CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY FIVE - THE CURSED ARTIFACT

When she finally revealed herself, the look of shock and guilt on Marcus's face was almost unbearable. Cora, for her part, remained defiant to the end. "You don't understand," Marcus pleaded as Erik arrived, alerted by the commotion. "Lysander approached us weeks ago. He... he threatened our families if we didn't cooperate. We didn't have a choice!" Erik's face was a mask of barely contained fury. "There's always a choice, Marcus. You could have come to me. We could have protected you." As the gravity of the situation sank in, Anna realized that the damage went far beyond just their mission. The trust that held their pack together had been severely shaken. If they were going to have any hope of stopping Lysander and destroying the Moonstone Scepter, they needed to heal these wounds first. Over the next few days, Anna threw herself into the task of rebuilding trust within the pack. She organized meetings where everyone could air their grievances and fears openly. She spent hours in