“What about his Luna? She might be more trouble than you think. The pack might rally around her if she gets in the way.”
“Lavender? Don’t make me laugh. She’s pathetic. Cedar’s barely holding onto her as it is. She’ll stay in the background like she always does. She doesn’t have the guts to fight back.”
“Still, if she gets involved—”
“Then deal with her. Make it clean, make it quiet. Nobody will miss her. By the time anyone notices, I’ll be in charge, and you’ll have what I promised.”
“You’d better make good on those promises, Fern. I’m not sticking my neck out for nothing.”
“Don’t worry. Once Cedar and his loyalists are gone, the pack’s resources will be mine—and yours.”
Lavender’s hands trembled as the conversation ended, her heart pounding so loudly it felt like it might burst from her chest. She struggled to process what she had just heard. Fern wasn’t just bitter or cruel. She was a traitor. She wanted to destroy the pack, to take everything Cedar had built, and she was willing to spill blood to do it.
The cold, calculated way Fern spoke made Lavender’s stomach turn. It wasn’t just about Cedar anymore. Fern’s betrayal could destroy the entire pack, and she had no idea who this outsider was or how far his reach extended.
“Lavender,” Dahlia said gently, stepping closer. Her steady hand rested on Lavender’s arm, grounding her. “What’s wrong?”
Lavender blinked and turned to Dahlia. “Fern is planning to attack the pack. She’s working with someone. An outsider. They’re going to take down Cedar and everyone who stands in their way.”
Dahlia’s expression darkened. “Did you hear exactly what they said?”
Lavender nodded. “She wants Cedar dead. She thinks I’m too weak to do anything about it. She told him—” Her voice broke for a moment, anger and hurt mingling. “She told him to kill me too if I get in the way.”
Lavender rushed to her bedroom. The moment the door closed behind her, she grabbed her laptop and opened it. If Fern was planning something so catastrophic, there had to be breadcrumbs somewhere. The pack might have been good at keeping their secrets from humans, but blending into the human world meant there were always traces—social media, school records, photos.