Luna Unveils Alpha's Plot

The pack dining hall buzzed with conversation as I took my seat at the Beta table, carefully avoiding the head table where Giovanni sat with Aileen by his side. The scent of roasted venison filled the air, but my appetite had vanished days ago.

"Pass the potatoes, please," Elena whispered, nudging me with her elbow.

I handed her the dish, my eyes scanning the room. Pack members were watching us—watching me—with that same mixture of pity and wariness I'd grown accustomed to.

"Attention, everyone," Giovanni's voice cut through the chatter as he stood. "Before we continue with our meal, I'd like to discuss the border patrol schedule."

My spine stiffened. That was my responsibility.

"Specifically," he continued, his eyes finding mine across the room, "the decision to reduce patrols along the eastern ridge."

Sarah growled within me. *That was a strategic decision. The eastern ridge is our strongest natural boundary.*

"I believe," Aileen's voice was soft but carried perfectly through the now-silent hall, "that such reckless choices could endanger pack safety."

All eyes turned to me. I set down my fork carefully.

"The eastern ridge has natural cliff formations that make it nearly impossible to scale," I explained, keeping my voice steady. "We've doubled patrols in the more vulnerable northern sector where three incursions occurred last month."

"Is that so?" Aileen tilted her head innocently. "Because I happen to know that rogues were spotted near the eastern boundary just yesterday."

Giovanni's expression darkened. "Why wasn't I informed of this?"

"Because it was a false report," I replied evenly. "Our scouts confirmed it was simply deer crossing the stream."

Aileen placed her hand on Giovanni's arm, her fingers curling possessively around his bicep. "Gio, I'm just concerned. What if it wasn't deer? What if rogues are using the east ridge because they know we've reduced protection there?"

"Perhaps," Giovanni said, his voice carrying that dangerous edge I'd come to recognize, "our Beta needs to reconsider her priorities."

The challenge hung in the air between us. I could feel pack members shifting uncomfortably in their seats.

"My security decisions are based on three years of border analysis," I said, meeting his gaze directly. "If you'd like to review the data—"

"I trust Aileen's instincts," Giovanni cut me off. "And her concern for pack safety."

Several pack members exchanged glances. This wasn't about border security—it was about undermining my authority.

"Of course," I said finally, my composure intact despite Sarah's rage building inside me. "I'll adjust the patrols accordingly."

Aileen's triumphant smile burned into my retinas as conversation slowly resumed around us.

---

Late that night, I sat alone in my office, the security console glowing softly in the darkness. Sleep had become elusive since discovering Giovanni's betrayal, and tonight was no exception.

"If you can't sleep," Sarah suggested within me, "then let's find something useful to do."

I pulled up the security system interface. "What did you have in mind?"

"Prove them wrong," she growled. "Show everyone that you're still the best Beta this pack has ever had."

My fingers hovered over the keyboard. "How?"

"Start with the security footage. If Aileen's been sneaking around..."

I nodded, navigating to the archive section. The pack house had cameras throughout the perimeter and in common areas—a system I'd personally installed when I first became Beta.

I began with yesterday's footage from the eastern border, where Aileen claimed to have seen rogues. The timestamp showed nothing unusual—just deer crossing the stream exactly as our scouts had reported.

But then I noticed something odd. The camera angle shifted slightly, as if someone had manually adjusted it.

"Someone doesn't want us seeing something," I murmured.

I scrolled through earlier footage, checking dates and times. The eastern border camera had been adjusted three times in the past week.

On impulse, I switched to the forest camera that overlooked the old hunting cabin—a rarely used structure at the edge of our territory.

The timestamp showed three days ago, just after sunset. The footage was grainy in the dim light, but unmistakable: Giovanni and Aileen emerging from the cabin, his hands possessively on her waist as they kissed passionately.

My heart clenched painfully, but I forced myself to continue watching.

"There's more," Sarah urged as I stared at the frozen image.

I scrolled through the archives methodically, finding recording after recording. Giovanni and Aileen in the abandoned training ground. In the forest clearing by the river. In the old storage building after midnight.

Each discovery was another knife twisting in my chest, but also another piece of evidence falling into place.

"They're not just having an affair," I whispered as I watched them meet in the storage building, Aileen handing Giovanni what looked like documents. "She's giving him something."

Sarah's voice was cold with fury. "Or taking something from him."

I leaned closer to the screen, my mind racing as the pieces began falling into place. The border patrol changes. The leaked information. The way Aileen always seemed to know exactly where Giovanni would be.

This wasn't just betrayal. This was something far more dangerous to the entire pack.

And I had the evidence to prove it.