He’d hold it. Wolfe always held it—until the moment he didn’t. And when that moment came? There would be no warning.
A door opened in the corridor, and then we heard footsteps. Boots approaching. The door swung open.
“Alpha.” Corrin did his best to hide his surprise as he stepped into the room. He looked from Wolfe to me, and the flicker of fear—just a moment—told me everything.
His eyes landed on the parchment in Wolfe’s hand. A twitch at the corner of his mouth. Interesting.
“Rowen,” he said, inclining his head. “Didn’t realize you were back in the Hollow.”
“I imagine there’s a lot you don’t realize,” I replied coolly. Had Wolfe known he hadn’t been at last night’s ceremony?
Wolfe didn’t say a word.
Corrin’s gaze darted between us. “Is this a bad time?” That was another mistake—pretending it wasn’t.
I stepped forward slowly, arms crossed, posture loose but watching. “You spent five years overseeing rogue territory, didn’t you?”
Corrin blinked. “Excuse me?”
“You were in charge of border relations. Rogue movement tracking. Negotiation assignments. Surveillance. Five years, according to council records.”
His face stayed still. But I watched his throat bob in a slow, tight swallow. “I was appointed by your father,” he said. “You can check the records.”
“I have,” I said. “And I’m not questioning the appointment. I’m questioning the legacy.”
Wolfe still hadn’t moved. His silence was measured now. Weighty. He was letting me lead, and Corrin could see it.
Corrin shifted his weight. “That was over a decade ago. What exactly are you implying?”
“Nothing yet,” I said, smiling thinly. “But the pattern of recent rogue attacks lines up suspiciously well with patrol rotations. And only a handful of shifters have access to that information.”
“And you think I’m—what? Communicating with rogue dens for what purpose?”
Wolfe finally spoke then. His voice low and lethal. “I think if you’re innocent, you won’t mind answering some questions. Under my Will.”
Corrin’s face went pale. He recovered quickly—but not quickly enough.
“Malric would never submit someone to that without cause,” he said sharply. “It’s an insult.”
I stepped beside Wolfe. “My father is gone. Wolfe is the alpha of this pack,” I told him coldly. “And my fatherwouldhave used his Will on those whobetrayedhim. You’re not above suspicion anymore, Corrin. None of us is.”
The older wolf looked between us. Wolfe. Me. The parchment on the desk. And he realized—too late—that whatever game he’d been playing?
It was over.
Chapter 20
Wolfe
I watchedCorrin’s face tighten as the silence stretched between us.
Saw the calculating look as his eyes flicked between the table and both of us, but it was too late. There was no way out; he was caught and he knew it.
“I’ll ask once,” I said. “Submit.”
“To what?” he asked, voice a shade too smooth. “A witch hunt?Paranoia?”
I stepped forward, slow and unhurried. My power rose with every step. “To my Will,” I said. “If you have nothing to hide, then you won’t mind.”
