The morning after the catastrophe felt hollow, as though the sun itself hesitated to rise over Silvercrest. The cathedral, once sacred and alive with golden torchlight, now lay quiet in my memory, every whisper and laugh of betrayal carved into my mind. I walked through the halls of the Alpha’s keep, my steps careful and light, each echo reminding me of my solitude. My gown, still torn from the night before, was hidden beneath a simple cloak. I didn’t care anymore about appearances. Not when the pack had stripped me of everything else.And yet, even now, the pack moved around me, oblivious or indifferent to my pain. Jamie, regal as ever, stood among them with Lisa at his side. I followed them at a distance, heart hammering, eyes tracing her every movement.Lisa smiled easily, her hand brushing Jamie’s arm possessively, but her eyes were calculating when she looked toward the council chambers. When an elder spoke, she nodded, her gestures polite yet precise, almost rehearsed. She lingered too long near the treasury keepers, her fingers brushing the ledgers as if memorizing every detail. And when she laughed at something Jamie said, the warmth never reached her eyes.Something in me stirred—a cold knot of instinct, something my wolf knew before my mind could understand. Lisa’s charm was a mask. And beneath it, I could see the glint of something sharp, like steel hidden beneath silk.I found a quiet corridor and pressed my back against the cold stone wall, watching. Jamie was speaking to an elder, nodding seriously, while Lisa moved among the council, her voice soft but commanding. She was weaving herself into their politics with ease, her influence growing by the hour. And yet, she belonged nowhere but at Jamie’s side. Or so the pack believed.I shook my head. No. This wasn’t normal. Not for someone outside Silvercrest. She is a member of Crimson Fang, this can't be normal. My fingers clenched around my father’s pendant, the weight of it grounding me. If he was here, he would have seen this. He would have known.But right now, I didn’t have time to mourn. I had to act.I found Jamie alone in the library, surrounded by stacks of papers and council records. He looked up as I entered, his golden eyes cold but curious.“Ember,” he said, voice measured. “Why are you here?”I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat refusing to move. “Jamie, we need to talk,” I said, stepping closer. “Alone.”He studied me, that same unreadable expression on his face. Then he nodded. “Very well. Speak.”I took a deep breath, forcing my voice steady despite the tremor in my hands. “Lisa… she’s not what she seems. I don't think she's genuine.”His brow furrowed. “Excuse me?”“Lisa, the warrior princess of Crimson Fang,” I continued, stepping closer, my eyes locking onto his. “She’s from a rival pack. The Crimson Fang wolves. They are the ones who’ve attacked Silvercrest before. They’ve raided our lands, taken our supplies, killed our hunters. And now she’s here, not just as your Luna, but integrating herself into our council, our treasury, our politics. She’s… calculating, Jamie. She’s looking at every move, every decision. She’s watching, learning. And I don’t trust her.”Jamie’s jaw tightened. He leaned back, crossing his arms, eyes narrowing. “And you do?” His tone was sharp, skeptical. “You think yourself capable of judging her intentions? Do you realize how this sounds, Ember? Your words drips with jealousy, resentment, and anger… all wrapped up in one bitter accusation from someone who was rejected.”My hands shook, frustration bubbling into anger. “This isn’t jealousy! Look at her! Look at what she’s doing!” I pointed toward the council chamber windows. “My instincts are never wrong. She’s… she’s maneuvering herself into every position of influence. She’s not just smiling for you—she’s smiling for power. She’s watching the elders, the keepers, the treasury. She’s… she’s planning something, Jamie, I know it. I can feel it. My wolf… she senses it too!”Jamie’s eyes softened briefly, but the cold authority remained. “Ember,” he said, voice firm, almost sad. “You’re seeing shadows where there are none. I care for her, and I trust her. Right now, you cannot separate your own heartbreak from reality. You are blinded by loss. That bond you thought was ours? It is gone. You must accept it and let go.”My chest tightened, the words stabbing me deeper than any jeer or insult from the pack. “Trust her? You barely know her! You don’t see how she slips into every corner, how easily she wraps the council around her finger! She’s not Silvercrest, Jamie. She’s Crimson Fang!”“And you are?” he said sharply, standing. His presence loomed, a wall of unyielding authority. “Look, your father is dead. Any arrangements he has made do not longer exist. So don't speak of bonds, or loyalty, when you've offered nothing but weakness and grief when you were needed most. Your place is gone, Ember. In silvercrest, you no longer have a voice, position or authority. Do you understand?”“Yes,” I whispered, but the word was bitter, laced with fury. “I understand. But I will not be silent. If she, if anyone hurts this pack, I will expose it. I will show you who she really is.”Jamie’s jaw tightened. “And what proof do you have? Your instincts? Your wolf’s reactions? You are grasping at shadows, Ember. You are alone in this. Trust me. For once, you cannot dictate my choices.”Alone. The word struck me like a blade. He had stripped me of the one connection I had left. Not just the bond, but his trust, his recognition, his protection. I was invisible, powerless, a ghost wandering in the corridors of my own home.I swallowed hard, pressing the pendant to my chest. “I don’t need you to believe me,” I said softly, my voice trembling. “I only need to act when the time comes. And I will.”Jamie shook his head, a mixture of frustration and pity in his eyes. “You were always so stubborn, Ember. Perhaps it is for the best that you understand your limits now.”I turned to leave, heart pounding. My wolf stirred faintly, cautious but alert. The bond we shared with Jamie may have been severed, but the instinct to protect this pack, to honor my father’s memory, remained.From the shadows of the keep, I watched Lisa again. Her hands lingered over the ledgers, her smile sweet but calculating. She exchanged a brief nod with one of the elders, her eyes glinting with something I couldn’t name. Ambition? Deceit? Danger?The cold stone beneath my fingers reminded me that I had nowhere to turn, no one left to trust. The council would hear only her side. Jamie had dismissed my warnings. And the pack had rallied behind her.Yet I would not falter. I clenched my fists, pressing the pendant into my palm as if it were the only thing anchoring me to purpose. “I will find the truth,” I whispered into the quiet hall. “Even if it kills me.”I slipped from the library, my heart heavy but burning with resolve. Each step echoed in the empty corridors like a drumbeat of defiance. Shadows followed me, whispers from the night carrying the weight of betrayal, yet beneath the fear, beneath the isolation, a single thought guided me.Lisa may have Jamie. She may have the pack. But she would not have Silvercrest. Not while I drew breath, not while my father’s memory lived within me.And when the time came, I would prove it.The night stretched long and cold, but my resolve burned hotter than ever. I was alone, yes—but alone did not mean powerless.I would uncover the truth, protect my pack. And I would survive.