The Council of Fear

Two days passed and yet no response, letter of surrender or any sign of her.

Finn’s fury burned hotter with every passing hour.

By the third morning, he snapped.

The council chamber filled quickly, elders taking their seats in a restless murmur as the Alpha strode in, his presence sharp and volatile.

“This meeting was called urgently and I apologize for that,” Finn announced coldly. “And it will not be long.”

Silence fell.

“She has not been returned,” Finn continued. “Nor has the rogue Alpha responded to my demand.”

Murmurs rippled through the chamber.

“There is something else you must know,” Finn said, his gaze sweeping the room. “The Rogue Alpha of the Southern region is not a stranger.” He paused. “He is my exiled older brother.” The chamber erupted.

“That traitor?”

“He still lives? The audacity—”

“He should have been executed years ago!” an elder snarled.

Finn raised his hand, and the noise died down. “She is under his protection,” Finn said. “Which means her crimes run deeper than we thought.”

Elder voices rose in outrage.

“Banishment was too merciful,” one spat. “She should be dragged back in chains and executed!.”

“Knox corrupts everything he touches,” another growled. “This proves his treachery.”

Finn watched them carefully.

Support came easily when hatred already existed. “I will give him until the next full moon,” Finn declared. “Three days. If he does not comply, we will declare war.”

A majority of the council rose to their feet immediately in approval.

“War,” they echoed. A few elders hesitated.

“This is rushed,” one of them said cautiously. 

“Perhaps we should investigate further. Accusations alone are not—”

“Enough,” Elder Rowan snapped, rising slowly.

The room quieted. He was the eldest of them all but not regarding age.

“Have you forgotten who Knox is?” Rowan thundered. “An aggressive Alpha who turned his back on his pack. A rogue who gathers power in the shadows.”

His gaze cut sharply toward the hesitant elders. “To question this is to invite weakness.” His words struck like sparks on dry wood.

Finn’s chest swelled, his rage sharpening into resolve.

But beneath it—Fear. It was raw. Unrelenting.

Knox had always been stronger. Smarter and more respected.

Finn knew it. That knowledge haunted him.

He had not become the ruling Alpha through birth or worth alone—but through alliances, whispers, and a betrayal he buried deep beneath duty and pride.

Jealousy had sealed his decision. Greed had kept him silent. Now, hatred gave him courage.

“Prepare the troops,” Finn ordered. “Delon will send another letter. This one will make my intentions clear.”

“Yes, Alpha,” Delon said smoothly, already reaching for parchment.

The meeting ended as abruptly as it had begun.

As the council dispersed, Finn remained standing, staring at the Alpha seat as if it might reject him.

I will not lose to you again, he vowed silently.

Not this time.

----

Hours after the meeting ended and Delon was nowhere in sight, still Delilah waited.

Hours passed, the candles burning low as her patience thinned thread by thread. Delon should have come already. After a council meeting like that, he always did.

She exhaled slowly, schooling her face into calm just as a knock sounded at her door.

“My Lady,” the voice whispered. “Elder Rowan’s daughter is currently visiting Beta Delon’s chambers.” The words struck like ice.

Delilah’s fingers tightened against her armrest—but her face remained calm.

“Thank you,” she said softly. “You may go.”

The spy bowed and his footsteps echoed off.

Delilah rose. “So,” she murmured. “The fool thinks he can outsmart me?!.”

She walks out from her chamber, her silk white gown brushes against the stone floors as she makes her way toward Delon’s estate. 

As she rounded a bend at the outer path, she slowed, and slipped behind the thick trunk of an ancient oak just as the doors of Delon's chamber opened and he stepped out.

And with him—Rowan’s daughter.

They spoke quietly. Too quiet for her to hear.

Delilah’s nails bit into her palm as Delon leaned forward, pulling the girl into a brief embrace. He kissed her forehead—tenderly. Rowan’s daughter smiled.

Delon waved as she walked away, servants trailing behind her like a princess .

Delilah’s grip tightened until the fabric of her gown creased beneath her fist.

Rage surged hot and blinding—but she swallowed it down. Not yet.

She turned and walked away without a sound, returning to the Alpha’s estate with measured steps and a face carved from composure.

Her mind, however, was chaotic. Greed. Lies. Betrayal layered upon betrayal from the men surrounding her.

A minute later, another knock. 

“My Lady,” the spy whispered. “Beta Delon is waiting for you. In the usual chamber.”

Delilah smiled. “Good.”

The hidden chamber smelled of three days of incense.

Delon looked up as she entered, his expression softening instantly.

“There you are,” he said, stepping forward to pull her into his arms.

When his lips brushed her forehead, Delilah nearly shoved him away.

Poison him now, her instincts screamed.

Instead, she smiled sweetly. “I was wondering where you went,” she said lightly.

“Finn kept me,” Delon replied smoothly. “The pack’s matters.”

Liar.

“And?” she asked. “What happened after the meeting?”

Delon’s eyes gleamed. “War is approaching. If Knox does not comply before the next full moon, we march forward.”

Delilah frowned deliberately. “None of this would be happening if your assassins had done their job.”

Delon’s jaw tightened—just for a fraction of a second.

“I told you,” she continued coolly. “Loose ends always come back to cut you.”

Inside, Delon bristled. Enjoy your voice while you still can, he thought darkly.

Aloud, he only sighed and pulled her closer. “We will win this time. Finn is fully committed to going to war. The council stands behind him.”

Delilah studied his face. Then she smiled again. She leaned in, kissed him—briefly, controlled.

But when his hands slid lower, his intent clear, she stepped back. “I’m tired,” she said gently. “These days has taken too much from me.”

Anger flared in Delon’s eyes—but he masked it quickly. “Of course,” he said, forcing a smile. He pecked her cheek. “I’ll come by later.”

When he left, the door shutting firmly behind him, his smile vanished.

He scoffed under his breath. “Soon, you won't be so cocky” He walked away.

Meanwhile, Delilah sat before her mirror, spine straight, hands resting calmly in her lap.

Her reflection stared back at her—beautiful, composed, with furious eyes.

Her face was pale with rage. “They all think I’m a fool,” she whispered. Her lips curved slowly. “They forget,” she murmured, eyes darkening, “that I learned to survive by letting monsters believe I belonged to them.”

The game was no longer about Finn. Or Delon. Or Rowan’s daughter. It was about who would still be standing when the blood dried.

And Delilah had no intention of losing. ”Next, is becoming the Luna. And when he is gone, who else is fit to be the ruling Alpha of Nightclaw Pack?”