Chapter 4: The Intruder

The corridor was silent except for the faint creak of floorboards under my bare feet. The warning note burned in my hand like a brand. Leave before it's too late. The words played on repeat in my mind, tangled with the memory of the assassin's blade and the Alpha's piercing gaze.

If someone wanted me gone, they'd have to do better than cryptic threats.

The fortress walls loomed around me, cold and unyielding, but the wolf inside stirred uneasily. I needed answers. The note, the attack, the whispers—all of it pointed to something larger, something dangerous. And I couldn't ignore it.

The faint scent of old parchment and ink led me to the library. The room was deserted, its towering shelves casting long shadows in the dim light. My fingers skimmed the spines of books until they landed on the one I was searching for. A record of the fortress's history—and its secrets.

Tugging the heavy tome free, I flipped through its brittle pages until a diagram caught my eye. The pack fortress wasn't just a stronghold; it was a maze. And there, etched faintly in the margins, was a passage I hadn't seen before. Hidden. Forgotten.

Or intentionally concealed.

The map led me to the eastern wing, where the air grew colder with each step. The walls were damp, the scent of mildew mingling with stone. I followed the directions carefully, my breath clouding in the dim lantern light. At the end of the corridor, a tapestry hung crookedly on the wall.

Behind it, the outline of a narrow door was barely visible.

I pushed against it, and with a groan, it swung inward. Darkness swallowed me whole.

The passage was narrow, the air stale and suffocating. My fingers trailed along the rough stone as I moved forward, each step cautious. Somewhere ahead, faint voices drifted toward me.

I froze, pressing myself against the wall. The voices were low, but the words carried a dangerous weight.

"He grows weaker every day," one said, the tone sharp with disdain. "The pack needs a leader, not a relic."

"The Alpha won't fall so easily," another argued. "We need more time."

"Time we don't have," a third voice hissed. "The longer he stays in power, the more vulnerable we become. The council will back us if we act swiftly. He has to die."

My heart pounded as realization hit me. They weren't just discontented pack members. They were conspirators, plotting the Alpha's downfall.

I leaned closer, straining to catch more details, but my foot scuffed against loose gravel. The voices stopped. My stomach dropped as I heard the scrape of chairs and hurried footsteps.

"Who's there?"

I turned and ran, the narrow passage echoing with the sound of pursuit. Their growls and curses spurred me forward, the walls closing in on either side. My lungs burned as I burst back into the corridor, the tapestry fluttering behind me.

"Stop her!" one of them shouted, their voice laced with fury.

I didn't look back.

The fortress's maze-like halls worked against me, each turn a gamble. I could feel their presence closing in, their snarls and the scrape of claws against stone a constant reminder of how close they were.

My wolf surged forward, demanding release, but I forced it back. Shifting now would slow me down. I needed strategy, not brute force.

Finally, I spotted an alcove and darted into it, pressing myself against the wall. My breath came in shallow gasps as I listened to their footsteps thunder past.

For a moment, the world was silent, save for my racing heartbeat. Then I slipped out and made my way to the Alpha's quarters, the conspirators' words ringing in my ears.

The guards at the Alpha's door tensed as I approached. "I need to see him," I said, my voice firm despite the tremor in my limbs.

"The Alpha doesn't see outsiders without—"

"Now," I snapped. "It's about his life."

That got their attention. One of them hesitated before nodding, opening the door just wide enough for me to slip inside.

The Alpha was at his desk, golden eyes lifting to meet mine. His gaze was sharp, assessing, but not unkind. "You have something to say?"

"They're plotting against you," I said without preamble. "I overheard them in the hidden passage."

His expression darkened, but his voice remained calm. "And why should I believe you?"

"Because I'm still here," I said, meeting his gaze. "If I wanted you dead, I wouldn't have warned you."

The silence stretched between us, heavy with unspoken tension.

"Very well," he said finally. "But know this—if you betray me, you'll wish they had gotten to you first."

He turned to his Beta, who stood nearby with an expression of cold distrust. "Double the patrols. And find out who's been sneaking into the eastern wing."

The Beta's eyes flicked to me. "And her?"

"She stays," the Alpha said. "Under watch."

As I left, the weight of his warning settled on my shoulders. The conspirators had seen me. They knew I was a threat.

And they wouldn't stop.

Their whispers followed me even now, echoing in the corners of my mind.

One name. My name.

"Siena," one of them had hissed, their voice venomous. "You'll regret this."