Alpha's anger
NIGHTSHADE PACK.
ALPHA KIERAN'S OFFICE
Kieran sat at his desk, his sharp golden eyes scanning the finance ledger of the Pack. The numbers didn't match. He had poured a fortune into the Pack's affairs, yet the records showed a fraction of what should be there.
Across from him, the Pack's treasurers—Eldon Graves, Myles Fenwick, and Tobias Huxley—sat stiffly, their expressions ranging from nervous to outright terrified.
Lucas and Garrick stood behind Kieran, their arms crossed, watching with amusement as the three wolves squirmed under their Alpha's scrutiny.
Kieran was dangerously calm.
And that was the problem.
Everyone in Nightshade Pack knew that when Alpha Kieran Blackthorn smiled, it was never a good sign.
He leaned back in his chair, tapping a finger on the ledger. "Let me ask again. Where is the money?"
The three treasurers exchanged desperate glances.
"The money went to the Pack, Alpha," Eldon stammered.
"All of it?"
"Yes, Alpha," Myles added quickly, his forehead beading with sweat.
Kieran's lips curled slightly—a wicked, knowing smile.
At that moment, a guard walked in and placed a stack of documents on the desk. Kieran picked up the top page and skimmed through it. His smile deepened, turning sharper, colder.
The treasurers paled.
It was all there in ink—evidence of their corruption.
They had been embezzling Pack funds, wasting the money on gambling, brothels, and illegal activities while their people suffered.
The Eastern, Northern, and Southern territories of Nightshade Pack were falling into ruin because of these men. Roads were broken, homes were deteriorating, and families were barely scraping by—yet Eldon, Myles, and Tobias had been living lavishly.
Kieran's eyes flicked over another detail that made his wolf, Fenrir, growl in disgust.
Tobias Huxley had buried his own pup just last week—his child had died from an illness because Tobias had claimed he had no money for treatment.
Yet, that very night, he had visited a brothel.
Kieran's smile vanished, replaced by a deadly stillness.
"Lucas. Garrick," he said without looking up. "Send word. I demand an urgent meeting in the council room. Every elder and lord is required to attend. They have one hour."
The two warriors nodded and strode out.
Kieran turned his gaze to the three pathetic excuses for wolves on the ground. "Guards."
Several warriors stepped forward.
"Lock them up," Kieran ordered. "I will decide their fate soon."
The treasurers begged for mercy, but they were dragged away, their pleas echoing through the halls.
Kieran exhaled sharply and stood. His hands clenched into fists at his sides. His Pack had been suffering under his watch.
That would change.
Immediately.
•••••••••
An Hour Later – Council Room
Kieran entered the council room, his presence commanding immediate silence.
Everyone stood in respect.
He strode to the head of the long wooden table and sat. To his right, his father, Old Alpha Cedric, observed him carefully. Lucas and Garrick flanked him from behind.
The air was heavy with tension.
Kieran's voice was even but laced with authority. "I have reviewed the accounts of this Pack."
Murmurs rippled through the room.
He slammed the ledger down on the table, making several wolves flinch.
"I have discovered that while I have been ensuring this Pack's prosperity, others have been draining it for their own greed. Tell me, what else is being hidden from me? What is happening in my own Pack that I have not seen?"
Silence.
Then, Kieran nodded at Lucas and Garrick. "Bring them in."
The doors swung open, and the three treasurers were dragged inside, shackled and disheveled.
They fell to their knees.
"Alpha! Please, have mercy!" Eldon wailed.
"We made mistakes! But we can fix them!" Tobias pleaded.
Kieran ignored them, his piercing gaze shifting to the elders and lords sitting before him.
"I want reports," he said coldly. "Every one of you. Now."
One by one, they hesitantly spoke.
Lord Vincent Holloway, the overseer of trade, spoke first. "Alpha, the merchants in the Pack have been struggling due to increased rogue attacks near the southern border."
Kieran narrowed his eyes. That was news to him.
Next was Elder Barrick, in charge of land development. "The eastern territory's farmland has been declining because we haven't been able to afford proper irrigation."
Kieran clenched his jaw. That was because the funds had been stolen.
Then came Lord Gideon Crestwood. "There have been reports of sickness spreading among the wolves in the Northern sector—"
Kieran slammed his fist against the table.
The room fell silent.
His father, Old Alpha Cedric, exhaled heavily. "How did it come to this?"
The answer was obvious. Corruption.
Betrayal.
Neglect.
Kieran's golden eyes swept over the room, taking in the uneasy expressions of the council.
Some of them knew more than they were saying.
Some of them were guilty.
His voice was low but filled with promise.
"This has to stop."