96. I Stole It Directly From Counselor Vera’s Private Chamber

96. I Stole It Directly From Counselor Vera’s Private Chamber
Lia

"Yes. And look at the timeline." She swiped to another page. "The attacks on you, Lia, were just the beginning. They're planning a coordinated strike across six territories simultaneously. They want to decimate leadership in one night, then install their own Alphas, wolves who believe in their ideology."
"When?" Theron's voice was sharp.
"Three days from now. During the new moon, when our wolves are weakest." Seraphina looked at Kai. "The Eastern Pack's attack? It's a distraction. They want you focused on the immediate threat while the real assault happens somewhere else."
"Where?" I demanded.
She met my eyes, and for once, I didn't see the calculation. Just horror. "Silvercrest. They're going after Theron's pack because it's become a sanctuary for dormant bloodlines. If they destroy it, they send a message to every hybrid wolf in existence."
Theron went very still. "How reliable is this intelligence?"
"I stole it directly from Councilor Vera's private files." Seraphina's voice was tight. "She's been feeding information to the Circle for over a year. She's the one who told them about Lia's bloodline, about her instability, about every weakness in Feril's defenses."
"Vera." Kai's voice was death itself. "Where is she now?"
"I don't know. When I confronted her, she ran. But Alpha..." Seraphina turned the tablet around again, showing another document. "She's not the only traitor in your Council. Marcus, Helena, Thomas, they're all Circle operatives. They've been systematically weakening your pack from within for months."
I thought of Marcus, Damien's father, who'd died during the Blood Eclipse. "Marcus is dead."
"Because he tried to defect. Wanted to warn Kai about what was coming." Seraphina's expression was grim. "The Circle killed him and made it look like he died in battle. They couldn't risk him exposing their entire network."
Damien. His father had been trying to save the pack, and we'd all thought he was just another casualty of war.
"Show me everything," Kai commanded. "Every name, every connection, every planned attack. Now."
Seraphina nodded and started pulling up files. As she did, I caught Theron watching her with calculating eyes.
"This is convenient," he said softly. "You positioned yourself to betray Lia earlier, then suddenly became the hero with crucial intelligence."
Seraphina's hands are still on the tablet. "I know how it looks. But I swear…"
"Swear on what?" I interrupted. "On Lyanna? The mate you supposedly loved but whose death you've been using as political capital?"
Her face went white. "How dare you…"
"I dare because nothing about you adds up." I stepped closer despite the pain. "You want us to believe you've been investigating the Circle for three years, but you never told Kai until now? You have access to Vera's private files, but somehow missed that she was a traitor until today? You pushed for me to step down, positioned yourself perfectly to take over, but now you're the concerned ally?"
"I made mistakes," Seraphina said through gritted teeth. "I admit that. I was angry about Lyanna, and I let that anger make me selfish. But this…" she gestured to the tablet “…this is real. The threat is real. And if you don't believe me, you're going to get everyone killed."
"She's right about that much." Viktor approached from the perimeter, his expression grave. "I just got confirmation from our scouts. There's another Eastern Pack force massing ten miles north. They're planning a pincer attack, hit us from two sides while we're weakest."
Theron cursed. "If they coordinate with the main Circle assault in three days, we won't have the numbers to defend on multiple fronts."
"Then we don't defend." Kai's voice cut through the growing panic. "We attack first. Tonight. We hit the Eastern Pack camps before they can coordinate with the Circle. We eliminate the immediate threat, then we fortify and prepare for the real war."
"That's suicide," Seraphina breathed. "You'd be taking the fight into their territory with a fractured pack…"
"Not fractured." Kai's eyes swept the assembled wolves, warriors from both Feril and Silvercrest, Council members loyal and treacherous, wolves who'd wanted me dead hours ago. "United. Because the alternative is extinction."
He turned to me. "Can you fight?"
Every injury screamed no. My ribs were broken, my wrists raw from silver, my body begging for rest.
"Yes," I said.
"Liar." But he smiled, fierce, proud, devastating. "Good. I need you watching my back."
"Always."
Theron stepped forward. "My wolves fight with yours. We take down the Eastern Pack tonight, then we prepare for the Circle together."
"Agreed." Kai clasped his forearm, and I saw the grudging respect forming between them. "Viktor, organize strike teams. Seraphina…"
"I'll coordinate supply lines and medical support." She straightened her spine. "And after this is over, we'll discuss whether you believe me or not. But right now, can we agree the enemy of my enemy is my ally?"
"For now," I said coldly. "But I'm watching you."
"Fair enough." Her smile was brittle. "Watch closely. You might learn something."
As everyone dispersed to prepare, Kai pulled me aside. His hands cupped my face gently, thumbs tracing the bruises.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "For the cell. For not protecting you from the Council. For every moment I made you feel like you weren't enough."
"We don't have time for apologies."
"I know. But I needed to say it." He pressed his forehead to mine. "After tonight, everything changes. The Circle knows we're onto them now. They'll accelerate their plans, come at us harder. We might not survive this."
"Then we die together." I kissed him, tasting blood and desperation. "As equals. As partners."
"As mates," he whispered against my lips. "The bond might be damaged, but it's still there. Still connecting us. And after we win, when we win, we're going to fix it properly."
"Promise?"
"I swear it on my life."
A howl echoed from the forest, the signal that the strike teams were assembled.
Kai pulled back, his Alpha mask sliding into place. But his hand found mine, squeezed once.
Then we walked into war.
With allies we couldn't trust, a bond we couldn't quite feel, and enemies coming from all sides.
But we walked into it together.
And maybe, just maybe, that would be enough.