SHE IS HERE AT MY COMMAND

The heavy oak doors of the Alpha’s strategy room groaned as they opened, as if warning of the trouble waiting inside.

I adjusted the cuffs of my tailored coat, keeping my chin up and my expression calm, though my chest felt tight. Inside, seven senior elders and pack commanders were gathered around the central map table. Every head turned toward me. The room suddenly felt colder.

"Alpha," Elder Thorne spat, slamming his wrinkled hand onto the carved map of the northern territory. "Explain to me why the disgraced Lady Vane is attending a high-level defense briefing. This is a council of war, not a social tea."

"She is here at my command, Thorne," Valen said, his deep voice firm and unyielding.

He leaned against the back of his chair at the head of the table. In the harsh daylight, he looked dangerous. His black tactical leather jacket fit his broad shoulders, and his dark hair was brushed back, revealing his sharp jawline. His amber eyes met mine for a moment, studying me coldly before he turned back to the room.

"She provided the analysis of the eastern gate's weaknesses," Valen continued. "And her findings were remarkably accurate."

"A fluke," snapped Commander Kenneth, a battle-scarred warrior with a permanent scowl. "Or a trick. She’s a spoiled socialite who spent the last three years throwing tantrums and wasting pack resources. She knows nothing about tactics. Hell, two weeks ago, she couldn't even remember her stable fees."

The mention of my past life, or rather, the previous owner of this body, made my stomach twist. Focus, Sylvie, I told myself, fighting the dizziness that always came with exhaustion. You aren't behind a glowing laptop screen drinking cold coffee anymore. You're trapped in a fictional world you wrote yourself into, and if you mess this up, you die.

"I am standing right here," I said softly, stepping up to the edge of the table. My pulse thudded in my ears, but I looked around the room without backing down. "And if you spent half as much time reviewing the eastern watch logs as you do obsessing over my past reputation, Kenneth, you wouldn't have left a two-hour blind spot along the ridge."

A gasp went through the room. Kenneth's face turned red.

"Silence, girl!" Thorne hissed. "You hold no rank here."

"She has my permission to speak," Valen growled.

His Alpha tone rumbled through the room, and everyone fell silent, though the tension remained. Valen pointed at the map with a long, calloused finger. "Sylvie. Proceed."

I swallowed and stepped forward, placing my palm on the cool parchment. I knew what was coming because I had memorized the plot of this exact scene while writing late into the night before my heart gave out at my desk. In the original story, a devastating ambush would destroy the northern supply lines in three days. But I couldn't tell them I'd read it in a book. I had to make them understand the facts.

"Look at the rogue movement patterns over the past three weeks," I began, pointing to several markers along the outer perimeter. "You've been reinforcing the southern outpost because of small, scattered attacks. But those aren't real attacks. They're distractions meant to draw our heavy infantry away from the supply routes."

"Nonsense," Thorne sneered, crossing his arms. "The northern route is protected by steep ravines and heavy snowdrifts. No large raiding party could cross Blackwood Pass without being spotted miles away."

"They aren't crossing Blackwood Pass," I replied, looking him in the eye. I drew on what little strength I had left after surviving my own miserable, overworked life. "They're hiding in the abandoned iron mines at the river bend. The water levels dropped two feet last week, exposing the old drainage tunnels. They can move three hundred armed wolves through them without being seen and attack our supply convoy at the narrowest gorge before your scouts even notice them."

Silence filled the room.

Kenneth snorted. "A fairy tale. Those tunnels collapsed a decade ago. You're chasing ghosts, Lady Vane, trying to make yourself look brilliant."

"She speaks with remarkable confidence for someone who has never held a blade," another commander muttered with a quiet laugh.

I felt my cheeks grow hot with frustration, but I kept my composure. I turned to Valen. He was watching me closely, his chin resting on his gloved hand. There was no affection in his eyes, only a careful assessment. He was testing me, waiting to see if I would break under their criticism.

I won't break, I thought, holding his amber gaze. I didn't crawl out of a premature grave just to be dismissed by a bunch of glorified guard dogs.

"Alpha Valen," Elder Thorne barked, turning his back on me. "This is a waste of valuable time. We must send the third battalion south immediately. Dismiss her."

Valen slowly rose from his chair. He stood at his full six-foot-four height, his presence silencing every whisper in the room.

He walked around the table, his heavy boots echoing across the stone floor. He stopped a short distance from me, close enough to command attention but far enough to keep his distance. His scent of cedar and cold iron helped me stay focused despite the hostile stares around me.

"Are you certain about the river drainage tunnels, Sylvie?" Valen asked, his voice low.

"I would bet my life on it," I answered steadily.

Valen straightened and faced his council. His amber eyes turned a deeper gold, a clear sign that his wolf was rising to the surface.

"Send a scout unit to the northern river bend," Valen ordered. "Focus entirely on the drainage outlets of the old iron mine."

Thorne's jaw dropped. "Valen! You cannot seriously take the word of this—"

"I am the Alpha of this pack, Thorne," Valen interrupted, his voice deep enough to make the glass pitchers on the side table vibrate. "And my decision is final. Kenneth, draft the scout orders now. If the tunnels are clear, I will personally apologize to the council. But if she is right..." He paused, fixing Kenneth with a hard stare. "...then every one of you will answer to me for neglecting our northern border."

Kenneth bowed his head reluctantly. "At once, my Alpha."

The commanders began leaving, throwing resentful glances in my direction as they passed through the heavy double doors. Elder Thorne lingered, glaring at me before finally retreating into the hallway.

When the doors closed, leaving only the two of us in the large chamber, the silence felt suffocating.

I let out a shaky breath as the adrenaline faded, leaving my muscles trembling. My vision blurred for a moment, reminding me of the exhaustion that had brought me into this nightmare in the first place. I locked my knees and pressed my fingernails into my palms until the pain helped me focus.

"You took a massive risk," I said softly, turning to face him. "If I'm wrong, they'll tear you apart politically."

Valen stood with his arms crossed, his expression unreadable. He showed no warmth, only the hard look of a leader making a dangerous decision.

"If you're wrong," Valen said quietly, his voice cold, "you won't have to worry about the elders. I'll deal with you myself."

"Reassuring as always," I replied with a dry smile. "You really know how to make a girl feel welcome."

"You aren't here to feel welcome, Sylvie. You're here because you know things you shouldn't." He stepped closer, looking down at me. "And until I figure out whether you're a spy or a miracle, I'll keep you where I can see you."

Before I could reply, the heavy oak doors burst open with a loud crash.

A young scout stumbled into the room, covered in mud and gasping for breath. His chest heaved beneath his blood-stained leather armor.

"Alpha!" the scout cried, dropping to one knee. "Emergency report from the northern border!"

Valen turned at once, his body stiffening as his Alpha aura filled the room again. "Report."

"Rogue forces..." the scout gasped, clutching his bleeding shoulder. "An entire vanguard unit just emerged from the old iron mine tunnels at the river bend!"

My breath caught. The timeline was holding. But the scout's next words shattered every plan I had.

"How many?" Valen demanded, his hand moving to the hilt of his blade.

"Over two hundred, my lord! But that's not all..." The scout looked up, his eyes wide with fear as he stared directly at me. "They didn't attack the supply lines. They bypassed the outer perimeter entirely... and they are screaming Lady Vane's name as their commander."