?Chapter 857:


    The moment I heard this, my mind immediately shed to the merciless Antoni. Like father, like son—I had no doubt Cody was just as ruthless.


    I cut in, saying, “Let me guess—Cody sees those kids as future enemies. To him, it’s easier to wipe them all out before they be a threat.”


    Alden nodded and let out a heavy sigh, his frustration evident. “There’s more. Cody believes only the strongest deserve to survive. His men terrorize the city, spreading chaos, making people live in fear. Dayton despises it. He constantly stands against Cody’s men, confronting them whenever he can. Their conflict has only deepened over time, and now? They pretend to tolerate each other, but that so-called peace is hanging by a thread.”


    Disgust flickered across Alden’s face as he snorted.


    I lowered my head, absently tapping the railing, my mind piecing things together. Marehelm’s situation was far messier than I had imagined, but at least now, I had a clearer picture of the forces at y. Then Alden turned to me. “Anything else you’re curious about?”


    Keeping my tone casual, I asked, “I heard someone tried sneaking into the werewolf forest recently. Any idea who they were? And what’s so important in that ce that it needs to be so heavily guarded?” As I spoke, I studied Alden carefully, watching for any flicker of emotion.


    The moment I mentioned the forest, his easygoing demeanor stiffened. The shift was subtle but unmistakable. After a brief pause, he finally responded, his voice cool and clipped, “That has nothing to do with you. Whoever got into the forest, and whatever’s inside it, is none of your concern.”


    His words were like a locked door—firm, unyielding.


    He was shutting me out.


    My thoughts raced as I narrowed my eyes. For some reason, a particr memory surfaced—the three princes back at the pce.


    Before I had left, they had been acting oddly, caught up in some secretive affair. And coincidentally, the break-in at the werewolf forest happened around the same time.


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    A bold idea struck me. Could it be that the ones who had tried sneaking into the forest… were sent by the princes themselves?


    Makenna’s POV:


    yfully, I teased, “Why can’t I know? Are they the Lycan princes?”


    Alden sharply turned to me, his gaze piercing. It was as though he could see the innermost thoughts of my heart.


    There was an awkward silence for a while before he finally said, “You shouldn’t say that.”


    My heart skipped a beat nervously. Then I chuckled and replied, “It was just a joke. There’s no need to get all serious.”


    However, Alden’s reaction made me almost certain that the three princes were involved.


    It seemed Leonardo had kept the past events from the princes, and in their quest to uncover the truth, they had sent people to secretly enter the mysterious and forbidden werewolf forest.


    I sighed at this realization.


    Alden noticed I was quite distracted and waved a hand in front of my face. “What’s on your mind? You seem lost.”


    His question and gesture drew me back to reality. Gathering my wit, I asked, “Why are you telling me this? What do you stand to gain from this?”


    Alden chuckled at this and replied with a question of his own. “And what do you stand to gain from this too?” My heart skipped a beat at his question. However, I feigned confusion. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”


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