Chapter 18 Lady Marise

Kara I stayed in my tiny apartment longer than I should have, eyes glued to the flickering screens of multiple werewolf news channels. Every single broadcast carried the same message, repeated over and over like a drumbeat designed to humiliate. “ALPHA RYDER UNDER INVESTIGATION,” the headlines screamed. Financial fraud, illegal land sales, conspiracy—all tied to him. Every network in the territory carried the story. Every anchor pronounced his name with the careful cadence of someone reporting the downfall of a titan. Each time I saw his face on screen, each time the words “CORRUPTION” and “ASSETS FROZEN” flashed beside him, a shiver of satisfaction ran down my spine. My first strike had landed. My first warning had cut deep. I allowed myself a small smile, one I hadn’t felt in years. The kind that belonged to a woman who had clawed her way out of the shadows and finally tasted victory. But the joy quickly shifted to focus. Ryder would not crumble. He had been trained by Lady Marise he