Chapter 4
As soon as Alpha Zayron disappeared from their sight, a sharp beep echoed through the room. The tablets they had used to message the Great Southern Council had received a reply.
The alphas immediately turned their attention to the device in front of them.
Alpha Ethan clicked on it, his heart racing as he opened the message. His eyes scanned the words before he read them aloud:
Distinguished Alphas,
We received your message and here is an order from the Moon Lord.
One thing every werewolf knows about a Shadow Caster is that they would rather die than release someone they have cast their shadows upon.
Do not expect the she-wolf to set Alpha Zayron free. She will never set him free.
Instead, use this situation to your advantage. The only way forward is to kill the Shadow Caster and make it look like an attack from the Ashokan region.
If Zayron believes she was killed by Ashokan wolves, his fury will consume him, and he will lead the charge to wipe them out in the Veridia region. This is the only path forward. Do what must be done.
When Ethan finished reading, the room fell into silence. The alphas exchanged uneasy glances. None of them had expected such a brutal solution, but deep down, they knew it was their only option.
Alpha Ethan exhaled heavily, his head lowering for a brief moment. He had hoped for a way to free Zayron, but the council was right. There was none. The Shadow Caster would never undo what she had done.
Lifting his head, he straightened to his full height. “There is no other choice,” he said firmly. “The Shadow Caster must die.”
One of the alphas frowned. “Killing her won’t be easy. Zayron never lets her out of his sight.”
“Which is why we have to act carefully,” Ethan replied. “We need to lure her away from him.”
Another alpha crossed his arms. “Then let’s wait until nightfall. When Zayron falls asleep, we can take her.”
Ethan shook his head. “No. It will be impossible to pull her from his arms once he’s holding her. If he wakes up, we won’t stand a chance.”
“So what do we do?” an alpha asked.
Ethan’s gaze darkened. “We trick her into leaving his side willingly.”
The alphas gathered in a tight circle, their expressions grim. They knew separating Zayron from the Shadow Caster was their only chance to continue the mission, but it had to be done carefully. Any mistake could cost them everything.
One of the alphas, Alpha Garren, stepped forward. “I have a plan,” he said firmly.
The others turned to him. “Speak,” Alpha Ethan urged.
“A few minutes ago, a she-wolf claimed she was Alpha Zayron’s true mate. She left, but what if we use that against the Shadow Caster?”
“How?” Alpha Ethan asked.
“We need to send someone to Alpha Zayron. He would pretend to chat casually with them. In front of both him and the Shadow Caster, he would mention the she-wolf who claimed she is Alpha Zayron's true mate. He should also tell them the she-wolf was bragging about being Zayron’s fated mate, claiming she will use their bond to pull him back, even from the darkest forces.”
Ethan narrowed his eyes. “And you think that will make the Shadow Caster react or leave?”
Garren nodded. “Yes. Because we’ll add something more. Whoever is going there to complete this task must tell them the she-wolf plans to perform a ritual in the woods tonight to strengthen their bond and break any spell controlling Alpha Zayron.”
A few alphas exchanged glances. It was a risky move, but it had potential.
“Trust me, the Shadow Caster won’t ignore it,” Garren continued. “Even if she doesn’t believe it, she’ll be too curious to let it go. She’ll either try to stop the ritual or at least check if it’s real.”
Another alpha, Ronan, frowned. “What if she senses deception?”
Garren smirked. “She won’t, as long as the conversation happens naturally. If we make it seem like simple gossip, she won’t suspect a thing. And once Zayron confirms that the she-wolf is his mate, the Shadow Caster will take it seriously. You need to get that confirmation from him.”
Ethan’s expression hardened. “Even if she doubts it, she’ll still check the woods tonight to be sure.”
Ronan nodded slowly. “Yes. She won’t take any risks when it comes to Zayron.”
Ethan exhaled sharply. “Fine. We go with this plan.”
He turned to Alpha Paul. “You’ll talk to Zayron. Keep it casual, don’t make it obvious. We will wait in the woods.”
The young alpha nodded in understanding.
Ethan straightened and added, “Go and meet them now.”
He stood up and left. As soon as he left, Alpha Ethan faced the other alphas and asked, “Do we still need to find the traitor in our midst?”
“Alpha Ethan, we have a lot of problems hanging on our necks right now! We can't be distracted anymore,” an alpha responded, and others supported him. Alpha Ethan simply shrugged.
The pack house Zayron chose was quiet, except for the sound of young she-wolves cleaning the entire place.
In one corner, Zayron sat with the Shadow Caster, his arm draped protectively around her. The alphas who followed him were seated nearby, watching the scene in silence.
Paul entered the room and walked over to them. Zayron glanced at him and folded his arms.
“I was just about to ask everyone to leave. I need some privacy with my mate, and you’re here joining us instead.”
Paul smirked, leaned back and crossed his legs. “Speaking of mates, one she-wolf outside claimed to be your fated mate. Can’t you just reject her and focus on the one beside you?”
Zayron’s expression remained calm.
“The she-wolf you’re talking about was my fated mate, but our bond is as weak as a fading link. There’s nothing to sever. If there was an actual bond, I would’ve severed it long ago because it would have affected me too.”
Paul shrugged. “Well, weak or not, she’s planning to go into the woods tonight to perform some kind of ritual to reclaim you.”
Zayron scoffed. “She can perform a million rituals if she wants. It won’t change anything.”
Paul kept his eyes fixed on the she-wolf in Zayron’s hold.
Her unease rippled through the air, faint but unmistakable to him.
The way her shoulders stiffened, the way her gaze flickered as though searching for an escape, it all confirmed what he already knew.
Their plan was unfolding exactly as intended.
Satisfied, he allowed a thin smile to play at the edge of his lips and pressed on with his words, each one carefully chosen to push her further into the snare they had set.
“Alpha Zayron, the way your fated mate was bragging caught our interest. We’re thinking of going into the woods tonight to watch her. You should come too.”
Zayron shook his head. “I’ll be busy with my mate. I won’t even try it.”
“Busy with your mate tonight? What about the mission that brought us to the Veridia region?”
Zayron glanced at him lazily. “The mission is over. As you can see, this place is peaceful. No one is fighting. No one is dying. We’ll go back to our various regions tomorrow.”