Third POV

“What do you mean you don’t know what to do?” Asher’s voice cracked with desperation.

The two healers stepped back instinctively as his fury exploded through the small infirmary. His eyes blazed with panic and rage, fists clenched at his sides.

“Alpha, please calm down,” the older healer said, his voice trembling.

“Don’t tell me to calm down!” Asher roared. “My son is dying, and you’re telling me you don’t know what to do?”

Hazel placed a gentle hand on his arm. “Asher, losing control won’t help Finn.”

He jerked away from her touch, his breathing ragged. The healers exchanged nervous glances before the younger one spoke up.

“Alpha, we should mention something. Whenever Finn got sick before, Luna Estelle was always the one who treated him.”

Asher’s head snapped toward them. “What did she do? What treatment?”

“We don’t know,” the healer admitted. “She would ask us to leave the room. We assumed it was mother’s intuition, some natural remedies perhaps.”

Before Asher could respond, a weak voice came from the bed.

“Daddy?”

Hazel immediately rushed to Finn’s side as his eyes fluttered open. His face was still flushed with fever, but he was conscious.

“I’m here, baby,” she whispered, smoothing his damp hair.

“I don’t feel good,” Finn mumbled, his small voice hoarse.

The healers quickly checked his vital signs. “His condition is stable for now,” the older healer reported. “But he still needs proper medication to fully recover.”

“Is there any way to contact Luna Estelle?” the younger healer suggested hesitantly. “It may be the only way to save young Finn. She is his mother, after all.”

Asher’s jaw tightened at the suggestion, but behind him, hidden from view, Hazel’s hands clenched into fists. Her knuckles went white with the force of her grip.

***

Estelle’s POV

I stared at the stack of reports spread across my father’s old desk, my brow furrowed in concentration. The numbers didn’t lie. Several pack members had been deliberately neglecting their duties, and their productivity had dropped by nearly forty percent in the past month.

“These people aren’t even trying to hide their defiance,” I muttered, setting down another disappointing report.

Caleb leaned against the wall nearby, his arms crossed. “They’re Benedict and Helena’s supporters. They’re not happy about you taking over.”

I tapped my pen against the desk, thinking. “I need to understand why they’re so loyal to Benedict. What has he promised them?”

“Does it matter?” Caleb asked. “They’re undermining pack operations. A public punishment would send a clear message to anyone else thinking of following their lead.”

“No.” I shook my head firmly. “Fear tactics might work temporarily, but they won’t solve the root problem. If I don’t address why these people support Benedict so strongly, more will join them.”

Caleb straightened up, looking impressed despite himself. “So what do you want to do?”

“First, I need to identify exactly who these supporters are. Then I’ll figure out what Benedict offered them that they’re willing to risk their positions for.”

A knock on the office door interrupted our discussion. Noah, the Gamma, entered with a serious expression.

“Luna Estelle,” he said, nodding respectfully. “We have a situation at the borders.”

I set down my pen, immediately alert. “What kind of situation?”

“Our scouts have detected several foreign wolves hovering near our territory. They’re staying just outside the border, but they’ve been there for hours.”

Caleb pushed off from the wall. “Rogues?”

“We don’t think so,” Noah replied. “Their behavior is too organized. They’re not crossing into our territory, but they’re not leaving either.”

I stood up from behind the desk. “How many?”

“Four or five individuals. They came peacefully when our warriors approached them.”

“I’ll check it out,” Caleb said immediately.

I nodded. “I’ll monitor the situation from the security room. Noah, lead Caleb to their location.”

The three of us left the office together, moving quickly through the pack house corridors. Noah led Caleb toward the main exit while I headed to the security center.

The room was filled with multiple monitors showing different angles of the pack’s territory. I settled into a chair in front of the screens showing the border area.

Through the cameras, I could see a group of people standing in a loose circle, surrounded by our pack warriors. They all had their heads down in a submissive posture, which was unusual for rogues or hostile visitors.

Caleb and Noah appeared on screen, approaching the group with confident strides. I leaned forward, adjusting the camera angle to get a better view.

The strangers were dressed in dark clothing, and their body language suggested they were tired and possibly travel-worn. Whatever had brought them here, it seemed urgent.

I watched as Caleb stepped forward, his posture authoritative but not aggressive. Even through the camera, I could see him speaking, though I couldn’t hear the conversation from the security room.

One of the strangers lifted his head slightly to respond to Caleb’s questions. Something about his profile struck me as familiar, though I couldn’t quite place where I might have seen him before.

Then, my eyes widened with recognition.

He had dark hair and olive skin. Even through the grainy pixels, I knew I had seen this man before. I just didn’t expect to see him here in Blackmoon territory.

Through the monitor, I watched as Caleb asked them questions. The conversation seemed tense but civil.

Caleb kept a safe distance while still engaging in conversation. Noah stood slightly behind him, ready to act if the situation turned dangerous.

Caleb’s eyes flitted to the camera for a split second, adjusting his posture before returning to the man. I could read his lips clearly from this angle and vaguely make out the words.

“Which pack are you from?” Caleb asked. “Are you rogues?”

The man shared a look with the rest of the group before turning around to look at Caleb.

“We’re from the Moonveil Pack.”