Chapter 42 – Shadows in the Council
The council chamber was colder than usual.
Not in temperature, but in tension—so thick it coiled like smoke around Rowan’s throat. The stained-glass windows cast fractured light across the curved obsidian table, their brilliant colors doing nothing to brighten the atmosphere. The Elders sat in a semicircle, stone-faced and silent as Rowan entered.
Elder Malric leaned forward, his skeletal hands clasped in front of him like a predator ready to pounce. "Alpha Rowan," he said, voice sharp enough to cut. "We expected your arrival sooner." He gave him a disapproving look. “You have kept us waiting for what some could consider as a disrespectful amount of time.”
Rowan kept his stance relaxed despite the way his wolf bristled beneath his skin at the elder’s tone of voice. "I came as soon as I received the summons and was able to get away from my duties as Alpha."
A lie. He’d deliberately taken his time. Bought himself a few extra hours to plan, to prepare—though nothing could have softened the blow of Sylah’s disappearance. Not just hers, but Giselle’s mother and sister as well. Gone without a trace. But not without help.
Not without him knowing.
Malric gestured to the seat in the center of the chamber, isolated from both Elders and Pack. A seat reserved for the accused.
Rowan didn’t sit.
"You summoned me. Speak your accusations plainly so I can return to my duties."
"You harbor a traitor within your ranks," Malric snapped. "One who colluded with rogues. Who stole away in the dead of night with two known rogue wolves that came from the enemy pack that we are currently at war with."
Rowan crossed his arms. "And your evidence?"
"She ran," Elder Malric barked, rising to his feet. His pale eyes gleamed with conviction. "A guilty wolf always runs."
"A wolf trying to survive does, too," Rowan returned evenly. "Especially when she knows the Elders want her head just for poking around at the truth." It was time to let Elder Malric know exactly how much they were able to uncover before Sylah went away, make him nervous for a change.
Malric stepped forward. "You’re defending her? After this newest betrayal?"
"I'm not defending what she did." Rowan’s voice darkened. "I'm explaining why she would do it. Sylah was under threat from the moment she started asking questions about the attack at the border. Someone made sure of that."
A flicker of unease passed between the other Elders. Only Elder Arien, the oldest among them, dared speak. “Explain yourself.”
“We’ve uncovered something the council should have known about from the beginning. On the night of the attack, Sylah was pulled from her assigned patrol.”
A few of the Elders exchanged confused glances.
Rowan’s gaze scanned the room. “She was scheduled to be at the southern perimeter. That sector was hit hardest. The rogues were waiting for a weakness, and conveniently, the patrol was understaffed.”
“She was supposed to be there,” Malric interrupted, his voice rising with self-righteous fury. “She never showed up. That’s what the reports say.”
Rowan turned his head slowly, fixing Malric with a cold, piercing stare.
“But that isn’t what actually happened now, is it?”
Elder Malric stiffened.
“She was reassigned at the last minute—by someone with clearance high enough to alter duty rosters without alerting the rest of the command. She wasn’t informed until the very hour. Sent to the inner quadrant on a pointless errand that kept her conveniently out of the fight.”
A heavy silence settled over the chamber. Even Elder Arien leaned forward now, his brow furrowed.
“And when she started poking around, trying to find out why she was pulled from the line that night…” Rowan’s voice dropped, quiet but filled with venom, “Elia went missing.”
He let that hang for a beat.
“Disappears in the middle of the night without a trace—without alerting her superiors, without a single word to her unit. And just days later, Sylah is dragged into a cell with no trial, no hearing, and no chance to speak.”
A ripple of silence.
“You’re implying a conspiracy,” Elder Arien said carefully.
“I’m stating a fact,” Rowan snapped. “Someone didn’t want Sylah asking questions. Someone with the power to move pieces behind the scenes, eliminate witnesses, and silence the one person who might uncover the truth.”
Elder Malric rose from his seat again, face flushed. “You’re accusing members of this council?”
“I’m accusing someone,” Rowan growled. “And I’ll find out who, whether it’s within this chamber or beyond it.”
The words echoed like a challenge.
Elder Arien looked to the other Elders. No one spoke. No one met Rowan’s eyes.
Good. That meant some of them were afraid.
“She confronted the wrong people and paid for it. You think she ran to protect rogues? No. She ran because staying would have gotten her killed.”
Elder Malric scoffed. “Convenient story.”
Rowan turned to him fully. “You were the one who insisted she be locked away without a proper hearing. You silenced her before she had the chance to speak. Now that she’s gone, you can paint whatever story you like.”
Malric sneered. “And what of your part in this, Rowan? A prisoner under your protection vanishes without a trace, with two rogue wolves in two. You expect us to believe you weren’t involved?”
Rowan stepped forward, voice low and full of warning. “Tread carefully, Malric.”
“You’ve always been soft with the rogues. Favoring Giselle from the start. And now your mate has committed treason under your nose. At best, you’re a fool. At worst…” Malric's lips curled. “You’re a traitor too.”
Rowan’s wolf surged, fighting to the surface. A growl rolled from his chest before he could stop it. The other Elders tensed.
“I am no traitor,” Rowan said coldly. “But I will not stand by while you twist this to suit your ambitions. You’ve wanted Giselle gone since the beginning. This is exactly what you needed to justify it.”
“Enough,” Elder Arien commanded, voice heavy with age and power. “Both of you.”
Silence fell again. Elder Malric returned to his seat with a glare that promised this wasn’t over. Rowan didn’t look away. He didn’t have the luxury of flinching anymore.
Elder Arien studied him. “Do you know where she went?”
“No,” Rowan answered honestly. “And even if I did, I wouldn’t hand her over to this council. Not until I knew she was safe from persecution.”
Elder Arien nodded slowly, as if he expected nothing less.
“You’ll remain under observation,” he said. “Your decisions are… being watched, Alpha. Make sure you do not cross the line.”
Rowan dipped his head in acknowledgment. “Then watch closely, “ he growled out in anger.
“I’m not protecting Sylah because I’m a traitor,” Rowan added, quieter now. “I’m protecting her because she’s the only one who had the courage to dig into what this council buried. If you truly want to find the traitor in this pack—look higher.”
And with that, Rowan turned and walked out. As he left the chamber, the doors closing with a heavy thud behind him, Rowan’s fists clenched at his sides.
Let them stew.
Let them wonder how much he really knew.
Because Rowan had only just started digging.
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