(Chapter 97:Selene's POV)
I knew the moment we stepped into the tavern that something was wrong.
It was too quiet.
Too calm.
The kind of silence that comes before blood spills.
Caelyn and I had blended in well enough, slipping into the kingdom undetected, our goal simple—gather intel on Callidus and Alaric's next move. We asked the right questions, spoke to the right people. We were careful.
But it wasn't enough.
We had just finished questioning a merchant when the tavern doors slammed shut. The low murmur of voices ceased.
I turned, slow and calculated.
A group of men blocked the exit, their armor etched with Callidus' sigil.
Enforcers.
The leader stepped forward, a cruel smirk stretching across his lips. "Selene Russo," he drawled. "And the Almighty Alpha Lycan himself." His gaze flicked to Caelyn mockingly. "Never thought I'd see the day you'd come crawling into our territory."
