10. Chapter 10 #2
“No.” The word was absolute. “I’m going to protect her. Because that’s what Blackridge does. But I need to know—” Jace pinned him with a look. “Can you separate your tactical assessment from your personal stake? Can you advise me on pack security while your mate is the center of the threat?”
The question cut deep. Rhys had rebuilt his value to Blackridge through strategic planning and tactical analysis. His mind was the only part of him that hadn’t been destroyed in that ambush.
But with Nadia’s safety on the line, with Thornwood circling and his wolf screaming for blood, could he think clearly? Could he prioritize pack welfare over personal need?
“I don’t know.” The admission cost him. “My wolf wants to eliminate every threat within a hundred miles. My tactical mind knows that’s impossible. But separating the two—” He stopped. “I’ll try.”
“Emergency leadership meeting in two hours.” Jace’s fingers pressed against the desk. “I want defensive options, communication strategies, and worst-case scenarios. Can you do that?”
“Yes.”
“Good.” Jace’s expression softened slightly. “And Rhys? Blackridge’s decision to protect Nadia isn’t a favor to you. It’s who we are. And we sure as hell don’t let Thornwood dictate our choices.”
The words loosened something in Rhys’s chest. He’d been so focused on his inadequacy, on what he couldn’t offer Nadia, that he’d forgotten what Blackridge could.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet.” Jace’s smile was grim. “This is going to get ugly. Thornwood doesn’t back down easily, and Orion’s visit means the information is already spreading. We have days, maybe hours, before the pressure starts.”
Rhys nodded. The slow protest carried on below his hip. But his mind had already shifted into that blank white space where strategy lived, each detail of terrain, pack position, and timing locking into place.
“I need to tell her.” The admission escaped before he could catch it. “Before the meeting. She deserves to know what’s coming.”
Jace held him with a steady look. “You sure you can handle watching her prepare to run?”
No. Gods, no. The thought of Nadia disappearing into the wilderness, alone and hunted, with winter closing in, it would break him.
But she deserved the choice. Deserved to know the risks and decide for herself whether Blackridge’s protection was worth the danger it brought.
“I have to try.”
The walk to Nadia’s cabin felt longer than usual. Each step sent pain radiating up his thigh and into his hip, but he barely noticed. His focus was on the small structure ahead, on the female inside who could shift his whole world with a single word.
Because that’s what survivors did. They ran.
“Nadia.” His voice carried through the afternoon air. “I need to talk to you. It’s important.”
Silence. Then the soft sound of movement inside.
The door cracked open. Nadia’s face appeared in the gap, her dark eyes wary. She’d been crying. He could see the redness, smell the salt. The animal in him keened soft, desperate to comfort.
“What happened?” She steadied her voice despite the fear scenting the air.
Rhys forced himself to meet her gaze. “A visiting alpha recognized your scent. He knows where you came from. Who’s looking for you.”
The color drained from her face. Her hand gripped the doorframe hard enough that her knuckles went white.
“He’s gone now. But the information will spread.” Rhys laid the facts out plain. “Thornwood will know you’re here within days. They’ll use it as justification to pressure Blackridge.”
Nadia’s breathing quickened. Her gaze darted past him to the tree line, tracking the angle she’d run if she had to.
“There’s no need to run.” His voice came rough. “Jace already made his call. This isn’t about me or the bond.”
“Pack values.” Nadia’s laugh came out bitter, her hands trembling against her thighs where she pressed them open. “Pack values got me beaten for refusing an alpha’s bed. Pack values said my body belonged to whoever was strong enough to take it.” Her voice held steady, but her wolf was shaking.
Her stare drove into him, blazing with fury and fear. “Blackridge wolves don’t bleed because I was stupid enough to think sanctuary was real. Not on my count.”
“It is real.” Rhys took a careful step forward. “And we’re not dying. We’re fighting. There’s a difference.”
“You can’t fight Thornwood. They’re—” Her voice cracked. “They’re everywhere. They have alliances. Resources. They’ll crush Blackridge and everyone in it.”
“Maybe. Or maybe we’re stronger than you think. Maybe we’ve been preparing for this fight longer than Thornwood realizes. Maybe—” He stopped. “Maybe you’re worth fighting for.”
Nadia’s eyes widened. Tears spilled over, tracking down her cheeks.
“I’m telling you this because you deserve to know what’s coming. To make your own choice about staying or running.”
Rhys’s throat burned. “But know that if you stay, Blackridge stands with you. Not because of the mate bond. Not because I’m asking. Because protecting wolves who need sanctuary is who we are.”
He turned before she could respond, his leg nearly buckling under him.
“Rhys.”
Her voice stopped him. He looked back.
Nadia stood in the doorway, fully visible now. Her fingers wouldn’t stay still. Her face was wet with tears. But her spine was straight, her chin lifted.
“Thank you.” The words were barely audible. “For telling me. For giving me the choice.”
Rhys nodded. He didn’t trust his voice.
He walked away, each step tearing something inside him. Behind him, Nadia’s door closed softly.
And Rhys prepared to fight a war where victory meant keeping his mate safe and defeat meant losing everything that mattered.