Chapter 53: Chapter 53 Plan
Victoria
"Garrett, of course," Lilith replied with a dismissive sniff. "And he’s been drinking. Making grand speeches about ’pure bloodlines’ and ’proper succession.’ The usual garbage."
I stood, straightening my shoulders despite my exhaustion. "I should address them."
"Not tonight," Leo countered firmly. "Confronting drunk, angry wolves in the middle of the night is asking for trouble. Tiny and my security team will monitor the situation."
"But if I don’t respond—" I began.
"You’ll respond when you’re rested and they’re sober," Leo interrupted. "That’s not weakness, Victoria. It’s strategy."
Lilith stepped further into the room, her arms crossed over her chest. "Alpha Leonard’s right. Besides, their real concern isn’t you—it’s the uncertainty. They’re afraid Alpha Grimwood will attack while we’re distracted by internal politics, and they’re not wrong to worry."
She moved to the window, looking out at the moonlit grounds. "The rumors are already spreading beyond our borders. Without Enzo making public appearances, other packs will begin to question his continued leadership."
"And wonder if we’re vulnerable," I finished for her, understanding the implications. A pack perceived as weak became a target for territorial expansion by stronger neighbors.
I rubbed my temples, trying to think through the fog of exhaustion. "We need a cover story. Something to explain Enzo’s absence without revealing he’s been kidnapped."
"A diplomatic mission," Lilith suggested immediately. "We can say he’s traveling to strengthen alliances with distant packs in preparation for potential threats from the north."
Leo nodded approvingly. "It’s plausible enough, especially if we forge some communications from him to support the story."
"And I’ll need to be seen actively managing the territory," I added, my mind racing despite my fatigue. "Show the pack that Howlthorne remains strong regardless of who sits in the Alpha’s chair."
I moved to the territory map spread across one wall of the study, examining the markers indicating various projects and concerns. "The eastern border has needed reinforcement for months. And the community center in the main village was damaged during last month’s storm."
"Investing in infrastructure would show commitment to the pack’s future," Lilith agreed, coming to stand beside me at the map. "And provide employment for pack members who might otherwise be tempted to leave."
"We’ll need to increase the wages," I said, making mental calculations. "Make it worth their while to stay and work rather than flee to safer territory."
Leo watched me with a hint of pride in his eyes. "Use the trust funds your father left you. I’ll match whatever you put in."
I turned to him, startled by the offer. "Leo, that’s not necessary—"
"It is," he said simply. "Your enemies are my enemies. Your pack is my concern."
The casual way he committed what must be substantial resources to my cause made my heart swell. This wasn’t just about our personal relationship—it was about a Alpha supporting his chosen mate’s leadership journey.
"In the meantime," Lilith interjected, "we need to continue searching for Enzo and Aurora without alerting the general pack population. My contacts in the northern territories have reported unusual movement around some of Marcus’s smaller holdings."
"I have people watching those locations," Leo confirmed. "If they’re being held there, we’ll find them."
I returned to the desk, suddenly overwhelmed by the magnitude of what we were facing. "And what if we don’t? What if Marcus has already—" I couldn’t finish the sentence.
Leo’s expression hardened. "Marcus won’t kill them until he gets what he wants. And what he wants is you, Victoria—you and the Howlthorne territory. As long as you remain safely here, they remain valuable to him."
"He’s right," Lilith said, and I detected a slight tremor in her voice—the first real indication that beneath her cool exterior, she truly feared for her mate. "Enzo is leverage. Nothing more."
The clock chimed midnight, the sound startling in the quiet room. Lilith glanced at her watch and sighed.
"I should check on the situation in the south field," she said. "Make sure Garrett hasn’t worked himself into a frenzy."
As she turned to leave, I called after her, "Lilith." She paused, looking back with a raised eyebrow. "Thank you. For everything today."
A complicated expression crossed her face—something between surprise and reluctant acceptance. "Don’t thank me yet, Victoria. We still have a long way to go." With that, she departed, closing the door quietly behind her.
Leo must have sensed it because he moved with sudden decision, scooping me into his arms before I could protest.
"Enough for tonight," he said, his tone brooking no argument as he carried me to the leather sofa against the wall. "The pack will still be here in the morning."
"But the documents—" I began weakly.
"Will wait," he finished, settling onto the sofa with me cradled in his lap. "You’re no good to anyone if you collapse from exhaustion."
I wanted to argue, to prove I could handle the pressure, but the warmth of his body and the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath my ear were too comforting to resist. I curled against his chest, breathing in his scent that always made me feel safe.
"I’m afraid," I admitted in a whisper, voicing the fear I’d been holding back all day. "Afraid I’ll fail them. Fail my father. Fail you."
Leo’s arms tightened around me, one hand stroking my hair in a soothing rhythm. "Fear is natural, little wolf. Even Alphas feel it. The difference is in what we do with it."
"What do you do with yours?" I asked, genuinely curious about how this mountain of a man handled his own doubts.
He was silent for a moment, his chest rising and falling beneath my cheek. When he spoke, his voice was thoughtful. "I acknowledge it. Examine it. Then I use it as fuel."
His fingers tilted my chin up so our eyes met. "When I first saw you in that club, I was afraid too."
"You?" I couldn’t keep the disbelief from my voice. "The great Alpha Moretti, afraid?"
A small smile curved his lips. "Terrified. Because I recognized what you were to me immediately, and it meant everything was about to change."
"Your mate," I whispered, the word still new and precious between us.
"My mate," he confirmed, his eyes darkening with possession. "My future."
His belief in me was like armor, strengthening my resolve even as exhaustion pulled at me. I nestled closer, allowing myself this moment of vulnerability in the safety of his arms.
"We’ll face it together," Leo continued, his voice a rumble beneath my ear. "Whatever comes—Marcus, the pack’s doubts, all of it. You are not alone in this, Victoria. Not anymore."
As my eyes grew heavy, I felt him shift, stretching out on the sofa with me still secured against his chest. He reached for a throw blanket draped over the back, covering us both.
"Sleep now, my Luna," he murmured, pressing a kiss to my forehead. "Tomorrow we show them all the strength of Howlthorne’s daughter."
The last thing I remembered before drifting off was the steady beat of his heart beneath my ear and Ava’s contented sigh within my mind.