Chapter 2

The morning light filtered through the council room's tall windows, casting long shadows across the territorial maps spread before us. I traced my finger along the northern border—a habit that had become almost meditative over the years—while the pack council members filed in for our weekly meeting. Six years of these gatherings had taught me exactly what to expect: Marcus would arrive last, assert his dominance with unnecessary force, and I would silently smooth over any ruffled feathers afterward.

Today was no different. The heavy oak doors swung open as Marcus strode in, his shoulders squared and chin lifted in that way that always made Silver bristle within me.

*He thinks a powerful stance compensates for weak leadership,* she growled in my mind.

I kept my expression neutral as he took his seat at the head of the table. But something was different today—a scent that didn't belong. I inhaled discreetly, my wolf's senses immediately identifying the intrusion.

Vanilla and jasmine, undercut with rosemary and something deliberately, unmistakably seductive.

Isabella's scent, clinging to my mate like a second skin.

My fingers stilled on the map as the realization washed over me. This wasn't the casual transfer of scents that happened during patrol. This was intimate—the kind of scent that lingered after prolonged, close contact.

"Let's begin," Marcus announced, not bothering to meet my eyes. "The eastern territory expansion is proceeding as planned."

I forced myself to focus on the meeting, contributing data on inter-pack negotiations that I'd spent weeks compiling. Just as I was explaining the terms of our proposed alliance with the Shadow Creek Pack, the council room door opened again.

Isabella Martinez slipped in, her dark hair falling in carefully arranged waves around her face. She offered an apologetic smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"I'm sorry for the interruption, Alpha," she said, her voice soft and deferential. "I have the patrol reports you requested."

Reports that should have come through Elias, our Beta. Reports that had no business being in a rogue's hands.

Marcus straightened, his entire demeanor shifting. "Thank you, Isabella. You can leave them here."

She approached the table, deliberately brushing past my chair to place the folder directly in front of Marcus. As she leaned forward, her eyes met mine for just a moment—a flash of mockery so brief I might have imagined it if Silver hadn't snarled in response.

*She's challenging us,* my wolf growled. *In our own territory.*

Isabella lingered longer than necessary, her scent mingling with Marcus's in a way that made my stomach twist. When she finally left, the air in the room felt thick with unspoken tension.

I continued my report as if nothing had happened, though every wolf at the table had surely noticed the exchange. The meeting concluded with Marcus taking credit for the alliance terms I'd negotiated, a familiar slight I barely registered anymore.

Later that afternoon, I was reviewing security protocols in my study when Elias knocked on my door, his expression grave.

"Luna Victoria, may I speak with you privately?"

I nodded, gesturing for him to close the door. "What is it?"

"There have been unusual footsteps near the private armory for the past three nights," he reported, his voice low. "The guards reported it to me this morning. The pattern suggests someone is mapping our security rotations."

My blood ran cold. The private armory contained not just weapons, but documents detailing our defensive strategies and weaknesses.

"Have you informed Marcus?" I asked, though I already suspected the answer.

"I tried," Elias said, his jaw tightening. "He was... unavailable."

With Isabella, no doubt. I rose from my desk. "Then we'll find him now."

We located Marcus in the training grounds, supervising the younger warriors. I approached him directly, aware of the many eyes watching us.

"Alpha, we need to discuss a security concern," I said formally.

Marcus's expression hardened. "Whatever it is can wait, Luna. I'm in the middle of something important."

"The private armory has had unauthorized activity," Elias stated, standing firmly at my side.

Marcus's eyes narrowed. "And you're bringing this to me now, in public?"

"We tried to find you earlier," I replied evenly.

"There's nothing to be concerned about," Marcus dismissed, loud enough for the nearby warriors to hear. "You're being paranoid, Victoria. This is exactly the kind of overreaction that undermines pack confidence."

The public rebuke stung, but it was the dismissal of a legitimate security threat that truly alarmed me. From the corner of my eye, I caught movement—a sleek, brown wolf slinking along the edge of the training grounds. Isabella in her wolf form, ears perked forward, listening intently to our conversation.

Marcus followed my gaze and his expression softened immediately upon seeing her. "We're done here," he said to me, already turning away.

I stood frozen as he walked toward Isabella, who shifted back to human form with practiced grace. They spoke in hushed tones, their body language intimate and exclusive.

"Luna," Elias murmured beside me, "Alpha King Logan Blackthorne has just arrived at the pack house. Unannounced."

My heart sank. An unannounced visit from the Alpha King could only mean trouble—trouble that Marcus was too distracted to notice was heading straight for us.