19
We started down the mountain without another word.
The four alphas walked ahead at first, talking low between themselves. Gravel crunched under our boots. Wind pushed against my back.
Halfway down the path Elias stopped and turned to Damien.
“We’ll head east,” he said. “Gather what’s left of our numbers and move them to your territory.”
Rafe nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. “No point staying scattered. If it’s war, we stand under one banner.”
Theo adjusted the strap on his bag. “I’ll start moving supplies tonight.”
Kade didn’t look at me. He looked at Damien. “We’ll be ready.”
Damien gave one sharp nod. “Three days.”
“Three,” Elias confirmed.
They clasped forearms with him one by one. It wasn’t dramatic. It was quiet and heavy. Then they left.
I watched their backs disappear down a different path.
When it was just us, I exhaled slowly and looked at Damien. He kept walking.
“What does that mean,” I asked.
He didn’t slow down. “What.”
“That they’re moving their pack to yours. What does that actually mean.” “It means alliance,” he said.
“I know that word,” I snapped softly. “I mean what does it mean for us.”
He glanced at me once, then forward again. “It means we stop defending and start striking.”
I swallowed. “So we’ve only been defending until now.”
“Yes.”
“And now.”
“Now we attack first.”
My stomach tightened. I raked my fingers through my hair, tugging at the ends. “And that’s different how.”
He stopped walking this time and turned to face me.
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“It’s different because defense can be explained,” he said. “Attack cannot.”
I frowned. “Explain.”
“When you defend, you justify. When you attack, you declare.”
“Declare what.”
He held my stare. “That you are willing to escalate.”
The wind pushed my hair into my face. I shoved it back.
“Last time this happened,” he continued, “packs divided. Lines were drawn. It wasn’t border skirmishes. It was territory wiped out.”
My chest tightened. “Like a world war but for wolves.”
“Yes.”
I stared at him. He looked the same,there was not a single hint of panic at all.
“Why do you look so unaffected,” I asked.
His brows furrowed slightly. “What do you expect.”
“I don’t know,” I said, spreading my hands. “You just agreed to something that’s going to kill people.”
“It already is killing people.”
I flinched.
He stepped closer, “you asked for truth.”
“Okay but are you even worried.”
“Yes.”
The answer came fast.
I blinked, “you don’t look it.”
He exhaled slowly through his nose. “If I look worried, they hesitate. If they hesitate, they die.”
I looked down at my hands.
“It will claim lives,” he said bluntly. “Ours, theirs, wolves who have nothing to do with leadership.”
My throat felt tight again. “And you’re just… okay with that.”
“No,” he said. “I accept it.”
That felt worse somehow.
I pressed my lips together. “I don’t want you to die.”
His eyes flicked over my face. “I won’t.”
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“But how does this stay hidden from humans?” I asked, pulling back to look at him,” you’re talking about full war, explosions, bodies, I mean cameras exist.”
He didn’t slow down, “great Wolf Pact, older than borders, no human learns, ever. It can be disguised as forest fires, anything but it must never reach humans.”
“And if they do?”
“They disappear.”
My stomach dropped, “so if they find out about me?”
“They won’t.”
“That’s not what I asked. Would they kill you? Kill us?”
His jaw tightened, “enough.”
“How did your sperm even end up in a human clinic? Why was it there?”
He looked at me once and his brows etched into a frown, “I said enough.”
I stared at him for a long second. He stared back like this was just another problem to solve.
I wrapped my arms around myself and started walking again,my legs felt heavier now. He watched me struggle down the uneven slope for a few steps, and then without warning he stepped in front of me, crouched slightly, and lifted me.
I gasped and grabbed his shoulders. “Damien.”
“You’re dragging,” he said simply.
“I can walk.”
“You can,” he agreed. “You’re not.”
He adjusted his grip under my thighs and started moving again like I weighed nothing.
I held onto him, fingers pressing into his hoodie.
The packhouse was loud when we walked in.
Tables were already laid out, long wooden boards covered in roasted meat, bread, fruit, bottles uncorked. Wolves filled the hall, talking louder than usual.
They all went quiet when they saw Damien.
He didn’t smile, he just walked through them with me beside him.
Damien looked at me, “its a feast but you’re not staying.”
“I’m fine,” I said automatically.
“You’re tired.” His hand pressed to the middle of my back. “Go rest.” opened my mouth to argue, then shut it. My head did feel heavy.
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“Okay.”
He leaned closer so only I could hear. “Lock the door.”
I nodded and turned toward the stairs.
The noise of the hall faded as I climbed. My legs felt strange.
I reached our bedroom and pushed the door open.
The room was quiet, te bed neatly made, my bag already unpacked.
I stepped inside and closed the door behind me.
I took two steps toward the bed and something wet touched my foot.
I looked down and blood pooled across the marble floor. It spread under the bed,
dripping from the sheets. My stomach dropped as I lifted my gaze.
The bed was soaked,the pillows, the walls, blood smeared everywhere.
I stumbled back, breath catching in my throat.
“No,” I whispered.
My hand flew to my stomach, the room flickered. I blinked, the floor was clean, the bed untouched and no blood.
My chest started rising too fast. I pressed my back against the door, sliding down slowly until I was sitting on the floor.
I stared at the empty room.
My hands were shaking, there had been blood. I had seen it and this time it felt real.
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