Back at the Packhouse, Bernard arrived home, stepping into the grand sitting room where his mother sat poised on a couch.
The moment he approached, she studied him with sharp eyes.
"Mother," Bernard greeted, his expression calm. "You sounded worried over the phone. What’s wrong?"
She took a deep breath, her fingers tracing the armrest of the couch.
"Yes, I am worried," she admitted. "There’s something important I need to discuss with you."
"Oh," Bernard arched a brow. "Go on."
"Why are you so hard on Maria?"
The unexpected question caught Bernard off guard. He stiffened.
"...What?" His voice was laced with confusion.
"I’m not asking you to trust her," his mother clarified. "But something about her movements lately has been... suspicious. I feel she’s planning something."
"Mother, that’s absurd." Bernard scoffed lightly, shaking his head.
"She might be up to something," Victoria insisted. "You need to get close to her. Play along. Gain her trust. That way, you’ll know what she’s truly planning."
"Common mother," Bernard frowned. "There’s no need for that. Maria has no choice but to accept my decisions."
But Victoria’s eyes gleamed with wisdom.
"Alpha Bernard," she said firmly, "you must be wise. If you don’t act fast, she will be a million miles away before you even realize it."
Bernard fell silent, lost in thought.
"Could Maria be planning something against me? Against my family?" No.
The Maria he knew wasn’t one to scheme in the shadows. If she had an issue with him, she would confront him directly.
And yet... a sliver of doubt began to creep into his mind.
Was his mother right? Was Maria planning an escape? Or worse, was she planning to betray him?
Bernard was still lost in his thoughts when Luna Victoria tapped him firmly on the shoulder, snapping him back to reality.
"Son, don’t be a weak Alpha," she said, her tone sharp with irritation. "Work on what I’ve told you and stop acting like a child who didn’t come from me and your father!"
Her words struck a nerve. Bernard clenched his jaw, his gaze darkening as he looked straight into his mother’s eyes.
"I am not weak!" He declared, his voice filled with conviction. "And I will prove that to you and everyone in this pack. I will do whatever it takes, beyond my own understanding."