had. I volunteered to be her mate. It was the only way I could think of to protect her from the likes of Ares and the others who would use her. Ares had laughed at first. But when I suggested that mating her to an omega would humiliate her even further, pushing her closer to breaking, Ares had jumped on it. He thought it was brilliant. The pack would never accept an omega as the Luna’s mate. It would be a disgrace that would tarnish Crescent Moon’s reputation forever.
I agreed to the plan, thinking it was the only way to keep her safe. But years later, it haunted me. What I thought was protection had only added to her suffering. I became part of the humiliation that weighed her down every day.
My pacing stopped when I heard the knock on the door. My heart sank. I didn’t need to guess who it was.
Ares.
I sighed as I opened the door to find him standing there. His impatience etched across his face. Without waiting for an invitation, he pushed past me into the small room.
“We’re running out of time,” Ares snapped. “I need that authority now, Killian. Every day we wait, it gets harder to control the council. I’ve bent the rules as much as I can, but if we don’t force Tabitha to break soon, all of this will be for nothing.”
I closed the door slowly, trying to keep my thoughts in check. I didn’t trust Ares. I never had. But right now, I didn’t have much of a choice. Ares had the upper hand. And if I made one wrong move, Tabitha would suffer even more.
“What’s your plan, Ares?” I asked. “What are you really after?”
Ares turned to face me with a cold smile. “That’s none of your concern, omega,” he spat. His word dripped with disdain. “You’re here to do what you’re told. Nothing more.”
My jaw clenched, but I didn’t take the bait. I was used to the insults, used to being treated like I didn’t matter. The sting of it had worn off a long time ago. But something about the way Ares spoke made me uneasy. Whatever he was planning, it wasn’t just about forcing Tabitha out.
“Just… tell me,” I pressed. “If I’m involved, I should know.”
Ares’ eyes darkened. And the smirk faded from his face. “You don’t question me, Killian. Don’t forget your place. I have the council eating out of the palm of my hand because I ‘worked’ for it. You? You’re nothing but a pawn. Pawns don’t get to know the full game.”