The address Elena had given me led to a small cottage on the outskirts of Silverpine territory. I hesitated at the gate, Luna stirring anxiously within me.
*We need answers,* she reminded me. *Not just suspicions.*
I knocked firmly, my heart hammering against my ribs. The door opened almost immediately, as though she'd been waiting for me.
"Sarah." Elena's face was thinner than I remembered, her eyes darting nervously to the street behind me. "I wasn't sure you'd come."
"I need to know the truth," I said simply.
She ushered me inside, closing the door quickly behind us. The cottage smelled of herbs and old books—a stark contrast to the modern pack houses I was accustomed to.
"You shouldn't be here," she said, lighting a candle despite the afternoon light filtering through the windows. "If Alpha Lukas discovers I've spoken to you..."
"That's why I came to you instead of asking someone still in the pack." I sat on the edge of her worn couch. "You're beyond his reach now."
Elena's hands trembled as she set the candle down. "Not as far beyond as you might think."
"How long did you know?" I asked, cutting straight to the point.
She didn't pretend to misunderstand. "About Alpha Lukas and Sloan?" Her laugh was bitter. "Everyone knew, Sarah. Or at least suspected."
The room seemed to tilt beneath me. "Everyone?"
"The way they looked at each other during pack gatherings. How he'd disappear for hours, claiming to be handling 'Alpha business.'" Elena's eyes filled with sympathy. "But no one dared speak up. Not to you, not to anyone."
"Why?" My voice cracked despite my efforts to keep it steady.
"Because he's the Alpha." Elena's simple statement carried the weight of years of unspoken truth. "And Sloan's mother is mated to the Beta. Who would risk their position in the pack by challenging them?"
Luna growled deep in my consciousness, her anger matching my own rising fury.
---
Dr. Rachel Stone's office smelled of antiseptic and herbs, a combination that made my stomach turn. I'd timed my visit carefully—late afternoon, when most pack members were finishing their daily duties.
"Sarah." The healer's surprise was evident as she looked up from her desk. "I wasn't expecting you today."
"I need information," I said, closing the door behind me.
Dr. Stone's expression shifted from welcome to wariness. "Patient confidentiality is sacred, even for pack members."
"This isn't about me." I placed a photograph on her desk—one of the many Marcus had provided. It showed Sloan leaving this very office, her hand protectively covering her stomach. "It's about her."
The healer's face paled. "I can't—"
"Can't or won't?" I leaned forward, letting a hint of Luna's strength seep into my voice. "How many times has she been here, Dr. Stone? How many prenatal appointments has she had under your care?"
Dr. Stone's shoulders slumped, her professional demeanor cracking. "She's the Alpha's chosen mate's sister," she whispered. "He ordered me to treat her personally and keep it confidential."
"And you obeyed." It wasn't a question.
"I swore an oath to serve the pack and its Alpha." Her eyes met mine, pleading. "What would you have had me do?"
---
The pack's financial office was nearly empty when I slipped inside. Beta Griffin—my father—was attending a meeting with neighboring packs, leaving only a junior accountant at the desk.
"Luna Sarah," he greeted me, using my title out of respect for my position as the Alpha's mate. "How can I help you?"
"I need to review some expenditure reports," I said smoothly. "For the quarterly alliance assessment."
He nodded, not questioning my request. "Which period would you like to see?"
"The last five years," I replied. "Specifically, any allocations marked as 'general pack welfare.'"
The young wolf's fingers flew over the keyboard, pulling up screen after screen of financial records. I scanned them methodically, Luna's enhanced vision picking out patterns that might have otherwise gone unnoticed.
There—a monthly payment to the Silver Creek Academy. The prestigious school was known for accepting only the brightest werewolf children. Another series of payments to a private medical practice in the neighboring territory. And regular transfers to an account labeled simply "Hill Residence Maintenance."
All authorized by Alpha Lukas. All paid from pack funds.
"Could I print these?" I asked, my voice surprisingly steady despite the rage building inside me.
"Of course, Luna." The printer whirred to life behind him.
As the pages emerged, each one painted a clearer picture of betrayal. Education for his secret son. Medical care for Sloan's pregnancies. A comfortable lifestyle funded by the pack while he claimed to me that resources were limited.
Luna's fury matched my own as I gathered the damning evidence. *He's been stealing from the pack to support them.*
"Not just stealing," I whispered, more to myself than to Luna. "Lying. Cheating. Betraying everything a mate bond should be."
The junior accountant looked up sharply, but I was already turning away, the printed pages clutched in my trembling hands.
I had my proof now. And soon, everyone would know exactly what kind of Alpha—what kind of mate—Lukas truly was.
