Chapter 48: Theatrics
Chapter 48 – Lenora
The sun has set. The moon hangs high above the square, full and bright like a silent witness. I stand before the old wolf statue, its weathered stone gaze cast toward the forest. The last time I stood here... I was drugged. Cornered. Left to fate by Frederick.
And yet... that moment brought Cameron into my life.
So whatever happens tonight, whatever nonsense Alric has arranged — it doesn’t matter. The outcome isn’t what I’m afraid of. I already have what matters most.
Still, my hands tremble as I clench them at my sides. Cameron told me to trust him, that he’s got this. He’d said it so calmly, with Simone smirking like she already had an evil plan loaded into a PowerPoint. Whatever they schemed about in hushed tones, I hope it’s enough.
I scan the square. There’s a mix of curiosity and tension in the air. Some female wolves glance at me with soft, almost smug expressions — not all contemptuous. Satisfaction, maybe. I didn’t even want their wolves before I mated Cameron, they had nothing to worry about at all.
Others look genuinely worried. I can’t blame them. If I were watching someone I cared about be dragged into a trial by politics and ancient custom, I’d be worried too.
"Hey." A warm, familiar hand slips into mine.
"Aunt Linda," I say softly, turning to greet her. Her silver-streaked curls are pinned back, her eyes sharp with purpose. She’s been a staple of this community for decades — in charge of preschool education and known as the most feared enforcer of nap schedules in White Stone.
"We know Alric’s doing this to provoke your father," she mutters under her breath. "This whole thing is a stunt. I can’t believe he’d go this far."
"It’s okay," I start, but she cuts me off with a sharp glance.
"No, it’s not. We won’t let anything happen to you. Not without a fight. Unless that bastard wants a civil war on his hands."