The sun was setting over the pack lands, casting a warm orange glow over the gathering of wolves. The alpha stood at the front of the group, his eyes scanning the crowd as he began to speak.
"My friends and family," he said, his voice loud and clear. "I'm sure by now many of you have heard the news. James, my brother and a member of our pack, has left our lands and joined our rivals."
The group erupted into a chorus of gasps and whispers, with many of the wolves looking at each other in shock and confusion.
The alpha raised his hands, calling for silence. "I know this news may come as a shock to many of you," he said. "But I want to assure you that we will do everything in our power to find out why James has made this decision, and to bring him back home."
Anna, who was standing at the back of the group with Georgia, felt a surge of admiration for the alpha. He was handling the situation with calmness and authority, and his words were reassuring to the worried wolves.
But as she looked around at the crowd, Anna couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Many of the wolves seemed genuinely shocked and upset by the news, but others looked almost...guilty.
She leaned over to Georgia, who was standing beside her. "Do you notice anything weird?" she whispered.
Georgia followed her gaze, scanning the crowd. "What do you mean?" she whispered back.
Anna hesitated, unsure of how to explain her feeling. "I don't know, it's just that some of these wolves look really suspicious."
Georgia's eyes narrowed. "You think they might be involved in James' decision to leave?"
Anna nodded. "I don't know, but it's possible."
Georgia's expression turned thoughtful. "We should tell the alpha," she said. "He needs to know if there's a traitor in our midst."
Anna nodded in agreement. "Let's go talk to him."
They made their way through the crowd, trying not to draw attention to themselves. When they reached the alpha, they found him surrounded by a group of his top advisors.
"Alpha," Anna said, trying to get his attention. "We need to talk to you."
The alpha turned to them, his eyes questioning. "What is it?" he asked.
Anna hesitated, unsure of how to explain her suspicions. But before she could say anything, Georgia jumped in.
"We think there might be a traitor in the pack," she said, her voice low and serious.
The alpha's expression turned grave. "What makes you think that?" he asked.
Anna took a deep breath, trying to explain her feelings. "It's just that some of the wolves looked really suspicious when you announced the news about James," she said. "And we were wondering if maybe they might be involved in his decision to leave."
The alpha's eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched in anger. "I see," he said. "Thank you for telling me. I'll look into it."
Anna and Georgia nodded, feeling a sense of relief that they had told the alpha about their suspicions. They knew that they had done the right thing, and that the alpha would do everything in his power to protect the pack.
As they walked away from the alpha, Georgia turned to Anna with a thoughtful expression. "Do you think James is in danger?" she asked.
Anna's eyes widened in concern. "I don't know," she said. "But I think we should try to find out."
Georgia nodded in agreement. "Let's go talk to Riya," she said. "She might know something."
Anna nodded, and they made their way to Riya's room, determined to get to the bottom of the mystery.
When they arrived at Riya's room, they found her pacing back and forth, looking worried.
"Riya, what's wrong?" Anna asked, concern etched on her face.
Riya turned to them, her eyes wide with fear. "I've been thinking about James," she said. "And I'm really scared."
Anna and Georgia exchanged a look, both of them feeling a sense of unease. "What's wrong?" Anna asked.
Riya took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "I think James might be in danger," she said. "And I think we should try to find him."
Anna and Georgia nodded in agreement, determination etched on their faces. They knew that they had to find James, no matter what it took.