The Cursed Alpha's Fifth Luna

Nina tensed at his words, her heart slamming against her ribs.

The Vothraki...

Has he remembered? Has his memories finally returned?

A chill crawled down her spine.

"What is it?" she asked quietly, trying hard to keep the urgency from her voice. "What did you remember?"

Rodrigo looked at her. For the briefest moment, something flickered across his face, but it was gone almost as quickly as it had appeared.

Without answering, he slipped an arm beneath her knees and back, lifting her as though she weighed nothing. He carried her to the bed and eased her down onto the mattress, adjusting the pillow behind her.

"Nothing you need to know," he said flatly, avoiding her eyes.

Nina lowered her gaze. He didn’t trust her. Of course he didn’t—not after what had happened at the auction house.

"You are still unwell," Rodrigo said, pulling the blanket over her. His large hand lingered for a second on her shoulder before withdrawing. "Rest. I’ll have the healer examine you once you wake."

He straightened. "I’ll be back soon. There’s something I need to check."

He turned toward the door. Nina’s eyes followed him.

No.

Panic seized her. If he remembered the Vothraki, then he was going to find it right now. She needed to go with him.

"You don’t trust me?" she blurted out before she could stop herself.

His footsteps stopped. For a heartbeat, the room fell dead silent. Rodrigo slowly turned, one brow lifting.

"What?"

She met his eyes. Neither of them spoke.

Then, pushing away the blanket, she climbed out of bed. Her legs trembled slightly, but she forced herself forward until only a breath separated them. Without another word, she wrapped both arms around his waist.

Rodrigo stiffened. "Nina..."

She didn’t let go. Instead, she held him tighter, pressing her cheek against his chest as though he would disappear the moment she loosened her grip.

Her gaze drifted past his shoulder. The hourglass on the bedside table continued its slow descent, grains of sand slipping relentlessly from the upper chamber into the lower one.

Time. She was running out of it.

Closing her eyes, she drew a shaky breath. "I don’t know anything about you," she whispered. "You never let me see who you really are." Her fingers tightened against the fabric of his shirt. "And even now..." Her voice broke ever so slightly. "You’re shutting me out."

Her heartbeat thundered in her ears. Every second stretched endlessly as she waited.

Rodrigo remained silent. Slowly, he rested a hand against her back, the warmth of his palm seeping through the thin fabric of her clothes. After a long moment, he gently took her by the shoulders and eased her away just enough to look into her face.

His silver-gray eyes searched hers. Nina bit the inside of her cheek, holding his gaze despite the guilt clawing at her chest.

Just a little longer. Once I have the Vothraki... I’ll think about everything else.

Her vision blurred—whether from exhaustion or shame, she couldn’t tell. She simply looked at him and waited.

Rodrigo’s expression softened. The tension around his mouth eased into a small, reluctant smile. "What do you want to know?"

Nina’s heart skipped. He believed her.

She forced the sadness in her eyes to deepen, lowering her gaze before looking back up at him. "I want to know what you’re thinking," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "What your childhood was like... what made you who you are..."

The words faded from her lips. Something changed. The air itself seemed to grow heavier.

Nina looked up. Rodrigo’s smile had vanished. His silver-gray eyes had darkened, becoming distant, almost hollow. The muscles in his jaw flexed sharply, his teeth grinding together as though he were fighting an internal battle. For one fleeting moment, raw anguish flashed across his face.

Then, just as quickly, he buried it. The familiar, gentle smile returned, looking almost convincing.

"Alright," Rodrigo said at last.

Her eyes dilated, but she forced herself to remain still.

"I’ll tell you everything you want to know once I return," he paused, "but on one condition."

Nina’s heart lurched. She kept her face carefully composed, refusing to let even a flicker of unease show as she held his gaze. "What?"

The single word came out softer than she intended, the edges of her voice threatening to tremble.

Rodrigo smiled. He lifted a hand and gently brushed a few loose strands of hair away from her face, tucking them behind her ear. His fingertips lingered against her cheek for the briefest moment.

"You’ll answer two questions of mine," he said, his eyes remaining fixed on hers, unwavering. "And you’ll answer them truthfully."

A knot tightened in Nina’s throat. His expression was warm and patient, yet there was an unmistakable certainty behind his gaze—as though he had already decided that when he returned, there would be no more lies between them.

"Will you?"

Nina stared at him. For a long moment, neither of them spoke. There was no escaping this anymore. There was nowhere left to run.

She forced a smile onto her lips. "Okay." Her voice was steady this time. "I will."

She lied. She knew what he wanted to ask, and she knew with absolute certainty that she was going to lie to him. She blinked once and smiled again.

"Promise?" he asked, raising his brows as he stared down at her.

Nina nodded. "Mm," she replied. "Promise."

She clenched her jaw so hard it hurt, but her face revealed nothing. Rodrigo searched her features for another heartbeat before his smile widened. Without warning, he pulled her gently into his arms.

"I’ll be back soon," his deep voice rumbled above her head.

Nina stood completely still, letting him hug her. Then, almost as suddenly, he let her go.

"Rest. Don’t wait up for me." He turned and strode toward the door.

The door clicked shut behind him, and silence settled over the room. Nina remained where she was, her eyes fixed on the closed wood. Several heartbeats passed. Then, slowly... the smile on her face disappeared.

This was her chance.

Without thinking, she crossed to the door and pulled it open, but her feet came to an abrupt stop when she saw the guards stationed outside.

"Your Grace," they said, bowing.

Nina’s heart skipped a beat. "Why are you here?" she asked.

"The Alpha instructed us to ensure you get enough rest until he returns," they replied.

All the color drained from Nina’s face as she took a step back into the room. Oh no... He suspects me. Oh, I am so dead.

Rodrigo strode out of the North Wing, his footsteps echoing through the quiet corridors as he crossed the courtyard toward the practice grounds.

Just in case, he’d had the guards keep her inside. As much as he loved her, he wasn’t stupid; he could see she was overly interested in the earthstone and the Vothraki. He didn’t know what her motives were, but he had to be careful.

Rodrigo’s jaw tightened as the nightmare flashed in front of him again. It hadn’t just been a dream; it was a memory. He was finally regaining his memories of that night.

The image of the shoes he’d seen flashed in his mind. Those shoes... he’d seen them before. But where?

Rodrigo shook his head, clenching his hands into fists.

They had been looking for a seal, not the Vothraki?

The only seal he knew of was the Alpha’s Seal. Years ago, he had hidden it inside his mother’s tomb. At the time, he hadn’t understood why. The decision had felt instinctive, as though a deeper part of him knew he had to keep it safe.

Now, it finally made sense. If those people had been searching for the seal instead of the Vothraki, and the Alpha’s Seal was the key to the Vault...

Rodrigo stopped in his tracks, his eyes lifting. Then the Vothraki must be hidden inside the Vault.

His expression darkened. But where? He had entered the vault countless times over the years, yet he had never found anything resembling the Vothraki.

Unless... there was another part of the vault. One even he didn’t know existed.

His father had hidden the Vothraki and given him the seal, which explained why he had never retained any memories of the Vothraki at all.

Rodrigo ran his fingers through his hair. It was finally coming together. Once he found the Vothraki, the curse would be halfway solved.

Rodrigo drew a deep breath. He needed to find Seven.

He’d barely taken a few steps out of the courtyard when he came to an abrupt halt. Several paces ahead, a familiar figure stood beneath the stone archway leading to the front gates.

Ruri.

Her shoulders shook with barely restrained sobs. Her usually bright eyes were swollen and red, tears streaking down her cheeks. Both of her hands clutched a folded parchment so tightly that it had crumpled beneath her fingers. The bodyguard who always followed her around stood behind her, his face crestfallen.

Rodrigo’s frown deepened. He changed direction and walked toward her.

"Ruri."

She looked up. The moment their eyes met, fresh tears welled in hers.

"Rio..." Her voice cracked at the edges, and more tears spilled over the moment she saw him.

He stopped in front of her. "What happened?"

She swallowed hard, her trembling hands extending the letter toward him. "A messenger came from Father."

Rodrigo accepted the parchment, his eyes briefly sweeping over the seal pressed into the wax before lifting back to her face. "What does it say?"

Ruri lowered her head. For a long moment, she couldn’t seem to force the words out. When she finally spoke, her voice was barely a whisper.

"He says..." She drew in a shaky breath. "I’ve been betrothed."

Rodrigo’s brows knit together. "To whom?"

Ruri’s lips trembled. "Alpha Hades."