Chapter 123 Punishing Astrid

• ~Lucian~
• Back at Silvercrest, I couldn’t shake the growing suspicion that Astrid was behind the latest wave of turmoil in the pack. The ambush had shaken us all, but it was her behavior—erratic, defiant, and overly ambitious—that kept gnawing at me. She’d been too vocal, too ready to criticize my decisions, and too eager to undermine Elara’s place in the pack. The way she looked at Elara, the coldness in her gaze, it all pointed to someone with an agenda. And I couldn’t afford to ignore that any longer.
• Still, without solid proof, I couldn’t just imprison her outright. That would only fuel dissent, especially among her supporters. I needed to tread carefully, send a message to the rest of the pack that insubordination wouldn’t be tolerated, but also avoid igniting a powder keg of rebellion.