Chapter 126 up
The disappearance of Alpha Darius spread through Kael’s network like wildfire.
Within a single night, the news had reached dozens of packs scattered across forests, cities, and mountain territories. Messengers ran between camps, encrypted channels filled with speculation, and whispers traveled faster than the wind.
Darius had been one of Kael’s most respected supporters.
Not the strongest Alpha.
Not the loudest.
But reliable.
Steady.
The kind of leader who believed in Kael’s philosophy of independence without turning it into blind loyalty.
And now he was gone.
His territory remained intact.
His pack remained alive.
But Darius himself had vanished without a trace.
The only evidence left behind was the scene inside his lodge.
Broken furniture.
Signs of a struggle.
And one scent that made several wolves immediately jump to the same conclusion.
Lyra’s alliance.
Or at least, someone who smelled like it.
The emergency gathering formed deep within the forest clearing that served as one of Kael’s temporary meeting grounds.
Torren stood near the fire pit at the center of the clearing, arms crossed tightly over his chest.
Several Alphas and pack leaders had gathered around him, their expressions tense and restless.
Lina paced near the edge of the circle.
“This can’t be a coincidence,” she said.
Torren didn’t answer.
But many of the others nodded in agreement.
Alpha Seren spoke calmly from the opposite side of the fire.
“We should wait for confirmation.”
One of the younger Alphas, Bren, shook his head sharply.
“Confirmation of what? The scent trail was clear.”
Another wolf stepped forward.
“They found traces from wolves belonging to Lyra’s alliance.”
Torren finally spoke.
“Scent trails can be faked.”
Bren scoffed.
“Not that easily.”
Torren’s gaze hardened.
“Easier than you think.”
The tension in the clearing thickened.
For the past few weeks, the mysterious attack on Rathmere had already shaken the fragile trust between factions.
Now an Alpha aligned with Kael had disappeared.
And the evidence seemed to point directly toward Lyra’s territory.
Bren looked around at the gathered leaders.
“How many coincidences are we supposed to tolerate?”
No one answered immediately.
But the silence itself carried meaning.
Fear was growing.
Fear always looked for a target.
Lina spoke carefully.
“If Lyra’s alliance really took Darius…”
Bren cut her off.
“They did.”
Seren’s voice remained calm.
“We don’t know that yet.”
Bren turned toward her.
“You saw the reports.”
“Yes.”
“And?”
Seren’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“And they’re too convenient.”
Bren threw his hands up.
“So now we’re defending Lyra?”
Torren stepped forward before the argument escalated further.
“Enough.”
The word carried enough authority to quiet the clearing.
Torren looked around slowly at the gathered wolves.
“We’re forgetting something.”
Bren crossed his arms.
“And what’s that?”
Torren’s voice was low but firm.
“The Rathmere attack.”
Several Alphas exchanged uneasy glances.
Torren continued.
“Someone is already trying to start a war between us and Lyra’s alliance.”
Seren nodded slightly.
“And this situation could easily be another provocation.”
Bren shook his head.
“You’re both ignoring the obvious.”
Torren looked directly at him.
“And what’s that?”
Bren’s voice grew sharper.
“Maybe Lyra decided to stop pretending this is just an ideological conflict.”
The clearing fell quiet again.
Because that possibility had crossed everyone’s mind.
Seren folded her arms.
“If Lyra wanted to start a war, she wouldn’t do it by kidnapping one Alpha.”
Bren shrugged.
“Maybe she’s testing us.”
Torren glanced toward the tree line.
“He’ll decide.”
Everyone knew who he meant.
Kael arrived shortly after midnight.
The clearing quieted the moment he stepped into the firelight.
He had already read the initial reports during his journey.
The disappearance.
The evidence.
The accusations spreading among his followers.
Torren approached first.
“You’ve heard.”
“Yes.”
Kael’s voice was calm, but his eyes were already scanning the gathered Alphas.
Bren stepped forward immediately.
“Alpha Darius is gone.”
“I know.”
“We found scent trails from Lyra’s alliance.”
Kael said nothing.
Bren continued, frustration creeping into his tone.
“This is exactly what we warned about.”
Torren sighed quietly.
Bren pointed toward the forest beyond the clearing.
“First Rathmere.”
“Now this.”
He looked directly at Kael.
“How much more proof do we need?”
Kael studied him for a long moment.
Then he asked a simple question.
“Did anyone see Lyra’s wolves take him?”
Bren hesitated.
“No.”
“Did anyone see wolves from her alliance in the territory?”
“No.”
Kael folded his arms.
“Then what we have is a scent.”
Bren scoffed.
“That’s enough.”
Seren spoke quietly.
“Not if someone wants us to think it’s enough.”
Bren turned sharply toward her.
“You’re still defending them?”
Kael’s voice cut through the argument.
“I’m not defending anyone.”
The clearing went silent again.
Kael stepped closer to the fire.
His shadow stretched across the ground behind him.
“What I’m refusing,” he continued, “is a conclusion built on assumptions.”
Bren’s frustration finally surfaced openly.
“So what do you think happened?”
Kael looked around at the gathered wolves.
“I think someone wants us to believe Lyra took Darius.”
Torren nodded slightly.
“That’s my conclusion too.”
Bren laughed bitterly.
“Of course it is.”
He looked directly at Kael again.
“You’re doing it again.”
Kael’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Doing what?”
“Protecting her.”
The accusation hung in the air.
Several Alphas shifted uncomfortably.
Bren continued.
“Every time Lyra’s alliance is involved, you hesitate.”
Kael’s voice remained steady.
“I hesitate when the evidence doesn’t make sense.”
Bren shook his head.
“No.”
His voice lowered.
“You hesitate when it’s her.”
The clearing became very quiet.
Because Bren had just spoken the thought many wolves had been whispering privately.
Seren watched Kael carefully.
Torren rubbed the back of his neck.
No one wanted to escalate the moment further.
But the tension was real.
Bren took another step forward.
“If Lyra really is responsible for this—”
Kael interrupted him.
“She isn’t.”
The certainty in his voice stopped everyone.
Bren blinked.
“You don’t know that.”
Kael’s gaze didn’t waver.
“Yes, I do.”
Bren stared at him.
“How?”
Kael didn’t explain.
Instead, he turned slightly toward Torren.
“Continue the investigation.”
Torren nodded.
“And the accusations?”
Kael’s answer was immediate.
“They stop.”
Bren let out an incredulous laugh.
“You’re serious?”
Kael’s voice hardened slightly.
“Yes.”
Bren looked around the clearing.
“An Alpha from our network disappears, and you don’t even blame the obvious enemy.”
Kael’s gaze met his again.
“Lyra is not responsible.”
Bren shook his head slowly.
“And you know that because…?”
Kael didn’t answer.
But the silence itself carried meaning.
Seren watched the exchange carefully.
The problem wasn’t just the disappearance.
It was the growing perception among some followers that Kael treated Lyra differently than any other rival.
Bren finally stepped back.
“Fine.”
His voice carried clear skepticism.
“But if you’re wrong…”
He didn’t finish the sentence.
He didn’t need to.
Hours later, the clearing had emptied.
Most of the Alphas had returned to their territories.
Only Torren remained with Kael near the dying fire.
Torren tossed another branch into the flames.
“That could’ve gone worse.”
Kael stared into the fire.
“Yes.”
Torren scratched his beard.
“They’re starting to notice.”
Kael didn’t ask what he meant.
Torren said it anyway.
“You trust Lyra.”
Kael didn’t deny it.
Torren leaned back on a fallen log.
“And they don’t understand why.”
Kael remained silent for a moment.
Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small communication device.
Torren raised an eyebrow.
“You’re not actually going to—”
Kael had already begun typing.
The message was short.
Very short.
Torren watched quietly.
“You think she’ll respond?”
Kael finished sending the message.
“I didn’t ask for a response.”
Torren shook his head slightly.
“You’re unbelievable.”
Kael slipped the device back into his pocket.
Miles away in the council tower, Lyra sat alone in her office.
The disappearance of Alpha Darius had already reached her through intelligence channels.
Selka had delivered the report earlier that evening.
The accusations spreading among Kael’s followers.
The scent evidence pointing toward Lyra’s alliance.
The tension building between factions.
Lyra was still reviewing the information when her tablet vibrated softly.
She frowned slightly.
Most late-night messages were urgent council matters.
But the sender ID made her freeze.
Kael.
Her fingers hovered above the screen for a moment before she opened the message.
There was only one line.
I know you didn’t do it.
Lyra stared at the words.
No accusation.
No demand.
No political maneuvering.
Just a statement.
A simple expression of trust.
Her chest tightened slightly.
Because the message carried more weight than Kael probably intended.
He was facing pressure from his own followers.
They were already accusing her alliance.
And yet he had sent this message anyway.
Lyra leaned back slowly in her chair.
Selka’s earlier warning echoed faintly in her memory.
If war really begins… you’ll have to fight him.
Lyra looked at the message again.
Kael trusted her.
Even now.
Even when doing so could make his own supporters question his leadership.
The realization unsettled her more than any accusation ever could.
Because trust, in a time like this, was far more dangerous than hostility.
Lyra closed the tablet slowly.
And for the first time since the disappearances and attacks had begun, a troubling thought surfaced in her mind.
If Kael continued defending her like this…
How long before his own followers began seeing her not just as an enemy—
But as a weakness.