KAEL’S POV The moment Garrett and Aaron led Clara through the heavy oak doors, the helpless look on my face disappeared.
I leaned back against the pillows and took a deep breath.
The numbness from the dark curse was finally fading, leaving my mind clear again.
But I still couldn’t shake the resolve in Clara’s eyes.
She was willing to go just to figure out what had happened.
I still didn’t know how she possessed that glow, but one thing was certain.
She was definitely more than what I was seeing.
A few minutes later, the doors opened again.
Heavy footsteps echoed across the stone floor as Garrett walked back into the room alone.
He closed the door behind him.
My eyes immediately turned to my Beta.
“Garrett,” I growled, sitting up straight.
My voice was rough but firm.
“Tell me everything that happened while I was unconscious.
Every word.
Every move.
Every betrayal.” Garrett walked over and stopped at the foot of the bed.
His face was serious as he began to tell me what had happened.
“The Elders didn’t waste any time, Alpha.
It was like they were planning your downfall all along.
The moment you collapsed in the snow, they started turning the pack against Clara.
They told everyone she was a dark witch sent to assassinate you.” My hands tightened into fists.
“Worse, they were already planning to call the High Council and declare you unfit to rule.
They wanted to choose a new Alpha while you were still fighting for your life.” I gritted my teeth.
Those old bastards.
I should have removed every one of those traditionalist Elders the moment I became Alpha.
The only reason I had allowed them to stay was because my mother had always wanted to preserve the old ways and traditions.
When she was alive, she made me promise to keep them so we wouldn’t forget the old laws.
But they had finally gone too far.
“Help me up,” I ordered, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed.
“Alpha, no!” Garrett protested as he stepped forward.
“Your stitches—” “I said help me up.” My Alpha aura filled the room, making the wooden walls creak.
I stood, biting back the sharp pain in my chest.
“Call an emergency pack meeting.
Tell everyone to gather in the central courtyard.
I’m dealing with this now.” I wasn’t going to lie in bed while they tried to take away my position.
If they wanted to play this game, I would make the first move.
And I would start by taking away their personal guards.
Garrett moved quickly.
Within twenty minutes, the pack horn sounded across the territory, calling every warrior, family, and Elder to the pack center.
Whispers filled the courtyard as I stepped onto the stone balcony in my heavy black fur mantle.
The moment the pack members saw me, they gasped.
The Elders had told them I was close to death.
Yet here I was, standing in front of them.
Garrett stood half a step behind me.
“Alpha, please,” he whispered.
“Don’t push yourself.
You only woke up less than an hour ago.
You’re still bleeding under your clothes.” “Let them see me standing,” I muttered.
I grabbed the cold stone railing and looked over the crowd.
“People of the Northern Pack,” I said, my voice carrying across the courtyard.
“I stand before you alive and well.” I briefly explained what had happened to me, leaving out the details that could make me look weak in front of other packs.
“I called you here because I want to address what happened while I was unconscious.” I looked across the crowd.
“I have seen the way some of you have treated the human doctor staying under my roof.” The courtyard became quiet.
“She left the safety of her home and her realm, walked into a blizzard, and risked her life to save a dying child in your courtyard.
She also kept your Alpha alive.” I paused.
“She did all of that while knowing that many of you hated her.” Low murmurs moved through the crowd.
Some of the younger warriors nodded.
But many of the older pack members remained silent.
I understood their fear.
Their families had suffered because of outsiders many years ago, and they were afraid of trusting another stranger.
But that did not excuse their actions.
Before I could continue, the traditionalist Elder stepped forward.
His wooden staff hit the stone floor with a loud thud.
“Do not listen to him!” the old man shouted, pointing at me.
“Our Alpha has been bewitched.
This human dark witch has placed a spell on his mind using forbidden magic.” The crowd went silent.
“She should be hanged for using such strange magic.” My eyes narrowed.
“You dare…” My voice dropped into a low growl.
“You dare call the magic that saved your Alpha strange?” I stared down at him.
“And you dare demand the death of the woman who kept this pack from falling into chaos?” The Elder opened his mouth to speak again, but I cut him off with a roar.
“Effective immediately,” My Alpha aura spread across the courtyard.
Half the crowd dropped to their knees.
“I am taking away the High Council’s authority to own, command, or maintain a private warrior force.” Gasps filled the courtyard.
“All soldiers currently under the Elders’ personal command are now under my direct command.” The traditionalist Elder’s face turned red with anger.
His hand moved toward the dagger at his belt.
Before he could do anything stupid, another Elder stepped forward.
It was Martin, the white-bearded Elder Garrett had told me about.
He placed a firm hand on the traditionalist Elder’s shoulder and shook his head.
The old man reluctantly stopped.
I gave them one final cold look before turning around and walking back inside.
My chest was burning, and every step felt heavier than the last.
As soon as the balcony doors closed behind us, I leaned against the stone wall.
Fresh blood was already soaking through my linen shirt.
“Garrett,” I breathed, looking at him.
My eyes hardened.
“Investigate those Elders.” Garrett straightened.
“Every ledger.
Every secret meeting.
Every border crossing they have authorized in the last six months.” I took another painful breath.
“Something isn’t right with them.” I looked toward the closed doors.
My gut was never wrong when it came to people I didn’t trust and right now, I knew without a doubt that there was something crazy going on that I didn’t know about.
“And I want to know who they’re really working for.”