Serena's heartbeat picked up slightly, she leaned forward in the uncomfortable seat. She raised a brow and cleared her throat.
"I don't understand. I thought the old Alpha, Darius' father, died like everyone else," Serena said.
"Died like the rest of us?" Mike wheezed a bitter chuckle. "That's the story they tell the foolish and children. I've lived here my whole life, little miss. I've seen more than most. That man wasn't mad. He was... broken, maybe. Something got to him. Took hold. But the council made their choice when they locked him away. Some say he begged to be sent to the wilds. Said he heard the gods there."
Serena's throat went dry.
"After that," Mike continued, oblivious to her reaction, "things started to fall apart. Wolves started fighting each other. Territory disputes. Family turned on each other, blood was thicker than water but they did not care. All this peace talk now?" He shook his head slowly. "Too late. That kind of rot doesn't heal easy."
