Kael stood at the edge of the Silverfang stronghold, the forest's chill biting at his skin, but it was nothing compared to the fire in his veins. Lena's taste lingered on his lips. Her kiss, her blood from the bite he hadn't meant to give. His wolf was quiet now, sated by the mark but heavy with dread. Marking her was a claim, a beacon to his pack, and he'd done it in a moment of weakness. The council's warning echoed, reject her or lose everything-but walking away from her was impossible. Not after her fury, her fire, the way she'd pushed him away and still burned in his soul.
He'd sent Rhea to check Crestwood's borders, hoping to track the rogue's source, but his gut told him the real threat was closer. Torin's smirk, Vren's absence during patrols, his pack was fracturing, and the mark would be the spark to burn it down. Kael ran a hand through his black hair, his gold-flecked eyes scanning the cabins below. The stronghold buzzed, wolves gathering near the central firepit, their voices low but sharp. Something was wrong.
"Kael!" Rhea's shout cut through the dusk. She jogged up the ridge, her silver braid swinging, her face grim. "You need to get down there.
Now."
He didn't ask why. Her tone tight, urgent—said enough. He followed her to the firepit, where thirty wolves stood, their eyes glinting in the flames. Torin was there, arms crossed, his enforcer's badge catching the light. Beside him stood Zane, a towering figure Kael hadn't seen in months. Zane's blonde hair was cropped short, his blue eyes cold, his presence like a blade unsheathed. He'd been exiled last year for challenging Kael's orders, but here he was, back, and the pack's murmurs said he hadn't come alone.
"What's this?" Kael growled, stepping into the circle. His voice carried, silencing the crowd,
but the tension didn't break. His wolf stirred, sensing a fight.
Torin spoke first, his smirk gone but his tone sharp. "Vren saw you in Crestwood, Alpha.
With the human. You called her your mate. And now..." He paused, letting the words hang.
"She's marked. Your scent's all over her."
A ripple ran through the pack, gasps, growls, a few stepping back. Kael's fists clenched, his claws itching. Vren, that sneaky bastard, hadn't just reported to Torin, he'd spread it to everyone. The mark was a secret he'd meant to keep, at least until he could protect Lena, but now it was a weapon.
"Vren's got a big mouth," Kael said, voice low, deadly. "And you're listening to a scout over your Alpha?"
"It's not about Vren," Zane cut in, stepping forward. His voice was smooth, but it carried a venom Kael knew too well. "It's about you, Kael. Breaking our laws. Marking a human." He spat the word, and the pack stirred, some nodding. "You've put us all at risk, rogues sniffing around, Thornclaws circling, and now this? A weakling mate who'll drag us down?"
Kael's wolf roared, claws breaking skin as he fought to stay human. Zane's challenge wasn't just words, it was a bid for power, and the pack's eyes were on him, judging.
"Careful, Zane," Kael said, stepping closer, their heights matched but Kael's presence heavier. "You're not one of us anymore. You don't get to speak here."
"Exiled or not, I'm Silverfang," Zane shot back, his blue eyes flashing. "And I'm not the only one who sees you slipping. You've lost focus, chasing a human while our borders bleed. Step down, Kael, or I'll take your title myself."
The pack went silent, the fire's crackle deafening. Rhea tensed beside Kael, her hand near her knife, but she didn't move. Torin watched, his face unreadable, but Kael knew he'd stirred this pot. The elders—Gavric, Mira, stood at the circle's edge, their silence a test.
Kael's wolf wanted blood, Zane's throat under his claws, but losing control now would prove them right.
"I lead this pack," Kael said, his voice steady, cutting through the night. "Not because I want it, but because I'm stronger. You want my title, Zane? Fight me. Right here. Let's see who walks away."
Zane smirked, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Not tonight, Alpha. I'm not here to spill your blood yet. But you've marked a human, broken our oldest law. The pack deserves better." He turned to the crowd, raising his voice. "Who stands with me? Who wants a leader who puts Silverfang first?"
A few wolves stepped forward—Vren, two younger enforcers, a scout Kael barely knew.
Not enough to topple him, but enough to sting.
Rhea growled low, but Kael raised a hand, silencing her. He locked eyes with Zane, his wolf promising a reckoning. "You're playing a dangerous game," he said quietly. "Back off, or you won't live to regret it."
Zane held his gaze, unafraid. "You're the one who's marked, Kael. Not just her, your fate.
You can't protect a human and a pack." He leaned closer, voice dropping to a hiss.
"Choose, or l'll choose for you."
Kael didn't flinch, but the threat sank deep.
Lena's face flashed in his mind, her fury, her blood, the mark he'd left. He'd defied the council for her, but Zane's rebellion was a new blade, one he hadn't seen coming. The pack's eyes weighed on him, loyalty fraying, and he knew this wasn't over.
The circle broke as Zane turned, his supporters trailing him into the dark. Torin lingered, his gaze flickering to Kael, then away.
Rhea stepped to Kael's side, her voice low.
"He's got followers, Kael. Not many, but enough. And the mark... it's blood in the water."
"I know," Kael said, his voice tight. He'd marked Lena to claim her, to protect her, but he'd painted a target on her back. And his own.
Zane didn't go far. He stopped at the forest's edge, Vren at his side, the scout's gray eyes glinting with ambition. The pack's murmurs faded behind them, but Zane's blood hummed with purpose. Kael was strong, but he was cracking, his human mate the fault line. Zane had waited a year for this, exiled but never gone, and now he had his opening.
"She's his weakness," Zane said, his voice cold, certain. "The human. Lena." He tasted her name, hating it. "Kael won't give her up.
That's his mistake."
Vren nodded, eager. "The pack's splitting.
Torin's with us, quiet-like. What's the move?" Zane's lips curled, not a smile but a promise.
"We don't just take his title. We break him." His eyes glinted, blue turning to ice. "Find the girl.
Kill her. Let Kael choke on her blood."