Blood And Silver:Rise of the Alpha’s Rejected Mate

Chapter 249

ALINA

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Firelight in the gathered hall danced upon the walls in long shadows while I sat toward the rear.

I chose my place for a specific reason: I could let my eyes trail across them, from the babbling wolves to those nervous looks at neighbors and the more who whispered stories of Rowan’s rise and fall into destruction.

“Did you hear how he argued with Aurora before he was arrested?” I whispered to Lyra, a younger wolf sitting to my side.

Lyra’s ears twitched. “I heard him say something about her playing favorites. Is that true?”

I sighed, faking reluctance. “I wouldn’t say that outright, but. There’s truth to every rumor, isn’t there? Rowan wouldn’t have acted out for no reason.”

Lyra frowned, her gaze wandering to the front of the room, where Aurora stood beside Dane. “But Aurora’s always been fair.”

“Fair?” I let the word hang in the air, laced with doubt.

“Fairness is not the same thing as a good leader, Lyra. Fair doesn’t mean it listens to everyone. Rowan wanted to be heard,

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and look where it got him.

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And in that, the seed was sown. Lyra’s doubt would grow like a fire taking to burn slowly, and I would be the one fanning the flames.

Later that day, I made my way to the training grounds, where a group of wolves sparred beneath the sharp commands of Piper.

Her voice rang out with authority, but with a jagged edge a hairline crack that I was more than happy to widen.

“Piper,” I called, taunting her with a sweet smile.

She turned, wiping the sweat off her forehead. “What do you want, Alina?”

“Just a moment of your time,” I said innocently. “You work so hard. I thought you could use a little break.”

Piper crossed her arms. “I’m busy.”

“Too busy to hear what Warrick’s been saying?”

knew I had her attention. “What are you

shrugged, looking offhandedly

strong willed wolves. He seemed awfully impressed with Freya the other day. You know, after that

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jaw clenched.

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said smoothly. “But

And sometimes. admiration can turn into something

glared at me, her features hardening. “Why are

know,” I replied, trying to

wolves like you

silence that ensued was satisfying… I walked away, glad that I was getting all

now vacant quarters of Rowan in search of whatever secrets

behind.

been gathered together in haste following his arrest, but one thing caught my eye: a folded piece of parchment tucked beneath the

unfolded it carefully, scanning my eyes over the spidery, uneven handwriting. The words were cryptic, near nonsensical at first glance, but one phrase leapt out, “the truth hidden within the grove shall be

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pounding in my chest,

“What are you doing?”

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to face Piper standing at

hiding the letter

eyes. “You

“But if anyone asks, we’ll just say you were checking in on me. After all, we’re just trying to

didn’t wait for an answer, brushing past her into the hallway as the letter seemed to burn like a

my

was racing, piecing together the implications of the cryptic words.

how could it undo Aurora and

on my desk, my fingers trembling in the

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but his desperation had unearthed something significant. This could be my

chair, staring at the letter as if it might reveal

defined this pack, molded its. leaders, and now could unravel

would Rowan have this? And

stepped outside, I sat on the training grounds, pretending to watch the sparring matches while my mind.

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voice cut through the space as she corrected

to the side, his easy grin back in place as he offered some kind of joke that made the