John arranged the meeting through a confidential source who had helped him investigate Serena’s years in Ravencrest. They agreed to meet at a quiet roadside lodge on the outskirts between Blackclaw and Ravencrest, far enough from both packs’ administrative centres to avoid attracting attention.
John arrived first and chose a table near the back. When the source arrived, John confirmed his identity, then invited him to sit.
"I need every piece of information you’ve gathered about Serena Cole’s stay in Ravencrest over the past four years," John said. "Everything that happened while she was there."
The man nodded. "I understand."
John placed his phone on the table and started recording.
"Serena Cole was exiled from Ravencrest," the man began. "She was banished from the territory after being found responsible for poisoning a prominent Ravencrest leader."
John stared at him in surprise. "Exiled? Why?" he asked. "I thought she went to Ravencrest to pursue political connections and build her own influence. Why was she banished?"
"She became involved in a serious incident. A prominent leader in Ravencrest was deliberately poisoned. He survived, but the poisoning caused lasting harm to his health. After an investigation, Serena was found responsible."
John’s expression hardened. "And Ravencrest exiled her for that?"
"Yes. The incident was serious, and the victim was an influential figure within the pack. Ravencrest’s leadership decided that she could no longer remain there."
"Why wasn’t she imprisoned?"
"The council decided to banish her from the territory. Serena was forbidden from returning to Ravencrest or entering the neighbouring territories covered by the banishment order. She was expected to stay away permanently."
John took that in, then asked his next question.
"Was the incident made public?"
"People close to Ravencrest’s leadership knew what had happened. However, the council decided to keep the matter from spreading beyond those who needed to know. The council wanted to prevent the situation from escalating into a larger political dispute."
The man paused before continuing. "That decision was why the matter never reached Blackclaw through any official announcement. Serena’s exile was handled within Ravencrest, and the leadership wanted it to remain that way."
John glanced at his phone to check that the recording was still running.
"So Serena was found responsible for poisoning a prominent leader, banished from Ravencrest, and then came to Blackclaw without telling anyone why she couldn’t return."
"That’s what happened."
John asked a few further questions to clarify the details of the incident and the banishment. The source answered what he knew without adding speculation.
When the conversation ended, John stopped the recording and saved the file. He thanked the man, completed their agreed arrangement, and left the lodge.
The information was far more serious than he had anticipated. Serena had concealed not only the circumstances of her departure from Blackclaw, but also a crime that had cost her the right to remain in Ravencrest.
John returned to Blackclaw that afternoon.
Alpha Kaidan had just finished a telephone conversation with a senior patrol officer when John entered his office.
"Sir, I’ve obtained new information about Serena."
Alpha Kaidan turned toward him. "What information?"
"It’s about what happened to her in Ravencrest. I’ve got a recording from my source. I think you should hear it yourself."
Alpha Kaidan gestured for him to proceed.
John placed his phone on the desk and played the recording.
As the source explained the poisoning, Alpha Kaidan’s expression changed. His eyes widened, and he slowly straightened in his chair. By the time the recording reached Serena’s exile, he was staring at the phone as though he could hardly believe what he had heard.
"What?" he exclaimed. "Serena poisoned somebody?"
John stopped the recording.
Alpha Kaidan pushed himself to his feet, disbelief written across his face.
"I never would have believed Serena could do something like that. She was never this kind of person. How did she become so cruel?"
He struck the desk, making the objects on it rattle.
"Someone suffered lasting harm because of what she did, and she kept it hidden all this time."
His jaw tightened. He turned away from John, dragging a hand across his face before returning to his chair.
For several moments, he said nothing. The recording had forced him to confront a side of Serena he had never imagined existed.
John waited before asking, "Sir, what do you intend to do about Serena?"
"She’s in Blackclaw now," John continued. "If Ravencrest discovers we’re sheltering someone they exiled for poisoning one of their prominent leaders, they could accuse us of protecting a criminal. They may come here demanding that we hand her over. We need to consider the risk to our pack."
Alpha Kaidan’s face grew stern. Whatever history he shared with Serena, he could not let his feelings endanger Blackclaw.
He gestured toward John’s phone.
"Make a copy of that recording and keep the original secure. I want the evidence preserved."
"Yes, Sir."
"Then notify the head of the council and every council member that a meeting will take place in the coming days. "I’ll confirm the date and time separately."
Do not disclose the reason for the meeting in the notification."
John nodded. "Should Serena be informed?"
"She will receive an official notice in a few days. Not before we’ve made the necessary arrangements."
John remained beside the desk for a moment, making sure he understood the instructions. The council would be informed that a meeting was approaching, but its members would not be told the reason beforehand. That would give Alpha Kaidan time to preserve the evidence, verify the account, and decide how to present the matter without allowing rumours to spread through the pack.
"And if Serena asks why the council is being called together?" John asked.
"Tell her nothing beyond what has already been announced publicly. She will receive her notice when the arrangements are ready."
"Understood, Sir."
John collected his phone and left to prepare the notifications and make a copy of the recording.
Alpha Kaidan remained in his office, staring at the closed door after John had gone. The council would soon have to consider a matter that could affect Blackclaw’s relationship with Ravencrest.
He had intended to settle the question of Serena’s place in Blackclaw on his own terms. Now, the matter had become larger than her return or his past with her. The council would have to hear the evidence, and Alpha Kaidan would have to answer for sheltering her if Ravencrest challenged it.