Chapter 502
502
Third Person’s POV
Alpha Howell said with a hint of confusion, “Isn’t Solanke Dominic’s uncle? If this keeps up. Solanke will become a target for the Western Tribe.”
“Dominic was already unhappy with Solanke for the border pact he made with Velda back then. And when Solanke surrounded Velda, he just wanted to rescue and treat the people, not wipe out Velda’s group. He was too emotional to accomplish anything significant,” Germain explained.
Madison glanced at Alpha Howell and said, “You really don’t get what Germain’s aiming for, do you?”
She continued, “He wants Velda dead. That way, when Dominic becomes the Lycan King and looks into this, the royal family can’t use Velda as an excuse. It gives them the upper hand in negotiations.
“Plus, if Velda’s dead, the blame falls squarely on Alpha Zander. No one will care if he was injured or if he lost his son. Without Velda, he bears all the responsibility,” Madison added.
“But even if we throw Velda under the bus, Alpha Zander still has inescapable responsibility. He is the commander of the Bloodscar Border,” Howell argued.
“It’s different,” Germain said, his eyes showing a flicker of disappointment. “The prince who committed. suicide was hurt and humiliated by Velda. Once this comes out, people from both kingdoms will hate her. They’ll want her dead. With such a hated figure, as long as someone speaks up for the Doyle family, they won’t be in too much trouble.”
After a pause, Howell spoke up, “Right now, killing Velda is a tall order. Lycan Erasmus has her back, and he’s already bracing for whatever shift comes out of the Western Tribe. Between the Royal Guard and Blackthorn Pack, she’s well–guarded. But I’ve got a play. Listen.”
Germain lifted his cup. “Let’s hear it.”
Howell’s eyes turned cold. “Velda knows she’s on borrowed time. Send her a quiet message: when this blows up, she claims Alpha Zander ordered the whole thing. She fingers him, she gets to live.”
Germain swirled his coffee, thinking. “Still better if she’s dead. That drops the blame right onto the Doyles.”
“Velda’s a coward and a schemer, and half the kingdom already hates her,” Howell countered. “Who’d believe her word? Besides, the Doyles have held Bloodscar for years without harming civilians. A good spin job could clear them and leave us empty–handed.”
After a moment of contemplation, Howell said, “But our goal isn’t to destroy the Doyles. We just want to replace them as the commander of the Bloodscar Border. We need to insert our people there.”
“Now that Tad hasn’t joined us yet, we must take control of Bloodscar. Once we command the werewolf armies in both locations or delay them with warfare, we can proceed with our original plan to incite rebellions against the royal family in various regions. This will highlight Lycan Erasmus’s failures and make him a target of public outrage. That’s the perfect time for us to speak out,” Germain explained.
As he finished, he stole a glance at Madison, noticing a flash of anger on her face.
“The Doyle family must die,” Madison said sharply.
Germain frowned. “Madison, don’t let your emotions get the better of you. Howell’s right. Our goal is to remove the Doyle family from Bloodscar. As for how they die and how gruesome it is, you can take your revenge once we’re back in the capital.”
Howell knew Madison would argue with him, but she would listen to Germain.
And Germain was right. There was nothing more satisfying than watching your enemies suffer and die right in front of you.
Germain, seeing no objection from Madison, continued, “There’s one thing we need to do urgently, and that’s to rally powerful packs and nobles, as well as influential scholars and celebrities in the public sphere. We need them to praise Lance’s achievements in reclaiming the Southern Border first. We want the common people to know only Lance and not Lycan Erasmus.”
Madison and Alpha Howell both nodded in agreement.
Madison sneered, “There’s something interesting, Germain. It seems Lycan Erasmus has taken a liking to Adelaide.”
“You mean when he said Adelaide had to enter the palace as the New Moon Priestess within three months if she didn’t mate?” Germain asked.
“No, it’s more than that. It’s clear he’s trying to coax Lance into giving up his army command. He knows Lance has always harbored feelings for Adelaide, so he’s using her as a bargaining chip to force Lance’s hand,” Madison explained.
Madison shook her head and said coldly, “That’s not it. Tracy once overheard a statement that when Lycan Erasmus was drunk, he held her hand and called out ‘Adelaide.“”
“Really?”
Germain’s fingers tapped the rim of his coffee cup as a smile slowly spread across his face. “Fascinating. Brothers fighting over a mate–this could drive a wedge between them.”
Alpha Howell remarked, “But Lycan Erasmus doesn’t seem to have any intention of taking her.”
III