Chapter 17: Alpha Games

The walk to Gregory Thorne’s private office felt longer than it should have.

Maybe it was the silence in the halls. Or the slow, methodical thump of my own heartbeat. Or the fact that, with every step, I could feel the eyes of the pack on me—curious, uncertain, waiting.

This wasn’t just a visit.

It was a challenge.

Aidan had tried to stop me once.

He didn’t try again.

He walked beside me, silent, alert. Not to lead—but to stand by me. And that told me everything I needed to know about where his loyalty was heading.

Gregory’s office door stood at the end of the hall like a mouth ready to swallow us whole. Two guards stood outside—massive, expressionless.

They opened the door without a word.

Inside, Gregory sat behind a desk carved from dark wood, polished so smooth it reflected the light from the window behind him. He didn’t look up right away—just kept flipping through a file as if he’d been expecting me.

“I see married life’s made you bold,” he said finally, voice smooth like aged bourbon. “Luna.”

I stepped forward. “I have questions.”

He looked up. His eyes were the same shade of dark gold as Aidan’s—but colder. Older. Like all the warmth had been bred out generations ago.

“You don’t knock now?” he asked.

“I figured you already knew I was coming.”

He smiled slightly. “Touché.”

Aidan stood behind me, tense but silent.

Gregory set the file aside and leaned back in his chair. “So. Ask.”

I pulled the document from my jacket and placed it gently on his desk. One name was circled in black ink.

Ryder Caldwell.

“I found this in the archives. Says Ryder was stationed in Silverlake fifteen years ago. Under your orders.”

Gregory didn’t flinch. “Yes.”

Just like that.

“Yes?” I echoed. “You’re admitting it?”

“I don’t see the need to lie. Ryder was assigned to observe unusual werewolf activity near the border. The town was... unstable.”

I stared at him. “And what happened there?”

He folded his hands calmly. “A rogue incursion. Tragic, from what I remember. The details were... murky. Some records were lost. Fire, I believe.”

“You sent him there,” I said. “Did you know what would happen?”

He smiled again. “I send a lot of people a lot of places. I don’t control what happens once they arrive.”

That wasn’t an answer.

That was a warning.

I clenched my fists. “Why hasn’t this ever been mentioned?”

“Because it’s old news,” Gregory replied. “And because digging into the past tends to bury the living.”

Aidan stepped forward, finally breaking his silence. “Father—”

“Don’t,” Gregory said softly, holding up a hand. “I know what you’re doing, both of you. And while I admire the Luna’s... initiative, I suggest she remembers her role. You’ve been accepted here, girl. Don’t make me regret it.”

I met his gaze. “If I were a threat, you’d already regret it.”

Silence fell like a knife between us.

Gregory smiled again—but this time, it didn’t reach his eyes.

“I see why the Bloodfangs are watching you,” he said. “You shake things loose.”

My breath hitched.

But I didn’t show it.

“You don’t scare me,” I said.

“You should be scared,” he replied.

Then he picked up the file again and waved his fingers in dismissal. “Run along. Be a good Luna. Play the part.”

I didn’t move until Aidan touched my arm.

Only then did I turn.

We walked out slowly, the guards closing the doors behind us with a heavy thud.

\---

“Are you okay?” Aidan asked once we were alone in the hall.

“No.”

He nodded. “Didn’t think so.”

We walked in silence until we reached the stairs.

Then I stopped.

“He’s hiding something,” I said. “Ryder. Silverlake. He knew exactly what I was talking about. That wasn’t surprise. That was strategy.”

Aidan looked away. “He’s playing a game. He always has.”

“Well, I’m tired of games.”

I pulled the parchment from my pocket again—the Bloodfang death list. I didn’t let Aidan see the names, but I held it long enough to remind myself what I was doing.

“This pack is keeping secrets,” I whispered. “And if I’m not careful, I’ll be buried right alongside them.”

\---

That night, I sat alone in the Luna’s study, replaying the conversation with Gregory over and over again.

He hadn’t denied anything.

Hadn’t confirmed anything either.

It was the oldest trick in the book—say just enough to shake the foundation, not enough to prove the structure’s broken.

A knock broke the silence.

Elena slipped inside, dressed in black leggings and a hoodie, her hair a mess.

“I brought snacks,” she said, holding up a crumpled bag of cookies. “You look like you need them.”

I forced a tired smile. “I probably do.”

She sat across from me, kicked her feet up on the chair, and studied me quietly for a long time.

“Want to talk about it?”

“Not yet.”

She nodded. “That’s fair. Just... don’t keep it all locked up forever, okay?”

I looked at her, then said quietly, “How do you know when you’re losing control of the plan?”

She blinked. “When it stops feeling like your plan.”

Exactly.

\---

An hour later, I returned to my room.

Aidan was already inside, leaning against the balcony rail, his back to me. He didn’t turn around.

“Did he scare you?” he asked.

“Yes,” I said honestly.

“He scares me too.”

I stepped forward, the cool night air brushing against my skin. “He’s hiding something.”

“I know.”

“Will you help me find out what?”

He finally turned to look at me. His expression wasn’t the usual calm mask.

He looked… afraid.

“Yes,” he said. “But Roxanne... if you go too deep, you won’t like what you find.”

“Then I’ll deal with it,” I said. “Whatever it is.”

He nodded slowly.

But something in his eyes said he was already bracing for what came next.

\---

Later that night, I got a text.

Unknown Number.

“Tell your hunter friend to stay out of it. One more step and we send her pieces.”

Attached:

A photo of Elena’s necklace.

Dangling from a tree branch.

Covered in blood.