uncers 54

< Chapter 54 

Chapter 54 

ALEXANDER 

+25 Points 

When Cole and Faye stepped further into my office, I gestured toward the seats across from me. Faye sat gracefully, back straight, her hands folded in her lap, while Cole took the seat 

next to her. 

For a brief moment, my eyes lingered on Faye. She didn’t look nervous or out of place as usual. In fact, she looked as though she had walked in prepared for something… an odd sense of purpose that tugged at my curiosity. 

I cleared my throat, relaxing in my chair. “So,” I asked casually, “how did your day go? Was the little adventure worth the trip?” 

Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much. When she’d first asked me this morning to visit the northern border, I had granted it more as indulgence than necessity. 

I hadn’t wanted to outright refuse her, especially when she had been so adamant. And truthfully, I thought that maybe humoring her would settle her curiosity and put the matter to 

rest. 

But instead of answering immediately, Faye glanced at Cole. That look they shared lasted only a second, but it was enough to make me wonder. Cole shifted slightly in his seat, as though he had been appointed to speak first. 

“We went over the entire ground,” Cole began, clearing his throat. “And… well, Luna Faye may be onto something.” 

That caught my attention. My gaze shifted to Faye instantly, narrowing slightly as I waited for her to explain. She didn’t look away. Instead, she leaned forward just a little, her eyes filled with the kind of conviction I hadn’t expected. 

“I think the entire thing was set up,” she said… straight to the point. 

The words landed strangely. A setup? I frowned, leaning forward. “Set up?” I repeated. “What do 

you mean by that?” 

Faye didn’t hesitate when I asked her what she saw. She crouched slightly, mimicking the way she must have studied the ground at the border. 

“The first thing I noticed was the footprints,” she said softly. “They looked normal, yes–but the spacing was off. Too even, too measured. If there had been a real fight or chase, the steps would’ve been random. These ones looked like someone placed them on purpose.” 

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+25 Points 

I glanced at Cole, and his expression suggested he was already buying into what Faye was saying. 

Faye must have noticed the doubt in my face, but she kept going. “Then there were the branches. A couple were broken low, like someone had run through and snapped thern by accident. But when I looked closer… the breaks were too clean. No splintering, no jagged edges. More like they were bent and snapped by hand.” 

I sat back, watching her. She wasn’t rushing, wasn’t dramatizing… just laying it out as if each piece were obvious, though I knew they weren’t…I went there myself, and I never noticed those details. 

“And here,” she continued, tapping her finger lightly against her palm as if retracing the scene, “there was a deep trail of scuff marks in the dirt. At first, it looked like dragging… but it was too straight and neat. Not how someone would move if they were fighting for their life or being dragged. It was more like it was drawn to convince anyone who tried to look.” 

Her eyes lifted boldly to mine. “I don’t think it was an ambush, or a fight. I think it was staged 

to look like one.” 

I scoffed lightly–not to mock, but because I hadn’t expected this from her. I had assumed she’d come back with nothing but impressions of “strange feelings” or, at best, some surface–level observations. Instead, she was dissecting the evidence as though she had been 

trained for it. 

Before I could respond, Cole leaned forward as well. “She’s right, Alpha,” he said. “At first, I didn’t think much of it. But out there today, when she started pointing things out…the footprints, the broken branches, the lack of real scuffle patterns…it started to make sense. We overlooked it before… hell, I overlooked it twice. But when she showed me, I couldn’t dismiss it. Even if we can’t be sure it was staged, it’s at least a strong possibility.” 

I pressed my lips together, drumming my fingers lightly against the desk. The two of them sat across from me, waiting for my response. Their words echoed in my mind, and I found myself considering them despite my instinct to brush it aside. 

Finally, I asked the obvious. “If that’s the case… if it was staged, then what happened to the guards who disappeared?” 

Faye’s eyes softened. She shook her head slowly. “That part, I can’t know. But if I follow my instincts, I’d say they were likely in on it. If I’m right, then we’re not just dealing with an outside threat. We’re dealing with something worse–an inside betrayal. Someone is planting evidence, creating scenes, and the missing guards may be playing their part.” 

I looked at her critically. 

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“I hope I’m wrong,” she added. 

+25 Points 

The words sent a ripple of unease through me, though I didn’t show it. Betrayal from within was far more dangerous than any enemy at the gates. Outsiders could be fought, kept at bay, outnumbered if necessary. But insiders… insiders could rot a pack from its very core. 

For a moment, I almost dismissed it, almost told her she was being dramatic. But I couldn’t. She wasn’t speaking as if guessing, wasn’t throwing wild accusations. She sounded like someone who knew exactly what she was talking about. The precision of her observation, the calmness in her voice, the way she explained each detail–it was… impressive. 

Impressive in a way I didn’t want to admit. Not to her, not to Cole… not even to myself. 

So instead, I took a deep breath, steepling my fingers. I kept my face neutral, almost indifferent, though inside my mind was already picturing possibilities, scenarios, and consequences. She might still be wrong. It might all be coincidence. But if she wasn’t wrong 

Before I could continue down that line of thought, my phone rang on the desk. 

RING! 

I glanced at the screen and immediately stiffened. 

Helen 

My mother. One of the last people I wanted to speak with right now. 

My jaw tightened as I hesitated. Faye noticed the name flash across the screen. I caught the flicker of curiosity in her eyes, but she was too perceptive to ask. What unsettled me more was that she seemed to notice my change in expression instantly. 

“I’ll go freshen up,” she said softly, rising from her chair. She smoothed her hands over her trousers and walked out of the office. 

The call had already ended, but Cole rose as well. “I guess you need a moment. I’ll go find something to eat,” he said, giving me a knowing look. But before he turned to leave, I stopped him. 

“We’ll discuss further later,” I said. He nodded and left. 

RING! 

My phone began to ring again. 

“Hello, Mother.”