The Alpha's Secret

Chapter 9

The moon low in the sky, causing pale light over Selena’s room. She sat by the window, her dagger on the table beside her. Her mind filled with thoughts of the traitor, Brynn’s denial, and the rogues’ calculated moves.

This isn’t just a coincidence. Someone wants us to think it’s Brynn—but why him? What’s their motive?

A silent knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts. Darian entered, his expression unpredictable.

Darian: “Still awake?”

Selena: “How can I sleep when the pack is falling apart?”

Darian resting against the wall, arms crossed. His presence was steady, grounded, though his sharp gaze seemed to read her every thought.

Darian: “You can’t fix this overnight. But sitting here and tearing yourself apart won’t help either.”

Selena: “I’m not tearing myself apart. I’m planning.”

As morning came, Selena gathered Caleb and a few trusted pack members in the training yard. She held up the bloodstained cloth, her voice bold.

“This was left behind at the previous rogue attack. We all know what it means. But I don’t believe Brynn is the traitor.”

The group exchanged uneasy glances. Caleb stepped forward, his brow furrowed.

“Then who? And why would they frame Brynn?”

Selena’s gaze was sharp. “That’s what we’re going to find out. We’ll retrace every step, every patrol he’s been on. Someone’s been watching us, and we’re going to find them.”

If the traitor wants us to turn on each other, they’ll realize I’m not so easily manipulated.

Selena and Caleb led a few group to the eastern border, retracing Brynn’s most recent patrol route. The forest was quiet, the air thick with tension.

Caleb: “This feels odd. Like we’re being watched.”

Selena: “We probably are. Keep your guard up.”

As they reached a small opening, Selena spotted something shinning under the bushes. She knelt, moving aside the leaves to reveal a silver amulet engraved with a symbol she didn’t recognize.

“Is that… pack property?”

Selena shook her head, her fingers tightening around the amulet.

“No. But it’s a message. Whoever left this wanted us to find it.”

A rustling sound came from the trees behind them, and Selena’s heart jumped. She called for the others to stay back as she stepped forward, her dagger drawn out.

Selena: “Who’s there? Show yourself!”

The figure that surfaced was cloaked in shadow, their face hidden underneath a hood. Their voice was low and rasping.

“Leave the eastern border alone. This is your only warning.”

Selena didn’t fear, her dagger steady in her hand.

Selena: “And if I don’t? Are you going to send more rogues to test us?”

The figure chuckled, a hollow, unsettling sound.

“The rogues are the least of your worries, Luna. Your real enemies are much closer than you think.”

Closer than I think? Is this another attempt to sow doubt, or is there truth in their words?

Before Selena could respond, the figure tossed a small vial toward her. She caught it instinctively, her gaze narrowing as she recognized the scent of wolfsbane.

“Consider this a gift. Use it wisely.”

In a flash, the figure disappeared into the forest, leaving Selena and her group stunned.

Caleb: “What the hell was that?”

Selena: “A warning. And a challenge.”

Back at the pack grounds, Selena examined the vial under the flickering light of a lantern. Darian stood nearby, his arms crossed.

Darian: “Wolfsbane. Highly concentrated. That’s enough to kill a wolf twice over.”

Selena: “Why give it to me? What are they trying to prove?”

Darian’s gaze darkened. “They’re testing you. Seeing how far you’re willing to go to protect your pack.”

They want me to use this. But on who? The rogues? Or someone closer to home?

“We need to find out who that was. And what they’re planning next.”

News of the mysterious figure spread quickly, further affecting the tension within the pack. Brynn remained under suspicion, though some began to question the council’s leadership as well.

“How do we know the council isn’t hiding something from us?”

Another Pack Member: “Or maybe it’s Darian. He’s a rogue, isn’t he?”

Selena intervened before the argument could escalate, her voice bold.

“Enough of this. We’re all on the same side here. The enemy wants us to fight each other apart— that’s how they’ll win.”

Her words calmed the crowd, but she could feel the cracks in the pack’s unity widening.

Late that night, Selena returned to her room, the amulet and vial put away in her desk. As she prepared for bed, a silent sound caught her attention— a soft knock at the window.

She turned, her heart racing, to see a piece of parchment pinned to the glass. Written in bold, jagged letters were the words:

“TRUST NO ONE.”