Chapter 48: The First Crack

Kael’s POV

I didn’t go back to my chamber.

I didn’t check on the guards again. I didn’t question anyone in the corridors. By the time I stepped out of Isolade’s empty room, I already knew one thing clearly, this wasn’t just her.

Isolade didn’t walk out of a guarded chamber without help.

And there were only a few people inside this fortress bold enough to do something like that and still expect to walk away from it.

I didn’t waste time pretending otherwise.

My steps carried me straight through the corridors, ignoring the stares that followed me. Word had already spread. It always did. The moment something shifted inside this fortress, everyone felt it even if they didn’t understand it yet.

But I did and I knew exactly where to go.

Seraphina’s chamber.

The door wasn’t closed when I got there. It never was. She liked people to walk in. It gave her the illusion that she wasn’t hiding anything. I pushed it open without knocking.

She wasn’t alone.

Lord Valerius stood near the center of the room, his posture rigid, his presence heavy in a way that made the air feel tighter than it should. Seraphina sat as usual, composed, watching everything without saying a word.

The moment Valerius saw me, his expression hardened.

"Find my daughter, Kael," he said immediately, his voice low but carrying enough weight to echo through the room. "Or this will not end well for you."

I didn’t stop walking until I stood directly across from him.

"You can drop the act, Lord Valerius," I said calmly. "I know her disappearance is your doing."

The room went still. For a second, even the air seemed to pause.

His eyes narrowed. "Be careful what you accuse me of, Alpha."

"How dare you lock her in the first place?" he continued, stepping forward slightly. "You humiliated her in front of the entire fortress."

"She crossed a line," I replied without raising my voice. "And I made sure she understood that."

"She is a member of the council," he snapped. "She has every right to act in the interest of this pack."

"She tried to kill my Luna," I said flatly. "That is not acting in the interest of the pack. That is treason."

His jaw tightened, but he didn’t back down.

"She will be the Luna of this pack," he said firmly, like it was already decided. "That has always been the plan."

"No," I replied, my voice colder now. "That was your expectation. Not my decision."

Silence settled again, heavier this time.

"I have already chosen my Luna," I continued, holding his gaze without hesitation. "And I will protect her at the cost of my life if I have to."

His lips curved slightly, but there was no amusement in it.

"You are letting emotion cloud your judgment," he said. "A wolfless girl who cannot even shift—"

"She is carrying my pup," I cut in sharply. "You already know that. And I will not stand here and listen to anyone question her place again."

That was the first time Seraphina moved. Just slightly. Her fingers tapped once against the armrest of her chair, her eyes shifting between us with quiet interest.

Valerius let out a slow breath, but his expression didn’t soften.

"You’re making a mistake," he said. "A dangerous one. You think this ends with you protecting her? You think the pack will accept her?"

"I don’t need the pack’s approval to choose my Luna," I replied. "I only need them to understand the consequences of going against that choice."

His gaze sharpened. "Don’t forget something, Kael."

I didn’t blink.

"An Alpha can always be replaced."

The words hung in the air, deliberate, calculated. A threat.

I stepped forward just enough to close the distance between us.

"Try it," I said quietly.

Neither of us moved after that. For a moment, it felt like the entire room had narrowed down to just the space between us.

Then Seraphina finally spoke.

"That’s enough," she said calmly, her voice cutting through the tension without effort.

We both turned toward her.

"This isn’t solving anything," she continued, her tone smooth, almost uninterested. "Valerius wants his daughter back. Kael wants control over his fortress. Both of you are standing here making threats instead of dealing with the actual problem."

"And what problem is that?" I asked, though I already knew.

She tilted her head slightly. "The fact that someone inside this fortress is moving pieces without either of your permission."

Valerius didn’t respond. But I saw it. That small shift in his expression. He hadn’t expected that.

"She didn’t escape on her own," Seraphina added. "We all know that. The question is not who wanted her out. The question is who made it possible."

I held her gaze for a second longer before turning away.

"I will find her," I said. "But not because you asked."

Valerius didn’t answer. And I didn’t wait for him to. I walked out of the chamber without another word.

---

The moment the door closed behind me, the calm I had held inside that room faded into something sharper, because Seraphina was right about one thing.

This wasn’t just about Isolade anymore. Someone inside the fortress was moving against me and that meant I couldn’t trust anyone.

Not the council. Not the guards. Not even the people who had been loyal to me for years.

I kept walking until I reached the lower training grounds, where fewer people passed during the day. The space was empty except for one figure standing near the far wall.

She didn’t turn when I approached. She already knew I was there.

"You called for me, Alpha," she said.

"Yes Mira."

I stopped a few steps behind her, my voice low enough that no one else could hear.

"I need you to investigate something," I continued. "Quietly."

That made her turn and look at me over her shoulder.

"You don’t trust the guards," she said.

"I don’t trust anyone right now," I replied

She nodded once. "What do you want me to find?"

"Everything," I said. "Who helped her. Who’s been moving inside this fortress without being seen. And most importantly..." I paused briefly. "...who’s been watching my Luna."

Her expression didn’t change, but I saw the shift in her stance, she understood the weight of that.

"I’ll have an answer," she said.

"Make sure you do," I replied. "And don’t let anyone know you’re doing this."

She didn’t respond again, she just turned and walked away.

---

Time moved slower after that.

Every hour felt longer than it should have, every movement inside the fortress sharper than before. I noticed things I would have ignored before whispers stopping when I passed, guards avoiding eye contact, servants moving quicker than usual.

Something was already spreading. And I didn’t like it. By the time she returned, the sun had already started to dip lower.

I was in my chamber when she stepped inside.

"You have something," I said before she even spoke.

"I do." 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

I turned toward her fully this time.

"What did you find?"

She hesitated for a second. Not out of fear, but out of precision.

"Someone inside the fortress is reporting everything the Luna does," she said.

The words didn’t surprise me. But they confirmed something I had already suspected.

"Who?" I asked.

She held my gaze. "Someone very close to her."

Silence filled the room and for the first time since this started...

Something inside me went cold. Because that answer was more dangerous than anything else she could have said.