Chapter 197
Something about the scent didn’t sit right with me.
I stood by the scorched ruins of the east wing, where the scent trail had ended hours ago. But beneath the charred timber and ash, there was something else—faint, hidden under layers of smoke, but it was there. Fear. Nerves. Guilt. My wolf stirred, pacing restlessly inside me.
Jake had been going over security protocols with our warriors. I told him I was going to check on the pups' wing. That was only half a lie. The scent had already wormed its way into my head by then.
Now I crouched by a pile of blackened stones behind the training yard, where no one had looked. And there it was again. Not strong, but fresh. Someone had been here recently.
Then I saw it — a thread of dark cloth, caught on a nail sticking out from the burned fence. Not pack uniform. Civilian. I grabbed it and lifted it to my nose. A flash of the face came unbidden: Tomas.
One of the kitchen staff. Quiet. Always polite. Barely looked me in the eye. And now... hiding something.
“Found you,” I whispered, tucking the fabric into my coat.
I should have gone to Jake.
But something inside me—something stubborn and furious—snapped. I was done being the quiet Luna who stood behind. Someone tried to burn down our home, endanger our people, and I wasn’t going to just watch from the sidelines.
I found Tomas behind the greenhouse, hauling crates like it was just another day. But his hands shook when I stepped into the light.
“Luna,” he said stiffly.
I tilted my head, watching him like prey. “You’ve been busy.”
His throat bobbed. “Just doing my duties.”
I stepped closer, lowering my voice. “Tell me, Tomas… why does your scent match the trail at the fire scene?”
He froze. Just a second. But I saw it.
“Excuse me?” he stammered. “I don’t know what you’re—”
“You’re lying,” I cut in sharply. “I can smell it on you. Fear. Smoke. Guilt.”
He tried to run.
My wolf lunged forward, power flaring under my skin. I tackled him before he took two steps, slamming him against the greenhouse wall.
“Don’t make me shift,” I hissed. “You won’t like who comes out.”
He whimpered. “I didn’t light it—I swear! I didn’t light it! I just left the door open! That’s all I did!”
I gripped his shirt tighter. “Then who did?”
“I don’t know his name!” he cried. “He wore a mask, black coat, voice all wrong. Said he’d kill me if I didn’t help. Said I’d get paid if I kept my mouth shut and opened the back door after lights out.”
The air crackled with my rage. “You put pups at risk for money?”
“I didn’t know he’d set the place on fire!”
I released him, letting him drop to the ground. My chest heaved. My hands trembled, not with fear—but power. The Luna I used to be would’ve cried. But not this one.
This one stood tall.
“Get up,” I said coldly. “You’re coming with me.”
When I walked into the war room with Tomas stumbling behind me, everyone went still. Jake, pacing beside Caleb, froze mid-step. His golden eyes locked onto me—then shifted to the man at my heel.
“Ayla,” Jake said, his voice low and sharp, “what the hell is going on?”
I lifted my chin. “I found this one trying to disappear behind the greenhouse. He confessed to letting someone into the east wing the night of the fire.”
Jake’s jaw ticked. Caleb grabbed Tomas and shoved him into a chair, cuffing him with wolfsbane-coated chains. The scent of it made my nose wrinkle.
Jake stormed toward me the second Tomas was restrained. “You went alone?”
“I didn’t have time to call you. And he almost ran.”
His eyes burned. “You’re not a warrior, Ayla.”
I stepped into his space, refusing to shrink. “I’m your Luna. And our home was attacked. I followed a lead. I handled it.”
Jake looked like he wanted to yell—then exhale. He scrubbed a hand down his face, frustration laced with… pride?
“You're going to drive me insane,” he muttered.
I smirked. “You love it.”
He growled under his breath, grabbed my wrist, and pulled me into him. His lips brushed my temple—soft and swift.
“Next time,” he murmured, “you take Sophie with you. Or Caleb. Or me. No more solo hunts, my little wolf.”
“Fine,” I whispered, grinning. “But admit it—you’re a little impressed.”
He leaned in, lips ghosting over my ear. “I’m a lot impressed. Doesn’t mean I’ll forgive you quickly.”
A shiver danced down my spine.
The interrogation was brutal.
Tomas squirmed and cried and stammered, but we pulled more pieces from him. He didn’t know the man’s name. Just that he came in from the woods at night, face hidden, voice warped. Paid in gold coins.
“Who uses gold coins anymore?” Caleb muttered, eyeing Jake.
“Not our pack,” Jake replied, jaw tense. “And not the northern alliance.”
“It’s not someone from inside?” I asked, biting my lip.
Jake shook his head. “No. No one inside would’ve hired this idiot. He’s not even a warrior.”
“I’m not anything,” Tomas mumbled. “Just a cook…”
“Not anymore,” Jake growled.
He looked at me then. “What do you think, Luna?”
I blinked. “You’re asking me?”
Jake stepped beside me, his warmth anchoring me. “You brought him in. You faced him first. Your instincts matter.”
My heart flipped.
“I think he’s a coward,” I said slowly. “Used. Manipulated. But not the one pulling the strings.”
Jake nodded. “Agreed.”
We stood in silence for a moment, watching Tomas as he panted against the chains, too tired to protest.
Then Jake turned to me, his voice low enough only I could hear. “You were incredible today.”
I smiled softly. “I was scared.”
“That’s what makes it brave.”
Later that night, as the packhouse quieted, Jake pulled me onto the balcony. Moonlight spilled over the trees, casting silver over his dark hair.
“You followed a trail and brought a man down,” he said, cupping my cheek. “You stood your ground in a room full of warriors. That’s Luna behavior.”
“I still feel like I’m faking it sometimes,” I admitted. “Like everyone’s waiting for me to mess up.”
Jake leaned in, brushing his forehead against mine. “Then let them wait. Because my Luna doesn’t back down.”
I closed my eyes, breathing him in.
But even in the warmth of his arms, something cold twisted in my stomach.
If Tomas was just a pawn… who was playing the game?
And why were they targeting our home?
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