Chapter Thirteen: The Wolves at the Gate
The night had grown quieter since Aric's departure, but Ava couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible was about to unfold. She could feel the weight of the silence pressing in on her, as if the world was holding its breath in anticipation. Damien stood beside her, his eyes scanning the trees beyond their cabin, his posture tense.
She knew he wasn't just concerned about Aric. He was concerned about everything-the pack, the growing tension, the enemies they hadn't even seen yet. The thing was, Damien had always borne the weight of his responsibilities alone. But with Ava by his side, he could no longer mask the extent of the danger. He could no longer shield her from the brutal reality of his world.
Ava…" Damien's voice was quiet, almost hesitant, as he finally turned his gaze toward her. His usual confidence gone, the edge in his tone revealed an underbelly of concern. "I need you to promise me something."
She nodded, already steeled for what might come from his lips. There was no room for hesitation now. They were in this together, no matter how dark the path ahead became.
Promise me you will stay inside no matter what happens," he said, his voice husky with the weight of his request. "Things are getting worse, and I won't be able to protect you out there.
Ava didn't respond immediately, the sharp edge of frustration rising within her. She had never been the type to sit on the sidelines. She was no helpless damsel in distress. She knew what she was up against, and she refused to hide away, especially now.
"I'm not staying inside, Damien," she said firmly, locking eyes with him. "I'm staying right here with you."
The hardness in Damien's face softened, and for one brief second, she saw the flash of admiration in his eyes. Then the dark shadows fell once more, and the weight of their situation crashed down about them.
"You don't understand," he said, urgent. "The pack isn't dealing with just rogues anymore. There's something much worse coming. The attacks weren't random. They were orchestrated.
Ava's pulse quickened as the implications of his words sank in. "What do you mean? Who's behind this?"
Damien hesitated, as if weighing whether to tell her. Then, with a deep breath, he finally spoke.
"There's a faction in the pack-those who think I'm not fit to lead. They want to take control. And they'll stop at nothing to do it. But it's worse than that, Ava. They've made alliances with people outside the pack. People we can't trust."
Ava's stomach twisted with the realization. Aric's words echoed in her mind-about the pack falling, about enemies within. He had been right. The cracks in Damien's world ran deeper than she'd imagined.
"So Aric isn't just a rogue?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Damien shook his head grimly. "No. He's part of something bigger. I don't know all the details yet, but I know enough to understand that this isn't just about power. It's about control over something much more dangerous than we've ever faced.
The tension in the air thickened, and Ava could almost feel the oppressive weight of the secrets that had been buried for so long. Damien had been carrying the burden of his pack alone, keeping the truth from her to protect her. But now, there was no turning back.
Ava leaned in closer to him, her eyes unflinching. "I don't care how dangerous it is, and I am not going to stand aside and watch this happen. Not when I know that you need me."
For the tiniest of moments, softness stole into Damien's eyes, and the edge hardening his features wavered. Then, however, the sounds of growling drifted to them on a sigh of wind. It was more than the wind. The wolves stirred.
The gaze of Damien hardened once more, and his hand instinctively went to the knife at his waist. "Stay close," he muttered. "They're coming."
Ava felt her heartbeat quicken as she reached for her own weapon, but there was no time to prepare. The growls grew louder, closer, until the trees at the edge of the clearing trembled with the weight of approaching predators.
In an instant, the forest erupted into a mass of movement. Shadows darted through the trees, their eyes aglow in the dark, and the air crackled with the sound of snapping branches. The wolves were here.
Damien immediately moved to stand between Ava and the approaching danger, his body taut and ready for the fight ahead. His eyes burned with the ferocity of a leader who would stop at nothing to protect what was his.
Ava breathed in short gasps as her mind whirled with the danger that faced them now. The wolves weren't there to just taste blood. They were there to send a message-to show Damien just how he was about to go down.
Out of the darkness, a growl echoed low, a voice almost a whisper upon the wind. "You can't hide from us, Damien. The time has come."
It was a voice she knew.
Ava's stomach flipped when she placed it-Aric.
Damien's jaw clenched, eyes flashing hot with anger. "I told you to stay out of this, Aric. This is my fight, not yours."
Aric emerged into the clearing, his form looming ominously in the shadows. His eyes smoldered like hot coals, his carriage exuding power and malevolence.
"You've already lost, Damien," Aric said, his voice low with venom. "It's too late for you to save this pack. It's mine now."
Ava's pulse raced. She could see it in Damien's eyes—the same dangerous fire that had burned when they first encountered the rogues. But this wasn't like that at all. This was about survival.
Damien's voice dropped to a low growl, filled with the promise of danger.
"Not while I'm still standing."
And then, the battle began.