Alpha's Heart Ana's Fate

CHAPTER 13: THE RECORD LIST

Cirgee pack. I said trying to force myself to believe it's not true.

Wait a minute, you mean your Cirgee pack Ana? Rose said as she laughed in a rather mocking tone.

I ignored her completely and continued in my panic mode, waiting to here from Kieran.

Sure you don't have a hand in this Ana? Rose said confidently. I recall trouble spiked in this Pack right from the minute you entered.

Murmurs began. She is part of the people who infiltrated our pack really?..

Enough! Alpha Kieran Screamed. He addressed Rose immediately. Rose I won't have you fill everyone's head with your hate. I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that.

If you don't have anything meaningful to add to this issue we are trying to resolve right now, I'll advise you to keep your mouth shut.

Kieran’s voice now cold spoke to me instantly. “ It could be possible he went to Cirgee pack but we aren't certain about that so there's no need to jump into conclusion".

He must have been working for someone there or with someone there or maybe he never left, probably he may be hiding somewhere around now..”

Corvin didn’t respond for a moment.

Then: he said. "Or else someone made sure he was gone." This is exactly when I realized something odd about Corvin.

His hands… They were shaking and couldn't seem to be fully stable.

Was it fear? No, I don't think so. It felt like he was trying his best to keep his cool and be in control.

Like he was suppressing a reaction. Kieran moved closer to him.

“So my seal could have been copied by "Elder Maeron." Corvin nodded instantly.

“Yes Alpha he said his head facing the floor now..”

A pause followed. Elder Covin turned his face right back up and continued speaking… “Or by someone who had learned from him.”

This changed everything because it expanded the list of suspects rather than narrowed it.

I felt Lysa move slightly towards me. She whispered to me quietly. “This just got a whole lot more complicated.”

I didn’t respond because I knew she was right. Kieran stood up straight. His voice regained its authoritative tone.

"Lock the seal archives immediately!."

"There should be no access after now unless I authorize that directly."

Two warriors were on it like a hot knife to butter. “Immediately.” Two more warriors leapt up from the Hall and moved to guard the record list.

One warrior immediately spoke up. But Alpha Kieran. Elder Covin is questionable. Another Warrior added in affirmation.

Yes Alpha Kieran, he should be detained and interrogated to get to the bottom of this.

There was a silence in the hall.This could be very risky. Since Elder Corvin was present.

Kieran did not immediately give an answer. He looked at Elder Corvin for a long time.

Measuring his expression and body movement before eventually replying to the warrior.

"Not yet." One phrase didn’t make everything okay. It just meant postponing the decision.

Elder Corvin nodded respectfully. "Just as expected." No further statement was made.

But something about his tone seemed way too composed. As if he expected what would happen next.

While the hall descended once more into murmurs, I continued to watch Corvin.

There was something off about him. It was neither guilt nor innocence. It was something in between.

As if he accepted everything coming to him like he knew exactly what would happen next. And this made me feel uneasy.

Because people like him to me, never worked alone. He couldn't have pulled this off alone if he was in it for real.

And for the first time since the intruder came into my room, I considered the possibility that Greenwood might be getting invaded from inside out.

Before I could finish wrapping my head on what is going on currently, Kieran snapped around abruptly.

“Elder Covin, I think you're a prime suspect in this case and you should be investigated.”

Warriors! Kieran called like fire. Yes Alpha, they responded.

Kieran’s cold voice rang out once more.

“Detain Elder Corvin.” Everyone froze.

It lasted for maybe half a second but Corvin still didn’t move. Slowly, he turned his head.

Neither surprised nor frightened. Only...aware. “As you wish Alpha, he bowed to Kieran.”

Two warriors cautiously approached him.

They were controlling and firm but very respectful towards Elder Covin.

Elder Corvin did not struggle. He let them take his arms. As they walked him further, the whispers broke out once more.

“He’s been apprehended…” “The Record Keeper?” “This is bad…” I stared at him.

Watching for any hint of fear of panic or even denial, yet there was none.

Just the same peculiar lack of emotion. As if being detained had always been part of the plan.

Before reaching the door, Corvin stopped briefly. Just enough to turn his head in my direction.

Our gazes met once more. There was no smile or sadness in his face. Instead, a warning in silence I couldn’t quite comprehend.

He didn’t struggle when they dragged him away anyway. But just before crossing the Hall door.

Kieran put his hand up in the air.

“Hold it.” He said in a loud commanding voice.

The guards obeyed without hesitation. Kieran’s gaze was set on the record list lying on the table.

“Verify this again, just to be sure.” One of the younger record keepers came forward quickly.

Placing both records next to each other..Using his seal verification stamp.

Once then twice. Dead silence filled the room.

All I could hear was my breathing. And the answer came forth right away.

“Authorization valid”.

Kieran’s signature was verified once again.

Murmur traveled across the hall. But still the record keeper did not withdraw.

His face showed some slight frown now.

Kieran's voice rang through the room, press it once more. And slower this time around.

We waited. Then suddenly, there was a second answer appearing on the record list

This time it's different from the first one.

The hall changed instantly. The Record keeper blinked.

"That…is not supposed to be." He looked at it again. And for the third time, the record list suddenly became two. How is this even possible? I asked myself quietly.

Two authorization logs showing up at the same time!!. Same timestamp, same signature imprint.

But two different paths of commands… Dead silence filled the hall.

A Whispered voice from the Hall said:

"There are two authorizations there now!."

Slowly Kieran took a step forward.

Lowering his tone. "It cannot be true."

The guard who checked it swallowed hard now.

"I did one verification." But I don't understand where the second one came from. I just saw it here.

Then he turned the record list around to show us. "They are both real." But it's only one authorization.

Everyone froze and became confused including I. Because there could only be one conclusion drawn from this.

Two truths coming out of the system.. There was a slight shift in Kieran’s facial features.

Not a surprise but growing control.

“Show me the origin logs.” He said

The guard paused. Then replied in a whisper. “The logs have already been overwritten.”

A moment of silence followed. Then came a warrior on the side who demanded.

“If the logs are overwritten, how are both logs still active?” No one replied.

Elder Corvin, still restrained near the entrance, then he let out a soft laugh.

Not a loud one, just soft with a touch of wickedness. Kieran twisted his head a little.

Elder Corvin stared back into his eyes.

And said: “That’s not corruption.” “That's a replacement.”

Kieran’s face instantly grew serious.

“ By who and how is this that to our very own eyes, such mischief could occur.?”

Elder Corvin remained silent. But his expression revealed a weight of secrets while he looked at Kieran and then back at the record list…

My stomach tightened in response to the tensed up situation in the hall. Kieran stood still for a second.

Then gave another command. “Until further notice, Greenwood will be under full internal restriction.”

The Warriors acted right away. The hall started breaking down into murmurs. But nothing seemed normal anymore.

Because now he wasn’t simply some kind of intruder. He wasn’t even a mere token thief. He was a threat from within Greenwood.

For the first time since I had arrived in Greenwood, I came to the realization th

at we weren’t dealing with an enemy at all.

We were dealing with our own depths of corruption and it lurked within. Just then I heard something before I could turn back he…