Chapter 24

CHAPTER 24

O ne week later

Kendra

The mountains around us were silent, the pine trees stretching tall and dark against the early morning sky. Silas had led us deep into the wilderness, to a secluded town nestled high in the peaks, a place hidden even from the keenest of eyes.

It had taken nearly a week of steady travel to get here, and now the remnants of the Resistance, along with Silas’s pack, gathered in small groups across the camp, catching their breath. Some of Sorin’s people had stayed behind to pick up the pieces in the compound, but most had evacuated with us, combining forces with Silas’s wolves to brace for whatever came next.

Rowan sat on a log in the morning sunlight, his shoulder still wrapped in bandages, though the wound had already begun to heal quicker than I’d expected. The claw marks where the alpha had torn through his skin were less raw now, but I knew it still pained him. His chest rose and fell steadily as I dabbed a fresh cloth over the wound, his jaw set but his eyes softer than I’d seen them in a long time.

“You’re not exactly gentle with that, you know,” he murmured, a faint grin flickering across his face, though he winced as I adjusted the dressing.

“Oh, don’t complain,” I shot back with a smile. “You’d be in far worse shape if it weren’t for me. This might be healing fast, but it’s still serious.”

He watched me carefully as I worked, his gaze lingering on my face. I knew that look; he wanted to say something. He’d been quiet since we’d arrived here, staying close, watching the trees, and when we finally had a moment alone, I could feel the weight of what was on his mind.

After a moment, he let out a long sigh, his hand reaching up to cup my face.

“I’ve been thinking,” he said quietly, his thumb brushing my cheek, “about taking you somewhere safe. Just the two of us. We’d find a cabin out here in the mountains, away from the fighting, away from everything. I could take care of you… make a life with you.”

I looked into his blue eyes, feeling the warmth of his touch, the steady hum of the bond between us. His words stirred something deep inside me, something that longed for the safety he offered, the simplicity of a life away from all of this. But another part of me refused to back down.

I adjusted the bandage on Rowan’s shoulder, my fingers lingering as I thought of Mariah and Lia, of the friends I’d left behind, the ones who hadn’t had the same choice I had, the ones who could be in danger right now as we speak.

“I can’t stop thinking about my friends,” I murmured, my voice catching slightly. “I used to dream of running off with them, away from the wolves, away from everything. But now, knowing what they’re still facing… I can’t just leave them to their fate. If there’s any way we can save them, I want to be the one to do it.”

“I know,” he said softly.

“Rowan,” I murmured, my hand resting on his. “I can’t just leave this fight behind. We’ve come too far, and the wolves won’t stop coming. Not until they get what they want.” I held his gaze, feeling the determination steadying my voice. “We both know we can’t run from this forever. I have to keep fighting, and I want you with me.”

His jaw tightened, a flicker of frustration crossing his face, but he didn’t pull away. “I understand where you’re coming from, but every time I see you in battle, every time I see you risking yourself…” He trailed off, his hand tightening around mine. “I can’t lose you, Kendra.”

“You won’t,” I said softly, leaning forward so our foreheads touched. “We’re stronger together. And if we stay, if we fight, we have a chance to end this. For everyone.” I paused, brushing my lips softly against his. “And after? We’ll go wherever you want.”

He smiled faintly, his hand moving to the back of my neck as he pulled me closer. “Promise?”

“Promise.”