“We have a lead that I’m following,” Noah replies somberly, but I can see the smirk in his eyes.
“I see.” Karina doesn’t look like she’s done with Noah quite yet. “I heard there was some unrest in your pack just after your father died. You captured someone.”
That’s an odd thing for Karina to say. Is she trying to dig for news about Julia? Doesn’t she know Julia is dead? After all, the Queen did attack the village as a result…
I suspect Lily has told Noah about Julia, and I’m proven right when Noah murmurs, “Captured? I’m afraid your information is incorrect. I closed the pack borders, but somehow the culprit was able to flee.”
Karina looks disappointed. “I see. That is unfortunate. It would have been a relief to hear that you were able to avenge Robert’s death.”
She clearly doesn’t buy Noah’s explanation, although why she would think that Noah would reveal that he captured somebodyfrom the North is beyond me. As she walks away, I see her give him the side-eye.
“Attendants,” Lily says, sounding amused. “Now, why didn’t I think of that?”
I catch her shooting me an arrogant look. Does she expect me to feel insulted? I have bigger problems on my mind than having somebody call me an attendant. She’s distracted soon enough, and my mother and I are pretty much ignored for the next couple of hours. I take that time to work on the collar.
When the festivities finally begin, Karina climbs to the top of the magnificent staircase and addresses the crowd. “Welcome, all, to the Winter Banquet. Now that we’re all here—”
“We’re not all here,” somebody says. “There is one pack missing. The Moonrise Wolf Pack.”
Karina doesn’t look irritated. In fact, it almost seems like she anticipated the interruption. Or that she planned it.
She taps her fingers on her cheek, pretending to look distressed. “The Moonrise Wolf Pack. I’m afraid you’re talking about a pack that has turned its back on the North Alliance. They have chosen to be traitors.”
Murmurs erupt in the ballroom.
Karina raises a hand to quiet everybody down, then continues. “As you may know, I had hopes of encouraging a mating between the Alpha of the Moonrise Wolf Pack and a female that I trusted and believed would have been a good addition to his pack. You all have met Julia, my right-hand woman. It pains me to say that she is no more. Alpha Alex Stone, with the help of his pack, killedher. Julia was like a sister to me, and Alex, a son. After all, I felt responsible for his future after his parents passed. I thought he was grateful for my attention. But he killed Julia, a member of the Cross River Wolf Pack, and that is not something I can ignore. Alpha Stone did this deliberately, and he and his pack will have to pay the price for it. I have ordered the extermination of the entire Moonrise Wolf Pack.”
Shocked sounds fill the room, and Noah chuckles, glancing at me. “Did you think I was lying to you? Your mate has no chance of surviving. Even if he doesn’t show up here tonight, he and his pack will be hunted down like prey. If anything, you should be grateful to me for rescuing you from imminent death.”
I glare at him. I know he’s mocking me.
Karina is not done. Gesturing with her arms, she announces. “Let us not discuss the annihilation of the traitors any further. I would rather announce that I have come into possession of something so utterly unique that I feel compelled to share it with you all tonight.”
This grabs Noah’s attention. I don’t really care what Karina has to say. All I want is for no one to pay attention to me or my mother so that I can work in peace.
But that is not to be.
Karina’s next words have me freezing in place.
“I am in possession of the legendary Silver Wolf.”
The whole room is silent except for the members of the Central Alliance, who start whispering among themselves. They look displeased and upset, which is no surprise. After all, the SilverWolf comes from the Central Alliance. No wonder they’re angry about this.
One of them steps forward and demands. “What are you talking about, Queen Karina? The Silver Wolf isn’t real.”
Now, that takes me by surprise. I did not expect the Central Alliance to deny the existence of the Silver Wolf.
Karina beams. “I’m afraid that is not true. Some time ago, I received a prophecy from a coven of witches in my lands. They told me about the Silver Wolf, whose power was unimaginable. The possession of this wolf would provide the ability to combine all three Alliances under one rule. I have found the Silver Wolf, and I believe that I am best suited to bring about the unification of the three Alliances so that we can all live together as one.”
Her words are not well-received.
“We already have a leader in the South,” one of the Alphas from the South Alliance shouts over the din in the ballroom. “We do not need a new one. What you are saying goes against all Alliance rules. The three Alliances exist for a reason.”
“They existed for a reason,” Karina corrects him. “It’s time we became one.”
“You are not the deciding factor here,” another Alpha says.
What I find interesting is that nobody from the Central Alliance is taking part in this discussion. Instead, they’re immersed in their own conversation. One of them stands out to me. He’s looking in our direction. At first, I think he’s looking at me, and I grow stiff. But then, I realize that his eyes are fixed on the personstanding at my shoulder: my mother. She doesn’t seem to have noticed him.