(Olivia's POV)
In my mother's old study, dust motes danced in the afternoon light as I ran my fingers along leather-bound spines. Katherine Blackwood's private library remained untouched since her death, a shrine to the warrior woman who'd helped build our pack from nothing.
"Your mother kept everything," Sarah said, pulling another volume from the shelves. "Battle strategies, pack histories, ancient laws—"
"And answers," I murmured, inhaling the familiar scent of old paper and dried herbs that still lingered after all these years. "They're here somewhere."
My fingers caught on a worn journal, its pages dog-eared and stained with what looked suspiciously like blood. Inside, my mother's elegant handwriting filled the margins with notes and observations.
"The old laws were written by Alphas who feared strong females," she'd written. "But they left loopholes – always watch for the loopholes."
"Here!" Sarah's excited voice drew me to where she stood by the window, an ancient tome open in her hands. "Look at this passage about mate bonds."
I leaned over her shoulder, scanning the faded text: ""Should an Alpha's chosen mate prove false of heart or intent, the sacred bond may be challenged through trial by combat. The challenger's victory nullifies all traditional claims, freeing both parties from the Goddess's blessing.""
"A loophole," I breathed, remembering my mother's words. "The Elders can't force me to honor a corrupt mate bond if I defeated Oliver in combat—"
"Which you did," Sarah finished, her eyes bright with triumph. "When you rejected him at the ceremony, you weren't just acting on emotion. You were following ancient pack law."
Hope flickered in my chest for the first time since the betrayal. Around us, more female warriors emerged from between the shelves – Beth with her scarred hands, Maya whose limp hadn't stopped her from becoming our best tracker, Kira whose omega sister had been killed by a traditionalist pack.
"We stand with you," Beth said simply. "The pack needs change. It needs you."
The moment was shattered by a familiar scent drifting through the open window – silver fir and cedar, but twisted with something darker. My head snapped up, nostrils flaring.
"Assassin," Cora growled. "Silver Moon Pack."
Before I could warn the others, Oliver's voice carried across the courtyard, syrupy sweet and filled with false concern.
"A celebration," he was saying to a group of pack members. "For Alpha Alexander's recovery. The pack needs unity now more than ever."
My hands clenched, nails lengthening to claws. Even from here, I could smell the deception rolling off him in waves. But beneath it... there it was again. That hint of silver fir and cedar that reminded me so much of Dominic, yet wasn't quite right.
"Don't," Sarah grabbed my arm as I moved toward the window. "Something's wrong. That scent..."
"I know," I growled. "He's not what he seems. None of this is what it seems."
Through the gathering crowd, I spotted Adrian, already organizing preparations with an enthusiasm that made my stomach turn. My protest died in my throat as I watched the way our pack members gravitated toward him – the perfect heir, the traditional choice.
"Let them have their party," Sarah said quietly. "It'll keep them distracted while we gather proof."
But we didn't have time. The assassin's scent grew stronger as darkness fell, mixing with the festive atmosphere in a way that made my skin crawl. Memories crashed over me – the night my mother died, the glint of a poisoned blade, the smell of blood and wolfsbane...
"Focus," Cora snapped. "We're not helpless cubs anymore."
The celebration began at moonrise. Lanterns cast flickering shadows across the pack house grounds as music and laughter filled the air. I watched from the shadows as Oliver played his part perfectly – the concerned omega, so worried about his future father-in-law's health.
"Your father should rest," he told Adrian loudly enough for others to hear. "The attack took such a toll—"
The words cut off as the first scream pierced the night.
They came from the shadows – black-clad figures moving with lethal precision. The same military efficiency I'd noticed during the ceremony attack. But this time, I was ready.
"Protect the cubs!" I roared, my Alpha power surging outward as I spotted several young ones playing near the feast tables. "Sarah, get them inside!"
The battle erupted in chaos. Pack members shifted partially or fully, fangs and claws meeting steel as the assassins struck. I fought my way through the melee, watching in disgust as Adrian pulled Oliver behind him, ignoring the defenseless pack members around them.
A child's cry caught my attention – little Emma, one of our youngest cubs, cornered by a masked attacker. I lunged without thinking, taking the blade meant for her in my shoulder. Pain exploded through me, but I managed to snap the assassin's neck before he could strike again.
"Alpha heir!" Sarah appeared through the chaos, blood streaming from a cut above her eye. "You're hurt—"
"Get the cubs to safety," I gritted out, feeling blood soak my shirt. "I'll hold them off."
More attackers came. I fought through the pain, through the memories of another night like this, of another woman who'd died protecting her pack. But I wasn't my mother. I wouldn't let them take anything else from us.
Adrian's voice cut through the chaos: "Brother! Help me protect Oliver!"
Brother. Not "protect the pack" or "help the wounded." Just Oliver. The sight of them retreating while our people fought and bled made something snap inside me.
"Coward!" I screamed, my voice carrying over the battle. "You'd let cubs die to save your precious omega?"
But Adrian didn't even look back. The betrayal burned worse than the wound in my shoulder, fueling my rage as more assassins poured in from the shadows.
"Let go," Cora whispered. "Let the beast free."
My Alpha power exploded outward in a wave of golden energy, raw and primal. Bones cracked as I partially shifted, maintaining human form but letting my wolf's strength flow through me. The assassins closest to me went flying, their bodies crushed by the force of my power.
"Stand with your Alpha heir!" Sarah's voice rang out, and suddenly the female warriors were there, moving in perfect formation around me. We'd trained for this, prepared for the day when we'd have to prove ourselves.
Blood and moonlight painted the world in shades of crimson as we fought. My shoulder screamed in protest, but I couldn't stop – wouldn't stop. Not while my pack needed me. Through the haze of battle, I caught glimpses: Beth taking down two assassins with brutal efficiency, Maya using her limp to deceive before striking, Kira protecting a group of elderly pack members.
Then I saw it – three of the Elders, not fighting, not helping, but watching with calculated interest as our pack members fell. Their scents hit me like a physical blow: silver fir and cedar, just like the assassins.
"Traitors!" The word tore from my throat as understanding dawned. "Sarah, the Elders!"
She was already moving, her team of female warriors surrounding the three men before they could flee. Their masks of dignified concern crumbled as we approached, revealing the cold calculation beneath.
"The Silver Moon Pack sends its regards," Elder Marcus sneered, reaching for a hidden blade. But he wasn't facing a weak female now – he was facing his Alpha's daughter, her mother's daughter, and I had nothing left to lose.
My power caught him mid-motion, crushing his throat before he could speak another word. The other two Elders tried to run, but Sarah's warriors were faster, bringing them down with ruthless precision.
"Search them," I ordered, swaying slightly as blood loss made my vision blur. "Find proof of their treachery."
The evidence was damning – communications with the Silver Moon Pack, plans for both attacks, details about our defenses. The three Elders had been feeding information to our enemies for years, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
"Kill them," I said coldly, watching as justice was carried out. "Let their bodies be a message to any others who would betray us."
The fighting died down as dawn painted the sky in shades of pink and gold. Our casualties were heavy – too heavy – but we'd survived. More importantly, we'd uncovered the rot at our core.
Sarah helped me to the pack healer's cabin, her grip steady despite her own injuries. "The pack saw you fight for them," she said quietly. "They saw you take that blade for Emma, saw you stand while Adrian ran. That matters more than any Elder's words."
I nodded, too exhausted to speak. But as the healer worked on my shoulder, I caught fragments of conversations outside:
"Did you see her? Just like her mother..."
"Protected the cubs while that coward Adrian..."
"Maybe we need someone different..."
"The female warriors saved us..."
"We won more than a battle tonight," Cora observed. "We won their hearts."
"Rest," Sarah ordered, standing guard at my door. "We'll handle the cleanup. You've proved yourself enough for one night."
As consciousness faded, I thought of my mother's journal, of ancient laws and loopholes, of a pack built on breaking tradition. The Elders had thought to weaken us by exposing our flaws, but they'd only proved what my mother always knew – true strength comes in many forms, and sometimes the old ways need to die for new ones to grow.
The war wasn't over. Oliver's connection to the Silver Moon Pack, Adrian's betrayal, the threat still lurking beyond our borders – all of that would have to be dealt with. But for now, I let myself drift into healing sleep, surrounded by the scent of loyal wolves and the knowledge that change, real change, was finally coming to the Ebony Pack.
And this time, no one would stop it.