Alpha Hades’s POV
I couldn't believe what was happening. The man, Zoe, who had been stirring the pot, spewing lies about Anita, was now standing in front of me. His arrogance was thick enough to slice with a knife, but as I took a step toward him, it seemed to dissolve into something else—fear, uncertainty, maybe even guilt. The man was not one of us. I could feel it in my bones even as he had lied earlier.
Immediately, I lunged at him, grabbing the collar of his shirt and yanking him up, his legs shaking defensively in the air. Looking him straight in the eye, I asked, "Who are you?" My voice sharp and low. "How come I've never seen you around the pack before? Are you even one of our people?"
The man’s eyes darted around the room as if he were looking for an escape route. His gaze briefly met mine, but then quickly dropped to the floor. He stuttered, “I... I’m one of the people here... from the clan.”