129~ EAT OR WATCH HIM BLEED TO DEA

EMMA 

I paced back and forth, the soles of my boots scuffing against the stone floor of my chamber. 

Frustration crawled under my skin like fire ants. There was no one I could trust. 

Not one damn soul I could send on errands, confide in, or lean on aside from Tauren and I haven't heard from him for a few days now. 

I am alone here surrounded by whispers, lies, and wolves who wore loyalty like a mask that crumbled the moment your back was turned. My whole mind still flashes back to that night when the girl had given me a note.

My thoughts spiraled as I stared at the cold walls. Becoming Commander of the Gamma Council had come with more weight than I anticipated. 

I had reviewed files for a week straight, slept barely three hours, and even then, only with one eye open. I was meant to be plotting attacks, evaluating defenses, tracking betrayals. But how could I execute anything when every single man around me had once been Xander's puppet?