Chapter 4
690words
He turned, shock registering on his face when he spotted the document in her hand.
Elara tossed the report at his feet. He didn't even glance down, his eyes locked on hers.
"What exactly is that?" he asked, voice dangerously quiet.
"The wolf doctor's report," Elara replied, her voice devoid of emotion.
Silas finally looked down. Chloe's name at the top, "two weeks pregnant" boldly visible. The color drained from his face.
"Lies!" he snarled. "Enemy propaganda!" His roar reverberated through the room. "They're trying to destroy us before our covenant ceremony!"
Elara observed him silently. Through her mind-reading, she caught his panicked thought: "How the hell did she find this? Everything's falling apart!"
Elara took a step forward. Silas unconsciously retreated.
"Fine."
She stared directly into his eyes as he struggled to maintain contact.
"Then let's bring Chloe before the Council of Elders. Let her explain this in their presence."
He couldn't argue. Pack law held the Elders' questioning as sacred—not even Chloe would dare lie before them.
Raw panic broke through Silas's carefully maintained facade.
Just as Elara turned to summon the Elders, Silas suddenly convulsed. His face drained of color as he staggered dramatically into the bookshelf with a thunderous crash.
"My old wound," he gasped, voice strained to theatrical weakness. "It's… flaring up again."
Elara paused, watching his performance with cold detachment. She knew that scar well—the one he'd received three years ago, supposedly taking an enemy arrow meant for her. Since then, he'd wielded that scar like both medal and chain, binding her with guilt.
The study door burst open as Elders rushed in. They found Silas writhing on the floor in apparent agony while Elara stood watching, unmoved.
"Alpha!" The Grand Elder hurried to Silas's side, supporting him with concern.
"Elara, what have you done?" another Elder demanded furiously. "Don't you know emotional distress triggers his old wound? The covenant ceremony is tomorrow—how could you upset him now?"
"Indeed! He took that wound protecting you! How can you be so heartless?"
Every face showed concern for Silas. Every voice accused her. The emotional manipulation was suffocating.
Elara watched as they clustered around him, her attempt at exposure effortlessly deflected by his performance.
That night, silence blanketed their bedroom. Elara lay motionless, feigning sleep.
Silas carefully rose from the bed, confident she'd been subdued—certain her spirit had been crushed by his performance and the Elders' condemnation. He believed her vulnerable.
But Elara remained perfectly alert. In the darkness, his unguarded thoughts revealed his deepest schemes with crystal clarity.
Tomorrow, during the Moon Goddess Covenant ceremony, he would use her bloodline to permanently absorb her family's remaining power and ancient magic. This ritual was the cornerstone of his plan.
Once she transferred everything to him, he would instantly betray her. He planned to sacrifice her to the legendary Abyss as a "traitor to the pack."
His true goal: harvesting her soul energy to elevate his own power. Her death would be nothing but a stepping stone to his ascension.
Finally, he would play the grieving widower, the vengeful mate—and then legitimately claim Chloe, already carrying his heir, as his new Luna.
Chloe would take her place, her child becoming the next heir. He coveted not just Elara's wealth and position, but her very existence. He meant to consume everything she was.
What he failed to realize: his intended sacrifice had become Death herself, scythe already poised at his throat.
Once certain Silas was deeply asleep, Elara silently opened her eyes.
She slipped from the bed without a sound, bare feet silent on the thick carpet. Approaching a massive oil painting, she pressed a concealed mechanism. A hidden panel slid open in the wall.
Behind the panel lay a small hidden chamber. At its center, resting on a stone pedestal, sat an ancient communicator—the final secret her mother had entrusted to her.
Elara stepped inside and retrieved a small data drive from her pocket.
The time had come to activate the Phoenix Protocol.
