Chapter 155- Voices at the Crossroads
Lexy
The conference room had never been this quiet.
The circular chamber was filled with the most powerful voices of the alliance—chieftains, matriarchs, generals, and envoys from each of the main twelve united packs from across the country. Their banners swayed gently overhead, suspended from the ceiling, each symbol proud and steeped in history.
But none of that history could prepare them for what I was about to reveal.
I stood at the center, surrounded by members of a fresh alliance for the future of everyone. CJ stood behind me, flanked by my dad and Yareilis. The top warrior’s face remained composed, but Lexy could feel the weight she carried. The satchel holding Adrian’s secrets was gripped tightly in Yareilis’s hands.
Adrian himself stood off to the side, dressed in ceremonial black and silver, his expression unreadable—but his eyes? His eyes darted, calculating. He knew.
I raised her voice. “Honored leaders. I called this emergency session not for celebration or planning—but for truth.”
I turned slowly, meeting the gaze of each alpha, beta, and elder.
“For weeks now, a cancer has been growing in the roots of this alliance. One masked by smiles, handshakes, and forged cooperation. A betrayal dressed as loyalty.”
A ripple of whispers passed through the crowd. I didn’t flinch.
I motioned for Yareilis.
The grown woman stepped forward and opened the satchel, producing the documents one by one, laying them on the table in the center—maps, coded letters, intercepted orders. A hush fell again.
I moved towards the evidence. “These were retrieved directly from Adrian’s private vault—deep within his territory. A place none of us were ever meant to see.”
Adrian stepped forward smoothly, his voice rich and calm. “Queen Lexy, with all respect, I must object to such an accusation. You’ve invaded my territory. Stolen from my archives. How can we trust the integrity of these documents?”
I didn’t look at him. I addressed the council.
“These are not forged. You’ll find your own signatures—your own seals—among them. Adrian’s plans were not simply treasonous. They were calculated. Coordinated. Timed to fracture us the moment our unity solidified.”
I pulled a scroll free and unrolled it across the table. “Here. A letter from Adrian to the Alpha of the Crimson Vale, promising full access to the neutral borders in exchange for silence and support once the alliance is destabilized.”
Gasps echoed through the room. The Crimson Vale alpha—Lord Ronar—stood, face pale. “I… I never agreed to such a thing. This—this must have been manipulated—”
I interrupted, voice sharper now. “You were promised territory. Your response, though vague, is here.” I tapped a second letter. “You didn’t object. You didn’t expose him. You just said, ‘We’ll see where the storm lands.’”
He sank slowly back into his seat, eyes downcast.
I moved to the next document. “And here—Adrian’s declaration of himself as *Commander of the Unified Clans.* Not granted. Not voted. Declared.”
Another wave of protest rose—but I raised my hand, silencing them.
“He intended to take control of all our packs and tribes, under the guise of unity and strategy. But it would not have been unity. It would have been rule. A rule we did not consent to.”
Adrian’s voice cut in, finally losing its edge of polish. “You speak of strategy like it’s a sin. Do you not make plans in secret, Queen Lexy? Do you not act with vision and foresight for your people’s safety?”
“I act to protect,” I said coldly. “Not to *control*.”
I stepped forward now, my presence undeniable. “You didn’t plan a defense, Adrian. You planned an *overthrow.* And worse—”
I looked at Tarria who was hiding in plain sight.
Tarria stepped forward, placing the leather-bound prophecy tome on the table.
“You used her. Lied about the prophecy. Twisted it. Manipulated her father. Tried to make her your puppet because you feared what she might become on her own. That’s why you asked for her by name during the conference.”
Several leaders leaned forward, murmuring. The Head Priestess of the Sun Dwellers stepped down from her seat, approaching the book with reverence.
She flipped the pages slowly—then gasped.
“This is authentic. This is from the Temple of Threads. This book was stolen generations ago. And here… here is the truth.” She turned the book around so all could see the prophecy. “She is not meant to be controlled. She is meant to *disrupt control.*”
I turned back to the assembly. “You all heard it. Adrian wasn’t building an alliance. He was building an empire.”
A long silence followed. Then, Alpha Kaelen of the Frost Fang Tribe stood.
“I’ll be honest,” he said. “I’ve never trusted your tribe’s politics, Queen Lexy. But this…” He looked at Adrian with a tight expression. “This is betrayal of the deepest kind. If even a fraction of this is true, he cannot be allowed to walk free.”
Adrian stepped forward, eyes blazing. “You’re all fools! You think you can stop what’s coming? The alliance is a child’s dream. I was building something real. Strong. *Unbreakable.*”
“And yet it’s breaking now,” I said.
He turned toward Tarria. “You think this prophecy makes you powerful? You are nothing without guidance. Without *me.* You were meant to stand beside me, not betray me.”
Tarria didn’t even blink. “I was meant to stop you.”
He lunged—but CJ, Yareilis and two guards blocked him before he could move further.
The room erupted into chaos—shouting, accusations, panicked questioning. I let it swell, let them feel the weight of what had almost happened. Then, I raised my voice once more—firm, commanding.
“Silence.”
The room quieted.
“Let this be clear,” I said. “Adrian is to be held under arrest by neutral guards until a full trial is convened by the Council of Elders. In the meantime, I request a formal vote from each tribe. Not on guilt—because that is evident. But on whether we continue to move forward with true unity. One not built on control, but trust.”
There were nods. Hesitations. Some murmurs of dissent.
But one by one, each tribe placed their totem on the central table—symbols of consent. By the end, eleven of twelve rested together.
Only Crimson Vale withheld.
I turned to Ronar. “Your choice?”
Ronar hesitated, then looked down. “We were wrong. I was wrong.”
He stepped forward and placed the twelfth totem.
The alliance had spoken.
I stepped back, locking eyes with Tarria, who looked both exhausted and quietly victorious.
“You did it,” I whispered.
Tarria shook her head. “*We* did.”
And as the tribal leaders began discussing next steps, I allowed myself the smallest breath of relief.
We weren’t finished yet. But for the first time in a long time, we were no longer in the dark.
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