Word traveled fast through the halls—faster than it should have.
The royals of Midnight Crest had arrived.
Sasha didn’t wait for a formal summons or an explanation. The moment she heard, she went looking. There was only one person who’d want to know immediately—and only one place she might be hiding.
She found Lilith alone in one of the guest lounges, a room meant for quiet conversation and neutral diplomacy—though nothing about Lilith Quinn ever felt neutral. The fireplace crackled gently, casting pale light across velvet cushions and polished glass.
Lilith looked like she belonged there. Like she'd always belonged. Draped across the couch, her head tilted back, one leg hooked lazily over the other, as if she'd already claimed the room for herself.
Reese followed a step behind, always half a beat too loud, too restless. He had that permanent edge to him, the kind that made most people uneasy. But Lilith didn’t so much as blink when he entered.
Sasha stepped into the room like she had been invited, though no such thing had happened.
“Sasha Varyn,” she said smoothly, pausing just inside the lounge. “Crimson Fang’s top-ranking she-wolf, if you ask the right people.”
Lilith didn’t respond at first. She lay sprawled across the velvet couch, head tilted back, one leg lazily hooked over the other. The fireplace cast flickers of light across her sharp cheekbones.
Sasha moved to the chair opposite her and sat down with casual elegance, brushing nonexistent lint off her sleeve. “I thought we should talk,” she added. “It seems we have a common goal.”
That got Lilith’s attention—barely. Her gaze slid sideways, bored but curious.
“No one told me Celine was this fun,” Sasha added, smirking. “She’s practically got the whole pack wrapped around her finger.”
“She’s exhausting,” Lilith muttered, still staring at the ceiling. “Always trying to be good. It’s tragic, really.”
“Good doesn’t win power,” Reese muttered. He dropped into a chair, sprawling like a bored prince. “She’s getting attention though. From the Alpha.”
“Leon’s just... intrigued by the novelty,” Lilith said coolly. “He’ll get over it.”
“And if he doesn’t?” Sasha’s tone was casual, but her fingers tightened slightly over the armrest. “She’s already nominated. Half the servants are fawning over her. Even the Beta.”
Lilith’s mouth twisted, something sharp behind the motion. “Celine hasn’t shifted. She can’t. And even if she could, she’s still a mess underneath it all. Give her a little pressure and she’ll crack. She always does.”
Reese whistled low. “That’s a big secret for a Luna-to-be.”
“She wears it like a bruise,” Lilith said at last, finally sitting up from her velvet sprawl. Her tone was flat, but her eyes gleamed with something sharp. “All that effort to hide it, and it still bleeds through. Same with Luke—she pretends she’s moved on, but she still looks at him like he hung the damn moon.”
Sasha leaned in slightly, her voice cool. “Then let’s use him.”
Lilith raised a brow. “Use Luke?”
“Why not?” Sasha shrugged. “He follows you around like a loyal dog. Surely you can tug the leash a little.”
There was a pause. The air between them coiled tight.
Then Lilith laughed. Not loud—low, controlled. Like she was letting them in on a secret only she found amusing. “Luke does what I ask. Always has.”
Reese stepped closer, arms folded, a grin tugging at his mouth. “Then let’s ask.”
Sasha’s smile was slower. “If we push her just enough—poke the bruise—she’ll stumble. And we’ll be there to step over her.”
Lilith swirled the liquid in her goblet, eyes on the flame. “To be clear,” she said, “I came here to watch my sister fail. Not to babysit your vendettas. What do I get from this?”
Reese’s voice cut in, calm and deliberate. “She becomes a Luna. She gains power. And our pack is bigger than yours, Lilith. Which means if she mates Leon, she’ll outrank you.”
That landed.
Lilith’s smile faded, just slightly.
Reese continued. “If Celine stays in Crimson Fang, she’ll have more power than you ever will in Midnight Crest. Unless, of course... we fix that.”
Lilith set the goblet down slowly. “You’d better be sure. Because once we start this, there’s no going back.”
“I’m already there,” Sasha said.
Reese nodded. “Let’s see what the golden girl does when the world stops clapping.”
And just like that, the room shifted. The alliance wasn’t warm or friendly—it didn’t need to be. It just had to be useful.
Lilith raised her glass, not to toast, but to acknowledge. Celine’s days of peace were numbered.