Barduff Castle was illuminated by the gentle golden glow of the first rays of morning, but the air was cold. There was a great deal of anxiety among the pack as they assembled in the main courtyard, with whispers of doubt circulating among them. Leah stood next to Jacob, staring at the worried faces in front of them, her heart racing. They had to take back power at this point to show their followers that they were resilient in spite of the betrayal.
Raising a hand for silence, Jacob took a step forward. As everyone's attention was drawn to their Alpha, the whispers subsided.
His voice was firm and authoritative as he started, "I know you are afraid." "I am aware that your faith in this pack's leadership has been damaged by Paul Lyall's treachery. He turned against us, even though he was one of us. However, we remain upright. He looked around the gathering, catching the eyes of his elders, his warriors, and the young people who would carry on this tradition in the future. The deeds of a traitor do not define us. Our togetherness and strength determine who we are. And no adversary can take that away from us."
Among the assembled pack members, there were a few murmurs of agreement. Leah inhaled deeply before moving forward to stand next to him. "Betrayal leaves deep wounds, but we must not let them shatter us. We need to be stronger, more watchful, and most importantly, we need to trust one other. The adversary has attempted to fester inside our walls, not simply outside. However, we won't allow it."
From the crowd came a voice. "How about Gwen? Is she still in charge here?"
Jacob tightened his jaw. She is and will continue to be incarcerated. However, the fact that she still has admirers among us cannot be disregarded. His gaze grew gloomy. "For this reason, we need to eliminate the remaining traitors before they have an opportunity to attack again."
Now, Samuel moved forward to stand on Jacob's opposite side. Letters and coded messages are among the documents we discovered in Paul's quarters. He was not working by himself. Another member of our pack continues to provide our adversaries with information.
A shiver of uneasiness ran across the audience. Their remaining sense of security was being eroded by the poisonous thought that another traitor might yet be among them.
Leah turned back to the pack after looking into Jacob's eyes. That's why we need to work together. We shall make sure that this pack stays strong and track down the last of those who want to see us fail.
A voice broke through the whispers. "What if we are unable to locate them?"
Jacob's eyes become stony. After then, we'll keep an eye out until they reveal themselves. We are wolves; we don't cower or falter. We battle.
The pack fell silent, but this time it was out of resolve rather than fear. Heads nodded slowly, one by one. The muttering changed from doubt to resolve. They would not lose themselves, even though they had lost a lot.
Jacob looked at Samuel and Leah. "Today, we start the search. Before they can cause any more harm, we will track down the final traitor.
Leah inhaled deeply, bracing herself. The fight for Barduff Castle was far from over, she felt sure. However, she was also positive that they would be prepared this time.