35. Toxic

Meave adjusted her position in the thick foliage of the trees, her keen eyes scanning the entrance of the old mill, now tainted with a dark purpose. Her companion, Alpha Gordon, remained stoically beside her, both of them still in human form. They were waiting for a moment, a sign, anything that could give them an advantage in the dire situation that had brought them all here.

The silence of the night was filled only by the sound of crickets and the distant call of a night bird. It was in this silence that Alpha Gordon began to speak, his voice barely above a whisper as memories resurfaced.

"You know, I held that ball once," he began, his eyes distant, "You were there. To celebrate my niece's graduation and promotion to Gamma. Talia was there with Gideon. Drunk as a skunk."

Meave's eyes narrowed, her mind instantly going back to the memory of Talia, a character who had always seemed so off to her. She remembered the entitlement, the way she'd pranced around the ballroom, her nose in