<h4>Chapter 598: Summoned By Alpha ck (I)</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    I took a slow, steady breath, trying to calm the fluttering chaos inside my chest.


    It didn’t help much.


    The hallway outside Alpha Orion ck’s office felt unusually quiet, almost suffocating in its stillness. My boots clicked softly against the polished marble floor as I stopped a few feet from the heavy wooden door.


    Alpha Orion ck.


    Even thinking his name made my spine straighten instinctively.


    He wasn’t just another Alpha. He was one of the three powerful heads of the Werewolf Council... alongside River and Alpha Niles. Politically, socially, strategically... he was one of the most influential figures in our entire world.


    And he had summoned me.


    Me.


    A student. A new employee. Someone whose existence shouldn’t even be known to him.


    The summon hade so suddenly that I still hadn’t fully processed it. One moment I had been finishingst of my works to head home, the next I was being told that Alpha ck wanted to see me immediately.


    Worse... neither River nor Elion had returned from their earlier meeting, so I hadn’t even had the chance to talk to them.


    Which meant I had walked here alone, nerves humming under my skin.


    I hadn’t felt this nervous in a long time.


    Thest time had probably been when I met River for the first time... or when I first stepped into Silver Moon Academy as the girl who had been given a second chance at life.


    I exhaled slowly and lifted my hand to knock.


    But before my knuckles could touch the door... it hit me.


    A familiar presence.


    Warm. Powerful. Steady.


    River.


    The recognition mmed into me through the haze of anxiety like a sudden beam of sunlight cutting through clouds. My mate bond responded instantly, wrapping around my senses, grounding me.


    He was inside.


    The realization loosened something in my chest immediately.


    My shoulders dropped slightly and I let out another soft exhale, and then I knocked.


    "Come in," an unfamiliar, yet authoritative and deep voice called from inside.


    I pushed the door open and stepped into the office.


    And froze for half a second.


    River wasn’t the only one there.


    Elion stood near one of therge windows, arms crossed loosely over his chest, his expression calm and unreadable. Three other senior figures from headquarters... people I recognized but never interacted with directly... were seated across the room.


    And at the center, behind the wide desk, sat Alpha Orion ck himself.


    The air in the room felt heavier than outside. Denser. Charged.


    I resisted the instinct to look at River, even though I could feel his attention shift toward me the moment I entered.


    Focus Eva.


    I walked forward and stopped at a respectful distance from the desk.


    "You summoned me, Alpha?" I asked and was relieved when my voice came out steady.


    Alpha ck studied me for a moment.


    His gaze was sharp but not hostile... more analytical than anything else. Like he was dissecting something only he could see.


    "You are Evaline," he said.


    "Yes, Alpha."


    "It hase to my knowledge that you made the final report on the Postguard Towers development project."


    It wasn’t phrased as a question. Still, I nodded. "Yes, Alpha."


    Out of the corner of my eye, I sneaked a nce toward Elion.


    He was sitting on one of the couches now, his posture rxed, but his face gave nothing away. No hint of reassurance. No warning.


    Which immediately made doubt creep into my thoughts.


    Had I made a mistake?


    I had reread that report multiple times. Cross-checked numbers. Verified projections. Elion himself had reviewed it before submission.


    A mistake was almost impossible.


    Unless...


    Alpha ck didn’t like something in the report.


    Before I could spiral too far into that possibility, he spoke again.


    "What made you improvise the report?"


    I blinked.


    That... wasn’t what I expected.


    For a split second I was thrown off, but I forced myself to gather my thoughts quickly.


    "The initial data and proposals provided by the team were very strong," I began. "However, whilepiling the final version, I noticed a few areas where adjustments could potentially reduce cost withoutpromising structural strength."


    I paused briefly, making sure my words were clear.


    "When I previously worked as Alpha River’s assistant, I had ess to past infrastructure project files," I continued. "Some of those approaches seemed applicable here. Ipared them with the current data and found enough support to justify modifications."


    I sped my hands lightly in front of me to stop them from fidgeting.


    "So I improvised," I finished.


    I expected some reaction.


    Approval. Disapproval. Anything.


    But Alpha ck’s expression remained neutral. Completely unreadable.


    "What made you think," he asked calmly, "that as just a second year academy student and a new recruit... with only seven months of internship experience... you could produce a n superior to one created by a team with significantly more experience than you?"


    There was no usation in his tone.


    No mockery.


    Just... genuine inquiry.


    Which somehow made the question more intimidating.


    But something inside me settled - because now I understood.


    This wasn’t about a mistake. This was about my decision.


    And I wasn’t ashamed of it.


    I straightened slightly, meeting his gaze fully.


    "The team is highly experienced," I said honestly. "And their work was excellent. I did not assume I knew better than them."


    I could feel River’s attention sharpen, even without looking at him.


    "But as Alpha Grey’s assistant, and the person assigned topile the final report, I had both the authority and the right to refine it where necessary," I continued. "The changes I made were not guesses. They were supported byparative data, cost analysis, and precedent from previous projects."


    I took a small breath.


    "And before finalizing anything, I discussed my proposed adjustments with the team members involved. I wanted their perspective and approval to ensure I wasn’t overlooking something from their field experience."


    That part mattered. The respect mattered.


    "I wasn’t trying to override anyone," I added. "I was trying to improve efficiency while maintaining integrity."


    Silence followed.


    Heavy.


    Measured.


    I became acutely aware of every person in the room.


    Elion’s stillness.


    The three senior officials watching with interest.


    River’s presence... steady and powerful... like a quiet storm at my back.


    Alpha ck kept his gaze fixed on me. "You referenced Alpha River’s past projects," he said.


    "Yes, Alpha."


    "And did you know those were rted to the Rogue Pack’s internal infrastructure and could potentially be the pack’s secrets?"