Chapter 5

Elara Silvermoon POV:

The Elders' ruling sent a shockwave through the pack. I was no longer just a figurehead Luna; I was a sovereign power. The Silvermoon assets-a significant portion of the pack's advanced training facilities, medical supplies, and trade income-were now under my sole command. I had, in effect, partitioned the pack.

My first act was to move out of the Luna's suite, which was connected to the Alpha's wing. I relocated to the old Matriarch's quarters in the east tower, a set of rooms that had been sealed since Ryker's grandmother passed away. They were dusty and forgotten, but they were mine. They were defensible.

Annie and a few other she-wolves who had been loyal to my mother's memory helped me. Their support was a quiet rebellion, a small island of loyalty in a sea of hostility.

Ryker did not take his defeat well. He couldn't challenge the ruling, but he could make my life a living hell. He doubled the guards around the east tower, ostensibly for my 'protection'. In reality, I was a prisoner. He restricted my access to the common areas and, in a move of breathtaking pettiness, had all my personal effects from our old rooms moved to storage.

He thought he could break me by isolating me. But I had my own weapons.

A week after the hearing, I received a report from my new financial officer-a Silvermoon wolf I had brought in to oversee my assets. The report showed a large, unauthorized transfer of high-grade silver from the pack armory to a neutral territory smithy. It was signed off by Ryker, for a 'specialized defensive project'.

I knew what it was. Brielle was from a smaller, weaker pack. She had no status, no personal wealth. Ryker was using pack resources to craft a set of ceremonial silver daggers for her-a traditional Alpha's gift to a chosen mate. He was planning to elevate her.

My blood ran cold. He wasn't just keeping a mistress. He was preparing to replace me in everything but name.

That evening, I sent a message to Julian, Ryker's Beta. I requested a formal meeting regarding pack security. As Beta, he was obligated to attend.

He arrived at the east tower looking wary. The guards, under Ryker's orders, made him wait before finally letting him in. He found me in the tower's private study, a map of the pack's territories spread across the table.

"Luna," he said, his tone carefully neutral. "You requested my presence."

"Julian," I greeted him, gesturing to the map. "I have concerns. The northern border patrol has reported increased rogue activity. Their equipment is outdated. I want to fund a full-scale upgrade for their gear using Silvermoon funds."

Julian looked surprised, then impressed. "That would be... a significant improvement, Luna. The Alpha has been trying to allocate funds for that for months."

"The Alpha has other priorities," I said, my voice sharp. "Which brings me to my second point." I slid the financial report across the table to him. "Can you explain this transfer of a hundred pounds of weapons-grade silver?"

He scanned the document, and I saw his professional mask slip. A flicker of dismay crossed his face. He knew exactly what this was for.

"It's a... classified project, under the Alpha's direct command," he stammered.

"Classified from his Luna?" I raised an eyebrow. "Julian, we both know what this is for. He is using pack resources, resources meant to protect our people, to lavish gifts upon his mistress. He is arming her while our warriors on the border are using subpar equipment."

Julian had the grace to look ashamed. He was a good man, trapped between his loyalty to his Alpha and his duty to the pack.

"My duty is to the pack," he said, his voice low. "But my loyalty is to my Alpha."

"And which is he serving with this action?" I pressed. "The pack, or his own ego? I control the Silvermoon assets, Julian. That includes the advanced forge and the master smiths. The project you are proposing for the northern patrol? I will fund it. I will equip them with the best silver weapons and armor money can buy. All I ask for in return is a full accounting of all pack armory assets. I need to know what other resources are being... misallocated."

I was offering him a deal. Give me the information I need to corner Ryker, and I will give you the resources you need to protect the pack. I was forcing him to choose between his loyalty to his friend and his duty as Beta.

He stared at the map, then at the financial report. I could see the war raging within him.

"The pack comes first," he finally said, his voice barely a whisper. He looked up, and his green eyes were filled with a grim resolve. "Always. What do you need to know, Luna?"

I had found my first ally. And I had just turned Ryker's own Beta into my spy.