Chammer 725


    Third Person’s POV


    The three of them stepped into the study.


    The moment she crossed the threshold, Adide’s brow twitched. The scent… it had


    changed.


    The room was nothing like the ce she remembered. It used to be filled with rare collectibles she’d brought from the Frostfangs; now, it looked like a dump–dpidated and smelling of stagnant air and failure.


    Ampelio was still fuming, venting via their mind–link.


    “Gamma Adide, that prick totally did it on purpose! He blocked me just to give that crazy bitch a window to kill Thorne!”


    Adide sat down, her gaze calm as she looked at him. “Do you have proof?”


    Ampelio deted like a popped balloon.


    “No! The guy was too slick. He made it look like a natural reaction. Even if we dragged him in front of Lycan Erasmus, he’d have a hundred excuses ready to go.”


    “If you don’t have evidence, keep your mouth shut,” Adidemanded. “I have questions for him. I brought you along to kill any rumors of us being alone, but what you’re about to hear doesn’t leave this room. Understood?”


    “Yes, Ma’am!”


    Adide turned her attention to Ulrik, who had remained silent.


    “When you were at the Bloodscar Border, Russell lost an arm saving you in the middle of a chaotic battle<i>,</i>” she said, her voice steady. “He nearly died. Do you remember that?”


    “I remember,” Ulrik replied, his voice raspy. “I owe him my life. I won’t forget it until the day I die.


    “Rx, I’m not here to collect on a debt,” Adide said, waving him off.


    “In the heat of battle, you save me, I save you—it’s just a soldier’s instinct. What I want to


    know is this:<b>” </b>


    “Who actually came up with the n to burn the Western Tribe’s food reserves? And why did you and Velda split up once you hit Snowdeer Town? You didn’t even know she was


    13:09 Mon, Feb 2 G D D


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    ughtering civilians at the time, did you?”


    Adide had already used Prune’s intelwork to dig into the massacre, but details from enemy territory were like bones buried under deep snow–hard to dig up.


    Even if Velda’s guilt was a done deal, Ulrik was the mission lead. Understanding the chain ofmand was vital.


    This wasn’t just about the truth; it was about protecting Alpha Zander. She needed to know how he should handle Lycan Erasmus‘ questioning and how to clear him of any secondary responsibility.


    Ulrik’s eyes went misty as he drifted back into those cold, bloody memories.


    “I’m the one who pitched the idea to burn the reserves during the briefing,” he admitted.


    “At the time, the Western Tribe had just lost a battle. Their front line was demoralized, and it looked like they were prepping to retreat. Austin analyzed the situation and said that our conflicts with the West had always been minor border skirmishes. He thought both sides would keep it civil because neither could afford an all–out war.”


    “So, when we saw them ‘retreating,‘ we let our guard down. We had no idea…”


    Ulrik’s fist clenched.


    “It was a total setup. They suddenlyunched a suicidal offensive. Alpha Zander was severely wounded during that ambush while he was covering the retreat of the younger soldiers.”


    “Wait,” Adide interrupted, her eyes sharp.


    “Russell lost his arm right when you first got to the border. That proves the fighting was intense from the jump–it wasn’t some ‘minor skirmish. And if things were so ‘civil,‘ they wouldn’t have needed to call up rookies like you for reinforcements. Your logic doesn’t hold up.”


    Ulrik gave a bitter half–smile.


    “Things were civil, rtively speaking. The reason the war suddenly escted was because the enemy changedmanders.”


    “You mean…”


    “Yeah. Their originalmander, Pierce, was suddenly reced by his brother, Damian.”


    At the mention of that name, a hint of fear flickered in Ulrik’s eyes.


    “The guy is a beast. He ditched Pierce’s cautious strategy and started ying for keeps, trying


    13:09 Mon, Feb 2 GD 0.


    to force us back so they could redraw the border


    “At the same time, the Southern Border was hitting a crisis point, so a bunch of soldiers were pulled from the North to help out. That left us wide open. Damian saw the opening and took it. That’s why Lycan Erasmus ordered me to lead reinforcements. The military logs will back me up on that.”


    Adide nodded.


    “So, when you guys miscalcted and thought they was retreating… had Pierce taken overmand again?”


    “Exactly.” Ulrik recalled the night they sat in the tent with Zander and Austin, debating the


    next move.


    “Austin thought Pierce’s style was too conservative to risk more lives, so he figured they’d just hold the current line.”


    “We stayed on the defensive, but then Pierce vanished again. Command went back to Damian, and heunched a scorched–earth offensive. We were totally blindsided.”


    Adide listened, her mind racing as sho


    She ran the timeline in her head.


    Pieced the fragments together.


    When Damian took over andunched the blitz, it must have been when Pierce rushed back to try and stop the Lycan Prince from heading to the front.


    ording to her secret intel, the old Western Lycan King was already on his deathbed back then.


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    <strong>Olivia Harris</strong> is an emerging author celebrated for her captivating romantic and steamy novels. With a talent for crafting deep emotional connections and fiery chemistry between her characters, Olivia’s stories offer readers an escape into worlds filled with passion, intrigue, and heart-stopping drama.