Poison

The summit's second day began with a body.

One of the Silverblood delegates — a junior diplomat named Fen, twenty-three years old, who had laughed too loudly at dinner and spent the evening writing letters home — was found dead in his quarters at dawn. No wound. No sign of struggle. His face was peaceful, as though he'd simply stopped.

Poison. Everyone with a working nose could smell it.

By the time Zara arrived, the great hall had become a court of accusation. Six packs, six Alphas, and the specific, ugly energy of frightened wolves looking for someone to blame.

"The vial was found in the Silverblood guest quarters," said Alpha Renwick of the Stoneclaw Pack, his voice carrying across the stone hall with practiced authority. He was older, silver-haired, politically ambitious in the way of men who had survived three decades of pack politics by always being on the winning side. "The poison is a Silverblood compound. I think the question of responsibility is fairly clear."

Zara kept her expression still.

"You found a vial," she said, from her position near the eastern wall. "Placed in our quarters. After a night in which at least one confirmed infiltration of this fortress occurred." She let that land. "I'd call the question of responsibility considerably less clear."

Murmurs. The other Alphas shifting.

She felt Kade's gaze from across the room. Didn't look at him. They hadn't arranged this — there hadn't been time — but she could feel him paying attention with the specific quality of someone who was on her side and not yet ready to show it.

Not on your side, she told herself sharply. Working toward the same temporary goal.

"The Silverblood Pack calls for a full investigation," she continued, pitching her voice to fill the hall. "We will cooperate completely. We ask only that no conclusions be drawn before facts are established."

"A boy is dead," Renwick said.

"He was one of mine," Zara said, and her voice came out quieter and more dangerous than she'd intended. "Don't tell me about the weight of that."

Silence.

Then: "She's right."

Kade. His voice cut across the hall like a blade, and she felt every head in the room turn toward him. He hadn't moved from his seat at the table. Hadn't raised his voice. But the quality of his attention had shifted to the room at large in a way that made the room pay attention back.

"We investigate," he said. "Fully. With representatives from all six packs observing. Nothing is concluded until evidence is examined." His pale eyes swept the room. "Anyone who disagrees can explain their position to me privately."

He left no ambiguity about what that conversation would look like.

Renwick said nothing more.

As the hall dissolved into tense movement — delegates conferring, warriors positioning — Kade crossed the room toward her. Not directly, not visibly purposefully, but she tracked him the way she tracked all threats and he arrived at her side while both of them appeared to be watching the chaos.

"The intelligence I promised you," he said quietly, not looking at her. "The source named someone."

Her pulse stayed controlled. "Who?"

"Your Beta."

Zara went absolutely still.

Lena. Who had been at her side for fifteen years. Who had known Zara since she was a girl, had trained with her, bled with her, carried her home twice after battles Zara shouldn't have survived.

"Your source is wrong," she said flatly.

"Perhaps." He paused. "But she was the only member of your delegation who knew you'd gone to the east tower last night. You'd asked her to find the seating arrangements, and she'd returned to your room. She would have seen the note gone."

Zara's mind moved through it with cold efficiency, because if she let herself feel it she would fall apart and she could not afford to fall apart right now. The note. The timing. The way Lena had hesitated before walking away.

Lena, who had known Zara for fifteen years.

"I'll handle it," she said.

"Zara—"

"I said I'll handle it." She looked at him then, just briefly, just enough to let him see that this was not negotiable. "Find out who Renwick's been meeting with privately. He moved too fast this morning — he was waiting for this."

Kade studied her face. Saw what was underneath the control, she was certain — he was uncomfortably good at that — and chose, for once, not to push.

"By tonight," he said.

She nodded once. Started to move away.

"Zara." She stopped. His voice had dropped to something that wasn't meant for the room. "Be careful with what you find."

She didn't answer. She walked away through the chaos of six frightened packs, her mind a blade, her chest a wound she couldn't afford to examine.

Lena.

Lena.