Chapter 88:
“I’ll keep an eye on things from a distance. If anyone tries to contact Silas or act against the pack, I’ll know.”
With a plan in place, we dispersed, each of us carrying the weight of our task. I could feel the tension simmering just below the surface as I moved through the compound over the next few days, watching for any signs of disloyalty, any hint of betrayal.
I spoke to wolves like Celia and Osric, those with sway in the pack, encouraging them to reassure others and put the rumors to rest. I kept my tone calm, confident, projecting the strength I needed them to see. But each night, as I lay awake, the fear gnawed at me. I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone, somewhere, was watching and waiting, their loyalty sliding further from my grasp.
One evening, just as I was finishing a late patrol of the compound, Dante approached me, his expression tense.
“Elara,” he said quietly, his gaze sharp.
“I’ve been watching one of the younger wolves, a scout named Finn. He’s been sneaking out late at night, slipping away from the compound without any reason. And he’s careful not to be seen.”
My heart clenched. Finn was young, newly inducted as a scout, still learning the ways of the pack. I had never considered him as a potential threat, but Dante’s words sent a chill down my spine.
“Do you think he’s the one?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Dante hesitated.
“I don’t know. But if he is communicating with Silas, we need to find out—and soon.”
We decided to follow him that night, trailing Finn as he slipped out of the compound under the cover of darkness. We moved quietly, our footsteps silent as we tracked him through the trees. My heart pounded, a mix of dread and determination driving me forward.
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After some time, Finn stopped near the border, his posture tense as he waited, looking nervously over his shoulder. My breath caught as I realized he wasn’t alone; a shadowed figure stepped out from the trees, their face obscured, but I recognized the insignia on their shoulder—a wolf from Silas’s pack.
Dante and I exchanged a quick glance, and I saw the same grim understanding in his eyes. This was it. Proof of betrayal within our own ranks.
I felt a surge of anger, a fierce protectiveness for my pack and everything we had built. This wolf—one of our own—had been slipping information to Silas, chipping away at our unity, our strength.
Dante and I stepped forward, emerging from the shadows to confront Finn and his contact. The other wolf fled immediately, vanishing into the trees, but Finn froze, his face paling as he realized he’d been caught.
“Finn,” I said, my voice cold, heavy with the weight of betrayal.
“What were you thinking?”
He stammered, his gaze dropping as he struggled to find the words, his body trembling with fear.
“I… I didn’t mean to… I thought—”
“You thought you could sell out your own pack?” Dante’s voice was a low growl, barely containing his anger.
“You thought Silas would reward you for betraying your family?”
Finn’s face twisted with regret, but there was no remorse in his eyes—only fear.
“Silas said… he said he could protect me. That he wouldn’t attack if I helped him. I was only trying to keep myself safe.”
A surge of disgust washed over me, a bitter realization that this wolf had been willing to risk everything for his own survival. He had sacrificed the trust of his pack, the unity we’d fought so hard to build, all for a false promise from an enemy.
“You’re a coward, Finn,” I said, my voice hard.
“And there is no place for cowards in Talon Pack.”
Without another word, Dante and I escorted him back to the compound, where he would face judgment before the pack. A heavy sadness settled over me, a disappointment in the wolf who had betrayed us. But as we walked, I also felt a fierce resolve harden within me.
