Page 55 of Alpha Charmed

I’m starting to understand what that means.

We walk back to Mistvale hand in hand, the dragon’s truth burning in our minds and the promise of revolution on our tongues.

FIFTEEN

ANOUK

Elder Vera is waiting at the town border.

That’s never a good sign. As coven leader, I’ve learned that Vera doesn’t intercept people unless she has news worth intercepting over. Her usual communication method involves terse notes delivered by increasingly irritated carrier pigeons.

Her physical presence means trouble.

“She’s calling an emergency council meeting.” Vera falls into step beside us without preamble, her sharp eyes cataloging the state of our clothing, the scratch on my arm, the way Caius’s hand hasn’t left my waist since we crossed back into Mistvale’s mist. “Tomorrow morning. Eight o’clock sharp.”

“Cordelia?”

“Who else?” Vera’s mouth twists with distaste. “She’s claiming you’ve been compromised by shifter influence. That your judgment can no longer be trusted. That the claiming has made you unfit to lead.”

“That’s creative, even for her.”

“She’s been working the council all day. Subtle conversations, concerned expressions, ‘I’m just worried about the coven’s stability’ rhetoric.” Vera’s voice drips with contempt. “She brought tea to Jasper’s office. Twice. The man is practically putty in her hands.”

I should feel angry. Instead, I feel the cold clarity that comes before battle.

“She can claim whatever she wants.”

“She has supporters. More than before.” Vera glances at Caius, her expression unreadable. “Your little mountain expedition gave her time to rally traditionalists. Half the council is suddenly very concerned about ‘maintaining proper boundaries between species.’”

“Half?”

“Some are waffling, as usual.” She stops walking, turning to face me fully. “I’m with you, Anouk. You know that. But we need more than loyalty tomorrow. We need proof.”

“We might have it.” Caius’s voice is low, careful. “Or the beginning of it, at least.”

Vera’s eyebrows rise. “The dragon?”

“Chione confirmed what we suspected. The Severing was deliberate—a ritual performed by an organization that’s been operating for centuries. An organization that has agents in positions of power.” I meet her eyes. “Including on our Elder Council.”

“Cordelia.” The name comes out flat. Final.

“We can’t prove it. Not yet. But she’s been working against claimed pairs for forty years. She killed Mathilda to keep her quiet. And she sent Preserver agents to ambush us on the mountain.”

Vera’s expression sharpens. “How did they know where you’d be? You only decided on the dragon the night before.”

“I believe the mountain cell was independent,” Caius says. “Elio’s network had tracked their positioning in the Thornback foothills for weeks. They didn’t need to know the destination. They are covering the approach to old-power sites on standing orders.”

Vera is silent for a long moment. The mist swirls around us, curious, attentive. Somewhere in the distance, a ward-bell chimes—Sunny closing Moonpetal Bakery for the evening, probably already fielding questions about the coven leader and the wolf alpha.

The gossip network never sleeps.

“Then we’d better start gathering that proof.” Her voice carries the steel I’ve always admired in her. “I’ll pull what records I can from the archives. There have to be patterns—inconsistencies in her story, gaps we’ve overlooked.”

“Be careful. If she suspects you’re investigating⁠—”

“She’ll suspect nothing. I’ve been the boring, reliable Elder Nightbloom for three decades. No one pays attention to the boring ones.” Something sharp glints in her eyes. “That’s why we’re useful.”

She turns and walks away without waiting for a response. Classic Vera.