Transmigrated as the Crown Prince's Mate
Chapter 74: Who’s Your Source?...

Chapter 74: Who’s Your Source?...

The next morning, the council met in the grand hall. Damian stood at the front of the room, looking serious as he spoke to the members. The atmosphere was tense, and the council members looked at each other nervously.

"There’s a traitor in the palace," Damian began, his voice cutting through the murmur of voices. "Someone from this pack has been feeding critical information to the rogues—maps, guard rotations, even the locations of hidden passages."

The room erupted in murmurs of shock and alarm. A few council members exchanged incredulous looks, while others leaned forward, their expressions darkening with suspicion.

"How do you know this?" asked one of the elders in a skeptical tone. "Such accusations require solid evidence, Your Highness."

"This isn’t speculation. It’s fact. Critical information has been leaked to the rogues—maps of the palace, guard rotations, hidden passages. And more concerning, they know about... certain vulnerabilities within our ranks."

The room grew tense, the murmurs quieting as the weight of his words settled over the council.

"How do you know this?" one of the elders asked sharply, his tone laced with skepticism.

Damian hesitated for a fraction of a second before replying with calculated calm. "I have my sources."

The elder’s eyes narrowed. "And these sources are reliable?"

"They are," Damian replied firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument. "The information I’ve received is accurate, and the threat is real. If we don’t act quickly, this pack could face devastating consequences."

Zade, seated at the far end of the table, scoffed softly. "Sources," he said under his breath, loud enough for the room to hear. "How convenient."

Damian’s gaze snapped to him, his silver eyes narrowing. "If you have anything to say, Zade, say it."

Zade leaned back in his chair, his eyes gleaming with mock innocence. "Oh, nothing, brother. I just find it curious how such vital information seems to fall into your laps. Some might question its... authenticity."

Damian clenched his jaw but chose not to take the bait. Instead, he faced his father, who had been silent. "We need to look into this right away, Father. We must tighten our security and report any suspicious activity immediately."

King Lucian was clearly frustrated as he finally spoke, his voice showing the tiredness he felt. "This is serious, Damian. We can’t let fear destroy our pack. But we also can’t ignore the danger."

He took a moment to look at everyone in the council before focusing on his son. "Who is your source, Damian?"

Damian hesitated, his eyes flickering towards the floor. He knew his father wouldn’t like the answer, but the truth had to be told.

"It’s Evelina," he blurted out, the words tumbling from his lips before he could fully consider the consequences. "The information came from her. She overheard a palace servant speaking to a rogue near the edge of the forest."

The mention of Evelina’s name sent a ripple of mixed reactions through the room.

Whispers erupted, and several council members exchanged uneasy glances. With his lips curled into a triumphant smirk, Zade leaned forward. "Evelina?" he drawled sarcastically. "Our sweet, innocent Evelina? I find that hard to believe."

"How convenient," Selene said sweetly, echoing Zade’s sarcasm. "The disgraced noblewoman, accused of treason, just happens to hear treachery in the woods. A little too convenient, wouldn’t you say?"

Damian’s gaze snapped to her. "If you have something useful to contribute, Selene, I suggest you do it now. Otherwise, keep your opinions to yourself."

Selene’s expression hardened, but she didn’t back down. "I only mean that it’s difficult to trust the word of someone with her... history. Surely you can understand, Your Highness."

"Selene has a point," one of the elders, a grizzled veteran named Kael, chimed in. "Evelina, despite her claims of innocence, is still a suspect. What if she is the one meeting with the rogues? What if she is manipulating this situation for her own gain?"

Another elder, a woman with eyes as sharp as winter, voiced a similar concern. "And what if she is lying? What if she fabricated this encounter to deflect suspicion from herself? To paint herself as a victim while she plots against the pack?"

Damian felt a surge of anger. "Enough!" he roared. "Evelina is not a traitor! She is my mate and she would never betray us."

To his surprise, Zade unexpectedly spoke in Evelina’s defence. "I agree with Damian. Evelina wouldn’t risk her life, or yours, for some petty scheme. She’s too loyal for that."

The King held up a hand to silence the room. "This is not the time for bickering. We need to proceed with caution. Given her current circumstances, we cannot simply take Evelina’s word at face value."

"What’s that supposed to mean, Father?" Damian demanded.

Storm snarled within him, ready to erupt in a whirlwind of rage. But Damian suppressed his wolf’s fury with an iron grip on his emotions.

"It means," the King said steadily, "that we need to be certain. She still hasn’t proven her innocence. For all we know, she tried to poison you."

"Evelina didn’t poison me," Damian retorted.

"Then who did?" the King countered with a piercing gaze.

Damian had no answer.

The poisoner remained a shadow, a faceless enemy lurking within the palace’s walls.

The King turned to one of the guards stationed at the door. "Find Evelina," he ordered. "Bring her here immediately."

A shiver ran down Damian’s spine. The very thing he’d been trying to avoid was happening.

*************

Jasper, his brow furrowed in concentration, gestured dramatically towards the forest’s edge. "Imagine," he whispered, barely loud enough to be heard over the wind, "a rogue hiding in the shadows, sneaking through the bushes! A terrifying creature, its eyes shining with evil!"

He paused for dramatic effect, then leaned closer to the guards and whispered conspiratorially, "Did any of you see such a beast, maybe slipping through these gates at night?"

The guards, amused by Jasper’s theatrics, exchanged glances and chuckled. "No rogues, sir," one of them replied, grinning. "Just the usual nocturnal creatures—the occasional owl, maybe a squirrel."

"Ah, a pity," Jasper sighed dramatically. "Such a thrilling tale would have made for excellent gossip." He winked. "But perhaps you recall a less... monstrous visitor? A palace servant, perhaps, a bit more... hurried than usual?"

Before they could answer, the guard the King had dispatched arrived. "My lady, the King requests your immediate presence in the council room."

Evelina, startled by the abrupt summon, exchanged a worried look with Jasper.

Relia’s voice rumbled in Evelina’s mind, "Looks like someone’s tongue is a little too slippery, huh?"