Chapter 21 #2
“You’ve been asked to carry more than anyone new to this world should have to,” he says, his voice calm but weighted with truth.
“More than most ever face in a lifetime. But I’ve watched you, Rowan, and I’ve explained to your mother what I knew the moment I found you in those woods.
You’ve become a woman we’re proud of, and whatever you need from us, we’re here for you. ”
Jocelyn nods. “All you have to do is tell us what that is.”
As I watch them, I realize there isn’t a single person in this room questioning Rowan’s place in what’s coming next. No one hesitates at the idea of her standing at the center of this fight.
I don’t know how much I like that.
Actually, I know exactly how much, and it’s very little. But that doesn’t matter.
Because even though Rowan’s been quiet, I know one thing for sure.
My mate isn’t stepping back, and I’m not about to stand in her way. Not when I feel through the bond that she’s already decided.
Rowan’s throat works as she nods, emotion flickering through the bond before she reins it in, steadying herself in a way I’m quickly learning is uniquely hers.
“I know,” she says, her voice stronger now. “And I’ll use you when I need to.”
Marius smiles at that, something proud and quiet settling into his expression. Jocelyn does too, though the glint in her eye makes it clear she’s not waiting for permission if she thinks Rowan needs her.
Bram clears his throat then, drawing the room back into focus without breaking the moment entirely.
“Not to ruin this heartfelt reunion,” he says, his tone dry but not unkind, “but we don’t have the luxury of sitting in it for long. We need to move.”
My attention snaps to him as I also call for Elias to join us through our pack link. “Do you have something specific in mind?”
I’ve already considered several options, each with its own risks, but I’m not too proud to hear another alpha’s perspective. I might have wanted to strangle Bram when I first met him, but I can’t deny he’s often only trying to do the right thing. Even if he’s an ass about it.
“If Malrik wants a show, he’s not going to limit himself to Rowan and Solara,” Bram continues. “He’ll pull from whatever audience he can find. Which means we need the council involved before he thinks to go after the packs again. The clans and covens, too.”
Elias arrives quicker than expected, stepping into the room like he’s been listening the entire time. “Malrik targeted alphas before,” he agrees, his tone measured. “But there’s no guarantee he’ll stop there this time.”
“The vampires,” Liz reminds us. “He still had them at The Keep when we got Jocelyn. Spelled out of their minds and barely functioning, but that’s still an army if he wants one.”
The weight of that settles over the room, quiet but undeniable.
I reach for Rowan then, needing the contact as much as I need her present in this, my hand finding hers easily as I pull her just slightly closer to my side.
“We start with the council,” I say, my voice steady as I look between them. “Now.”
Brynn from Glacier Crest is the obvious first call.
I never did get to call her when we got back after being interrupted by Jocelyn in my office.
“What about we summon Malrik into a salt circle, strip him of his magic, and then hit him with a frying pan until he apologizes properly,” Iris suggests, entirely serious.
No one responds. Not a single word. Not even a laugh.
She huffs loudly when the silence stretches too long, crossing her arms as she glares around the room. “Sourpuss. The lot of you.”
Before she can offer anything even more unhinged, I turn and lead Rowan, Bram, and Elias toward my office.
The hallway feels narrower than it did before, the weight of what we’ve learned pressing in from every side, but Rowan stays close to me, her presence steady even without touch.
You’re quieter than I expected, I say through the bond link, glancing down at her as we walk.
I’m processing, she replies, her voice calm in a way that tells me she’s holding more beneath the surface than she’s letting show.
She squeezes my hand as she adds, You’re doing everything right in the meantime.
The truth in that—unquestioning and absolute—settles into my chest and locks into place, giving me something solid to stand on as we step into my office.
I move behind my desk, pulling Brynn’s number from the list of messages I’ve ignored for too long, and start dialing before the others have fully settled into place. I put it on speaker, and the phone barely rings twice before it connects.
“Cade,” Brynn answers, her voice sharp but not unfriendly, carrying the kind of authority that comes from someone who doesn’t need to prove it. “I was wondering when you’d return my calls. I assume you have something to say?”
I exhale slowly, forcing the words into something measured instead of instinctive. “I owe you an apology.”
There’s a pause on the other end of the line, not impatient, but rather expectant.
She’s waiting to see if I mean it.
“I’m sorry for entering your territory without permission,” I continue, keeping my tone even. “We were retrieving Rowan’s mother. It wasn’t planned, but that doesn’t excuse it. I should have personally called. It won’t happen again.”
The words sit heavier than I expect. Playing nice—owning mistakes to anyone outside my pack—isn’t something that comes naturally.
Brynn is quiet for another beat before she finally responds. “Another day of waiting, and I intended to show you what it looks like when I arrive uninvited into someone else’s territory. I still might.”
Bram lets out a low chuckle from where he leans against the wall. “I’d pay to see that.”
Her tone shifts instantly, sharpening, all thoughts of my intrusion dismissed. “Why are the two of you together?”
“There’s been a…development with Malrik,” I begin, already bracing for how this conversation might go.
“I thought he’d gone underground,” she cuts in, something tightening in her voice. “That might explain the—”
Her words cut off abruptly, but the line doesn’t go dead.
It goes wrong.
“What’s going on?” I demand, my entire body rigid as I lean closer to the phone.
At first, there’s nothing. Then, a sharp crash echoes through the speaker, followed by the unmistakable sound of something heavy hitting stone. Fabric tears. Claws scrape. A low, feral snarl rips through the line, answered by another that doesn’t belong to her.
Whatever Brynn was about to say, we’re not going to hear it today.
For a second, I just stand there, hands on my desk, my grip tightening until the wood beneath creaks.
“No,” Rowan breathes from beside me.
“What the hell was that?” Bram demands.
I look up slowly. “We’re too late.”
The realization hits the room all at once, tension snapping tight between us.
Elias straightens immediately, his posture shifting into something sharper, more alert, while Bram’s expression darkens, his weight shifting like he’s already preparing for a fight he can’t see yet.
“Malrik,” Rowan says, the word edged with something cold enough to cut.
Not a question.
A certainty.
“He’s already started,” Elias adds grimly.
My wolf snarls beneath my skin, restless and violent. He’s taking out the council. Again.
Rowan steps up, her presence filling the space in a way that still catches me off guard.
Not just power. Authority and control.
Her eyes meet mine, and what I see there isn’t fear.
It’s focus. Cold, precise, and unyielding.
Her voice, when she speaks, is steady enough to anchor the entire room.
“We need to move faster.”