Chapter 7

Chapter

Seven

A vein in Colt’s temple throbbed as he gripped the hilt of the blade so tight his knuckles went white.

The revelation of Ariana’s words bounced around in his head and amplified his frustration with every heartbeat. The weight of his failure was a ten-ton boulder on his shoulders. His mission, their mission, had been a race against time, and now they were back to square one.

“No,” he growled, his voice a deep rumble that reverberated through the frosty air. He glanced again at the blade, its insidious aura now taunting him with its uselessness. Drawing in a sharp breath, he thrust it into the frozen ground. The earth struggled to contain his wrath as it split from the force.

Ariana winced at the motion, but her gaze held steady. “Colt, this is just a setback. We will find the real one.”

“Maya, destroy this thing so it doesn’t harm anyone.” He turned his back, his body a fiery storm as he struggled against the beast within—a beast not easily softened, even by the touch of Ariana’s hand on his shoulder. The frustration of not finding the correct blade was like a bitter taste that refused to leave his mouth. His thoughts flickered to Vilkas who still battled against an invisible enemy, and the shifter’s mate who refused to leave his bedside. This was supposed to be the victory that turned the tide.

“It’s more than a setback,” he spat, running a hand through his unruly hair. “This means Vilkas continues to suffer, and every moment we waste is another where he might die, or another of my pack is attacked.”

He scanned the surrounding landscape, the gnarled trees and the snow-laden slopes. The stark beauty of the mountains mocked him, its unchanged serenity a marked contrast to the turmoil within him. He looked at his pack—strong, loyal, battered, but never beaten. Each face held their own wounds, but their resilience shone through. Rhett nursed a bloody knuckle, Gage reset a dislocated shoulder, and though Maya’s spells mended the flesh, it was Colt’s heart that ached for a deeper healing—for Vilkas, for Mikel, for the pack. Someone was trying to destroy them, and he wanted answers. Now.

Finally, he turned to face Ariana. “The pack… they need results, Ariana. Vilkas needs us to find this blade. We can’t afford missteps.”

She met his gaze. Her silver-green eyes reflected a promise of shared determination. “We won’t fail. We figure out our next move, strengthen, and hit back harder.”

Colt allowed that promise to sink in, the frustration tempered into a steely resolve. He would protect his pack at any cost, and he would make sure Ariana’s efforts weren’t in vain. Taking a deep breath, he looked away from her, toward the horizon where darkness still threatened, and another battle awaited.

“All right.” His voice held the finality of an alpha who had regained his footing. “Everyone, let’s regroup. We’re not leaving this unfound. Prepare yourselves because this isn’t over.”

“You can count on us,” Rhett said.

There was a collective nod. The pack drew together, their spirits rekindled despite the momentary falter. Colt’s gaze lingered on Ariana and for a moment, he allowed himself to wonder what it would feel like to pull her close. To ease the tension of this misstep with her in his bed. He abruptly shoved that away.

Once Ariana had flashed them back to the waiting plane, everyone boarded for the trip home. His mind churned with questions. Where did they even begin? If this wasn’t the blade they were looking for, then how were they ever going to find it? The battle ahead loomed large, but Colt Tyler, Alpha of the Moonshadow pack, would stop at nothing to lay claim to victory and safeguard those he held dear. One way or another, he would locate his enemy and end this once and for all.

The tension in the air wrapped around Ariana as she boarded the plane. It was a charge that echoed the turmoil within her own heart. Colt’s powerful presence loomed over the group and exuded the type of aura that filled a being with a sense of purpose. Yet she couldn’t shake the shadows that clung to her thoughts. The weight of their mission, and of her relationship with the alpha of this pack, sat heavy on her shoulders.

As she settled into her seat, she stole a glance at Colt, who seemed lost in thought as he surveyed the pack. Each face reflected determination, yet she sensed the undercurrents of doubt, worry, and fatigue. They had faced the challenge head-on, but failure was thick in the air. They were in a race against time, one that could end with either life or death for Vilkas. Perhaps even a fatal attack on another pack member. She clenched her jaw. They had to figure this out.

As the aircraft’s engines roared to life, she closed her eyes and thought of home. Of her parents, their teachings, and love, and it infused her spirit. “Think, Ariana,” she whispered under her breath. “You have to think.” Closing her hands together, she reached beyond the physical realm, extended her awareness to the elemental forces at her command. Energy buzzed at her fingertips, while she thought of both the blade they had found and the one that caused Vilkas’s injury. While the found blade held sinister power, it had tinges of magic that were nothing like what she was looking for. The knife that had been used to stab Vilkas held elemental properties. If she could find even a whisper of that signature, perhaps it might lead them to the original blade.

A voice abruptly broke through her concentrated silence. “Ariana?”

When she opened her eyes, she saw him leaning in, his blue eyes searching hers, igniting a fire within her.

“What are you thinking?”

“We need a plan. Maybe I can trace the blade’s energy back to its source or the last place it was used,” she whispered. “If I can tap into its essence, maybe we could find the original blade.”

“Can you do that?” he asked, his expression shifted from skepticism to curiosity.

“It will be difficult, but I know the energy I witnessed when I tried to heal Vilkas.” She shook her head. “There is a familiarity to it, but I can’t quite place it yet. When we get back, I will check on Vilkas and maybe I can connect to whatever it is coursing through his body.”

Colt’s brows dipped. “That doesn’t sound safe.”

“Of course, there are risks, but I am a guardian. It is my duty to serve and protect.” She watched him work his jaw.

“It is my duty as alpha to protect my pack. Not yours.”

While she understood, he was being stubborn. “Are you always this pigheaded?” she whispered.

“While you are here, you are under my protection.”

She stared him down. “Did I look like I needed protecting in that cave? Seems to me I not only wielded my power, but a sword that saved your ass as well.”

Maya snickered.

“I don’t need saving,” he snapped.

A storm brewed between them that was going to pull them apart or push them together. She wished for the latter as much as she wished to kiss that smirk off his face. Sighing, she spoke, keeping her tone calm.

“Arguing won’t solve anything.” She leaned back in her seat. “I will not let anyone else suffer because of this,” she added softly, hoping to reach the leader in him even as her stomach twisted with hunger. The thought of her need for sustenance gnawed at her and would soon demand attention. But right now, the stakes were higher than her cravings.

His expression softened; his fierce exterior gave way to a flicker of understanding. “We followed a solid lead, and my gut tells me the rogue pack is involved in this somehow.”

She nodded in understanding.

“We’ll figure this out together,” he said.

Despite that small compromise, the weight persisted. Ariana took a deep breath to steady her focus. She knew she might grasp at straws, but she had to try. Time was slipping through their fingers.

As the plane ascended, she glanced out the small window and watched the sprawling landscape blur beneath them. Her thoughts flickered back to Vilkas and the light she had seen around his wound. It had felt dark and ominous. Ancient. Much more so than the cavern or blade they had just recovered. She held back a shiver at the thought of what they might be facing.

“Just let me know when we land what your intentions are.” Colt’s voice pulled her from her thoughts.

“I need to connect to Vilkas soon. The sooner I can harness whatever dark magic is lurking within him, the faster we can trace it back to the knife,” she reiterated. “The wound’s lingering pain could be a tether, a link connecting him to the blade… to whoever wielded it.”

But before she dared do that, she needed to feed. She had used a lot of energy in that cave and while food gave her life, blood gave her power.

“I will need to feed first. I used a lot of energy back there and should be at full strength when I see Vilkas.”