Chapter 45 Chapter 51 Violet's POV The Royal Council sat in front of me, their faces solemn, their voices like stone. I could feel the weight of their gaze on me as I asked the question that had been burning in my chest since I heard the news. "If Asher becomes the Wolf King, who will lead his pack?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady, but I couldn't hide the fear creeping in, because I had a sense of which name they were going to say. The council members exchanged glances, but one of them, an older man with silver hair, answered first: "Once Asher assumes the title of Wolf King, his original pack will fall under Isaac's leadership." I felt a chill run through me at the mention of Isaac's name. Shit. I guessed it right. They wanted to appoint fucking Isaac. Isaac, who had Chapter 51 manipulated everything. Isaac, who had betrayed his family and tried to kill his own parents. And now they were handing him the keys to a pack. This couldn't happen. Not now, not ever. I forced myself to speak calmly, even though my insides were screaming. "You're telling me that you are fine with a rogue leading this pack? This sounds unlikely considered how hard you fought on his return before." "Yes, we did fight about that before," the silver-haired man nodded. "But it is Asher's wish. He insisted his brother returned to the pack that he belonged to, and this council was moved by their brotherhood. Now that Alpha Asher is nowhere to be found, it seems the best to let the person he trust the most to lead this pack." I couldn't stand it. I couldn't just sit there and let this happen under my nose while Asher was away. If the royal council appointed Isaac as the new Alpha, we would all fall right into Isaac's trap. Asher trusted Isaac before, yes, but he would never call this man his brother again after he knew what happened. Chapter 51 Isaac was dangerous. He was power-hungry, and I knew he would use his position for nothing but destruction. But I also knew that I couldn't go against the council's decision- not yet. Not when Asher wasn't there to confirm his wishes. If I did, it would look like I was overstepping, taking matters into my own hands. It would make everything more complicated than it already was. So, I did the only thing I could do: I nodded, pretending to accept the decision for now, but inside, my mind was racing with possibilities. "Good, stay strong, Luna Violet. We will talk soon." As the council members began to leave, Alpha Charlotte stayed behind. She watched them leave and then turned back to me, her gaze sharp. "You have to be careful," she said quietly, leaning in a little so no one else could hear. "These people seem off." I nodded quietly. I had the same feeling. I didn't like other people meddling with my own business, not even the Royal Council. And most importantly, after Isaac, I found it hard to trust Chapter 51 anyone. "You're at the top now, Violet. And the higher you rise, the more dangerous the people around you become. Even the Alphas you think you can trust." Her words sent a shiver down my spine. It was as if she could see right through me, right through the confusion and the questions swirling in my mind. But there was more to it- something else, a kind of connection I couldn't quite explain. Charlotte wasn't like the others. She had her own secrets, her own agenda, and I wasn't sure whether I could trust her completely. But something in her eyes told me she knew exactly what I was going through. "I understand," I replied, my voice quieter than I intended. "But right now, I have to focus on what's in front of me. Asher is still missing, and I can't let Isaac have any more power. If he becomes the leader of that pack..." She nodded, "Sometimes the most dangerous people aren't the ones you can see. It's the ones closest to you who can bring you down when you least expect it." I didn't know what to say to that. The weight of her words Chapter 51 hung in the air like a storm cloud. When everyone left, the room emptied, leaving me with my brothers. They came up to me, trying to comfort me, but I could tell they were just as unsure as I was. "We need to deal with the aftermath of all this," Philip said with a sigh. "The transition of power is messy, and this scandal with Asher and his family-it's not something we can just let slide." I gulped nervously. My mind was far from calm. "It's not just about the scandal," I murmured, "Isaac... he's dangerous. He shouldn't be in charge of anything, let alone a pack." "But Alpha Asher fought so hard for his return before," Michael sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Now that Alpha Asher is missing, we can't act without proof. If we go against the council now, it will make us look weak. We'll lose everything." "And you can't let people find out that you are hesitating, or skeptical about anything." Jayden added, "You have to stand strong. Can't show any weakness. You're the Queen. It's not just about keeping the pack together now-it's about holding onto the legitimacy of our rule. We can't let this scandal affect everything Asher built." His words were cold, hard truth. As much as I wanted to act on my instincts, I couldn't do anything without risking everything My mate was nowhere to be found now. It fucking hurt like hell, but I couldn't let my enemies see through my weakness. I needed to act like a Queen. For Asher. For the pack. And for myself. The storm was just beginning. But I wasn't going to let it destroy me.