– ELENA
I’d barely slept the night before. My head still throbbed from the press conference, the way Derek had held my hand in front of the cameras like we were still something, like we were united. Like I wasn’t still carrying the weight of all the things inside me that he’d shattered.
The shrapnel he’d left behind, working its way out of my skin slowly, one piece at a time.
And every piece hurt.
Now, I stood outside the Alliance Summit chamber, listening to the muffled sounds of arguing voices through the thick oak doors. Wolves from all over were inside–Alpha Council members, envoys from neighboring packs, a few Lunas and Betas who’d earned the right to advise.
And Mason… was nowhere to be found. Again. My father had expected him to attend in his
stead. And now I had to do it.
I clenched my jaw and opened the doors, the voices quieting for a beat before the tension
rolled back in like thunderclouds over a dry field.
“Princess Elena,” Alpha Jameson of the Hollow Pines Pack said, raising his brow as I took
my seat. “Glad someone from Moonstone could finally join us.”
I gave a polite nod. “My apologies. My brother was delayed.”
A low murmur ran through the room. The same murmur that had started cropping up all summit long. Where was Mason? Why was the future Alpha of Moonstone being represented by his sister? Was it a show of Luna strength… or a sign of something broken?
I ignored it. Just like I ignored the flare of heat I felt when Derek stepped into the room, dressed in his signature black, the platinum pin on his lapel flashing like a warning sign. His eyes found mine briefly, unreadable as always.
“Now that we’re all here,” said Alpha Chen from the western plains, “we need to talk about
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the rogue faction. Who’s leading them?”
“Rogues don’t have leaders,” someone scoffed from across the table.
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“That used to be true,” I said quietly. The words slipped out before I’d even thought them through.
Silence fell like a blade.
All eyes turned to me.
I swallowed. “They’re coordinating. That much is clear. My Gamma said—” I stopped, realizing how it might sound, that I was quoting tactics.
a
“He said if he were leading them, he’d unite the scattered groups. Hit packs where they least expect it. Make them panic. Disrupt their alliances.”
“Guerilla tactics?” Asked an elder Luna. She’d been a warrior before she’d become a Luna.
I’d always respected her.
I nodded.
She gave me a knowing look, a nod of respect. “That would make sense,” she went on. “Guerrilla forces avoid head–on battles with better–equipped armies and instead use coordinated, small–unit tactics to destabilize, demoralize, and exhaust the larger force.”
“You’re saying this was orchestrated?” Alpha Chen asked, brow furrowing.
Derek leaned forward. “She’s not wrong. The attack on my convoy several weeks ago was strategic. They pulled back before reinforcements could arrive.”
There was some rumbling amongst some of the Alphas, but Derek pressed on. “It wasn’t a chaotic ambush–it was a test. A probe. They’re watching us. Measuring our responses. That kind of coordination doesn’t happen without leadership.”
“Who the hell is smart enough to organize rogues?” said another voice from the far side of the table.
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I stared at the crest embroidered into the tablecloth, my fingers tracing the gold stitching.
“They’re not dumb animals,” I said. “Not all of them.”
A few skeptical glances were exchanged. One Alpha leaned forward. “Since when are you a war tactician, Princess?”
“I’m not,” I replied, lifting my chin. “But I can fight if I need to.”
I held my composure, but I could feel my eyes flash gold for a moment, and a few of the older Alphas sat back, surprised.
Derek gave a slow nod. He didn’t smile, didn’t gloat–but I saw it in his eyes. Approval. And
I hated how good that made me feel.
Then the conversation turned. Alpha Regis stood and slammed a file down on the table. “What’s this I hear about Moonstone’s future Alpha missing half the summit preparations?
And where is he now?”
Oh, Goddess.
“He’s had business back home,” I said.
“Business that outweighs this?” Regis snapped. “Forgive me, Princess, but it’s been you handling most of the affairs here. Is this a sign of things to come? Will Moonstone be led by its Alpha… or its Luna?”
A wave of murmurs rose again.
I opened my mouth to respond–then saw Mason walking into the chamber, just in time to
hear it.
His jaw flexed. His eyes locked on mine. But he said nothing.
Which wasn’t like him.
We all broke for lunch after that, and I pulled Mason aside the moment we were out of sight.
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