The dawn silence was broken by the cry.
As Luna Evelyn held her mate's lifeless body in her arms, servants hurried through Whitedawn's great hall, their footsteps resonating across the marble floors. Alpha Marcus's breathing had become irregular and shallow, and his skin had turned pale.
"Get the healer!" Evelyn's voice was sharp and tremulous as she yelled. "And lock the gates—no one can come in or go out until we know who did this!"
The grand hall was transformed into a fortress in a matter of minutes. While Marcus was being carried to the inner chambers, where Elder Corran, Whitedawn's most trusted healer, labored diligently with herbs and chants, guards stood guard around the perimeter, their eyes alert.
The poison was uncommon; it was quick, silent, and odorless.
With her mind spinning and her fists clenched, Evelyn paced the antechamber. She whispered, "He only drank from the ceremonial goblet." "At the council toast."
Hesitantly, a younger beta came forward. "Luna, are you suspicious of a council member?"
Evelyn squinted her eyes. "Not just one person. I believe the Hollow Alpha has already taken one of ours."
Her words caused the room to chill.
After several hours, when Marcus was still unconscious but stabilized, Evelyn called Leah by moon-call, a secret channel that only high-ranking Lunars could use. That night, Leah and Serafina emerged through the portal stone.
"I arrived as quickly as I could," Leah said, giving Evelyn a hug. "How is he doing?"
"He is alive. However, hardly. Evelyn's voice was hoarse with fury. "And the investigation has already begun."
Serafina took a step forward. "Are you suspecting anyone?"
Evelyn gave her a direct look. "Councilman Rurik. During the old wars, he served with my grandmother and was respected and trusted. However, he disappeared three moons ago and reappeared without a reason."
Leah grimly continued, "And now the sigils are appearing again." The chaos is being sown by the Hollow Alpha.
Serafina turned to face Marcus in the sickroom. "This goes beyond just trying to kill an Alpha. This was intended to sow discord and break faith.
Evelyn gave a nod. Peace has lulled us for far too long. This time, it won't start with armies, but the war we feared is already here. It starts with rumors and treachery.
Serafina spoke in a low, steady voice. "After that, we eradicate it. one by one."
The Flame Pact quietly grew stronger as night fell over Whitedawn—for Marcus's poisoning was no longer merely a personal assault. In the Hollow Alpha's game, it was the first open move.
Furthermore, the Veiled Flames wouldn't be used as pawns.