The first sign of Silver Pine's deterioration came three days after my departure.
I watched from the Royal Observatory as the pack lands withered beneath the summer sun. Crops that had once flourished under my careful tending now drooped, their leaves curling at the edges. The pack's luck—something I had quietly maintained through my suppressed Lycan blood—was fading like morning mist.
"Without your stabilizing presence, their territory is reverting to its natural state," my father observed, standing beside me at the crystal viewing sphere. "A pack built on rejection and betrayal cannot thrive."
I nodded, feeling Queen stir restlessly within me. *They're paying for their cruelty.*
"Reed is blaming you," my father continued, his voice carrying a note of dark satisfaction. "Our spies report he's telling the pack you cursed them before fleeing like a rogue."
The irony wasn't lost on me. For ten years, I had been the pack's secret strength—healing their wounds, ensuring their prosperity, stabilizing their very foundations—all while they treated me like a disease.
"And what of my son?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
My father's expression softened. "Nicholas is... confused. Reed is poisoning him against you."
---
In the Silver Pine Pack House, Reed paced before the assembled pack members, his face contorted with rage.
"She abandoned us!" he shouted, his Alpha aura flaring oppressively. "After everything this pack gave her—after I tolerated her weakness for a decade—she ran away like a coward!"
The pack members shifted uncomfortably, their eyes downcast. None dared mention that I had prepared their meals, cleaned their homes, or nursed their sick during my years of servitude.
"Father, why did Mother leave?" Nicholas's small voice cut through Reed's tirade.
Reed knelt before his son, taking Nicholas's shoulders in his hands. "Your mother was never who we thought she was," he said, his voice dripping with false concern. "She was a traitor, Nicholas. A rogue at heart."
Nicholas's golden eyes—so like mine—widened in confusion. "But she was sick..."
"She was faking," Hailey interjected, stepping forward with perfectly applied makeup and not a hair out of place. "Trying to gain sympathy while she planned her escape."
Reed nodded solemnly. "She cursed our lands before she left," he lied smoothly. "That's why the crops are failing. That's why some of you are getting sick."
Fear rippled through the gathered wolves. A curse from a rejected mate was serious business—potentially deadly.
"We need to leave," Reed announced. "The Alpha Summit in the neutral capital begins tomorrow. While we're gone, Gamma Marcus will lead the efforts to cleanse our territory of Sylvia's curse."
---
The neutral capital buzzed with activity as Alpha families from across the territories arrived for the Summit. The grand hotel that hosted the event gleamed with polished marble and crystal chandeliers, a stark contrast to the squalid conditions I'd endured at Silver Pine.
Reed emerged from their SUV with a flourish, his custom-tailored suit gleaming under the afternoon sun. Hailey followed, draped in designer clothes that probably cost more than the pack's monthly food budget.
"Remember," Reed whispered to Nicholas as they approached the hotel entrance, "stand tall. You're the future Alpha of Silver Pine."
Nicholas nodded solemnly, though his eyes darted nervously around the crowded lobby.
Reed's attempt at networking began almost immediately. He approached a group of Alphas near the registration desk, his hand extended in greeting.
"Alpha Cunningham of Silver Pine," he announced proudly. "I received your Summit invitation with great honor."
The Alphas exchanged glances but didn't extend their hands in return.
"Have you heard the news?" one of them asked another, deliberately loud enough for Reed to hear.
"Haven't you?" the other replied. "About the Hidden Princess?"
Reed frowned. "What princess?"
The Alphas moved away, continuing their conversation in hushed tones.
"Probably just rumors," Reed muttered to Hailey, but I could see the first flicker of unease in his eyes.
As they waited for their room keys, Reed noticed more whispered conversations, more meaningful glances. The word "princess" seemed to float through the air like a ghost.
"I don't understand," Hailey whispered, her perfect composure beginning to crack. "Why are they all talking about a princess?"
Reed's jaw tightened. "Whatever it is, it doesn't concern us. We're here to receive our commendation."
But despite his words, I could see the doubt creeping into his expression as he watched Alpha after Alpha nod respectfully to uniformed Royal Guards who had begun appearing throughout the hotel.
Something was happening—something big—and for once, Reed Cunningham was completely in the dark.
