Chapter 50 The Threads Of A Hidden War

• The new refuge deep within the Sentinel Peaks became a quiet fortress, its ancient stones absorbing the anxieties of the unified packs. While the threat of open human conflict still loomed, the Veilkeepers' subtle counter-narrative had bought them precious time. The military's aggressive posture softened into cautious surveillance, their frustration evident as their drones found only wilderness, not the monstrous army they had been told to expect.
• A week after the militia incident, a secure, encrypted message reached Liam in his warded sanctuary. It was from Dr. Evelyn Reed. She hadn't just suspected an "unseen hand"; she now believed it. The staged anomalies, coupled with the patterns of the incidents she’d observed globally, had convinced her. She formally requested a meeting, not as a skeptic, but as an ally.
• The clandestine meeting took place in a remote, abandoned fire lookout tower, far from any human or wolf settlement. Elara, Lucian (in human form), and Liam met with Dr. Reed and a single, stern-faced Veilkeeper named Silas, a lean man with watchful eyes who clearly served as Dr. Reed's security.