Lahat ng Kabanata ng Before the Marking Ceremony, Alpha Heir Brought Home a Marked Omega: Kabanata 11 - Kabanata 16

The embers of the Ancestral Moon Hunt weren't even cold before Lysander's punishment fell over us like a blizzard.First the winter grain stores were cut by thirty percent. Then the herbs for winter fevers were seized wholesale. Even our patrol rights along the Outer Reach border were pulled back under the main pack's "unified coordination," along with an announcement that they would be sending inspectors to audit our supplies.He wanted revenge. He wanted to make me crawl."If this keeps up, the people won't survive the winter," The people’s voices were laced with anxiety.I just shook my head.Well before the Moon Hunt, under the cover of reviewing old tribute accounts, I'd mapped every supply line the Outer Reach had. What the main pack thought it controlled — the grain routes, the herb routes — I'd already quietly taken hold of. As long as we had coin, we'd make it through."Pass the word. Give thirty percent of the stored grain to the elderly, the women, and the children. Move the

Three days later an order from the main pack arrived at the Dark Wolf pack. The outer wolves of the Forbidden Forest had gone feral. There was a plague among them. Kane was to personally patrol the borders of the Forbidden Forest, restore order, and prove his ability. If he succeeded, his right to the line of succession would be restored.Everyone knew what that place was. A hundred warriors could go in and not one come out.My eyes were burning."They want you dead. That's the whole point."Kane walked over and took my hand. "I know. But I can't refuse.""Why? You know it's a trap.""If I refuse, they'll have their reason to march on the Outer Reach directly." His eyes were heavy. "And then it's our people who pay."I knew his mind was already made up. I didn't argue. I just held on to him. "You come back to me."He held me back. "I will."He paused, then asked, "If I don't — can you hold this place?"I looked up at him. My voice didn't waver."This is my home too. I'll hold it with m

I waited, on edge, until word finally came from the main pack.The Old Alpha King was furious. He suspended Lysander's authority as heir on the spot, ordered him confined to his chambers, and sent an investigator to go through the Ashmore family's corruption case from top to bottom.Overnight, Lysander stopped being the untouchable heir. The factions in the Council of Elders that had attached themselves to him started peeling off. The Ashmore estate was raided and sealed. Evelyn was confined to her palace rooms.Lysander knew. He had lost everything. But he wouldn't accept it. He couldn't just lose everything.He blamed all of it on Sabrina. If she hadn't existed, he'd still be the heir every wolf bowed to."Sabrina — I'm not letting you get away with this!" he roared in his chambers. His eyes were going somewhere past rage.He ignored the Old Alpha King's confinement order. He pulled together his personal guards and his most loyal men — everyone he still had the authority over — and r