Chapter 12

Silas

This was going to suck.

I hated to rip open old wounds, but someone had to do it. We had corpses on our borders and a new emerging threat. I knew keeping our mate safe wouldn’t be easy, but I never imagined a wrath like that of the Blood Moon pack.

I walked into the den, giving Theron a look that made him stand from his seat. Gentry noticed the exchange and sat up straighter.

“What is it?” Theron said.

Myla lurched to her feet, her eyes alert in response to Theron’s abruptness.

“Bowen and Valor’s team found rogues dismembered along the border.”

She gasped, her hands flying to her mouth in horror and recognition.

She knows who’s trying to get into our territory , my wolf said.

“Do they know who is responsible?” Gentry asked.

I hesitated as I felt a pang of guilt. I knew what this information would do to Theron—the memories and fears it would unearth—but he needed to be filled in. Gentry must have picked up on the nature of what I was going to say because he rose from his seat and moved closer to Theron, offering him silent support.

“They were able to narrow down the attacks. Our top suspect is the Blood Moon pack. We think they’re coming for Myla.”

Theron turned to face her, and I met her eyes over his shoulder. Panic dripped into the bond like melting ice at the mention of Blood Moon. Theron’s thread was taut as he examined Myla’s sheet-white face.

Her fear ignited our protective instincts. Myla’s flood of emotions blended with mine, creating a nauseating jumble of terror. Theron’s back was rigid, tension calcifying every muscle.

Myla’s distress made her crave safety, but my heart broke at the regret in her eyes.

I hadn’t seen her so upset since she arrived in Hidden Creek.

My wolf growled a warning to our unseen foes.

No one made our mate fear for her well-being.

I closed the distance, taking her into my arms. “There is nothing for you to worry about. We’re here. We won’t let anything happen to you.”

“It’s not me I’m worried about,” she murmured. “I know Alpha Kane. I know what he does to people he feels have wronged him, and I’m the one who put Hidden Creek in this position.”

“Stop that. You’re not going to stand here and blame yourself for the actions of some psycho,” Theron said. “Choosing to purposely cross another pack’s borders and commit an act of aggression is on him. There were plenty of other ways he could have approached but didn’t. He’ll have to deal with the consequences when Alpha Wynn retaliates.”

“You may have seen our nice side, but our Enforcers are as vicious as they come. The Blood Moon shifters are biting off more than they can chew,” I assured her. “Which leads me to the next matter. We have a meeting with the Alpha in the Enforcer building.”

“They need information on Blood Moon?” Myla guessed.

I nodded. “Anything you can give us.”

***

It turned out Myla had more information than we thought. She was calm as she entered the Enforcer building with an air of determination that made me wonder how the meeting would play out. Bowen seemed surprised when she solemnly greeted everyone. If she felt negatively about facilitating the destruction of her old pack, she didn’t show it.

We sat at a round table, Gentry to her left and me on Myla’s right. Theron was tense, choosing to stand in the corner, arms crossed, as he blocked the door like a sentry. Bowen sat beside Alaric and Valor, with Alpha Wynn and our Beta Bishop at the helm.

“We understand this may be difficult for you, but under the circumstances, we need to ask you a few questions about Blood Moon’s defenses,” Alpha Wynn asked.

“I’m happy to help,” Myla said confidently. “Do you have paper I could use?” She looked around the table, unaware of the group’s confused stares.

“Here,” Bishop said, handing her paper and a pen.

Myla began to draw marks and arrows in a swirling design.

“What are you doing?” Alpha Wynn asked.

“Making a map,” Myla replied. “Otherwise, you’ll have no chance of doing any recon. The layout of the village is confusing, even for pack members. Servers know the pathways best. The buildings are chaos; everything is mixed—stores and homes are erected wherever there is space.”

Bishop and Wynn exchanged a look.

“I thought we’d have to work harder to get information out of you,” Bishop said. “Why are you so willing to betray them?”

Myla glanced up and held his stare. “Because here, I have a choice. I never had one there—none of the females did. They put themselves at risk to help me escape. Maybe this is the way I can repay their kindness, their mercy. Not all unsanctioned wolves are evil, but Alpha Kane is as rotten as they come. No good will ever come from his leadership.”

“So this is revenge?” Alpha Wynn asked.

“No. It’s penance.” Myla slid the paper toward him. “The blue line is the easiest route to the Alpha’s den but also the most heavily guarded. The green paths have the lowest surveillance.”

Alpha Wynn passed the map to Alaric and Valor.

“They might have fewer eyes, but the green paths are also the longest,” Alaric remarked.

“Alpha Kane didn’t put a lot of time into the confusing construction of the village. He counts on people getting turned around, which gives the Enforcers enough time to detect unwanted visitors and warn the others.”

“It’s built like a labyrinth,” Bowen said, looking at my haphazard drawing.

“So, how do we find our way?” Alaric asked.

“Texture,” Myla replied. “The buildings got so confusing that the Alpha needed a way to navigate, so he arranged for boards to be placed on all the buildings. They’re designed to mark your position. The ones furthest from the Alpha’s den are oak. Then, there’s maple, pine, and cedar. Look for the changes in the wood, and you’ll know you’re going in the right direction.”

“That is extremely meticulous,” Alpha Wynn said, raising a brow.

“Alpha Kane is as paranoid as he is unwilling to admit his flaws. The way the village was constructed is a flaw he tried to slap a bandage on,” Myla said, shrugging.

“The wolves who were at the border were hiding their scent. How is that possible?” Alaric inquired, tilting his head.

Myla bit her bottom lip. “Dealings with witches are a lot more common than you’d think among the unsanctioned packs. It’s how they survived after the Council cut off their resources.”

“They bought scent blocker?” Valor asked.

“Traded for it,” Myla corrected.

Her statement sucked all the air out of the room. Were the sanctioned packs the only ones abiding by the treaty?

“What does a witch trade for?” Alpha Wynn asked.

Myla’s eyes grew sorrowful. “A wolf.”

My wolf growled in response. There was no good reason for a witch to want a shifter, and it was unthinkable for an Alpha to trade away one of his packmates.

From the glacial look in Alpha Wynn’s eyes, he thought the same.

“How many fighters does he have in his ranks?” Bishop asked.

“When I left, there were one hundred and fifty. And with their rogue allies, they’re two hundred strong.”

Fuck. That was way more than we anticipated. With those numbers, they could easily gain the upper hand in combat. Hidden Creek had about seventy battle-ready Enforcers. Though we had some of the best fighters in our ranks, the size of their infantry was a problem.

“You said the females risked their lives to help you escape.” Alpha Wynn furrowed his brow. “Why did you run?”

I was waiting for that question. The Blood Moon pack was undeniably corrupt, but leaving the only place Myla had ever known was an act of desperation.

Myla stiffened, and her eyes dulled at the memory. I placed my hand over hers, offering what little reassurance I could.

Her voice was raw when she answered. “I was coming into heat. Alpha Kane spent the last few years waiting for it, promising a pack rut when the time came. The other females came together and found a way to get me out. I escaped at night while everyone was occupied in the dining hall.”

Splintering anger pushed my wolf to the border of our minds. Red flooded my vision. The Blood Moon wolves thought she was theirs. They had sought to take her, breed her against her will.

A pack rut was the equivalent of a forced mating. The female would be isolated and bred by several virile males until a seed took root.

“Are there any other Omegas in the Blood Moon pack?” Alaric asked.

“One. She’s fifteen,” Myla said softly.

Alaric cursed. Bishop leaned over and whispered something to Alpha Wynn, who nodded and settled his ice-blue gaze on Myla.

“How does Blood Moon have Omegas?” Alpha Wynn asked.

“The same way they have any females in the pack. They steal them when they raid sanctioned packs,” Myla said. “Or they trick lone wolves into believing they’ve found a safe place like they did with my mother. Then, once the Omega is on pack lands, they kill the parents.”

His expression was thoughtful as he absorbed the information. “Thank you, Myla. You’ve been a great help today.”

Alpha Wynn dismissed us, and Alaric and Bishop remained behind as we left.

The most concerning thing we had learned was the number of Blood Moon fighters. Were all unsanctioned packs so large?

One thing was clear: if we planned to face our foe, we would need allies.

The walk back to the house was quiet. Bowen stayed at headquarters to finish his shift, and Gentry went to the security building to ready a fortified line of communication between the Hidden Creek and Sliver Fang on Alpha Wynn’s orders.

Theron and I positioned ourselves on either side of Myla as we walked home. Something was on her mind—something that had her retreating into herself. She said she didn’t mind recalling her past, but I knew that wasn’t entirely true. Whether we believed in what we were doing or not, there would always be choices that haunted us.

We entered our den before I broke the silence.

“It’s not healthy to hold everything in,” I said, turning to Myla. “You can talk to us.”

Myla blinked rapidly. “Sorry. I didn’t realize I was so quiet.”

Theron headed to the kitchen.

“There’s nothing to apologize for. I just don’t want you to feel alone.” I led her to the couch and sat down with her. “Are you worried about the Blood Moon Alpha?”

“Yes . . . no . . .” At my confusion, she quickly amended, “Not in the way you think.”

Theron returned with three glasses of water on a tray. He placed it on the coffee table and sat on her other side. “Okay. What way is it?”

“It’s guilt.” She hung her head, picking at her cuticles. “I feel guilty about the way I left them. All the women . . . Maria . . .” Her voice cracked as she said the female’s name. “He’ll hurt them. I know he will when he finds out they helped me, and when I was leaving, he—”

A choked sob cut off her words, and she tucked her arms around herself.

Theron pulled her onto his lap, and she wiggled closer, leaning into his chest. He brushed stray tears from her cheeks.

This was cathartic for him. It was a moment he was never given with his sister, a chance to shield someone he loved from the threat of a horrendous fate.

“It will be okay,” he murmured.

“I want to believe that,” she said. “But I think of them trapped and hungry and . . . surviving while I’m here, and it feels like I don’t deserve any of this.” She turned to me. “They could have saved anyone else. Why—”

“Shhh.” I cupped her face, taking in her watery eyes and red-tipped nose. “Don’t finish that thought. It doesn’t help. They did it because they wanted you to leave that place, and in return, we’ll do everything in our power to help them.” I ran my thumbs over the smooth planes of her cheeks.

Her gaze warmed. Her remorse faded, leaving something soft and seeking in its place.

The gentle pulse of our bond told me what she wanted—what she needed . She sought the reassurance of connection in a moment of uncertainty.

Her lips brushed against mine, slow and beseeching, and I licked at the seam of her mouth.

There was no need to rush—no fevered call to claim and fill—only the ardor of our bodies.

Myla shifted on Theron’s lap as we kissed. She reached behind her, cupping Theron’s neck as he dipped his head and trailed his lips along her shoulder.

I deepened the kiss, exploring her mouth, luxuriating in the taste that was uniquely hers. The smell of her lust perfumed the air with its sweetness.

She whimpered, and I swallowed the sound.

“It’s okay, sweet girl. We’ll give you what you need,” Theron purred.