Chapter 8: Opening Moves

Nyra’s POV

The first official session begins at dawn.

I arrive early, claiming a seat at the table designated for independent representatives. It's smaller than the ruling pack tables, positioned slightly to the side. A reminder of hierarchy even in the seating arrangement.

Perfect.

Let them underestimate me.

The hall fills slowly. Alphas take their positions with practiced arrogance. Smaller pack delegates cluster nervously near the edges. And Kael sits at the Silverclaw table with Mira beside him, his expression carefully neutral.

I can feel him watching me. The corrupted bond pulses with every breath, a constant reminder of what was and what can never be.

I ignore it. I'm good at that now.

The head councilman calls the session to order. Alpha Marcus, silver-haired and cold-eyed, the same man who whispered to Kael five years ago during my rejection.

"We have much to discuss," Marcus begins. "Territory disputes, trade agreements, and of course..." His gaze finds me. "Unusual guests."

A few wolves laugh. Nervous. Uncertain.

I smile.

"Before we begin standard proceedings," I say, standing smoothly, "I have evidence the Council might find interesting."

Silence falls like a blade.

Marcus's expression doesn't change. "The independent representative has not been granted speaking privileges."

"Then grant them." I pull a folder from my bag, setting it on the table. "Unless you'd prefer I share this information outside official channels. The smaller packs might find it fascinating."

The threat is clear. Several smaller pack delegates lean forward, interested.

Dorian Cross stands from the Thornwood table. "I move we allow the Moonshadow to speak. In the interest of transparency."

His smile is pleasant. His eyes are calculating.

Marcus looks like he's swallowed glass. "Very well. Proceed."

I open the folder. Inside are documents Maya and I gathered over five years. Trade records. Supply manifests. Death certificates.

"For the past decade," I begin, "smaller packs in the eastern territories have experienced unusual supply shortages. Crops failing. Livestock dying. Water sources becoming contaminated."

"Natural disasters," Marcus interrupts. "Unfortunate but…"

"Poisoned." I slide the first document across the table. "This is a water sample analysis from the Moonbrook Pack. Traces of wolfsbane in concentrations too precise to be accidental."

Murmurs ripple through the hall. A representative from Moonbrook stands, her face pale.

"That's impossible," she says. "We reported those deaths to the Council. You said it was…"

"Bad luck," I finish. "That's what they told you. What they tell every smaller pack when something goes wrong. Bad luck. Poor management. Your own fault."

I slide another document. "Grain shipments to the Riverside Pack. Contaminated with silver dust. Three pups died."

An alpha from Riverside slams his hand on the table. "We were told it was a storage issue!"

"It wasn't." I meet Marcus's gaze. "Someone has been systematically poisoning smaller packs. Keeping them weak. Dependent on Council aid. Easier to control."

The hall erupts.

"That's a serious accusation," Kael says.

His voice cuts through the chaos. I force myself to look at him. The bond flares violently at the eye contact.

"It's a serious crime," I counter. "Which is why I have proof."

I spread the remaining documents across the table. Five years of evidence. Patterns that can't be denied.

"You expect us to believe the Council would harm their own wolves?" Marcus's voice is steel.

"I expect you to investigate." I turn to the smaller pack representatives. "Or you could accept my alternative."

Now we get to it.

"Alternative?" A beta from the northern territories asks.

"Trade agreements that bypass Council oversight. Direct partnerships between smaller packs and independent suppliers. No middlemen. No poisoned supplies. No dependence on alphas who see you as disposable."

The room goes silent.

"That's sedition," Marcus says quietly.

"That's choice." I meet his cold gaze. "Something omegas and smaller packs rarely get."

"This is absurd," Kael says, standing. "You can't seriously expect us to accept these claims without verification. Anyone could fabricate…"

"Then verify them." I cross my arms. "Investigate the supply lines. Test the water sources. Examine the grain shipments. I'll wait."

The challenge hangs in the air.

Dorian stands again. "I think that's reasonable. If the Moonshadow is lying, proof will expose her. If she's telling the truth..." He lets the implication linger. "Well. That would be unfortunate for certain Council members."

Marcus's jaw tightens. "We'll adjourn for investigation. Session resumes in two hours."

The hall empties in controlled chaos. Smaller packs cluster around me, asking questions, expressing interest in the alternative agreements. I answer carefully, planting seeds.

This is how you dismantle a system. Not with violence. With choice.

"Impressive."

I turn. Kael stands a few feet away, Mira beside him. The bond screams at the proximity.

"Just the truth," I say coolly.

"Is it?" His eyes search mine. "Or is this revenge?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yes."

The word is quiet. Honest. It catches me off guard.

Mira shifts uncomfortably. "I'll check on the investigation," she says, clearly reading the tension. She leaves, but not before giving Kael a warning look.

We're alone in the emptying hall.

Too alone.

Too close.

"Nyra…"

"Don't." I take a step back. The bond pulses painfully. "We're not doing this."

"Doing what?"

"Pretending we have anything to discuss beyond politics."

He moves closer. "I need to know if those documents are real."

"They are."

"How do I know you didn't…"

"Because unlike you," I interrupt, "I don't lie about things that matter."

The barb lands. His jaw tightens.

"That's not fair."

"Fair?" My voice rises slightly. "You want to talk about fair? You rejected me in front of hundreds. You broke our bond. You destroyed me. And now you want fair?"

"I was trying to protect my pack."

"By sacrificing me."

Silence. Heavy. Suffocating.

The bond between us throbs with everything unsaid. I can feel his guilt through it, his regret, his desperate need to explain.

I don't want his explanations.

"The documents are real," I say quietly. "Your investigation will confirm it. Then you'll have to decide whether protecting the Council is worth more than protecting your integrity."

I turn to leave.

"Wait."

His hand catches my wrist. The contact sends electricity shooting up my arm. The bond flares so violently I gasp.

He drops my wrist like it burned him.

We stand there, breathing hard, the corrupted connection screaming between us. Too close. In a corridor away from the main hall. Just the two of us and five years of damage.

"I'm sorry," he says. "For what I did. For what I destroyed. I know it doesn't fix anything, but…"

"You're right." I meet his storm-gray eyes. "It doesn't."

The hurt that flashes across his face almost makes me feel guilty.

Almost.

"Is there anything," he asks quietly, "anything I can do to…"

"No."

The word is final. Absolute.

But we're still standing too close. And the bond is still screaming. And part of me, the part I hate, wants to close the distance between us just to see what would happen.

I force myself to step back.

"The session resumes in two hours," I say, my voice carefully controlled. "I suggest you spend that time deciding which side of history you want to be on."

I walk away before he can respond.

Before I do something stupid.

Like believe his apology matters.