The Traitor in the Dark

The knife wasn't meant for Lucien.

It was meant for Riven.

The hidden forest keep sat silent beneath the moonlight, its stone walls buried deep among towering pines. After the ambush, every warrior was on edge.

Nobody trusted the shadows anymore.

Inside the war chamber, Riven stood over a map while Thorne paced nearby.

"We lost two riders on the trail," Thorne said. "Another is badly wounded."

Riven's jaw tightened.

"Sable is getting bolder."

"She's desperate," Thorne replied. "There's a difference."

A guard entered quickly.

"Alpha, the patrols are in position."

"Good. Double the watches."

The guard nodded and left.

Across the room, Lucien sat near the fireplace, finally free of the riding chains but still wearing silver cuffs around his wrists.

Riven glanced at him.

"You've been staring at that fire for an hour."

Lucien didn't look away.

"I'm thinking."

"Dangerous habit."

A faint smile touched Lucien's lips.

"So I've been told."

Thorne groaned.

"Moon save us. You two sound like an old married pair already."

Riven shot him a glare.

"Careful."

Lucien laughed.

The sound was short but genuine.

For some reason, it irritated Riven.

And somehow made him want to hear it again.

A sharp knock interrupted them.

A scout rushed inside.

"Alpha!"

Riven turned immediately.

"What is it?"

"We found something."

"What?"

The scout swallowed.

"A body."

The room went still.

Thorne frowned.

"Whose?"

"We don't know."

"Show me."

Minutes later they followed the scout through the keep and down a narrow path behind the walls.

The body lay beneath a pine tree.

One glance was enough to make Riven stop.

The corpse looked wrong.

Not wounded.

Not torn apart.

Empty.

Its skin looked gray and thin as paper.

The eyes were sunken.

Almost hollow.

Lucien froze beside him.

"No..."

Riven looked sharply at him.

"You know this?"

Lucien crouched beside the body.

His face had gone pale.

"It's the same."

"The same as what?"

Lucien slowly looked up.

"The heir."

Silence.

Even the wind seemed to stop.

Thorne folded his arms.

"Convenient answer."

Lucien ignored him.

"Look at the chest."

Riven knelt.

There were no claw marks.

No blade wounds.

Nothing.

Yet something felt deeply wrong.

Almost like the body had been drained from the inside.

Lucien touched the dead man's wrist.

His eyes widened.

"The Hollow Moon."

Riven grabbed his arm.

"Enough with that name."

"I'm serious."

"So am I."

Their eyes locked.

For a second neither moved.

Then suddenly

Pain exploded through the bond.

Lucien gasped.

Riven staggered backward.

Images slammed into both of them.

Dark tunnels.

Ancient symbols.

A voice whispering from somewere deep underground.

Hungry.

Waiting.

Watching.

Then

A face.

A familiar face.

The vision vanished.

Riven grabbed his head.

"What was that?"

Lucien looked shaken.

"You saw it too."

"The face."

Thorne stepped forward.

"What face?"

Neither answered immediately.

Because they both knew exactly whose face they had seen.

And neither wanted to say it aloud.

Finally Lucien spoke.

"It can't be."

Riven's expression darkened.

"Say it."

Lucien swallowed.

"The man in the vision..."

His voice lowered.

"...was Elder Mara."

Thorne barked out a laugh.

"Impossible."

Riven wasn't laughing.

Neither was Lucien.

Because the face had been clear.

Too clear.

The old woman from the summit.

The same elder guiding them toward answers.

The same elder who seemed to know too much.

"No," Thorne said firmly. "Mara helped raise half these packs."

Lucien stood.

"Then why was she in the vision?"

Nobody had an answer.

A distant howl echoed through the forest.

Another followed.

Then another.

Warriors on the walls began shouting.

Riven turned sharply.

"What now?"

A guard sprinted toward them.

"Alpha!"

"What happened?"

The guard looked terrified.

"We caught someone trying to enter the keep."

Thorne frowned.

"Sable's spy?"

The guard shook his head.

"No."

"Then who?"

The man's voice dropped.

"He claims he's one of yours."

Riven exchanged a glance with Thorne.

Minutes later they entered the main hall.

A prisoner knelt in the center.

Blood covered his clothes.

One eye was swollen shut.

The moment Riven saw him, his expression hardened.

"Rowan."

The man lifted his head.

"Alpha."

Thorne's eyes widened.

"You're supposed to be guarding the northern border."

"I was."

"What happened?"

Rowan laughed bitterly.

"The border is gone."

Silence.

Riven stepped forward.

"Explain."

Rowan looked around the room.

Then spoke three words.

"There's a traitor."

Every warrior went still.

Thorne frowned.

"What traitor?"

"Inside the alliance."

Riven crossed his arms.

"Names."

Rowan hesitated.

Then his gaze moved.

Across the room.

Straight toward Thorne.

The hall exploded.

Several warriors reached for weapons instantly.

"What nonsense is this?"

Thorne took a step forward.

"You accuse me?"

Rowan didn't look away.

"I heard your voice."

"You've lost your mind."

"I wish I had."

Riven's eyes narrowed.

"Start talking."

Rowan swallowed.

"Three nights ago I intercepted a meeting near Frostfang territory."

"Between who?"

"Sable's riders."

The room became silent.

"And?" Riven asked.

Rowan's voice shook.

"They weren't alone."

Thorne's face darkened.

"You better know what you're saying."

Rowan pointed directly at him.

"You were there."

Gasps echoed around the hall.

Thorne looked ready to kill him.

"You lying little fool."

"I heard everything!"

Riven's voice cut through both of them.

"Enough!"

The room fell silent.

Rowan looked at Riven desperately.

"They discussed troop movements."

Thorne laughed coldly.

"That's your proof?"

"No."

Rowan's eyes hardened.

"They discussed Lucien."

Riven froze.

Lucien's attention sharpened immediately.

"What about him?" Riven asked.

Rowan answered slowly.

"Sable already knew where we were going before we left the stronghold."

Nobody spoke.

Not a sound.

Because everyone understood what that meant.

The forest ambush.

The exact route.

The perfect timing.

Someone had informed her.

Riven turned toward Thorne.

His oldest friend.

His most loyal warrior.

The man who had stood beside him for years.

Thorne stared back.

Hurt flashed across his face.

Then anger.

"You can't actually believe this."

Riven didn't answer.

That silence hurt more than any accusation.

Thorne laughed once.

A hard, bitter sound.

"After everything?"

"Tell me I'm wrong."

"I am."

"Then prove it."

The challenge hung between them.

Heavy.

Dangerous.

Lucien watched quietly.

His expression unreadable.

Finally Thorne looked away.

For the first time since Riven had known him.

And that tiny movement sent a chill through the room.

Riven felt it immediately.

Something wasn't right.

Something was breaking.

Outside, thunder rumbled across the distant sky.

The storm was finally arriving.

And deep inside the bond, Riven felt Lucien's fear.

Not fear of Sable.

Not fear of war.

Fear of the truth.

Because if Rowan was right...

The enemy had been standing beside them all along.