The shadows of the forest still clung to me as I walked back into the heart of the territory. Ronan's voice echoed in my mind like a curse.
Then you'd better learn how to survive death, little wolf.
I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to smother the burn of the mate bond that refused to fade. But no matter how hard I fought it, his presence lingered inside me, restless, hungry.
I should have gone back to my quarters. I should have locked the door and drowned myself in silence. Instead, my feet carried me toward the council hall.
The stone building rose from the earth like a fortress, its torches glowing against the night sky. My wolf bristled. Secrets lived here. Answers lived here. And maybe… betrayal lived here too.
I crept close, pressing myself into the shadows by the heavy oak doors. They were cracked just enough to let sound spill out.
"…rogue attacks growing bolder," a man's voice rasped—Elder Kellan. "This is no longer scattered violence. Someone directs them."
"Or someone feeds them," Elder Mira countered, her voice sharp as broken glass.
"Our patrol routes, our defenses—they know too much."
My heart pounded. Rogues had been striking closer and closer.
But betrayal?
From inside?
"You've let the pack grow restless," Mira went on. "You killed Blackwood and now you chain his daughter to you? It breeds rebellion."
My nails dug into my palms, fury burning my skin. My father's name. Always spat like venom. And my bond with Ronan—used as proof of weakness.
"Enough." Ronan's voice cut through the chamber, low and commanding. The room silenced instantly. Even through the crack, I felt his aura sweep out, thick and crushing.
"You think my bond weakens me? You're wrong. Raven's strength will be the pack's strength when the time comes."
Mira laughed coldly. "If she lives long enough to take your side."
The scrape of a chair. Then a slam.
"Choose your words carefully," Ronan warned, his growl rumbling. "There is a traitor among us. The rogues know too much. That means betrayal is already festering here, in this council. I will root it out.
And when I do, I'll tear the throat of the guilty with my own teeth."
The chamber erupted in murmurs. Some shocked. Some afraid.
My breath hitched. Betrayal. My father's death. The rogues circling like vultures. It was all connected—I could feel it in my bones.
"Do you have proof?" Elder Bran's voice was heavy, doubtful.
"Not yet," Ronan said, calm but dark. "But I will."
A chill ran through me. He wasn't bluffing.
He would hunt whoever stood against him until blood ran.
The meeting ended soon after. Boots scraped against stone as elders began to leave. I darted back into the shadows just as the door swung open.
Ronan emerged first. His silver eyes scanned the night, sharp as blades. And then they found me.
I froze.
He didn't look startled. He never did. His gaze pinned me in place, as if he had known I'd be there all along.
"Eavesdropping, little wolf?" His voice was smooth, edged with danger.
I lifted my chin, defiant though my heart hammered. "I go where I please. You don't own me."
Something flickered in his expression—dark amusement, maybe, or irritation. His mouth curved the slightest fraction, but his eyes stayed hard.
"Not yet," he murmured. Then louder, for the elders behind him: "Escort Raven back to her quarters. She shouldn't wander at night."
Two guards stepped forward at once. My chest burned with fury. Prisoner. That's what I was.
"I don't need your leash," I spat.
But Ronan only tilted his head, the tattoos along his arm catching the torchlight as he stepped closer. He leaned in, his breath brushing my ear.
"I warned you," he whispered. "This pack is full of teeth in the dark. Be careful where you linger, Raven. Or one day, the betrayal won't come from me—it'll come from someone you never see coming."
Then he stepped back, eyes gleaming like a predator who'd just cornered his prey.
The guards moved, but I shoved past them, refusing to let him see my fear.
Still, as I stalked into the night, one truth wrapped tighter around my chest:
Whatever secrets Ronan carried, they were tied to my father's death. And if I didn't uncover them soon, the betrayal festering inside this pack would swallow me whole.