“Yes,” I reply. “Toward open conflict.”
He remains quiet.
I push further because hesitation feels dangerous. “If civilians and wolves collide in the same corridor, we lose control of the narrative. Hunters shoot wolves. Wolves retaliate. Someone dies publicly.”
Ciaran’s gaze hardens. “And the council fractures.”
“And the Alpha Challenge becomes easier to exploit,” I say.
The words hang there, uncomfortably precise.
Ciaran steps closer to the desk again and presses his palm flat against the map. “You understand what you are suggesting.”
“Yes,” I reply.
“You are asking to put yourself in harm’s way, indirectly,” he says.
“I am asking to monitor it,” I correct.
His eyes narrow. “Monitoring does not shield you from crossfire.”
I let out a slow breath, steadying myself. “You warned me before about walking into blind choke points. This is not blind.”
Ciaran’s lips twitch faintly at the memory.
“This rogue wants a reaction,” I continue. “He wants panic. He wants both sides armed and angry. If we move cameras to the access roads. We capture who uses them during patrol gaps. We track timing against the manipulated shifts.”
“And if the rogue is bold enough to use them personally,” Ciaran says, “we get proof.”
“Exactly,” I reply.
Respect flickers across his face, but it’s reluctant. “You realize this will confirm whether a council member is involved.”
“I do,” I say.
Ciaran studies my face for a long moment, searching for doubt or fear. I feel both, but I do not let them show. What I feel more strongly is urgency, sharp and relentless.
“This predator is escalating,” I say quietly. “Every kill is louder than the last. He is not hunting for survival. He is hunting for reaction.”
My fingers curl slightly around the wooden desk edge
“And if we do not anticipate the next escalation,” I finish, “he will create something none of us can control.”
14
ALDEN
The council chamber doors close behind us with a hollow echo that lingers in the stone hall.
The meeting itself is over, but the air outside the chamber feels thicker than it did inside. Torches line the corridor, their flames steady, but the light throws long shadows against the pillars. I can feel wolves lingering at the far end of the hall, pretending to converse while their attention stays fixed on the door.
Gideon steps out behind me. He does not walk away. I know he will not.
“You handled that poorly,” he says, voice low but sharp enough to cut.
I turn slowly to face him. “You mistake restraint for weakness.”
His mouth curves faintly, not quite a smile. “You mistake stubbornness for leadership.”
