Chapter 230

DEREK’S POV The council hall was suffocating. My warriors argued over border patrol routes, my Beta droned on about supply shortages, and all I could think about was how my uncle’s smug face had looked when he’d taunted me about the land. Every word had been designed to get under my skin, and damn him—it had worked. My phone vibrated against the polished wood of the table. A secure line. One of my shadows. Without a word, I rose from my chair and slipped into the adjoining chamber, shutting the door behind me before I answered. “Alpha,” came the voice, low and steady. “It’s done. The girl has been taken. She’s locked away where you told us.” Finally. One small win today. “And?” I asked, my voice even. There was hesitation. Then: “She’s… young, Alpha. Much younger than we expected. Innocent-looking. Fragile. She doesn’t seem like she belongs in a game like this. Are you sure—” I cut him off with a sharp laugh. Young and innocent. The irony almost made me sick. “Don’t let her face fool y