Chapter 39

Victoria "Not just took him," Carson said from the doorway, where he'd been examining the blood spatter patterns. "They want to start a war. This was meticulously planned—the timing, the evidence, the message. Someone wants our packs to destroy each other." "But who benefits from that?" I asked, my mind racing through possibilities. "If both Shadow and Howlthorne weakened each other..." "A third party could move in to claim both territories," Leo finished, his voice ice-cold with rage. "It's an old tactic. Create chaos, then sweep in as the 'peacemaker' once both sides are decimated." Carson moved closer, lowering his voice. "Alpha, I've analyzed the blood patterns. Something doesn't add up. The volume and spatter suggest injury, yes, but not enough for a fatal wound. And the drag marks leading to the bathroom are inconsistent—as if they were created deliberately rather than from an actual body being moved." "You think this was staged?" Leo asked. "Parts of it, yes," Carson confirmed.