Chapter 48

The three days passed in a tense blur of preparation and paranoia.

Blackthorn didn't attack, didn't send assassins, didn't even issue public statements. His silence was somehow more unnerving than any aggressive response would have been. It suggested he was planning something, calculating his next move with the same cold efficiency he applied to everything else.

Arianna spent the time reviewing her evidence again and again, looking for weaknesses Blackthorn might exploit. Daniel helped, his insider knowledge proving invaluable as he anticipated the counterarguments Blackthorn's administrators might construct.

"He'll claim the transfers to neighboring pack accounts were loans," Daniel predicted. "Or advance payments for security services. Something that...