Chapter 3

"All set, bro?" Victor clapped Kaelan on the shoulder, handing him a hunting knife. "This year's Moon Hunt Festival, the whole pack is eager to see you in action."

My eyes immediately landed on that knife—the blade looked sharp enough, but there was a subtle crack in the hilt. This was the weapon that had "accidentally" failed Kaelan at a crucial moment in my past life.

"Wait a second," I hurried forward. "I have a special gift for Kaelan." I pulled out a hunting knife I'd personally inspected last night. "Traditionally, the future Luna is supposed to provide her Alpha with his weapon, to bring him good luck."

Victor's smile froze on his face. "But we've always used the pack's traditional weapons..."

"Traditions evolve, don't they?" I smiled, handing the knife to Kaelan. "This one has my father's blessing."

Kaelan took the knife, testing its balance. "It feels just right in my hand. Thanks, Elara."

A flicker of annoyance, almost imperceptible, crossed Victor's eyes, but he quickly schooled his expression. "Alright then, if that's the case, may the Moon Goddess grant you a bountiful hunt today."

The hunters gathered at the edge of the forest.Traditionally, the Alpha heir has to lead a small hunting party to catch the biggest game under the full moon.

It's both a display of their leadership and a test of their courage and hunting skills.

I knew what Victor had done in my past life—he didn't just sabotage the gear, but he also set up an ambush in the woods, all to make Kaelan look like an incompetent leader.

"Watch out for the cliff on the northwest ridge," I whispered to Kaelan, "there might be... some trouble there."

He gave me a puzzled look: "How would you know that?"

"Woman's intuition," I managed a smile, "And hey, pick Brady and Marcus for your team. They're more reliable than the others."

"Not Victor?" he asked, surprised. "He's the best tracker we've got."

"Let him hang back and observe today. Trust me."

Moonlight flooded the forest, and the hunt began. I waited anxiously in the heart of our pack's territory, glancing towards the woods every so often.

"Worried about your Alpha?" Selena suddenly appeared beside me. "He might just let you down, you know. I heard a particularly nasty pack of predators has shown up in the northwest sector recently."

She knew. She was definitely in on Victor's plan."Oh, really?" I faked surprise. "That's so weird. The patrol team just swept that area yesterday, and they didn't report anything unusual."

Her smile looked a little stiff. "Maybe the patrol team missed something."

"Maybe," I leaned in, lowering my voice, "but I told Kaelan to steer clear of that area beforehand. After all, the future Luna should always be on top of pack security intel, right?"

Her face changed. "You—"

Cheers erupted in the distance. The hunters were back, Kaelan leading the way. He and his team were hauling a massive elk—tonight's biggest kill, no doubt about it.

The pack members were cheering wildly. Alpha Alaric clapped his son proudly on the shoulder, while Victor stood off to the side, his face like a thundercloud.

"What happened?" I heard Selena whisper to Victor.

"He dodged all the traps," Victor seethed, "like he knew about them beforehand."

The atmosphere at the dinner was electric. Kaelan, the hero of the night, was soaking up congratulations from the pack. Victor had to keep a smile plastered on his face, but I could feel the rage simmering inside him."To my heir," Alpha Alaric raised his glass, "the next Alpha!"

"To the Alpha!" everyone chorused.

Kaelan stood. "Tonight's success is all thanks to my team, and..." His gaze, soft and tender, found mine. "My Mate, Elara. It was her insight that helped us steer clear of the danger zone and find the safest path."

Every head in the room turned my way, including my father, whose eyes held a flicker of surprise. I offered him a small nod.

After the feast, Kaelan pulled me aside to a quiet corner.

"How did you know there was an ambush in the northwest sector?" he asked, cutting straight to the chase.

"Tell me the truth, was there really something out there?" I shot back.

"Yeah," his face was dead serious. "A pack of rogues—not our own. If we’d gone the way we planned, we would've walked right into them."

I took a deep breath. "I can't tell you how I knew. Not right now, anyway. But please, trust me. Everything I did was to protect you, to protect our pack."

He was quiet for a beat, then his fingers laced through mine. "I'm starting to think you were right about Victor. This can't just be a coincidence."

"Watch his next move,” I warned, “he screwed up once, so he’s gonna be even more dangerous now.”"

Kaelan nodded. “You got it. But Elara, one of these days, you’re gonna have to tell me how you know all this.”

I leaned against his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. “I swear, when the time is right, I’ll tell you absolutely everything.”

Across the way, Victor was chatting with a few of the elders, shooting glances in our direction every so often.

His smile was picture-perfect, but the calculation in his eyes was impossible to miss.

He lost round one.

But I knew the real battle had only just begun.

And what made me even more uneasy was that it felt like he actually remembered something.

This game was way more dangerous than I’d imagined.