Rachel's POV
"Someone in the pack is feeding information to the cult," Luka's voice broke through the silence. "We've been compromised." Though I could hear the words, they made no sense. A backstabber? Here, with us? Every shadow suddenly looked evil, my thoughts raced. The cult had already penetrated our existence so profoundly. How could I believe anyone? Mika stood next to Luka, his mouth tight with rage, yet his eyes showed some uncertainty. Though no one wanted to accept it, the proof was irrefutable. Now it was too personal, too near. I looked at them both, attempting to understand what had been stated. Who? Who's the betrayer? My voice was almost a whisper when I enquired, dreading the response. Luka looked at Mika before looking back at me. "We don't know yet," he answered, obviously frustrated. "We'll find out, though. But we will see. We always do. Though a pit had formed in my gut, I nodded. But deep down, I already knew the solution. Something about Luka's avoidance of direct eye contact with me and Mika's tight stance beside him told me this was not finished. The door burst open with such power it reverberated across the room, just as I believed I could breathe again. Turning made my heart skip and my pulse race. Standing in the entrance, Gideon Nightshade, Beta of the Blue Solstice Pack, looked frigid and analytical. His voice was smooth and menacing as he replied, "You've been a pawn in a game far greater than you know." Stepping forward, he grinned wryly as he observed my response. Rachel, you don't run this narrative. Not so. The words struck like a chest blow. I felt the room spin and my breath seized in my throat. Gideon He has always been one of the pack. Now he was also in the cult. How long had he been controlling us? I was speechless. With frigid enjoyment, he inclined his head and his eyes sparkled. Rachel, you cannot escape destiny. You are more linked to this than you believe. Reaching a quiet room, he spun around and slowly locked the door behind us. Rachel, you want solutions? Amusement ran through his voice. You're going to receive them. I straightened my shoulders, attempting to control the shaking in my hands. What is this, then? For what reason? Why would you turn against us? He smiled, but it lacked any warmth. What for? It was always intended to be this way. The prophesy. The Pack. You, Rachel. He stepped closer, his eyes shining with something sinister. Every action you have taken since the day you came I have been orchestrating. I flinched, my thoughts whirling. All contacts. Had every time I'd spent with him all part of his plan? I felt sick with revulsion. You used me? My voice quivering with rage and bewilderment, I said. He grinned more broadly. "Not controlled. Directed. You belong to something larger than yourself. The cult will do all in its power to ensure, Rachel, that you play your part. You believe you can alter your destiny? You cannot. The prophecy will be realised... one way or another. His words hung over me like a thick cloak. This was the reality. The cult had been pulling the strings all along; I had been their pawn; we had all been their pawns. I said, "Gideon, I'm not your puppet," but he only chuckled. "Oh, Rachel. You never were, he replied sharply, eyes glinting. The whole game has revolved around you. Whether you like it or not. I could not get rid of the impression that all I had relied on, everything I knew, had been destroyed in a split second. The treachery hurt and made me exposed and raw. But Luka's response when he learnt caught me totally off guard. Luka was a force of nature when the door banged open; his typical calm attitude was gone and replaced with a tempest of rage. Every muscle in his body was tight and ready to erupt, his eyes wild. Gideon, how long? Luka shouted, his voice shaking with fury. How long have you been using us? Unfazed by Luka's anger, Gideon stood. "Long enough, Alpha," he murmured, sarcastic tone. "Long enough to know precisely what has to be done." Luka's hand sprang out, seizing Gideon by the collar and driving him against the wall with a force that shook the room. Luka hissed, his breath strained and his rage stronger than I had ever witnessed, "I should kill you right now." For all you have done. My heart raced as I moved forward. Trying to get to him, I said, "Luka, stop." "This isn't the road." Luka, though, was past hearing. His gaze fixed on me for only a second before he looked back to Gideon. "No, Rachel," he answered icily. He's the one who's overstepped. He is the one who has let everyone down. Gideon's grin stayed constant. Alpha, do what you have to. But understand this: the cult's hold is tightening and you are too late to prevent it. Luka's fury almost under control, he held Gideon tighter. "Rachel, we'll wipe out the cult," he continued, his voice full of a lethal promise. That is my promise. Every wall seemed to be closing in on me, making the room too small and too suffocating. I had experienced treachery, but this... this was much more profound. Every face in the room now exuded doubt. Every look that hung on me was full of hidden enquiries. Not like this, it was a continual reminder I didn't fit here. Luka and Mika stood next to me, their presence both reassuring and suffocating. Their unstated need for me to select, to enter a part I wasn't quite ready for, made me feel the weight of their gaze on me. Though they both had the same unreadable faces, I could feel the tension in their eyes. Always so constant, Luka was suddenly a man on the brink, barely holding it together. Mika, often so assured, seemed like a storm about to break. Trying to escape the burden of their gazes, I grumbled, "I need space." But it was useless; they were in my head, their motives mixed with my own destiny. Finding the nearest window, I gazed out; the darkness of the night reflected the turmoil within me. My phone buzzed then, bringing me back to reality. It was Seraphina's message. Rachel, you cannot trust anyone. The cult's influence spreads more widely than you think. I had no option. Hiding was no longer relevant. The cult was not going to stop; Luka and Mika were not going to stop either. They were advocating for something I wasn't certain I could provide. My emotions were a tangle of many conflicting forces tugging me in all directions: dread, longing, uncertainty. But one thing I was quite sure of: I could not run any more. The twins were standing in the doorway, staring at me like I was some delicate item about to break. Though I wasn't sure if I could rely on the softness in his eyes, Luka's gaze softened as he moved closer. I doubted everything now. "We have to stop this," I replied, my voice raspy from the intensity of my ideas. "The cult, we have to face them. We have to face the cult. No more hiding. Luka moved forward, hand outstretched for mine. Though the moment's strain stifled the gesture, his contact was warm and even pleasant. Rachel, you don't have to go through this by yourself, he replied quietly. "No matter what, we'll stand by you." I shook my head, the reality sinking in my chest like a rock. Luka, I'm already too deep in. I must carry this out. I can't go on running. Mika's face grew sombre as he moved onwards. Rachel, you are not alone in this. You are the Luna, and that is the fact we all have to confront. I nodded, the veracity of his remarks sinking deep in my bones. The road ahead was unclear, and as much as they vowed to support me, I understood the last choice would be mine. The future of the Packs hinged on me, on us, but I wasn't sure I could handle the burden of that duty. The next message to ping on my phone almost caused me to drop it. Your last test will be the Eclipse.