Chapter 25 Cade
We had been traveling for several hours. The farther north we pushed, the colder it became, the chill working its way into bone and muscle until every movement felt stiff. Aside from a small pack of direworgs we put down without difficulty, we encountered nothing else.
The absence of threats felt unfamiliar.
It had been over six months since our last mission north of the border, and the land felt changed.
Quieter. Calmer.
Almost as if the wall were shifting the balance on its own. New Arca had grown poisonous with ambition and greed, drawing danger inward, while the Northern Borderlands seemed to ease in response, settling into a watchful, uneasy harmony.
It certainly was not safe. But right now, it was far safer for Rowan than New Arca ever could be.
“Can I please get down? I need to stretch my legs, Cade! My wolf is clawing inside. She wants to shift.” Rowan complained in my arms, already wriggling like she expected me to give in.
She had been quiet for the first few hours of the trip, curled into a satisfied, post-heat ball against my brother’s chest. Calm, content, and compliant.
Of course, the moment Killian passed her off to me, she woke, restless, defiant, and demanding to roam. It was almost as if the brat sensed my nearness and decided this was the perfect time to test my patience.
She squirmed again, and I tightened my grip in response, keeping her firmly in place.
“Rowan, you just came out of heat,” I said evenly. “Your body needs rest.”
“I have rested, Cade. For hours!”
“That's not enough,” I replied. “Your body still needs time to recover.”
“My body is fine,” she shot back. “My wolf isn’t. I can feel her getting more restless. She needs to shift! If I don’t, I’m worried she’s going to get worse.”
I cut her off. “And I’m worried about this terrain. It isn’t secure. We still have another hour before we reach the safe house.”
“You’re not worried about the terrain,” she snapped. “You’re worried about me. Everyone else gets to walk independently. I don’t see you carrying Killian.”
Killian chuckled and signed, I’m too heavy.
"You’re right. I am worried about you. That's my job. Keeping you safe from outside threats and especially from yourself.”
She placed a small hand against my chest, forcing me to look at her. “I know you want to keep me safe. But we agreed to trust each other.”
“Rowan—”
“No, Cade!” Her voice was steady now. “I trusted you. When I was in heat, I let go and trusted you completely. Now you need to hold up your end and trust that I know what my wolf needs. Trust that I can handle myself. You promised we were going to do that.”
Her eyes searched mine. “Trust goes both ways. Are you a man of your word or not?”
I growled softly, feeling her words land exactly where she intended.
I studied my omega for a long moment. She was stubborn, brave, and exhaustingly persistent.
Mine to protect.
But also mine to trust.
Begrudgingly, I lowered her, holding her steady as her feet hit the ground, and she swayed.
“There,” she said, with a small, triumphant smile tugging at her lips. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”
“I know I said no breaks, but I’ll make an exception to stop and spank you since you seem so keen on antagonizing me.”
Her face paled. She shook her head quickly. “No need. We should definitely keep moving.”
“Stay close,” I commanded. “If you leave my sight, you will regret it.”
She began removing her clothes, handing each article to me for safekeeping in my pack. At the sight of all that porcelain skin flushing pink in the bitter cold, we slowed to a stop.
Ryker whistled low. “Like a sexy popsicle.”
She rolled her eyes at him as she shivered.
It didn't matter that we had seen her like this only hours ago.
It would never get old. Rowan had an uncanny ability to capture all of us under her spell.
I knew she had learned my weak spots, how to work me until I relented.
Despite my best efforts, I was dangerously close to being powerless against her will.
Her body shifted on command, bones bending and reforming with practiced ease. Where Rowan had stood moments before, a fierce copper wolf took her place, a sharp reminder that she was far from helpless now.
Talon’s wolf barreled into hers, causing them both to tumble through the snow in a playful clash. They took off together, racing ahead but never leaving our line of sight.
As we traveled toward the safe house, I watched them. They moved as one, so perfectly in sync it was clear they could read each other’s minds. There was an ease between them that went beyond training, something instinctive and unspoken.
When a small rabbit darted across our path, both wolves reacted immediately. Without a sound, they split, working in tandem to herd it between them. Rowan’s wolf struck first, jaws closing around the rabbit’s neck and killing the poor creature almost instantly.
Red splattered across the snow.
For a brief, unwelcome moment, an image flashed through my mind. Killian lay out against the blood-stained white ground.
Déjà vu.
I shoved the thought away before it could take hold. I would never let that happen again. Not to him. Not to any of us.
Talon’s wolf nudged closer, clearly hoping Rowan might share her prize. She responded with a sharp growl, teeth bared, body curled protectively around the kill as she hoarded it without apology.
Ryker laughed, teasing Talon. "Well, it didn't take long for the little wolf to decide she's in charge of you! Guess we know who the boss is now."
Talon flicked his ears back in irritation but retreated, dignity intact if bruised. Ryker grinned, clearly pleased with himself.
I turned my attention to Ryker as we stopped for a moment to let Rowan finish her meal.
I had noticed it earlier when we left the nesting room. A bite mark, high on his neck, half hidden by his collar. Rowan’s teeth were small, sharp, and precise. Too small for the mark which was much larger and claimed with intent.
My gaze then flicked briefly to Talon’s wolf as he paced ahead, unbothered, perfectly at ease.
Interesting.
Ryker and Talon had always shared a connection beneath the constant teasing and provocation. It showed in the way they moved together, how they anticipated each other’s reactions without needing words. I had clocked it years ago as loyalty forged through combat and proximity.
I never considered it might become sexual.
I said nothing. There would be time to address it later. What mattered now was that Ryker moved easily, unguarded, wearing the mark without shame or concern. Whatever had passed between them had not weakened the unit. If anything, it had tightened something unseen.
I looked back at Rowan’s wolf as she finished her meal and felt something settle into place.
We were changing. All of us.
Rowan had been the catalyst for that change.
Leaving New Arca meant more than crossing a border.
It meant shedding the rigid structures that shaped us and learning how to lead something living instead of commanded.
Being a unit captain was easy. Orders, hierarchy, and obedience.
Being a pack leader would require trust, balance, and restraint.
I would have to adapt as much as they did.
Whatever we were becoming, I would learn how to lead them.