Chapter 135

Dawn broke like a slap to the face. Hell was coming to Blood Moon's doorstep, and it wasn't knocking politely.

I dragged myself to the estate's highest tower while the sky was still purple around the edges. What I saw made my stomach drop straight through the floor.

Giana's forces spread across the valley. Thousands of them. They moved like a coordinated swarm, each fighter positioned with deadly precision. Except these insects carried siege engines and enough weapons to level a small city. Three thousand fighters moved with uncanny precision. This wasn't some ragtag group of angry rogues looking for revenge.

This was an army.

"Blessed Moon Goddess," I whispered, watching them position war machines with the kind of expertise that made my blood run cold.

Kane appeared beside me with his binoculars out. He ground his teeth so hard I thought they might crack. "They've surrounded us completely. No retreat routes. No escape plans. They're planning to finish this today."

The morning light caught the glint of armor and weapons. The sight stretched as far as I could see. Supply wagons lined up like they'd planned for an extended vacation in hell. Massive siege towers loomed against the horizon. Someone had spent months building those death machines. This wasn't some last-minute revenge plot.

The Rogue King and Giana had been planning this for years.

Raymond climbed the tower stairs two at a time. His face went white when he got his first good look at what we were facing. "Those aren't desperate rogues," he said slowly. Like saying it out loud might make it less real. "These are trained soldiers."

"Disciplined formations, coordinated supply lines, siege equipment that took months to construct," Kane added grimly. He lowered his spyglass and looked at me. "Aurora, you're still weak from magic. You should coordinate from the secure command bunker, not—"

"Hell no." I cut him off before he could finish that thought. "These people need to see their Luna fighting beside them. Morale matters as much as tactics when you're about to get your ass kicked by overwhelming odds."

Raymond surprised me by nodding. "Aurora's right. Our fighters are still recovering from months of psychological manipulation. They need visible leadership to maintain effectiveness."

Kane looked like he wanted to argue further. His protective instincts practically buzzed in the air between us like live wires. But war horns started blaring before he could launch into whatever lecture he'd been preparing.

"Incoming!" someone shouted from the walls.

The first assault hit like a hammer to the face.

Catapults hurled stones the size of dining room tables. The impact shook the estate's foundations so hard I had to grab the tower wall to keep from falling.

But the real psychological warfare? That came from Giana herself.

Her voice echoed across the battlefield. Some kind of magical amplification made it impossible to ignore. It felt like having someone scream directly into your brain. "People of Blood Moon! Your Luna is a traitor who betrayed her own mate! Surrender now and we'll show mercy!"

The lie was perfectly crafted. Designed to exploit every doubt and division that still festered in our ranks. Some pack members were already glancing at me sideways. Wondering if Raymond's accusations during his conditioning had contained a grain of truth.

"Don't listen to her!" I called back, letting my voice carry to every defender on the walls. "She's the one who manipulated your Alpha! She's the one who tortured your friends and neighbors! Today we take back our freedom!"

The response from our fighters was immediate. Fierce. Whatever political complications they might've had with my personal life, they understood exactly what defeat would mean. Death or slavery. No middle ground.

Kane and Raymond established defensive coordination that surprised the hell out of me. Despite wanting to strangle each other over personal issues, their tactical expertise fit together like puzzle pieces. Professional soldiers recognizing professional competence despite personal animosity.

"Kane, take the eastern approach," Raymond ordered with Alpha authority. "Your fighters know siege defense better than mine."

"Agreed," Kane replied tersely. "But Aurora stays in the center where she's protected by both our forces."

"For once, we agree completely," Raymond said. His concern for my safety temporarily overriding their territorial disputes.

The siege created strange moments that felt almost intimate despite the chaos surrounding us. Kane would materialize beside me during brief lulls in fighting. Checking for injuries with gentle efficiency that reminded me of our partnership's better days. Before everything went sideways.

"You're pushing too hard," he'd murmur while cleaning a minor cut on my arm. Those hands that had just been wielding deadly weapons turned surprisingly gentle. "The magical backlash is still affecting you."

"I'm fine," I'd insist. Even though we both knew I was running on pure adrenaline and stubborn determination. The kind of fine that meant I'd collapse the moment I stopped moving.

Raymond showed similar concern from a different angle. Using his territorial knowledge to anticipate enemy movements and position me where I'd be most protected while maintaining visible leadership. Strategic thinking mixed with genuine worry.

"The north wall is their weakest assault point," he'd report between attacks. "Aurora, stay visible there but behind the secondary barriers."

Their competing protectiveness should've been annoying. But it was oddly comforting to know that whatever had gone wrong between us, both men still prioritized keeping me alive above their own rivalry. Some things transcended personal drama.

But Giana's psychological warfare intensified as the day dragged on. Her voice continued echoing across the battlefield like a persistent headache. Targeting specific individuals with personalized manipulation that hit like surgical strikes.

"Timothy! She let you be tortured while she ran away with her lover!"

"Sue! Your children are orphans because Aurora prioritized political games over pack loyalty!"

Each accusation was crafted to exploit specific guilt and resentment. I watched some of our fighters begin glancing at me with uncertainty. Wondering if their sacrifices had been worthwhile. If following me had been the right choice or a terrible mistake.

The magical communication system allowed Giana to whisper directly into my mind. Her voice sliding through my mental defenses. "You think breaking the artifact saved anyone? You've only delayed the inevitable, Aurora. David's army will crush this pathetic resistance, and I'll personally execute everyone who supported you."

"Then come try," I replied aloud. Making sure nearby fighters heard my defiance. "I've beaten you before. I'll beat you again."

But the siege was taking its toll in ways that went beyond simple casualties.

Our ammunition was running dangerously low. The wounded were piling up faster than our healers could treat them. Giana's forces showed no signs of weakening despite sustaining their assault for hours without break. They had reserves. Fresh troops. Seemingly endless supplies.

We had determination and righteous anger. Unfortunately, those don't stop siege engines.

Kane appeared beside me as the sun reached its highest point. His expression carried the kind of tactical analysis I didn't want to hear. The look that meant bad news delivered with military precision.

"We can't maintain this defense much longer," he said quietly. His voice pitched for my ears alone. "They're rotating fresh troops while we're fighting with the same exhausted fighters since dawn."

I looked across our defensive positions with growing dread. He was trying to spare me from the harsh truth, but I could see it clearly enough. Our people were brave and determined, but they were also tired, wounded, and drastically outnumbered. They were fighting on fumes and pure stubbornness.

"How long?" I asked. Dreading the answer.

"Hours," Kane admitted reluctantly. Like the words tasted bitter in his mouth. "Maybe less if they launch another coordinated assault like the last one."

The weight of leadership felt crushing in that moment. These people were dying because they'd followed me into rebellion against overwhelming odds. Their children would become orphans because I'd chosen to fight rather than surrender. I'd convinced them that freedom was worth dying for.

But looking at their faces—determined, defiant, free from magical conditioning for the first time in months—I knew we'd made the right choice.

Better to die fighting than live as puppets in someone else's show.

Giana's voice cut through the battlefield noise again. This time targeting me directly with vicious precision. "How does it feel, Aurora? Watching your people die for your pride? All of this could've been avoided if you'd just accepted your place."

"My place," I shouted back, "is standing between you and the people I've sworn to protect!"

The siege of Blood Moon would be decided before soon. Win or lose, live or die. No middle ground.

And I intended to make Giana pay dearly for every life she'd demanded.