Chapter 73: Ghosts of the Past

Mariana’s POV

My breath caught in my throat.

The hooded figure stepped closer, their face illuminated by the silver light of the moon. My heart pounded as recognition crashed into me.

No. It couldn’t be.

Garrick swore under his breath. Eva’s dagger twitched in her grip.

Alexander didn’t move. His entire body was locked in place, his gaze sharp and unreadable.

The figure raised their hands slowly, a show of peace. But the damage was already done.

Because we all knew exactly who they were.

And they were supposed to be dead.

“Hello, Alexander,” the voice was rougher than I remembered, but still familiar.

I swallowed hard, my pulse racing. “Julius.”

The name fell from my lips like a curse.

Julius—one of Marion’s top enforcers. A ruthless warrior, loyal to the old Alpha until the bitter end. A traitor to the pack.

A man we thought had died months ago in the final battle.

And yet, here he was.

Alive.

Standing before us like a ghost made flesh.

Alexander’s expression didn’t change, but I could feel the tension rolling off him. “You should be dead.”

Julius smirked, though there was no warmth in it. “I almost was. But I had unfinished business.” His gaze flickered to me. “And so do you.”

A growl rumbled in my chest. “What the hell are you doing here?”

Julius tilted his head. “Delivering a warning.”

Eva scoffed. “Oh, great. First Alexander gets a cryptic threat, and now you’re here to be mysterious? Spit it out, or I’ll carve the answer out of you.”

Julius chuckled. “Still feisty, Eva.”

Her fingers twitched, but Alexander lifted a hand, stopping her from lunging. His voice was ice. “Talk.”

Julius exhaled, his smirk fading. “Marion’s death left a void. You may have won the battle, but you didn’t kill all his supporters.” His gaze darkened. “Some of them are regrouping. And they’re not just waiting in the shadows anymore.”

A pit formed in my stomach.

“They’ve already made their move,” I whispered.

Julius nodded. “They have allies. And they’re coming for you.” His gaze locked onto Alexander. “They don’t see you as the rightful Alpha. They see you as a mistake.”

Silence.

Then Alexander took a slow step forward. “And what about you, Julius? Whose side are you on?”

Julius smiled—cold and calculating. “For now? Yours.”

I didn’t believe him.

And I wasn’t sure Alexander did either.

But one thing was certain.

The storm we’d feared wasn’t coming.

It was already here.

The air was thick with distrust.

Julius stood before us, hands still raised in a mockery of peace, but none of us were fooled. His sudden reappearance, his cryptic warnings—it all reeked of manipulation.

Alexander’s jaw was tight, his fingers flexing at his sides. “Why should we believe anything you say?”

Julius shrugged. “You don’t have to. But ignoring me won’t make the truth go away.”

Garrick’s growl was low and dangerous. “You expect us to believe you just switched sides? That you suddenly care about the pack after everything you did?”

Julius didn’t even flinch. “I never said I cared about the pack. But I do care about survival.” His gaze flickered to Alexander. “And like it or not, you are the only thing standing between them and complete destruction.”

The weight of his words settled in my chest like a stone.

We had suspected for weeks that unrest still simmered beneath the surface of our victory, but this… this was confirmation that the war wasn’t over. It had only shifted into something more dangerous.

Alexander exhaled sharply. “Who’s leading them?”

Julius hesitated, just for a second, but it was enough. He knew something—something worse than he was letting on.

“No names,” he said finally. “But it’s bigger than you think. There are wolves outside the pack’s borders involved in this. Old allies, new enemies. They’re patient, strategic. And they’ve been planning this since the day you took power.”

A slow dread crawled up my spine.

Eva crossed her arms. “And yet, instead of running to them, you’re here. Why?”

Julius smirked. “Because I know how this ends. If they win, there won’t be a pack left to rule.” His eyes darkened. “They don’t just want to take Alexander down. They want to tear this pack apart from the inside out.”

Silence. The kind that settled deep in the bones.

Julius had always been a liar, a survivor. But there was something in his voice—something I hated to admit sounded true.

Alexander turned to me, his expression unreadable.

“We need to move,” I said quietly. “If they’re already organizing, we don’t have time to wait.”

Julius nodded approvingly. “Smart girl.”

Eva rolled her eyes. “I will stab you.”

Alexander ignored them both. “What’s their next move?”

Julius’ smirk faded. “You already know.”

I frowned, but then realization hit.

The council.

The pack had been uneasy for weeks. The council had been divided. And now, with this revelation…

They weren’t just waiting to see what would happen.

They were waiting to choose a side.

Alexander cursed under his breath. “They’re already in the pack.”

Julius nodded. “And if you don’t act soon, they won’t be hiding anymore.”

I looked at Alexander, my heart pounding.

If this was true, then the battle we thought we’d won was about to begin all over again.

Only this time, the enemy wasn’t outside our borders.

It was already here. The weight of Julius’ words pressed down on all of us.

The enemy wasn’t coming. They were already here.

Alexander’s expression didn’t change, but I could feel the energy in him shift—his wolf on edge, his mind working through the implications.

Eva, never one for patience, huffed. “So what now? We drag this traitor back to the castle and hope he’s not feeding us a bunch of well-crafted lies?”

Julius smirked. “You’re welcome to keep doubting me, but it won’t change the fact that your pack is already slipping through your fingers.”

Alexander’s fists clenched. “You’re walking a thin line, Julius.”

He sighed, feigning boredom. “I’m only here because you need me. Whether you admit it or not.”

My stomach churned. I hated that there was a part of me that agreed. Julius was dangerous, untrustworthy. But if he was right, if the pack was already compromised—then we needed information.

I took a slow breath. “Do you have proof?”

Julius’ eyes flicked to me, amusement sparking in his gaze. “You always were the smart one.”

Alexander growled, but I ignored him.

Julius tilted his head. “I don’t have proof that would satisfy you. Not yet. But I can tell you where to start looking.”

He stepped forward slightly, testing the space between us.

“The council isn’t just divided,” he said. “Some of them are in on it.”

The air in my lungs turned to ice.

Garrick stiffened. Eva’s expression darkened.

I didn’t want to believe it. I couldn’t believe it. But the council had been unstable since Marion’s fall. They had power, influence. If even one of them was conspiring against us, the entire foundation of the pack could collapse.

Alexander’s voice was quiet, dangerous. “Who?”

Julius smiled. “Now, that’s the right question.”

He took a step back, hands still raised. “You’ll figure it out soon enough. But if I were you? I’d start with the ones who have the most to gain from your failure.”

Alexander’s jaw tightened. “Give me a name, or I’ll have Garrick break every bone in your body until you do.”

Julius’ smirk didn’t falter. “You won’t kill me. Not yet.”

And he was right.

Because as much as I hated to admit it, we needed him.

For now. Alexander’s nostrils flared, but finally, he turned to Garrick. “Restrain him. He’s coming back with us.”

Julius didn’t fight as Garrick grabbed him, yanking his arms behind his back. He even laughed. “I hope you have a good cell waiting for me.”

“Don’t worry,” Eva muttered darkly. “I’ll make sure it’s nice and miserable.”

We started moving. And as we slipped through the trees, the weight of what we’d just learned settled deep in my bones.

The council.

The pack. The growing divide between those who followed Alexander and those who still clung to the past. Julius had given us just enough information to shake us. And I had a sickening feeling that we were running out of time to stop what was coming.