Chapter Title: Chapter 9: The Alpha's Turmoil
Kaelen couldn't breathe. The air in the grand hall felt like it was laced with silver, burning his lungs. Elara's departure had left a void more terrifying than the darkness she had emerged from.
"She's alive," he whispered, his hands trembling. "And she's not a wolf... she's something more."
Seraphina gripped his arm, her claws digging into his expensive suit. "Kaelen, did you see her eyes? That wasn't just power. That was hatred. She came back to destroy us! We have to call the Council. We have to report her as a rogue!"
Kaelen shook her off with a growl. "She is the daughter of the previous Alpha, Seraphina. If the Council sees her like this, they won't see a rogue. They will see a rightful heir returning for her throne."
While the Silver Moon Pack was in chaos, Elara was standing at the edge of the river that marked the pack's boundary. Malphas stood beside her, his presence silent and steady.
"The Alpha is scared," Malphas noted, his voice a low rumble. "I can smell his fear from here."
"Good," Elara said, looking at the glowing silver mark on her arm. "Fear is the only thing that will make him honest. He needs to know that the fate he thought he chose was a lie."
"What's the next move?"
Elara turned away from the river, her eyes flashing with a cold light. "Tomorrow, I'm not just visiting. Tomorrow, I'm taking back the first thing they stole from me—my father's legacy."