Chapter 25 #2
I rose slowly, letting the night settle in around me, hearing the reports in my head as the Hollow breathed beneath my boots like a living beast.
“War’s here,” Diesel said.
“No,” I corrected, eyes narrowing in the direction the scout had fled. “That wasn’t war.” I tilted my head toward the sky, letting the moonlight hit my face. “That was the warm-up.” I punched his shoulder lightly. “Let’s go check on Killian.”
“And hopefully soon, someone can tell us where the fuck Brand is,” Diesel muttered.
Yeah, and that.
Brand had been too quiet for too long. No updates, no mental nudge, nothing. Either the Four Winds Pack was still in mourning and keeping outsiders at arm’s length…or something worse was happening.
I didn’t like either option.
As we jogged back toward the ridge, the night pressed close around us—not threatening, but watchful. The Hollow didn’t sleep; it waited. And every time my foot hit the ground, a faint vibration responded.
Not enough to notice unless you were connected to it. I didn’t realize I was until it awakened inside my mate, and now I wasn’t sure if I felt it through me or through her. Either way, it was enough that my wolf lifted its head.
Diesel cast a glance my way. “It’s getting stronger.”
“Yeah. It seems to be.”
“You think it’s reacting to the scouts from the Pack Council getting too close?”
“I think it’s reacting to what’s coming,” I said honestly. “The Hollow’s not passive. It’s old. It remembers. And it’s not going to sit still while someone tries to take it.”
Diesel huffed. “Sounds like you.”
“The druid said it chose me for a reason.” I looked at my beta, feeling uncertain. “What do you think?”
“I think the Goddess kicked you down a mountain to become alpha here, and what’s hers is the lands.”
“You’re not helping,” I grumbled.
We reached the top of the ridge just as Killian stepped out from the trees with his patrol, his fur matted with blood that wasn’t his, eyes bright with adrenaline. He shifted the moment he saw us.
“Clear,” he reported, voice clipped. “They retreated east. Fast. Either regrouping or running for reinforcements.”
“Reinforcements,” Diesel grunted. “Always reinforcements.”
Killian nodded, jaw clenched. “They’re not fighting us yet. They’re measuring distance, response time, and strength. This was a probe.”
“Yeah,” I said. “I agree.”
Killian exhaled, shoulders dropping half an inch—not out of relief, but in grim acceptance of what was to come. “How far do you want patrols?”
“Full ring,” I said. “No breaks. No weak spots. Rotate in fours. No one goes alone.”
Both my betas nodded.
“And…dare I ask?” Killian asked quietly. “Still nothing?”
“No.”
A heavy silence settled in as the weight of too many unknowns stacked on top of each other.
Diesel cracked his neck. “We need him back. Not just because he’s a good fighter—because he’s the smartest among us. He notices things even the druid has to think about.”
Killian agreed. “He should’ve been here by now.”
I scanned the horizon—black trees, black sky, black mountains. But the wrongness sat like a bruise in the distance.
“He’s either trapped,” I said, “or someone doesn’t want him getting back to us.”
“Pack Council?” Killian asked.
“Or something worse.” I looked around as my pack healed any bruises or knocks they’d picked up from the skirmishes. “Nothing from Cale either,” I reminded them. “One is odd, but two? I don’t like it.”
We stood there—three wolves on the verge of war, with sweat and blood drying on our skin—and in the silence between breaths, the Hollow beat again.
My eyes narrowed as I tried to decipher the message. A warning? No. A promise? That didn’t feel right either. An answer?
Killian glanced at the ground. “It’s reacting to you,” he murmured. “More than before.”
“Yeah,” I said. “Which is good, because we’re going to need all the help we can get.”
Diesel cracked a grin. “Don’t worry, Alpha, you have us.”
I didn’t hide my groan. “Let’s get back,” I said, turning toward the Hollow. “Check in with Rowen. Make sure the pack is standing and not too shaken.”
“And then?” Killian asked.
I bared my teeth. “Then we prepare for the real fight.”
“Brand?” Killian asked again.
I looked between them. “I sent Axel out to track them.”
Killian’s eyes widened. “Alone?”
“No, I’m not reckless with my pack’s lives,” I snapped at him. I didn’t look at Diesel as I told them. “I sent him with Adair and Tariq, the beta from Emberfell.”
“Not reckless?” Diesel grabbed my shoulder. “She isn’t a fighter, and he’s a stranger.”
“She isn’t a fighter, but she can fight. She’s good with herbs and things if they’re injured…” I met his gaze. “She wanted to go. Tariq is Jaxson’s best scout. It’s a show of faith.”
“And if it bites you in the ass?” he asked me, eyes furious.
“If that happens, you have my permission to kick my ass.”
“I won’t need your permission, Alpha.” Diesel pushed past me. “You can be sure of that.”
We watched him stalk away.
Killian tsked softly. “I’m sure you told me that your mate told you to stay out of that.”
I didn’t look at him. “Mm-hmm. It’s merely a coincidence.”
Killian snorted. “No such thing, Wolfe.” He followed the same path Diesel had gone down. “Everything happens for a reason, remember?”
I remembered. That didn’t mean I always agreed.
“Wolfe?” Rowen called through the mindlink. “The druid needs you at the Heartwood.”
Right. My pack. My focus had to be here. I trusted Axel to find me answers about where the hell Brand was.
“I’m coming.” I got back to work.