Velda’s POV
B
+8 Pearls
Adide returnedte after training the troops, the bronze wolf–head gates slowly shutting behind her.
I stood in the shadows of the moonstone citadel, catching the lingering cedar pheromones from her armor.
The bonfire’s glow cast everything in a dim, yellow–orange light.
“You could at least put on a better show,” I said. “The Davidson family’s reputation is being dragged through the mud because of you.”
The shadow–wolf emblem on her pauldron glimmered.
She gripped her silver spear, the moonstones embedded in the weapon–passed down from Alpha Bentley–pulsing rhythmically.
As her golden eyes shifted to the vertical slits of a wolf’s gaze, the not–yet–healed mark on the back of my neck red with pain.
My wolf trembled, cowering in the corners of my mind.
That only made me angrier.
Adide looked down at me, her tone icy. “What does the Davidson family’s reputation have to do with you?”
I snapped, “Quit ying the noble act! I saw it all today. Handing the Ironthorn Army over to you? Alpha Lance’s word alone was enough. Why drag Ellen into this charade? Do you really think the other wolf warriors will follow you willingly? Do you think everyone’s blind?”
Adide met my gaze. “You’re right. Not everyone’s blind. Some things can be hidden for a while, but not forever.”
Her pheromones slowly enveloped me.
I narrowed my eyes, my resolve weakening. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing,” she said, moving past me.
Agrabbed her arm. “Adide, whatever your angle is–this is a battlefield. The Ironthorn Army is an elite unit. Don’t use them for your own gain. You need to head back to the capital and stop causing trouble here.”
<b>Her </b>cloak suddenly red, the dormant Frostfang Pack emblem awakening <b>as </b>she fully unleashed her Alpha pheromones.
+8 Pearls
Furious, I stamped my foot and shouted after her, “You think you’re better than me? No one here respects you. They justugh at you!”
She didn’t turn back but left behind a cold retort, “If I’m a joke, isn’t it partly because of the rumors you spread and the truth you mock?”
I scoffed.
Mock the truth? What truth?
She climbed the ranks on Alpha Bentley’s legacy and Lance’s protection, convinced she was some invincible warrior.
Lance, clinging to his old ties with Alpha Bentley, handed her the Ironthorn Army without considering the risks of this war.
The Ironthorn was supposed to be the elite vanguard, not her tool for advancing her reputation.
No way. This had to stop.
Early the next morning, I confronted Alpha Lance.
When I entered, a dozen generals were huddled together, clearly discussing an attack n.
The enemy had retreated to Darkw Town, low on supplies and in desperate need of rest–they wouldn’t strike first. That left us no choice but to act first.
I felt a pang of resentment. Before Lance could speak, I blurted out, “Alpha Lance, if you’re gathering everyone to n the attack, why didn’t you include Alpha Ulrik and me?”
Lance’s sharp gaze fixed on me. “Didn’t I say you’ve been on a long journey to support us? You’ve been injured along the way. Take two days to rest. No need to involve yourselves in the discussion
for now.”
Did he really say that?
I couldn’t recall, but I pressed on. “Alpha Lance, we’re here to support you. Though the journey was tough, a night’s rest was enough to recover. We’re ready to discuss today. But first, I have a question.”
“Speak,” he said, leaning back in his chair.
“The Ironthorn Army is our elite unit, yet you’ve ced it under Gamma Adide’smand.”
“What’s the issue<b>?</b>” His voice was calm but carried an unshakable authority.
His aura was stronger, sharper than Adide’s.
I forced down my fear and shouted, “Using our finest troops to protect <b>a </b>she–wolf seeking glory on the battlefield is unwise.”
<b>23 </b>
3:32 PM
+8 Pearls
I sneered. “So Alpha Lance is ying favorites. If the Ironthorn breaks through, Adide gets all the credit. Isn’t that just handing it to her?”
Abbot exploded. “What are you implying? If she leads the Ironthorn and breaches the gates, that credit is rightfully hers. Are you suggesting wars are fought by lone wolves, with others hiding
behind them?”
I shot back, “Are you saying Gamma Adide will fight on the front lines, not justmand from the rear?”
Abbot’s voice rose in fury. “Absurd! A vanguard unit must have a general leading the charge. Who ever heard of amander hiding in the back?”
“Lead the charge?” I scoffed. “Handing the Ironthorn Army to a she–wolf who’s never seen real battle? Looks to me like you’re all taking her and the Ironthorn Army to storm the city for her.”
“She’s led troops in battle before!” Abbot argued. “She’s done it in previous fights.”
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