Fang of Silence

The Point of No Return

Kael folded the paper and put it in his pocket.

He looked at Mira. She was watching him with those dark, unreadable eyes. Her hands were steady. Her breathing was calm.

"Stay here," Kael said. "Don't leave the infirmary."

"I wasn't planning to."

He turned and walked to the door. His hand was on the handle when she spoke again.

"Kael."

He stopped.

"Be careful," she said. "Voss is not stupid. He'll know you're coming."

Kael did not respond. He opened the door and walked out.

---

The compound was waking up. Wolves moved through the corridors. They nodded at him as he passed. Some of them looked at his blood-soaked arm and looked away.

Kael walked with purpose. He did not slow down. He did not hide.

He found Voss in the strategy room. The tactical officer was alone. He was studying a map of the valley. His back was to the door.

Kael closed the door behind him. The click was loud.

Voss turned. His face was calm. His eyes were sharp.

"You're up," Voss said. "I heard about the ambush. You should be resting."

"Joric is dead."

Voss's expression did not change. "That's unfortunate. He was old. His heart was weak."

"He died during questioning."

Voss tilted his head. "Questioning? About what?"

Kael pulled the paper from his pocket. He unfolded it and held it up.

"This."

Voss looked at the paper. His face remained neutral. "What is that?"

"A list. Names. Dates. Transactions. Silver purchases. Meetings at the Rusted Stag."

Voss's eyes flickered. "Where did you get that?"

"From Mira."

A pause. Voss's jaw tightened. "Mira gave you that?"

"She did."

"And you believed her?"

Kael stepped closer. "It has your name on every line."

Voss looked at the paper again. Then he laughed. It was a short, dry laugh. No humor in it.

"Of course it does," he said. "Because Mira is the traitor. She's been feeding me false information for months. Trying to set me up."

Kael stopped. "Explain."

Voss spread his hands. "It's simple. Mira is the one selling secrets to the Consortium. She's been doing it for two years. I found out. I confronted her. She denied it. Now she's trying to frame me."

Kael stared at him. His mind was racing. Two people. Two stories. Both pointing at the other.

"You have evidence?" Kael asked.

"I have a journal. Her journal. She keeps it in her quarters. Records of every transaction. Every meeting. Every name."

"Show me."

Voss shook his head. "I can't. She moved it. She knows I'm onto her."

Kael stepped closer. The knife was in his hand. He did not remember drawing it.

"You're lying," Kael said.

"Am I? Think about it. Who treated your wound? Who had access to your medical records? Who knew exactly how weak you were?"

Kael's arm throbbed. The silver was still in his blood. Mira had treated him. She had touched the wound. She had seen his weakness.

"She was the one who told you about the Consortium," Voss said. "She fed you the information. She pointed you at me. And now you're standing here, bleeding, with a knife in your hand, about to make a mistake."

Kael looked at the paper in his other hand. The list. The evidence. It was detailed. It was damning.

But it came from Mira.

And Mira had waited. Mira had let Joric die. Mira had smiled and said he would need her.

"She told Joric about the conspiracy months ago," Kael said. "She didn't go to the Alpha. She didn't tell anyone else. She kept it secret."

Voss nodded slowly. "Because she wanted to use it. She wanted to control the information. She wanted to choose when to strike."

"And she chose now."

"Because you're vulnerable. Because you're desperate. Because she knew you'd come after me without thinking."

Kael looked at Voss. The tactical officer was calm. Too calm. His eyes were steady. His voice was measured.

Or maybe he was just a good liar.

Kael had a choice. Trust the healer who had framed the tactical officer. Or trust the tactical officer who claimed the healer was the traitor.

One of them was lying.

And Kael had to decide now.

---

A knock on the door. Loud. Urgent.

Kael turned. The door opened. Theron stood there. His face was pale. His eyes were wide.

"Kael," he said. "We need to talk."

"Not now."

"It's about Joric. The guards found him. His body is gone."

Kael froze. "Gone?"

"Someone moved him. The guards say they saw you leaving his quarters. They found the room empty. No body. No blood."

Kael's blood went cold. He looked at Voss. Voss was watching him with those sharp eyes.

"I didn't move him," Kael said.

"Someone did," Theron said. "And they're saying you killed him. They're saying you're the traitor."

Kael looked down at his hands. Blood. His own blood. From the wound. From the silver.

But there was no blood on his clothes. He had wiped the knife. He had cleaned his hands.

Someone else had moved the body. Someone else had planted evidence.

Someone else was framing him.

Mira.

She had given him the evidence against Voss. She had sent him to confront the tactical officer. And while he was here, she had moved the body. She had set him up.

She was the traitor. She had been the traitor all along.

And now she was making sure he would be the one to take the fall.

Kael turned to the door. He pushed past Theron. He ran.

The corridors blurred past him. He was heading for the infirmary. He was heading for Mira.

But when he got there, the room was empty.

Her instruments were on the table. Her coat was on the chair.

She was gone.

Kael stood in the empty room. His arm was bleeding. His head was spinning. The silver was burning through his blood.

He had been played.

And now the pack was coming for him.

Mira framed you. She moved the body. She's gone. The guards are coming. Do you run, or do you fight to clear your name?