Relief—sharp and shaking—washed over the room. Several men collapsed into their chairs as if their bodies could no longer bear the weight. One Alpha choked back a sob.
Heiko looked around, fury simmering beneath his skin. Fury not at them—but at whoever had done this.
“I don’t know what kind of poison you’ve all been breathing,” he said, “but I will find the source. You are not free, and I will not let you remain this way.”
He stepped back beside River, placing a firm hand on her back.
“Starting tomorrow, this territory will be scoured from top to bottom. I want records, I want names, I want every ledger, every patrol report, every pack map, every supply route. And until I say otherwise—no Alpha leaves Almira. No visitors enter.”
The men nodded, subdued, grateful, and at the same time
