Chapter 30

Chapter

Thirty

Rowan

T he remnants of my wolf's fury simmered beneath my skin, a primal surge of alpha power coursing through my veins. I drew a deep breath, inhaling the crisp night air, allowing the earth beneath my paws and the breeze through my fur to ground me.

Evelyn was safe. My pack was safe. That fact whispered through my mind like a balm, soothing the raw edges of my instincts. I wasn't ignoring the fact that we'd lost the dagger, but that problem would have to wait for another day.

Beneath the sharp scent of pine was the tang of blood—my blood. I dropped to my knees, and my wolf fell back, leaving me shivering and naked in the clover.

"Rowan!" Evelyn's voice, laced with urgency and relief, cut through the haze in my head. I felt her before I saw her. She was human again. Wearing loose pants and a T-shirt.

Evelyn dropped to the ground next to me, her arms wrapping around my neck, her lips finding mine in a series of frantic kisses. I groaned, and she pulled away just enough to look into my eyes. The moonlight illuminated the gold flecks in her irises, shimmering with unshed tears.

"Stay still." Her hands were gentle as they roamed over me, assessing the damage. The rest of the pack circled around us, their faces etched with concern and awe. A woman was slumped between Lana and Tori.

"She's unharmed?" I worked to keep my eyes open.

"Shh." Evelyn ran a hand over my cheek. My pack had seen me fight, seen me protect what was ours, but now they watched as my mate took charge of my care.

"Get me some water, bandages, and clean cloths!" Evelyn snapped, her med kit already open and her skilled hands working methodically. The pack moved to obey, their swift actions a testament to their respect for her.

"I'm fine," I murmured, trying to ease the worry creasing her brow. "I heal fast."

"Fast isn't good enough," she retorted, her fingers deft as she cleaned a gash on my shoulder. "What the hell were you thinking? You could've told me what you were planning. I could've?—"

I shook my head. "It had to be me."

She shot me a look. Her rebuke warmed me more than it chided. Evelyn's fierceness, her strength and independence, were some of the many qualities I loved about her. Even if the combination annoyed the hell out of me.

With each careful touch, I felt the bond between us pulse. She was safe. She had no reason to run from Kitimat or Black Lake.

Whispers from my pack rustled like leaves, but I couldn't make them out. My senses were dull, my head foggy. I grimaced as Evelyn forced my leg into a new, straighter position.

A sudden hush fell over the clearing as two figures emerged from the shadows. Tori and Jasper approached, their expressions grim, and I could sense the shift in the mood of my pack.

Tori stepped forward, her eyes locked onto mine. "There's a trail leading away from here, but it's nearly impossible to track."

Jasper looked grim.

"I sensed it," Evelyn murmured, her hand pausing on my skin. "I still don't know what it means."

Questions swirled in my head, a tempest threatening to roar to life. Nathan's defeat should have been the end of it, but the missing dagger suggested otherwise. Who was behind his actions? What was the true nature of the threat we faced?

Gathering my strength, I pushed myself to sit, nodding at Evelyn as she reluctantly moved back. I wished I had a plan, some wise advice. The truth was, my pack was on edge. I could sense it through the bond, and I was barely able to stay upright.

I looked up at the moon, wondering if the rest of our pack had followed the elders and done a full moon run without me. I doubted it.

I wanted to know what the truth was about the ritual we'd witnessed and the missing relic. But we needed to bond together, not split up again on patrols.

"We all want answers," I started. "We will get them. But right now, we need rest. Go home to your families. Check on your pack mates. We'll reconvene in?—

"Rowan," Tori interjected. "You can't ignore the fact that the Kitimat are without a leader now." She took a step forward, her eyes holding mine. "You defeated their alpha. You need to take charge. Unite both packs under your leadership. It's the only way to ensure stability and safety for all."

Her words sank into me like water on soil. She was right—I knew it. But would Kitimat accept it? Would they unite under the pack they'd been taught to despise since birth? Would Black Lake accept them?

We had Nathan's second restrained back at Tori's. The last thing I wanted to do was talk to that asshole. But if I couldn't force his loyalty, what hope did I have for the rest of the pack?

Unity. It was a hope. One I had to keep alive.

But if I'd learned anything as alpha over the past few years it was that respect and trust had to be earned. If Blake, Nathan's third had defected, how much proof would Kitimat need to believe their alpha wasn't worth following?

Strength didn't equal an iron paw.

It was up to me to show them something different.