CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED & EIGHTY SEVEN
Talia’s POV
“What is it?” I asked, hoping that it was good news.
Henry hesitated briefly before answering, “Before I left, I found out that the Doomfur pack was attacked by rogues.”
I frowned immediately. “How bad was it?”
“Severe enough that multiple perimeter defenses were breached,” Henry replied.
“Why didn’t you inform us? I told you to inform me if any of Shadowclaw’s allies ran into any issues,” I demanded.
“Well, that’s where it gets strange.”
Nolan’s eyes narrowed slightly. “What do you mean?”
“I would have told you if it was an issue, but it doesn’t seem to be anymore,” Henry answered. “Alpha Kent refused assistance from Shadowclaw entirely and said he and his pack would handle the rogues.”
Nolan and I looked at each other before looking back at Henry. “Are you sure about that? How could he handle a rogue attack on his own, especially at that scale?” I repeated.
“When a scout reported to us what was happening, I offered support personally. Alpha Kent told us not to come, that it would be a challenge to his title as Alpha if we did,” Henry explained.
I was dumbfounded. Alpha Kent had inherited leadership of Doomfur less than a year ago, after his father’s death. Born without a wolf, he had always been dismissed as weak by the neighboring packs and faced years of ridicule. Despite that, he managed to keep Doomfur safe and proved himself more capable than anyone expected. Still, Doomfur was a small, vulnerable pack, and even with Kent’s determination, they were not strong enough to repel a major rogue attack on their own.
“And what is the status of Doomfur?” Nolan asked.
“Fine. Alpha Kent said they were able to repel the rogues,” Henry replied.
“That makes no sense,” Nolan said flatly. “How is that even possible?”
“Let’s say he did repel the rogues. The question would be how,” I said.
Henry lowered his voice slightly. “I don’t know how, but I think Kent is hiding something.”
“We need everyone together immediately,” Nolan said after a long pause. “In Solon’s office in one hour.”
By the time everyone arrived, I could feel the tension in the air like a weighted blanket on my back. And it wasn’t just me feeling it. No one looked relaxed.
Marco stood near the bookshelf with his arms crossed tightly over his chest while Leslie sorted absently
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through several medical reports, she clearly was no longer reading. Solon was sitting on his couch, twirling a pencil. Della remained beside the window watching the darkening sky outside, her expression unreadable beneath the dim light spilling across the room.
“So, are you going to tell us what is going on?” Della finally asked when Nolan and I entered the office.
“To summarize, the Doomfur pack was attacked by rogues. Shadowclaw attempted to provide reinforcements, but Alpha Kent refused reinforcements and advised that they successfully repelled the rogues,” I said.
“Kent refused reinforcements?” Solon repeated incredulously.
Henry nodded.
“Alpha Kent? Wolfless Kent?” Marco questioned.
“He insisted Doomfur had the situation under control,” Henry answered.
“That’s bullshit,” Solon blurted out.
“And suspicious,” Leslie added. “He most certainly does not have the situation under control.”
“It is inconceivable,” Nolan said. “Kent’s own father openly considered him weak because he is wolfless. No matter how cunning he is, a wolfless Alpha leading one of the weaker packs in the region should have accepted help immediately after a rogue attack.”
“What makes this even more suspicious is that Kent is not a stupid man. We all know that,” I added. “It would be better if he was actually stupid.”
While Kent lacked physical strength, he made up for it with intelligence. Even before he became Alpha of Doomfur, he quietly built alliances while others focused on displays of dominance. Why fight when he could destroy his opponent before they even realized what was going on? People underestimated him out of pity, but being overlooked only made him more dangerous.
“You think he aligned himself with the rogues,” Della said carefully. “Or could he be held hostage by rogues?”
“I think it’s more plausible that he sided with the rogues. Kent would have burned down Doomfur before he allowed rogues to take over,” I replied.
“What would he gain from siding with them? This would be one hell of risk to take,” Marco stated.
“Kent is still bitter and he probably still holds grudges against packs that ridiculed him,” Nolan said.
Henry’s expression darkened further. “Then, if he has sided with rogues, the attack on Doomfur may not have been an attack at all. It could have been a cover to get enough rogues under his command for something he has planned.”
It made sense. It was a staged assault, a distraction large enough to conceal movements no one would question during the Harvest Gathering.
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“Will Kent still attend the Harvest Gathering?” Leslie asked. “If he doesn’t, maybe he is an issue we can deal with later for the time being.”
“No luck there. He’s attending,” Solon responded as he stood. He walked over to his desk and picked up the folder resting on the edge of his desk. Solon handed it to Leslie and she opened it.
“His formal response arrived this morning,” Solon continued. “Attendance confirmed for himself and select members from his pack.”
Marco frowned slightly and said, “What is wrong with that? If he is telling the truth, then there’s no reason that he wouldn’t attend.”
“I would have thought that if I hadn’t found out about this and the note he sent along with his confirmation only makes me even more telling,” Solon said.
“What note?” I asked. “He sent a note?”
“Oh hell,” Leslie muttered as she read a folded letter.
“What does it say, Leslie?” Della asked.
“He looks forward to unveiling a surprise worthy of this year’s Harvest Gathering,” Leslie replied.
Silence settled instantly across the room. Every instinct inside me tightened at once as a sense of thread swept through me.
The note read like a sweetly worded threat.
