Mabella’s POV“His name is Aldric Crane,” Fred tells her the next morning, placing the file on the war room table. “Eleven years in governance. Clean record. Unremarkable by every measure.” A pause. “Until three months ago when someone started meeting with him privately.”I looked at the file, its edges worn from hasty handling. The war room smelled of strong coffee and old parchment, the long oak table scarred from years of strategy sessions. Sunlight filtered through narrow windows, casting sharp lines across the maps pinned to the walls. After yesterday’s verification, the pack should have felt victorious. Instead, this new thread pulled tighter around us.“Who,” I pressed, flipping open the folder. Neat columns of notes stared back at me—dates, locations, payments.“That’s what I’ve been working out since yesterday,” Fred told me carefully, leaning against the table with arms crossed. His eyes were tired but sharp, the loyal beta who never rested when threats lingered. “The meetin
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