.Chapter 23-2
Chaim
Yes, I’d spent a night in their dungeons while they decided whether to trust me, which was fair considering the circumstances. But after that, I’d been given a private room and treated as a guest
rather than a prisoner. My damn luck was changing.
It was nice, to interact with people again without the constant fear of accidentally killing them.
The days passed rather slowly as I attended strategic meeting after meeting, subtly trying to gather information on the other packs to see if Simone’s name came up anywhere. I researched everything I could about Shadowed Moon Mountain and its inhabitants, studying maps and learning about the territorial divisions between the four packs.
I’d let them know about Aerith, the threat my son posed, the beasts’ coordinated attacks. We’d started planning how to get rid of them all, how to strike back at the source instead of just playing defense. I’d shared intelligence about Kellan’s magical abilities, everything Simone had told me, his network of controlled followers, the weaknesses in his defenses that I’d observed during my
scouting trips.
I’d earned their trust, surprisingly enough. Finn had seen the genuine rage in my eyes when I’d described what my son had become, the guilt I carried for failing to stop him sooner. He’d recognized that I wanted Kellan stopped as much as they did, maybe more.
So Finn had asked me to accompany them to the alpha meeting at Wolfspire Pack. It would be my chance to address all four pack leaders at once, to offer my alliance and whatever resources I could provide. Finn thought my presence would carry weight with the other alphas, that having the enemy king switch sides might tip the scales in their favor.
Now, two weeks later and several days of travel, we were finally in Wolfspire Pack territory, where the alpha meeting was going to be held. The land here was rich and well-defended, with patrols that had spotted us hours before we’d reached the main settlement. It spoke to the pack’s
strength and organization.
Finn hadn’t let anyone know I was going to attend the meeting, wanting my presence to be a surprise that he could reveal at the right moment. I’d had my reservations about that decision, but Dash, Wolfspire’s heir, had told me it would be fine.
Dash had been suspicious of me at the beginning, which was completely understandable considering I was technically the enemy. He’d questioned my motives, tested my knowledge, pushed to see if my story would hold up under scrutiny. It fucking did. So he’d slowly warmed up to me during our journey here, especially after I’d helped fight off several beast attacks along the way and drank our weight in beer afterwards.
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Chapter 23-2
Clau
I liked Dash. He reminded me of my younger self: protective of his pack, loyal to his family, but with enough humor to keep things from getting too serious. The little shit was the younger brother I’d never had, and I found myself hoping we’d still be friends after everything came out. I’d grown
rather fond of him.
Which brought me to the present moment, standing in a room full of pack leaders and their
advisors, as I snarled “Get your fucking hands off her.”
***
I’d never expected to find the love of my life so soon at this meeting. When I’d walked into the room, her scent had punched me straight in the face and filled my heart with vivid images of her beautiful features. Every memory I’d carefully preserved came flooding back in a rush that nearly brought me to my knees.
My lycan had almost gone completely insane with joy, pushing against my control and demanding I shift so we could claim our mate properly, in front of all these males. It had taken every ounce of willpower I possessed to keep him contained.
But when I’d seen Dash grabbing her, his arm tight around her shoulders while Simone tried to get away from his grip, I’d seen red. The protective rage that consumed me was instant and overwhelming.
“If you don’t stop touching her-” I snarled, taking a threatening step forward.
“What is going on here?” A middle-aged man stepped forward, his eyes focused on me with the kind of authority that screamed alpha. He had Dash’s eyes and the same stubborn set to his jaw.
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