5

Hudson lingered for a heartbeat, his voice dropping into a low, jagged vibration. "Do not waste your scent tracking me, Bennett. I am severing my ties to this den at sunrise. Where the Shadow goes is no longer a concern for a stray like you."

"No!" Joanna shrieked, her claws dragging against the stone floor as she tried to lunged for Ethan’s retreating form. Desperation turned her movements feral, but Avery’s hand shot out, signaling two Monroe Sentinels to pin Joanna’s shoulders to the earth.

A harrowing howl of anguish ripped from Joanna’s throat as Ethan vanished into the treeline. Her stamina finally buckled, and she collapsed into a heap of silk and broken pride. Avery stepped over her, her amber eyes reflecting a predatory coldness. "Does the air of the unranked taste sweet, Joanna?"

Joanna’s eyes, red-rimmed and burning with a toxic yellow light, snapped up. "Are you glutted on my misery yet, Monroe? I scent the truth on you. You’ve marked him! He is casting me out because you’ve crawled back into his mind!"

Avery let out a sharp, mocking click of her tongue.

"Perhaps your 'Mate-Contract' was built on sand from the start. Have you ever paused your snarling to wonder why it turned to dust? You bark at every shadow, yet you never look at the rot in your own heart. Is this truly the legacy you want—spending your life clawing at the heels of a male who doesn't want your scent?"

Joanna’s pupils dilated with a flickering doubt before hardening into a manic rage. "Do not play the High Luna with me! If you have the fangs, end my heartbeat now! Cull me! Because if you leave me with breath, I swear by the Moon I will turn your territory into a graveyard. You should have been shredded in the foreign lands. Why did you return? You are a curse, and that whelp of yours is a blight on the Ridge."

Avery’s aura shifted, a heavy, suffocating Alpha pressure filling the room. "In that case, my mercy was a wasted gift," she said, her voice like cracking ice. "Joanna, do you truly believe a few broken promises is the extent of my reach?"

Joanna, pinned to the floor, spat a mouthful of blood and sneered. "Show me your teeth then! I have lost my mate; I have no rank left to fear."

Avery offered a faint, lethal smile. She didn't waste another breath. She turned and swept out of the room.

In the adjacent corridor, a pack of scavengers—the territory’s tabloid reporters—stood huddled together, their recording crystals glowing. These were the very jackals Joanna had hired to scent-shame Avery.

Avery gestured to the lead scavenger. The man trotted forward, his tail wagging in a sycophantic display. "Alpha Monroe, rest assured, the narrative will be crafted exactly as you commanded."

Avery’s gaze remained unreadable. "You captured the entire breakdown?"

"Every snarl," the scavenger said eagerly.

"I will edit the crystals to portray Joanna as a wolf gone feral with paranoia—a female whose obsession with non-existent rivals drove her into a mental twilight. We’ll frame it so the public thinks she tried to cage the Brooks heir in a silver den. Every female who ever crossed Ethan's path will be framed as a victim of her obsessive shadow-tracking."

The man’s grin widened, showing yellowed teeth. "With the Martel bloodline's status, this scandal will spread like a forest fire. By tomorrow’s moon, her reputation will be a charred ruin."

A chilling, low chuckle escaped Avery. "You are quite the predator when it comes to tearing down your own kind. How many lives have you ended with those crystals?"

The scavenger shrugged. "If the prey didn't leave a trail of blood, I wouldn't have a scent to follow."

Avery’s disdain became a physical weight. "Then how about we turn the hunt on you? How would it feel to have the Ridge's Enforcers dig up your hidden dens and splash your filth across the pack-banners?"

The man’s smirk vanished, his scent turning to pure, acrid fear.

Before he could whimper a plea, Avery dismissed him with a flick of her wrist. "Remove this parasite from my sight," she told her sentinels. "If he ever enters Monroe territory again, treat him as a rogue intruder."

The scavenger was hauled away, his pathetic yelps echoing through the halls. The remaining pack of reporters hardly dared to shift their weight.

Avery sank onto a stone bench, massaging her temples. "Did you all record the truth?"

The remaining group exchanged terrified glances. "We understand, Alpha. The city will know the reality of today’s dishonor."

"Good." Avery’s tension eased. She ordered her security to keep Joanna under a "Protective Watch." She wasn't being cruel, but she needed Joanna contained until the narrative was set in stone.

Joanna remained under guard until the dawn mist rose.

Finally released, Joanna rubbed her bruised wrists and stormed out of the lodge, muttering ancient lupine curses.

"Coward! Avery, I thought you were a True Alpha. You didn't have the stomach to finish me. You’ll regret letting this wolf live. I’ll hunt you until your last breath."

Joanna rushed to the Martel estate, frantic. She had heard Charlee was there. Tears streaming down her face, she burst through the heavy oak doors, howling for her mother.

"Mom! Ethan has been bewitched by a Monroe siren! He’s breaking the contract! Avery came to mock my ruin and caged me like a beast! I thought I’d be culled before I saw you again!"

Joanna was the Martel family’s only pup, the precious heir of a deputy leader. Despite Charlee’s iron discipline, Joanna had always been the center of the estate’s gravity.

Charlee loved her daughter with a fierce, blinding devotion. Joanna was certain her mother would mobilize the Martel guards to crush Avery Monroe into the dirt.

She ran toward Charlee, arms outstretched for comfort.

But Charlee turned, her face a mask of stone. Her eyes were devoid of maternal warmth.

Before Joanna could speak, Charlee delivered a slap that echoed like a thunderclap through the hall.

"Joanna, I have raised you in silk and forgotten to teach you the law of the moon," Charlee snapped, her voice trembling with rage. "You have lost the path of honor. Where are the lessons of the High Packs? Where is your dignity?"

Joanna clutched her burning cheek, her scent radiating shock. "Mom! Why? What have I done to deserve your hand?"

Charlee whipped out a recording crystal. The vision showed Joanna and Ethan’s feral argument in the lodge.

It was raw, unfiltered, and damning. The territory’s mental link and public forums were already vibrating with the scandal.

“Is that the Martel heir acting like a rabid rogue?”

“The Deputy Mayor’s daughter? She looks like she’s lost her wolf entirely. Her poor mate.”

“Is she mad? To accuse a Brooks of such dishonor without a scent-trail? I pity the male.”

The comments were a bloodbath. Some were shredding her, others were mocking the Martel line’s weakness. It was a full-blown status-collapse.

For a wolf of Joanna’s ego, who viewed herself as a Luna among omegas, this was a death of a thousand cuts.

"That bitch!" Joanna snarled, shattering the crystal against the floor, ignoring her mother’s fury.

Charlee’s disappointment was a physical aura. "Avery Monroe told me the truth today. I have seen the rot you’ve grown. Tell me, daughter—why did you stain our bloodline with such cowardice?"

Joanna felt a spark of guilt, but her pride quickly snuffed it out. "Mom, I am your only pup. What will you do if I am cast out?"

"I said begone!" Charlee roared.

Joanna recoiled. Charlee marched into the hall and ordered the servants to purge Joanna’s den.

Joanna felt her world fracturing. She had only been trying to protect her territory, to kill the rival who wanted her mate. In the brutal law of the pack, what was so wrong with that?

Overwhelmed, Joanna stormed out of the study.

She found Charlee in the main hall, her face a mask of cold fury as she watched servants haul away Joanna's belongings. Charlee’s heart was breaking, but she saw the unrepentant yellow in Joanna’s eyes.

Charlee hardened her heart. "Burn it all! I want no scent of her in this house by the high sun! I do not care if she sleeps in the rogue barrens. After this shame, she is no daughter of mine!"

Charlee’s words were cut short as a sudden, violent shove from behind sent her tumbling down the grand stone staircase with a cry of agony.

Elsewhere, Avery watched Hudson, who stood like an unmoving shadow in her hall. She realized he wasn't going to retreat. Her patience was frayed.

"So you're marking my territory now?" Avery said, her voice tight. "Fine. Then Madison and I will find a new den."

Hudson remained silent, his eyes reflecting a deep, bruised hurt.

Blake Donovan cleared his throat, stepping forward. "Here is the reality, Alpha Monroe: The Montgomery Pack has burned Hudson’s bridges. He has no sanctuary left in the Ridge."

"What?" Avery let out a mocking laugh. "The Shadow Alpha, homeless? That's a tall tale, Blake."

Blake wiped the cold sweat from his neck. "Hudson has been cast out of the High Seat. Harrison and Bennett are hunting for his true identity. The 'Shadow' mask is his only shield, but he cannot pay for a lodge or lease a cave without it being reported back to the Montgomery scouts. Every innkeeper in the Ridge is on Harrison's payroll now."

Avery scowled. "You think I'm a yearling? How could Harrison monitor every lodge?"

Blake’s face remained grave. "You underestimate the reach of the High Alpha’s network. If anyone leases a den to a 'masked stranger,' the Enforcers will descend within the hour. Hudson is a target."

Avery felt her defenses wavering. She knew how Harrison operated—he had used the same informants to trap Hudson years ago.

"Still," Avery countered, "why must he stay in my den? I’ve already crossed the Montgomerys. I don't need his heat drawing more hunters to my gate."

Just then, Madison, who had been listening from the stairs, chirped, "Mommy, the mean man who hit me... his scent was 'Montgomery,' wasn't it?"

"Montgomery?" Avery looked at Hudson, confused.

Hudson looked defeated. "Bennett has a hidden mate and a bastard pup on the border. He was using your child to vent his rage against me."

Avery’s anger shifted into a new, complex knot. Then Madison tugged at her sleeve. "Mommy, he’s a lost wolf. If you cast him out, he’ll have to sleep in the rain. He won't have a pack to hunt with."

Avery was both amused and annoyed. She glared at Hudson. "Are you really using a child’s sympathy to win a den-right?"

Hudson shook his head. "It is the truth. I cannot leave the Ridge until Harrison is dealt with. And if I am not here, I am a rogue in the woods. If I reveal my face now, the Montgomerys will swarm us both."

Avery eyed him. "You, the Shadow, are worried about a few Montgomery sentinels?"

Hudson let out a dry laugh. "It’s not Harrison I fear. It’s the High Elder backing him—the one they call 'The White Moon'."

Avery’s heart skipped. She had heard of the White Moon—a legendary, ruthless figure who pulled the strings of the northern packs.

Lenny couldn't stay silent. "Alpha, we should go! These Monroe females don't want us. You risked a war for her pup, and she treats you like a scavenger! She’s ungrateful!"

Hudson’s aura flared with a lethal heat. "Lenny, I have tolerated your youth for too long. If you insult the Luna again, I will send you to the Border Patrols myself."

Lenny’s face twisted. "But Alpha, you promised my father—"

"I know what I promised!" Hudson roared, rising to his full height. "But my patience has found its limit!"

Lenny winced and slunk into the corner. Avery watched the exchange, wondering why Hudson kept such a rebellious yearling around.

"Fine," Avery declared, her voice devoid of heat. "You may stay in the guest wing. But if you cross into my living space or Madison’s, I will cull you myself."

A flicker of sorrow passed through Hudson’s eyes. "Understood," he said softly.

Just then, Avery’s phone—a rare piece of human-tech used for trade—buzzed. It was a message from Charlee Martel.

“Avery, are you free? I need to speak with you.”

Avery was confused. Was Charlee going to hold her accountable for Joanna’s downfall?

She didn't respond immediately. Another message followed: “Please. I am not your enemy. I know what Joanna did. I have cast her out, but I owe you a formal apology from the Martel house.”

Avery felt a twinge of sympathy. Charlee had raised Joanna alone after her mate’s death, balancing the weight of a Deputy’s duties with the struggles of a single mother.

Avery texted back: “I will come. Send the coordinates.”

Avery slipped out without telling Hudson, not wanting to involve the Shadow in a Martel family matter. But as she reached the gate, Lenny blocked her path.

"Don't leave," the boy said, a scowl on his face. "I need a word with you."

Avery wasn't in the mood. "Another time, pup. I have business."

Lenny followed her to the car, his tone stubborn. "I'm going to say this today. If you won't listen, I'll follow your scent to the ends of the Ridge."

Avery sighed, stopping in her tracks. "Five minutes. Go."

Lenny lifted his chin. "Stay away from Hudson. He has a fated mate waiting for him in the Northern Wastes. The High Elder’s daughter saved his life when he was bleeding out in the snow. They are a perfect match. If you hadn't come back, he would have claimed her by now."

Avery’s heart gave a strange, cold thud. It made sense—Hudson was a prime Alpha; women would naturally flock to him. But the thought of him with a "perfect match" in the north left a bitter taste in her mouth.

"I didn't ask for his attention, Lenny," Avery said icily. "If you want him to leave, go talk to him. I just want peace."

Lenny stammered, "But... you could just reject the bond! If you don't, you're just playing a game. Stay away from him."

Avery took a step toward him, her Alpha scent flaring. Lenny retreated, fear in his eyes. "I don't need to prove anything to a yearling. If you're so sure of this northern female, tell Hudson to go to her. This has nothing to do with me."

Lenny gritted his teeth. "Just wait! When the Lady Scarlett Vale arrives, she'll show a 'mistress' like you where you belong!"

Avery chuckled. "I’ll be waiting."

When Avery arrived at the Martel estate, the silence was chilling. There were no sentinels at the gate, no servants in the halls.

The Martel wealth was vast, but today, the opulence felt like a tomb. Avery followed the butler’s silent lead through the echoing house. He left her in a massive, empty living room.

Confused, Avery messaged Charlee: “I’m here. Where are you?”

“Upstairs. The study on the second floor,” came the reply.

Avery made her way up the grand stone stairs. At the top of the second flight, she stopped, her heart stopping.

Charlee Martel was lying at the bottom of the next flight of stairs, unconscious, a pool of blood spreading around her head.

Before Avery could even breathe, Monroe bodyguards—who had been lurking in the shadows—seized her arms.

Joanna appeared on the third-floor landing, her voice a piercing shriek. "Avery! I saw it! I saw you push my mother!"

Avery looked up, her face pale with disbelief. "What are you talking about? I just arrived!"

Joanna rushed down the stairs, throwing herself over Charlee’s broken form. "Mom! Wake up! Please! She tried to force you to exile me, and when you refused, she threw you down! Someone help! The Monroe bitch has murdered the Deputy!"

Avery felt a wave of nausea. She realized Joanna had lured her here using Charlee’s phone. Joanna had pushed her own mother to frame Avery.