But anyway, she is a nobody my brother picked, and worse, she’s even a mere servant. So I shouldn’t expect her to be strong… yet somehow, I do. Even if she is a nobody, my brother’s wolf would never choose her without reason.
Yes, that’s my expectation of her from the start… that’s why I keep pushing for the Luna coronation, where she’ll be forced to reveal her power. I think I’ll push this suggestion forward again. Something feels suspicious about the way my brother always changes the subject whenever I bring up the coronation.
“Ivy. What do you think about the new Luna?” I questioned.
“I don’t understand you, ma,” she answered cautiously.
I moved closer, leaning until my lips almost brushed the shell of her ear.
“Is she weak… or strong?” I pressed, watching her wrestle with the weight of the question.
“I’m not sure,” she admitted finally, but I could sense she was hiding something.
Ivy POV
That question caught me off guard. For King Valtor’s sake, who appointed me as the Luna’s assistant and for peace, I must guard Mrs. Ember’s secret. Who knows what Beta Willow would do if I spoke the truth? She’s unpredictable.
And besides, my answer wasn’t entirely false. I truly don’t know yet if the Luna will rise to be formidable or not. Her wolf, after all, is still dormant.
“So, what’s the next plan for taking the Southern Territory?” I aske d, changing the subject.
“A full-fledged war… if they refuse to surrender without defeat,” she declared with sharp certainty.
Ember POV
I opened the door to find it empty again. Who the heck is trying to raise my blood pressure at this late hour of the night?
Leaving my room, my thoughts nudged me toward the right corridor. I walked a short distance down the lonely passageway, already debating if I should turn back.
Things like this never happened when Valtor was still Aleku. Why am I going through all this now?
Finally, I reached an area where guards stood at attention. They bowed respectfully, and I returned a small smile. That simple act calmed me, reminding me I wasn’t entirely alone.
Almost as if pulled by curiosity, I wandered down another route in the mansion until I saw someone slipping out of a room. He turned left, away from where I stood, and began walking off.
Something about him drew me in. Something felt wrong… or rather, familiar. His back reminded me of someone I’ve tried to bury deep in my memory.
I shouldn’t be thinking about him. Maybe it’s just because he’s been on my mind lately that I’m mistaking this stranger’s figure for his. I watched the innocent werewolf just vanished into the dark corridor.
I stopped myself, shook my head, and turned back. Better to head to my room before anyone grows suspicious of me wandering around at night. Guards were everywhere; there was no real reason to be afraid.
Harry POV
Special Mission: Operation Find a Quick Exit.
I slipped out exactly at midnight.
Checking both ways, I crept toward the IT lab through the quiet passage. At this point, I didn’t care if I was caught in the lab. I had my excuse ready… I’d claim I was trying to locate the Shellers’ base in Windsor City. The perfect lie.
Thanks to the location of the lab, I did not met any guard until I reached the lab.
"You know maybe I should give Alpha Valtor a little something for stealing his woman. No, for stealing my woman back from him. I will try my possible best to locate the Shell base in this Windsor city and that will make my lie perfect. I thought as I turned on the power source for all the computers in the room.”
Soon enough, my fingers keep flying across keyboards. Their blueprint popped up, though a sudden lockscreen cut me off, demanding a PIN. I tried all my usual tricks, but the security bounced back hard. I smirked.
This was Davis’s handiwork. He’s no small fish in the hacking world, and I knew not to underestimate him. Still, instead of frustration, I felt excitement. I’d already built a cracker to break through the newest security model Davis favored.
Sliding off my ring-shaped flash drive, I plugged it in and began installing the software. While the program loaded, I shifted to another system, studying what had cut the others off from Windsor’s base despite coming so close. At this rate, I knew I might be stuck here all night but that was fine.
I stumbled across payment records from some careless Alpha and some others, bold enough to label them “Shell.” In their payment description even though the bank account was listed or called: Righteous Foundation.
“Righteous, indeed,” I chuckled.
I would have to hack the bank’s system.
If fortune favored me that the so-called Righteous organization had carelessly linked their true location. Of course, they might have used a false address, probability was against me, but still, it was worth a try.
Davis once told me they had tried tracing the transactions, but every attempt hit a wall. That meant the Shellers were already aware of people hunting them.
Focus. My real mission wasn’t just cracking codes… It was securing Ember.
I launched the software, inputting command after command with lightning speed. Once it was running on its own, I leaned back, already thinking ahead.
Once I found my exit route from this mansion and the perfect spot for my crime scene, I’d move. I don't care if I'm unable to locate the Shell base. I'll immediately proceed with my plan and get thrown out with Ember, or better still, if Alpha Valtor wants to kill both of us. I'll see if I can escape with Ember, but if she's sluggish, as I didn't expect much from her since she's weak, I'll escape alone and let her fend for herself.
A faint sound chimed… a bypass alert. Success. Not a full crack, no; Davis wouldn’t even notice someone slipped past his locks.
A grin spread across my face as I scanned the blueprint. And then my smile widened even brighter when I noticed…