"But the Royals?" Darius shook his head. "He's not just biting the hand that fed him—he's trying to burn down the entire system. There's no winning in that fight."
Rowan glanced at him. "Not unless you're playing a different game entirely."
Darius exhaled slowly, the weight of too many unknowns settling over him. "I don't like it. Norman was foolish to align with someone like Carlo. Whatever they're planning—it won't end well."
"No, it won't," Rowan agreed. "And if Carlo's involved, we need to start asking what pieces he's already moved into place."
Darius stared ahead, jaw clenched. The calm they'd found after combat now seemed like a distant memory.
"I'll speak with Alpha," he said finally. "He needs to know we're already at war—we just haven't seen the battlefield yet."
"He already knows," Rowan said, his voice calm as he lay back in the grass, eyes closed. "I informed him last night after I returned."
