I sighed, sinking into an armchair across from them. “I don’t know for certain. From what Matthew told me, she’s been feeding information to her father, but claims she was forced to.” 1 feeling the weight of uncertainty. She might be another victim, or she might be fully complicit.
Scarlett tilted her head thoughtfully. ‘Maybe she was ambitious.”
“Exactly,” I agreed. “Look at what Charles accomplished, he managed to get Nia in here as a tribute to gather intelligence, he planned to send us three as tributes to weaken our packs, and he positioned Isabelle to become the Luna of Forestvale. All while making the regions fight each other instead of focusing on him.”
Freya’s eyes flashed dangerously. “I hope you’re not suggesting we just let him get away with this. That bastard deserves to be overthrown.”
“My parents were killed by Charles’s men,” she continued, her voice trembling slightly. “They were visiting a neighboring pack when his forces accidentally crossed territorial lines during a supposed training exercise. It was never proven, but everyone knew.”
I reached across and squeezed her hand. ‘We won’t let him get away with it. I promise.”
“But why would Nia fail? Scarlett asked, bringing us back to the present situation. “If this was such a perfect plan, what went wrong?”
I couldn’t help the small smile that formed on my lips. “Us. The three of us became friends instead of enemies. Our mates turned out to be decent men, not the monsters everyone claimed.” I leaned back, piecing it together as I spoke. “When that failed, Charles had to develop a different strategy.”
“People like Mira and Eliza,” Scarlett said quietly.
I nodded. “Exactly.”
Freya stood up suddenly, her face set with determination. “I want to help with the interrogations. But first, I need to get out of this damn dress.” She tugged at the formal attire she’d been wearing since the morning. “Do you have anything I can borrow? Something I don’t mind getting dirty if things get….
intense.”
Understanding her meaning, I nodded and walked to my closet. I pulled out several pairs of shorts and t–shirts I had barely worn. “Take your pick,” I said, laying them on the bed.
Scarlett came over to inspect the options. “These will work. We should all change.”
I began unbuttoning my blouse, my mind still churning with questions about Charles’s ultimate goal. “What I still don’t understand is what Charles gains from all this. Manipulating packs, positioning his family members, orchestrating attacks… for what?”
Freya picked up a black t–shirt and navy shorts. “Power, obviously. If he can weaken Augustin, maybe he thinks he can take over.”
“I don’t think it’s that simple,” I replied, sliding my blouse off my shoulders. “I think destroying Augustin is part of it, but it feels like he’s trying to restart something that failed before.”
“And who is Charles working for now? Is he part of this ‘Sovereign‘ group? Or is he acting independently?”
Scarlett looked up from changing. “You think Charles is working for someone else? He doesn’t seem the type to be anyone’s subordinate.”
“He can’t possibly think he’d become Alpha King,” I reasoned. “He’s not from one of the founding families. Even if he manage are other bloodlines ahead of him in succession.”
minate Augustin, there
Freya pulled the t–shirt over her head. “We should focus on Lyric first. She’s the one we have in custody.”
“Agreed,” I said, stepping into a pair of shorts. “We’ll deal with Nia after. And maybe we should save Remy for last, she’s the Lakeside Luna, so she might have the most sensitive information.”
I tugged my shirt into place, my thoughts turning to Augustin, Matthew, and Kieran. I hope they’re making progress. Augustin needs Matthew and Kieran s support to move forward with his plan.
