Chapter 26
DASKA
The main camp came into view through the trees, and my steps faltered for just a heartbeat.
The pack were readying for war. The camp should have been full of everyday life—hunters returning with game, children playing, elders sitting by fires.
Instead, I saw warriors making ready. Some were already shifted, massive wolves pacing the perimeter with hackles raised.
Others stood in human form with spears, axes, stone knives strapped to their belts.
The fires burned low, practical rather than welcoming, and mothers were pulling children back toward the inner shelters.
Sentries lined the ridge above the camp, silhouetted against the grey morning sky.
Absolute silence except for the wind and the soft pad of paws on dirt.
They knew Karik was coming. Rivik and Ryke were ready for him.
Relief hit me first, we'd made it back in time.
Then pride in my pack, my alpha, the warriors who'd assembled without hesitation to defend my mate.
Then a surge of rage so fierce it made my vision blur at the edges.
Karik had done this. Brought his wolves to our territory, forced us into defensive positions, threatened what was mine.
I felt Ellie's hand tighten on my arm, her pulse rapid against my skin through the bond.
Fear and confusion radiated from her. With my bear so close to the surface, I struggled to find the words to reassure her.
Instead, I placed my hand at the small of her back and guided her forward into the camp.
Heads turned as we entered. Dozens of eyes locked on us, and I felt the subtle shift in the air. Recognition. Happiness at our return after our mating, but also tension, because everyone here knew exactly why Karik had come.
For her.
I felt the weight of their stares on Ellie, the way they assessed her, the cause of this confrontation, the prize Karik wanted to claim. Some of the younger wolves growled low in their throats, instinct flaring. Others simply watched, waiting to see what would happen.
The scent in the clearing was thick with adrenaline and fear, underlaid with the musk of too many predators in one space. My bear rose close to the surface, fur prickling beneath my skin, the urge to shift and defend nearly overwhelming.
Control it. Stay human. She needs you thinking, not raging.
I led Ellie through the assembled pack, to where Rivik and Ryke stood at the front of the formation.
He stood cold, commanding, every inch the dominant alpha, slightly ahead of the others, back straight, shoulders squared, his entire body radiating controlled violence.
He wore no tunic despite the cold, his skin marked with old scars and fresh ones still healing.
A flint knife was strapped to his thigh, but his hands were empty, relaxed at his sides.
He didn't need weapons to be dangerous.
His eyes were fixed on the valley approach, unblinking, predatory. Waiting.
Ryke stood beside him, similarly armed, similarly focused.
The pack's best warriors flanked them, our friends.
Torin, Miska and Jarak, names I knew by heart.
Wolves I had grown up with, even if they had never quite been able to accept me.
They were still family, still pack. Elders stood further back, witnesses to whatever was about to unfold.
Rivik's gaze flicked to us as we approached.
"How long?" No greeting, no preamble.
"An hour when I spotted them," I said, matching his tone. Keep it factual. Emotions later. "Maybe less now. War party formation, at least forty wolves. Karik at the front."
Rivik nodded. "You saw him clearly?"
"Yes."
"Numbers accurate?"
"As close as I could count while moving."
"Good." Rivik's eyes shifted to Ellie, and I felt her flinch slightly against my side. "You should not be here."
My hand pressed more firmly against her back, keeping her close. "She stays with me. She needs to be here, Rivik."
For a moment, I thought he might argue. The alpha in him bristled at the challenge, even a small one, and his bond would want him to protect her any way he could, as mine did, but Ellie needed to be here so Karik could see what we were about to tell him was the truth. Rivik turned away.
"Keep her behind the line. If it comes to fighting, get her out of here."
A howl cut through the clearing. Distant but unmistakable, echoing off the valley walls. It was answered by others, a cascade of sound that made every wolf in the camp tense and snarl.
They were here.
The pack reacted instantly. Wolves who'd been in human form shifted in a blur of fur and bone, others dropped into crouches, ready to spring. The defensive line tightened, warriors pressing shoulder to shoulder.
I moved without thinking, shifting my body to place Ellie slightly behind me. Not hiding her, not showing weakness, just guarding her. My bear surged beneath my skin, demanding I shift, demanding I prepare to fight.
Not yet. Stay controlled. Protect first.
Through the bond, I felt Ellie's fear spike, sharp enough to make my chest ache. Her hand found the back of my tunic, gripping tight, and I reached back to cover her fingers with mine.
I won't let him take you. I'll kill him first.
The sound of running paws grew louder, rhythmic and coordinated. Then shapes appeared at the ridge line—dark silhouettes against the grey sky, dozens of them, spreading out in a wide formation. Karik's pack.
They didn't sneak. Didn't try to hide. They came openly, confidently, cresting the ridge and flowing down into the valley in tight military precision. Larger numbers than we'd seen before. Forty wolves this time, all moving as one unit.
The dominant ones led from the front, massive and scarred, their eyes fixed on our camp. Others flanked the formation, covering the sides, cutting off escape routes. This wasn't a raid. This was an occupation.
Some of them shifted as they approached, rising from wolf to human with an ease that spoke of experience and power. Battle-tested warriors. Dangerous. Like us.
And at the front, leading them all, was Karik.
Even in wolf form, he was unmistakable. Larger than most, his coat black as night, moving with the kind of fluid grace that came from absolute confidence. He knew he was dominant. Knew he had the numbers. Knew we wouldn't stand against him in open battle.
He shifted as he entered the clearing, bones restructuring, fur receding, until he stood in human form at the head of his pack. He looked at Rivik. Then at me.
Then at Ellie.
And smiled.
My bear growled inside me, demanding blood, demanding I tear that smile from his face. I felt my hands start to shift, claws pushing through fingertips, but I forced them back down.
Not yet. Not yet.
Karik took a step forward, arms loose at his sides, posture relaxed. Like this was a friendly visit. Like he hadn't just brought an army to our doorstep.
"Rivik," he said, his voice carrying easily across the clearing. Warm, almost amused. "Good to see you."
Rivik didn't acknowledge the false pleasantry but just stood there, waiting.
Karik's smile widened. "I've come to collect what was promised."
The words hung in the air like a threat. Around me, I felt the pack tense, growls building in dozens of throats.
"You know why I'm here," Karik continued, his eyes drifting back to Ellie. "The human female. You agreed she would be mine when I returned."
Ellie fear flickered down the bond, and a low growl began in my chest. Karik glanced over at me.
"I have come prepared," Karik said, gesturing to the wolves behind him. "Prepared to take her by right. Prepared to negotiate if you prefer. But make no mistake, I will not leave without her."
For a moment, I thought maybe he'd see reason. Maybe the sight of our assembled pack, our defensive formation, would make him reconsider. Maybe he'd offer some political compromise, some way to back down without losing face.
Then his eyes locked on Ellie again, and I saw the hunger there. The possessiveness. The absolute certainty that she belonged to him.
And I knew there would be no compromise.
Rivik finally spoke. "Circumstances have changed."
Irritation crossed Karik’s face. "Changed how?"
"The female you claim is now mated. Claimed." Rivik said.
Silence. Absolute, suffocating silence.
“What?”
"She has been mated."
The reaction was instant. Shock rippled through Karik's wolves, murmurs and growls, heads turning to look at each other in confusion. Some of them looked at Ellie, then at me, trying to understand.
Karik's face went perfectly still. Then his eyes narrowed, cold fury replacing the false warmth. "Mated," he repeated flatly.
"Yes."
"To whom?"
I stepped forward before I could think about it, moving to stand fully in front of Ellie, my body blocking her from Karik's line of sight.
Mine. She's mine. Try to take her.
"To me," I said clearly, my voice carrying across the space between us.
Karik's gaze locked on me, and I saw the exact moment he processed it. Saw the disbelief, the rage, the humiliation of losing his prize to someone he considered beneath him.
"Prove it," he snarled.
I reached back without breaking eye contact, my hand finding Ellie's arm, pulling her gently forward until she stood beside me. Close enough for him to see. I reached up and carefully moved her hair aside, revealing the bite mark I'd left on her skin.
The proof was undeniable.
For a heartbeat, I thought Karik might actually lunge at us right there. His entire body went rigid, muscles coiling, lips pulling back from his teeth. Several of his wolves moved forward, ready to follow if he gave the command.
Then he took a breath, and I watched him force control back into place. When he spoke, his voice was ice.
"When?"
"Just after you left last time," I said evenly.
"Convenient." The word dripped with venom. "How interesting that you managed to mate her mere days after our agreement. How fortunate."
"The bond chose," I said, holding his stare. "As it always does."