Chapter 82

VALERIA’S POV Dimitri’s command hung in the air, heavy with authority. The tension between both sides was thick, palpable. Elijah and his pack stopped in their tracks, turning back to face him. I watched Dimitri carefully. He wasn’t the type to let things slide, especially not when it involved strangers within his territory. He was still suspicious, still calculating. “You lost your pack to rogues,” Dimitri repeated, his voice measured. “Which pack were you from?” Elijah didn’t hesitate. “Silvercrest.” Dimitri’s expression didn’t change, but I knew he recognized the name. Good choice. Silvercrest had been a real pack once, a small one that had indeed been wiped out years ago. Using their name gave credibility to Elijah’s story. Dimitri studied him for a long moment before shifting his gaze to the others. “And the rest of you? You were all part of Silvercrest?” “We were,” Tony confirmed smoothly. “The few of us who survived scattered, trying to rebuild our lives. We’ve been traveling ev