Barduff Castle was weighed down by the betrayal of Paul Lyall. The whole pack was rocked by the discovery that Jacob's own Beta had been giving Gwen information. From the kitchens to the training grounds, whispers of rumors traveled like wildfire.While some pack members were taken aback, others wondered how big the plot was.
Standing on the castle's higher balcony, Leah gazed down at the moonlit courtyard. The events of the last few hours were burning in her head, even though the night air was chilly.. In addition to betraying his Alpha, Paul—the guy who had supported Jacob for years—had almost cost them everything.
She heard footsteps behind her. She looked around and saw Jacob coming toward her, his face somber but calm. He put a gentle hand on her shoulder and murmured, "You should rest."
"I am unable to," Leah acknowledged. It's too much to take in. Paul was involved in this for a very long time. How could we have missed it?
Jacob let out a sigh and looked up into the night sky. He exercised caution. I also had faith in him. He clenched his jaw. "I made that error."
Leah grabbed his hand and gave it a little squeeze. "This will be fixed. However, we must find out if there are others.
They were thinking when there was a knock on the door. Samuel walked in with a determined expression on his face. "Paul will not speak just yet. However, I have guys looking through his quarters for anything that can provide us with additional details.
Jacob gave a nod. "Continue. We cannot afford to be surprised any more.
After a pause, Samuel resumed his speech. "There's another thing. A few members of the pack feel uncomfortable. They are challenging the leadership and speculating about potential secret betrayals.
Jacob's face grew serious. "We will show them that we are stronger than this betrayal if they have any doubts about me."
Leah took a step forward. Jacob, we have to deal with them. It will only get worse if we allow fear to fester.
After inhaling deeply, Jacob nodded. "You're correct. We collect the pack at morning. I have to tell them the truth.
Leah knew the fight was far from done as the castle fell into a tense calm. Even though the betrayal had been revealed, the scars it caused were still fresh. A knowing smirk played on Paul Lyall's lips as he sat in his cell deep within the dungeons.
The battle for Barduff Castle was just getting started.