Chapter 4 Whispers in the Wind
Inside Wolf’s Keep in Bloodclaw territory, the party vibe was still hanging around—but there was this weird, uneasy feeling quietly spreading through the air.
Marcus Bloodclaw slouched on his new throne, tapping his fingers smugly against the gold-plated armrests. Life was looking up. He’d gotten rid of me—Leah Thorne, that annoying Beta—and locked down a marriage deal with the powerful Silver Mane clan. Things couldn’t be better. He was already plotting how to use the Silver Manes’ influence to take over those small, stubborn packs around his land.
"My lord." A trusted guard captain hurried into the hall, looking a little pale—ruining Marcus’s little power trip.
"What is it?" Marcus frowned. He was annoyed at the interruption, but he loved seeing the fear in other people’s eyes.
"The patrols at the edge of our territory say last night—especially after midnight—the wolf packs in the forest were… super on edge."
"On edge?" Marcus snickered. "What, is it mating season? Or just some stupid territory fight? You’re bugging me with this crap?"
"No, not the usual kind of upset," the guard captain said, swallowing hard, his voice shaky. "It’s… fear. A bunch of wolf packs were howling at the moon, but it wasn’t a challenge. It was more like… submission, or maybe… begging for help."
"Submission?" Marcus sat up straight fast. "To the moon? That’s ridiculous! The moon just makes us wilder!"
"It’s true, my lord. And it wasn’t just one spot—packs everywhere were acting the same. Plus… some of the older wolves just laid flat on the ground, shaking. We couldn’t get ’em up, no matter what."
Marcus felt anger bubbling up. He hated not being in control. "Check into this! Is Caden Frost behind it? Is he trying to stir up trouble?" His mind jumped right to his northern rival—the guy he’d always watched warily.
"We haven’t seen any big moves from the northern wolves. But… after the rain stopped and the moon came out last night, the border guards felt this really quick but terrifying… pressure—coming from the direction where you sent Lady Leah Thorne," the guard captain added carefully.
"Leah?" Marcus laughed like he’d heard the funniest joke ever, then blew up. "That worthless woman? She’s probably dead in the woods by now! A little pressure? Your useless guys must’ve imagined it! Or maybe some magic beast just passed through! Take whoever felt that ‘pressure’ and discipline ’em—they’re scaring everyone for no reason!"
He waved the guard captain away, annoyed. Once again, he was alone in the big hall.
Marcus grabbed his wine glass, hoping alcohol would calm his nerves—but he noticed his hand was shaking a little. He got so mad he smashed the glass on the floor, sending expensive shards and red wine flying everywhere.
"Tricks!" he growled, trying to cover his growing worry with anger.
It’s gotta be Caden! He must be using some trick to mess with me! Or… could that bitch Leah still be causing problems—even dead, haunting me like a ghost?
He forced himself to breathe. A Beta without a collar and no Alpha’s protection? She didn’t stand a chance in the wild during a stormy night. And that "pressure" everyone felt? Total nonsense.
But what about the wolves’ weird behavior? That deep, bloodline fear—you can’t fake that.
Could something have happened he didn’t know about?
Once that thought got in his head, it wrapped around his heart like a poisonous snake. Everything he’d planned so carefully, all the power and glory he’d just grabbed—nothing could go wrong now!
That former wolf queen he’d humiliated in public and tossed aside like trash… no, that Beta… could she really cause trouble?
No way! Impossible!
He needed to lock down that marriage with the Silver Mane family ASAP to solidify his spot. Then, he’d crush any hint of trouble before it grew.
"Guards!" he shouted into the empty hall. "Triple the patrols! Watch the borders close—especially up north! Report anything weird right away!"
His commands echoed through the empty space, but they couldn’t shake the heavy feeling of dread settling over him.
