Ava’s POV

“Where the hell have you been?” Ella popped up beside me, grabbing my arm as I slipped back into the crowded ballroom. “I was about to come looking for you after that scene with Jackson on the terrace.”

“Blake showed up just in time,” I muttered, yanking my collar up to hide the fresh marks. “Sent Jackson packing with just a look.”

“Thank the Moon Goddess,” she sighed, clearly relieved. “You okay?”

“I will be once we find those Northern wolves again. They know something about the border clash that could help Dad.”

She tilted her head toward the east side. “Over there. They’re five drinks deep already.” She dropped her voice. “Heads up though. Caroline and her groupies are lurking in the corner like they’re waiting to pounce. She’s been shooting daggers since you scored that honor thing with Blake.”

I caught Caroline’s golden curls gleaming under the lights. Her eyes locked onto mine, cold as ice.

“She’s always trying to one-up me,” I said, straightening my formal wear. “Don’t have time for her high school drama right now.”

“I’ll cause a distraction if needed,” Ella offered.

I grabbed an empty tray from a nearby table and made my way over. The Northern delegates huddled by the windows, their fancy blue threads marking them as bigwigs, though their loud laughs told me they were well into the bottle.

I slipped into server mode, offering drinks while making myself practically invisible. They barely looked my way, deep in their chat.

“—total setup,” a stocky wolf with salt-and-pepper hair was saying. “Carter walked right into it.”

His buddy with the face scar nodded. “That clash was too perfectly timed. Someone leaked his route.”

My heart jumped, but I kept it cool, topping off glasses without missing a beat.

“That ambush was too on the nose,” the first wolf slurred. “Someone from Shadow Creek sold out the Alpha’s travel plans… but no way it was Rivers. He and Carter were tight as thieves.” He crossed his fingers to show just how tight.

“Zip it!” Scar Face hissed, finally noticing me. “Not here.”

I played dumb, but inside I was doing cartwheels. Dad was innocent! Someone else had ratted out Alpha Carter.

Before I could dig deeper, the air shifted. The hairs on my neck stood up as my wolf sensed trouble coming from behind.

“Well, well. Playing waitress tonight?” Caroline’s voice sliced through the conversation. “The traitor’s daughter trying to blend in.”

I turned slowly, keeping my face blank despite the fire in my veins. Caroline stood there in her fancy designer dress, showing off curves and her family crest. Her three cronies flanked her, smirking like they’d found fresh meat.

“Caroline,” I said flatly. “Didn’t realize the waitstaff was your concern.”

Her glossy lips curled up. “Just letting everyone know you’re a fraud. A reject pretending to be useful.” She raised her voice. “Check it out! It’s the marked leftover who thought fancy fighting would impress the Alpha King!”

The Northern wolves shifted uncomfortably, realizing they’d been overheard by the wrong person.

“At least I earned my showcase spot with actual skill,” I fired back. “Not daddy’s connections or mommy’s designer battle pajamas.”

Caroline’s face went red. “Your dad was the connection king. Too bad he backed the wrong horse. My father says William was Carter’s lapdog, never saw which way the wind was blowing.”

I caught something in her words—a thread I needed to pull.

“What wind?” I pressed, stepping closer.

Her smile turned smug. “The smart wolves knew when to jump ship. My father says Hayes was at the border that day—” She froze, color draining from her face. “I mean, Hayes told my father that day…”

My stomach dropped. “Hayes was at the border during the attack? That’s not what the pack records show.”

“I didn’t say that!” she snapped, panic flashing in her eyes. “You’re twisting my words!”

Her scent flipped from smug to scared in a heartbeat. She’d let something slip, and she knew it.

“You totally did,” I said quietly. “And we both know it.”