Chapter 64 #2
He extends his wrist without hesitation, and I use the remaining bands to bind the braid to him, securing it tightly against his skin like a vow made flesh.
"With this, my people will trust your words as if they were my own," I say, my voice steady despite the weight of leadership pressing against my chest. Leaning forward, I rub my cheek against both of his, marking him with my scent, staking my claim in the most primal way.
"Follow my lead."
Elijah nods, his eyes reflecting a mixture of respect and caution. Behind me, I give Torben a signal, and he grips the heavy door in front of us, pulling it open. The rollers squeak, the sound breaking the tense silence as the door slides back to reveal my pack inside.
They stand at attention, their eyes locked on us, curiosity and wariness etched into every expression.
The tension in the air is thick enough to taste, the weight of their expectations hanging around us like a storm waiting to break.
I step inside first, keeping my chin high, making deliberate eye contact with each wolf in turn.
"This is Elijah." I raise his arm to show the braid tied to his wrist. "The alpha of the sleuth that owns this land.
" There's a shift in the energy, an almost imperceptible ripple through the room as they take in the sight.
Elijah stands tall beside me, his presence strong but not overbearing.
"He will protect and provide for you when I am not here," I continue, my voice clear and unwavering.
"He is a powerful Kodiak like his brother, Torben, my mate.
They are of the same boar and sow, sharing the same strength.
" The wolves remain still, assessing, calculating.
I know the weight of my words—power is everything here, and painting Elijah as anything less than equal to Torben would be a death sentence.
My heart pounds in my chest as I watch their reactions, but I don't flinch.
I can't.
My pack needs this alliance, and for now, they must believe in Elijah's strength as much as they believe in mine.
Dorian steps forward, his gaze sharp as he circles Elijah like a predator stalking prey.
Each step is deliberate, his muscles tense as if ready to strike at the first sign of weakness.
"If our Luna trusts him, then I trust him as well.
" His voice cuts through the air, heavy with finality.
After a long pause, he offers Elijah his hand.
They shake.
This could have gone far worse.
My shoulders relax slightly, but my guard stays up—it always does now.
My eyes shift toward Torben, and with a subtle motion of my head, I signal for us to leave.
The familiar icy blue glow takes over my vision as I rise, feeling the power settle over me like armor forged from frost and fury.
The ten wolves who make up my personal guard fall in step behind me without a word, our silent bond speaking volumes.
"Watch over my people, Elijah. We'll see you in two days' time." My voice is steady, a warning and a promise wrapped in one. Elijah nods, his eyes flicking back to Dorian as they continue their conversation.
Torben takes the lead as we head down the dirt path, the quiet between us thick and heavy with unspoken thoughts.
Not even the usual chorus of the forest disturbs the silence, and it gnaws at me.
The woods feel wrong—too still, too watchful, as if every creature with any sense has fled from something they don't want to name.
"They sense you and are afraid," Torben whispers, his voice barely above the rustle of leaves underfoot. He bumps my shoulder with a playful grin, trying to ease the tension that clings to us.
"The big bad wolf is back, and she brought her pack," I say with a feral smile, my lips curling into a grin that feels more like a threat than an expression of joy. For once, I feel nothing but confidence. There's nothing out here more dangerous than us.
"It's more like other than you, there hasn't been a pack of wolves in these woods in more years than I can remember," Torben says pensively, and the weight of that truth settles over me like a second skin.
We are something new. Something old. Something the world hasn't seen in generations. And we are only just beginning.
We reach the cabin Torben had redone for my guards, the structure looming ahead, sturdy and secure, nestled in the woods like a fortress hidden in plain sight.
"As soon as Fi and the boys get back, we'll make plans and move from there.
For now, rest. Catch up on sleep and be ready to move at a moment's notice," I say, stopping at the front door with my hand resting on the frame.
"This is your home for the foreseeable future," Torben adds, handing Dustin—the other beta from Crescent Valley—the keys.
"It's stocked with food and drinks. If there's anything you're missing, come to the house.
" He motions across the clearing to our home, now towering and expanded, nearly three times the size it was before.
The sight stirs something in me—relief, maybe, or perhaps the strange sensation of standing at the edge of something vast and unknowable.
"Thank you," Dustin says softly, lowering his head.
I step closer, resting my cheek against the crown of his head, letting the weight of my presence settle over him like a blessing.
"Sleep well. Tomorrow, I'll show everyone around.
" As my wolves file into the cabin, each of them touches me in passing—a hand on my shoulder, fingers brushing the back of my hand.
It's their silent way of saying thanks, and I welcome the contact.
Wolves need touch, especially from their Luna, to feel safe.
As the last one enters, I turn back to Torben, and we make our way to the house.
Inside, the scent of food and warmth greets us like an embrace.
Easton, Diaval, and Khal sit at the island, eating and drinking, but exhaustion clings to them like a second skin despite their freshly showered appearances.
They look like they need a week's worth of sleep, and honestly, so do I.
"It's good to be back," I say, stepping inside and closing the door behind me with a sense of finality.
"Now we wait for Fi and the boys." I don't know how long we'll be waiting, but what I do know is that everything we've uncovered leads to one inevitable conclusion: two groups of leaders have a lot to answer for.
And I'm not the type to let things slide.
Not anymore. The shifter council will be the first to answer for their crimes.
Maybe I'll let Diaval and Easton burn it all to the ground, watch the flames consume centuries of corruption and lies.
Or maybe ripping their throats out myself would send a clearer message—show them exactly what their machinations created when they tried to exterminate my kind.
Thanks to them, I am the last of my name and kind.
But what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.
I hold the powers of the last alpha and luna within me, the combined strength of every winter wolf who came before, every ancestor who died so that I might live.
Their blood sings in my veins, their fury feeds my own, and their spirits stand at my back like an army of ghosts waiting to be unleashed.
The councils wanted to create a weapon.They succeeded.
They just didn't realize the weapon would be pointed at them.
Hell hath no fury like a daughter scorned.