As the evening sun set, casting a warm glow over the packlands, Sanskar watched Swara, Nikhil, and Sia head to Swara's car. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he tried to suppress the unease gnawing at him. He needed a distraction to wash away his fatigue from the outpost tour.

A cold shower would do the trick. The icy water cascaded over his tense muscles, numbing the lingering aches. As he stood under the spray, letting the chill seep into his bones, a sudden jolt of awareness struck him. His wolfy sixth sense prickled, alerting him to something amiss. Swara had crossed the pack's borders.

His heart rate spiked. Abruptly, he shut off the water and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around his waist as he hurried out of the bathroom. Water dripped from his hair, pooling onto the floor, but he paid no mind. He needed to act quickly.

"Laksh!" Sanskar barked into the comm. "Track down Swara's location. Now."

A tense minute later, Laksh's voice crackled through. "She's at the Imperial Hotel."

Sanskar's blood ran cold. The Imperial Hotel was notorious for its dangers. He dressed in record time, pulling on jeans and a shirt before bolting out of the house. The drive to the hotel was a blur of speeding lights and frantic thoughts.

When he arrived, the scene before him was chaos. Swara was in the midst of a fierce battle with a vampire. Sanskar's protective instincts surged. With a growl, he leapt into the fray, tackling the vampire and saving strained Swara at the nick of time.

Panting, he turned to the unconscious form of Swara, and his heart ached. Gently, he scooped her up and carried her back to the car to get her home safely.

Back at the house, he laid her on the bed, his worry evident in the furrow of his brow. He couldn't keep this up, watching her get into trouble time and again, never seeking his help. He had to know what she was hiding, and he was determined to get it out of her, one way or another.

As he sat by her bedside, he took her hand in his, his thumb brushing over her knuckles. "Swara," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. "Why do you keep doing this lately? Why won't you let me help you?"

"You make me worry sick, getting injured every now and then, still up to something secretly on your own. I swear, today, even if I have to play all my cards, I will make you spill the beans by hook or by crook." His voice turned hoarse.

Determined to get answers, Sanskar waited for Swara to wake up. The moment she did, he unleashed his most effective tactic: a stern scolding. Displaying his frustration, he used every possible method to make her feel regret, guilt, and embarrassment, hoping she would reveal the truth. However, she only continued to apologize and promise it wouldn’t happen again.

Seeing no results from his scolding, Sanskar sighed inwardly and decided to change his approach. He resorted to emotional appeals, hoping to reach her heart. His persistence paid off, and eventually, she began to open up, revealing the truth he had been seeking.

They were deep in conversation when a sudden, loud knock on the door interrupted them. Sanskar got up to answer it, finding Laksh standing on the other side.

"What's the matter?"

"Sanskar, sorry to break in, but the senior pack members are gathering to address the issue of Swara's kidnapping. Can you handle this meeting?" Laksh asked, sounding a bit on edge.

He understood it wasn't the ideal moment to disturb their alpha, but the urgency of the matter weighed heavily on him as a beta.

"Laksh, I'm in the middle of something..."

Glancing past Sanskar into the room, Laksh spotted Swara near the window. He could sense the emotional tension between them, but duty compelled him to speak.

"I get it, but tackling the vampires' escalating audacity is as pressing as your other business," Laksh remarked, his tone reflecting the seriousness of the situation.

He made a dignified attempt to persuade Sanskar, but Sanskar was set on staying with Swara. He was eager to have a chat with her.

Just as Sanskar was about to refuse Laksh's request, Swara interjected from behind. "Go ahead and attend the pack meeting first, Sanskar. We can pick up our conversation later."

Sanskar rubbed his forehead in frustration, took a beat to weigh his options, and hurried out to join the pack members, insisting Swara take some rest. Swara sighed as she reclined on the bed, her ears tingling with the ongoing buzz of activity.

"Sounds like things are getting wild in there," Swara muttered to herself, slipping into a pair of comfy clogs before heading towards the meeting room.

"Alpha, those vamps have got some serious guts trying to snatch our Luna. We need to show 'em who's boss," one of the pack members declared, his voice dripping with anger.

Swara caught snippets of conversation from a pack member stationed outside the meeting room. Their voices resonated distinctly, some louder than others.

"Yeah, they need a wake-up call, Alpha. They crossed the line," another chimed in.

"I think Adarsh's got the right idea," someone added.

'Adarsh's idea? That can't be for mine and Sanskar's betterment,' Swara thought, her heart pounding as she listened to the muffled voices.

"No, now is not the time." Sanskar's clear refusal cut through the chatter, causing a ripple of concern among the pack members. They all turned to Laksh for support.

"I’m with Sanskar on this," Laksh said firmly. "Swara just got her wolf. Sure, she's doing well in training, but she's not battle-ready yet. She needs to be the fierce warrior Sanskar can count on in a showdown with the vampire king."

"A showdown with the vampire king? What the hell are they about? There's still a few months until that battle, according to my past life," Swara muttered to herself.

"Beta, you know the ropes better than anyone, but don't blow off the ex-beta's words," another pack member spoke up.

"That's right. He was bumped down because of his mate, but he knows his stuff and is loyal to the pack. We should move up the fight with the vampire king."

"Yeah, Sanskar, we need to do this. Those vamps are pushing their luck. We dodged a bullet today, but who knows what's next?" Adarsh said, trying to persuade Sanskar.

"Next steps?" A sudden realization hit Swara. "This was Adarsh and the so-called big boss's plan. After this battle, they must be planning to kill Sanskar like in my previous life."

"I'm not sure about it..." Sanskar said it with hesitation in his voice.

"Sanskar, just go for it. I've checked the ephemeris, and we've got a blue moon next week. It's a once-in-a-century chance when we'll be at our peak, and those bloodsuckers will be at their weakest. This is the perfect time to strike," Adarsh insisted.

"Ephemeris? What a load of bull! He's lying through his teeth for his own agenda. I can't let him do this," Swara murmured, her resolve hardening. She walked into the meeting room, her eyes blazing with determination.

The tension in the room thickened as Swara stormed in, her presence immediately drawing the attention of everyone. She met everyone's gaze squarely.

"Luna, what brings you here?" one of the pack members asked, bewildered.

"I was just passing by and heard someone mention the ephemeris, blue moon once in a hundred years, werewolves at their peak, and all that. I'm a witch and know the ephemeris better than anyone here. There’s no such thing on the horizon, not even in the next century," Swara said, her voice steady but firm.

"What the hell, Swara? Do you think I’m spinning yarn? Are you a hundred percent sure about your prediction?" Adarsh stood up, his anger palpable.

"I never said you're lying. Why are you getting your knickers in a twist? Yes, it's a blue moon next week, but not the kind you mentioned where werewolves are at their peak and vampires are at their weakest," Swara retorted calmly, locking eyes with him.

"I'm not buying your story. You just want to cross swords with me. You don't like me because of your beef with Kavita. It's a blue moon, like you admitted. We're going through with this," Adarsh yelled, his anger making everyone else in the room stand up in shock.

Swara snorted, her eyes blazing as she looked around the room. Her gaze lingered on Sanskar only for a few seconds, and a silent exchange between the two pairs of eyes thickened. Realizing she couldn't force her decision here, she turned on her heel and stormed out, a plan already forming in her mind to protect Sanskar.