The morning air was filled with a chill, but it was nothing compared to the weight of discoveries settling in Aveline's chest. She stood in the center of her quarters, the stolen letters from Elder Thorne's study spread out before her. The mysterious messages hinted at betrayal, manipulation, and a hidden alliance with an unknown third party. The evidence was crystal clear, but it wasn't enough. She needed more to expose Thorne and also survive doing it.
A knock on her door startled her. Before she could respond, her father entered, his expression unreadable. Beta Kellan was a man of duty and strength, but this time his face was filled with a hint of vulnerability, something she rarely saw.
"What were you thinking, sneaking into Thorne's study?" he demanded angrily, shutting the door behind him. His voice was low but sharp, filled with both anger and worry at the same level.
"I was thinking that someone had to do something," Aveline shot back, crossing her arms. "You knew Thorne was up to something. Why didn't you act?"
Kellan exhaled deeply, pinching the front of his nose. "You think I haven't tried? Thorne is clever. He covers his tracks too well. Without solid proof, accusing him would only make me a target, and now, you've painted yourself a target the moment you chose to take things this far."
Her heart sank, but she kept her chin high. "So what? Are we just supposed to let him manipulate us into war? Gabriel warned me, and now I see he was right."
Her father's eyes narrowed. "Gabriel has his own agenda, Aveline. Don't let his words cloud your judgment."
"And what about you father?" she replied to him with her voice rising. "For years, all you've done is follow orders, no matter who gave them. How can I trust you now?"
His jaw tightened with his brow raised at her words, but he didn't lash out. Instead, he sat down heavily on a nearby chair. "You don't have to trust me, Aveline. But believe me when I say this: openly challenging Thorne without a plan will get you killed. He's dangerous, and his allies are powerful. Whatever he's planning, it's bigger than either of us."
She felt a slight relief which warmed her despite the tension. Her father wasn't dismissing her outright. He might be an ally, but their relationship was still strained. Years of his cold, duty-driven nature couldn't be erased overnight. Could she trust him fully? She wasn't sure.
Later that day, Aveline was walking through the training grounds when a shadow showed across her path. She turned to find Cassian, Gabriel's second-in-command, leaning casually against a post, his expression unreadable.
"Cassian," she said warily. She hadn't spoken to him since their tense encounter at the border.
"We need to talk," he said, his tone unusually serious. "Somewhere private."
Aveline hesitated, peeping around to avoid being seen. Finally, she nodded and followed him to a secluded spot near the edge of the camp. Cassian crossed his arms and studied her for a moment before speaking.
"Gabriel is keeping secrets," he uttered with a low voice. "From you, from his pack—hell, even from me. But everything he's done has been for one reason."
"And what's that?" Aveline asked with a sharp tone and a straight look into his eyes. "Power? Control?"
Cassian shook his head, his gaze piercing. "No. You."
The atmosphere between them became thick and filled with tension. Aveline blinked, stunned by the weight of his words. "What are you talking about?"
"He's done everything to protect you," Cassian continued, his voice softening. "Leaving the pack, faking his death, taking control of ours, it was all to keep you safe. He knew staying would put you in danger."
Cassian hesitated, his expression conflicted. "Because he knew you wouldn't leave it alone. You would've tried to fight, to fix things. And that would've made you a target."
"From who?" she demanded. "Thorne? The council? This mysterious third party he's been hinting at?"
Cassian's silence was answer enough. Aveline's fisted her at the absolute silence which answered her questions. The more she learned, the less she understood. She was caught between conflicting loyalties to her pack, her father, and now Gabriel, who still held a piece of her heart despite everything.
"Why are you telling me this?" she asked finally.
get through to him. He's walking a dangerous line, and if he falls, we all do."
Cassian reached into his cloak and brought out an old piece of parchment that was half torn. He handed it to her without a word. Aveline unfolded it, her eyes widening as she recognized the symbol drawn on it—a crescent moon pierced by a dagger. It was the same symbol she had seen in Thorne's letters.
"Where did you get this?" she asked with a whisper to avoid being heard.
"It doesn't matter," Cassian replied. "What matters is where it leads. If you want the truth, follow it."
Cassian turned and walked away before Aveline could ask him questions any further, leaving her alone with the half-torn parchment in her hands. She asserted within herself that both Gabriel and Thorne were connected in ways she couldn't yet understand, and this symbol was the key to untangle it all.
Aveline stood there for a long moment, the torn parchment flapping in the wind. Her mind raced with questions, but one thought rose above the rest: Who could she trust?
Her father's warning playing in her mind. "You have no idea what you're meddling with."
Cassian's words followed close behind it. "You're the reason he's done everything."
And finally, Gabriel's parting remark remained like a ghost: "You're playing a dangerous game, Aveline. I hope you know the stakes."
As the sun set below the horizon, she kept the parchment into her cloak and set her jaw. She said to herself, "Whatever lay ahead, I am going to face it head-on". She remembered what had been sacrificed for the alliance, which is now on the brink of breaking, but she was determined to uncover the truth even if it meant risking everything.