"I realize the timing was terrible."
"The timing was awful, Kael!" My voice rises. "Roderic is dead because I chose the wrong tactic. Shadowpeak refused to pledge loyalty because they see us as weak. Four packs have already joined Donovan's rebellion, and others are wavering. Through all of that, you were absent. Whatever excuse you have, it had better be worth it."
He sets his glass down with deliberate care. "I went to meet someone who might hold answers about our true enemy."
"Crimson Moon?"
"Far bigger than Crimson Moon." He holds my gaze. "The Bloodmoon Prophet. Seraphine."
The name chills me to the bone. We have long suspected she orchestrated much of the chaos, yet her ultimate goal has always eluded us.
"What about her?" I ask cautiously.
"There is someone." He pauses. "Some
