Chapter 69 - The Pack Moves
The shift happened without a shout.
Without chaos.
Without panic.
One moment the fortress was steady, lived-in, familiar.
The next, it was moving.
Athena stood near the inner courtyard as wolves passed her with purpose in their strides. Weapons were pulled from racks that had gone untouched for years. Leather armor fastened. Messages passed quickly from one runner to the next.
No one spoke loudly.
No one wasted motion.
This wasn't fear.
This was readiness.
Silas's voice carried across the courtyard, calm and commanding as he issued orders.
"Double the eastern watch. No one patrols alone. Signal rotations every two hours."
Rowan nodded once and moved.
Kael was already halfway across the yard before the words finished leaving Silas's mouth.
Athena watched.
She saw how they responded to him.
Not because he demanded it.
Because they trusted him.
Because they believed in him.
Because they felt the same thing he did.
The urgency.
The protectiveness.
The certainty that something precious needed guarding.
A pair of wolves passed her carrying reinforced shields toward the outer gate.
Another group moved toward the armory without being told.
A runner brushed past her and nodded respectfully as he went.
Athena's chest tightened.
No one was looking at her like she was in the way.
They were looking at her like she was part of what they were protecting.
She turned slowly, watching Silas in the center of it all.
His posture straight.
His voice steady.
His presence anchoring the entire fortress.
And she understood something that made her breath catch.
They weren't just preparing for a fight.
They weren't just protecting territory.
They were protecting her.