Page 12

CHAPTER 12

L ia

Silas didn’t leave my side for hours, and God, he wasn’t lying when he said he would fuck my defiance right out of me.

He was insatiable.

He fucked me all throughthe morning and into the early afternoon.When his knot finally went down, he rolled off me and pulled me close, letting his hands roam over my body, stroking me, petting me, his lips kissing their way across my skin.

Then, when he was ready, he flipped me onto my back, pinned my wrists above my head, and took me again.

And again.

And again.

All.

Day.

Long.

He fucked me until I couldn’t think straight, couldn’t even remember how to form a coherent thought, until all I could do was lie there, pinned beneath him, taking every inch and every last drop.

Until my only thoughts were yes, please, Alpha, more.

His knot swelled, locking us together, and he groaned, his hips jerking, his fingers biting into my skin, his body tensing above me. I felt the rush of heat, the surge of seed spilling into me again, so deep and hot and thick.

“I’ll never want to fuck all your feistiness away, little mate, just your poutiness,” he teased.

After his knot subsided, I moaned against him as he dragged his cock up and down my pussy, teasing my sensitive clit and my sore entrance, before sliding into me one more time.

By the time the moon was high in the sky, we were both completely spent, lying tangled in a mess of sheets and blankets, sweaty and exhausted. Silas was propped up against the headboard, and I was draped across his lap, his hand tangled in my hair, his fingers massaging my scalp.

I was sore. Sore and used and sticky.

My ass was still throbbing from all the spankings he had given me, my thighs and pussy burning, aching from the punishing way he had taken me over and over and over.

I also felt warm, fuzzy contentment curling through my ribs.

Silas had his nose buried in my hair, his free hand splayed across the small of my back, and every few minutes, he would press a soft kiss to the top of my head.

I couldn’t remember the last time someone had touched me like this, like I was something precious, something to be cared for and cherished. Protected.

Fuck if it didn’t make my chest ache.

Silas leaned down and nuzzled the side of my face, and then, I felt his lips brush the curve of my ear.

“Get some rest, Wildcat,” he murmured.

“Mhmmm,” I replied.

Sleep tugged at me, drawing me under, and my eyelids drifted closed, the gentle stroke of his fingers through my hair the last thing I felt before the world slid away.

* * *

The morning air was cool against my face as I stirred beneath the weight of the blankets. My body still ached, muscles stiff and sore, the deep kind of exhaustion that settled in after all the adrenaline had long faded.

Silas was still beside me, his warmth cocooning me, his breathing deep and even. His arm was heavy around my waist, his fingers resting against my stomach, his presence grounding. I let myself sink into it, into him, just for a moment longer, feeling the slow rise and fall of his chest against my back.

Then his hand shifted slightly, his fingers flexing against my skin. “Lia.”

His voice was rough with sleep, but there was something seemingly cautious about it.

I blinked, stretching a little before turning my head toward him. “Yeah?”

His thumb brushed absently over my hip, a casual, almost absentminded touch, but his tone was cautious.

“That strike team,” he murmured. “The ones that attacked our camp.” A pause. “Did they follow you?”

I stiffened, my stomach twisting. I had feared he would ask. I had wondered that myself.

The thought had been lingering in my mind ever since the attack. I had told myself I had gotten out clean, that I had been careful and no one had seen me leave. But then that elite squad had found us, and deep down, I couldn’t help but think I had unknowingly led them right to Silas’s camp. I exhaled slowly, shifting onto my back, staring up at the wooden ceiling, but watching him from the corner of my eye.

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I left the city alone. No one chased me that I could tell. No one should have known where I was going.”

Silas didn’t move, didn’t blink. He just watched me, his golden eyes unwavering.

“But they did,” he said quietly.

I swallowed. “Yeah.”

He was silent for a moment, his fingers still tracing slow, lazy patterns over my stomach, but I could feel him thinking, and piecing things together.

I turned my head toward him, forcing myself to meet his gaze and hold it.

“I didn’t lead them here, Silas. I swear.” My throat tightened slightly, because as much as I had wondered if I had left some invisible trail behind, I hadn’t done it on purpose. “I was careful. I covered my tracks. I wouldn’t have brought them to you.”

His expression didn’t change for a long moment; he just watched me. Then he nodded.

“I believe you.”

His words settled the uncertainty in my chest; I hadn’t even realized I was tied in knots about this. His fingers skimmed higher, brushing up my ribs before sliding back down my waist.

“But someone did,” he murmured. “And that means we’ve got a problem.”

I let out a slow breath, my jaw tightening. “Yeah. We do.”

“We’ll figure it out. Together.” He said it so simply, like it was a fact. Like it wasn’t something I needed to carry on my own. “Go back to sleep now, Wildcat,” he commanded, and I closed my eyes.

For the moment, I let myself drift, safe in his arms, my last conscious thought nothing more than a quiet, whispered truth.

I belonged here with him, as his mate.

* * *

The soft knock at the door pulled me from sleep.

I groaned, rolling over, my body still aching from everything that Silas had put me through. The warmth beside me was gone, and as my eyes fluttered open, I realized he had already moved, his weight shifting the mattress as he sat up.

Another knock. More insistent this time.

Silas swung his legs over the edge of the bed, running a hand through his messy hair before grabbing a pair of pants and yanking them on. He cast a glance over his shoulder at me, his golden eyes still hazy with sleep.

“Stay here,” he ordered.

I sat up, blinking blearily at the door as he strode across the cabin. I grabbed his shirt off the edge of the bed and pulled it on, covering up just in case. The second he opened the door, though, the breath rushed from my lungs.

Kendra stood in the doorway.

For a split second, she just stared at Silas, her eyes narrowing in instant suspicion. Then her gaze flicked past him and landed straight on me.

“Holy shit,” she whispered. “Lia!”

I was off the bed before I could think, my legs tangling in the blankets as I practically lunged at her.

Kendra barely had time to brace herself before I crashed into her, throwing my arms around her shoulders, clinging to her like she might vanish if I let go.

She wasn’t just some familiar face from the past—Kendra was family . We’d survived together in the city for years, scraped by on stolen food, hiding from patrols and keeping each other alive. She and Mariah had been the first people to ever look out for me without wanting something in return. The three of us had been through hell, and we’d been there for each other through every second of it.

“You’re alive,” I breathed. My throat constricting, eyes burning. “I thought?—”

“ You thought?” Kendra pulled back just enough to glare at me. “Bitch, I thought you were back in the city.”

I laughed—a breathless, disbelieving sound—because I hadn’t let myself hope for this, for her.

Her fingers clamped over my shoulders, her eyes scanning me, like she was checking for injuries, making sure I was real. Then her gaze flicked over to Silas, lingering on him, taking in his half-dressed state.

She raised a single eyebrow.

“What the fuck is going on here?”

Silas, who had been watching our reunion with his usual inscrutable expression, leaned lazily against the doorframe, arms crossed over his broad chest.

“Lia’s mine.” His voice was calm, steady, unflinching. “And I won’t hear anything different.”

Kendra turned slowly back to me, lips pursing.

She snorted. “Oh, you poor, delusional bastard.”

Silas narrowed his eyes. “Excuse me?”

Kendra smirked, folding her arms. “I understand the whole overbearing Alpha thing better than you know,” she declared, then muttered under her breath, “Trust me.”

My brows furrowed. “What does that mean?”

Kendra just shook her head, reaching for my wrist. “Come on. We need to talk.”

Silas let out a slow exhale, running a hand through his hair. “This is going to be a long morning, isn’t it?”

Kendra grinned. “Oh, absolutely.”

Her grip on my arm was tight, her fingers digging in like she was afraid to let go. To be honest, I didn’t blame her.

Seeing her standing there, alive, was enough to make my heart soar. The moment was short-lived, though, because the second she pulled back from our embrace, her face furrowed as her eyes darted around like she was looking for someone.

Silas exhaled through his nose, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “I have to check on the camp.” His voice was gruff, but he seemed almost grateful that Kendra had come. “Try not to get into any trouble while I’m gone.”

Then he was out the door, leaving me alone with Kendra.

Her gaze snapped back to me. “Where’s Mariah?”

My stomach dropped.

The question hit me hard, and I suddenly felt cold, even in the warmth of the cabin.

“Lia.” Kendra’s voice was louder now, more urgent. “Where the fuck is Mariah?”

I swallowed, my throat tight, and slowly sank down onto the edge of the bed. “She’s still in the city.”

Kendra’s face blanched. “What?”

I inhaled deeply, trying to steady myself. “She wanted to escape. We both did. We planned it for weeks, watching the patrols, finding the right moment. We thought we had everything figured out.” I let out a humorless laugh, shaking my head. “We were so wrong.”

Kendra sat beside me, gripping my knee. “Tell me.”

I closed my eyes for a second, forcing myself to go back.

To relive it.

The city had never been safe, but that night, it felt more suffocating and threatening than usual.

Mariah and I had been waiting, watching from the shadows of a crumbling apartment building, the exact spot we’d used for weeks to track the wolves’ movements.

We knew their schedules, the guards that patrolled the outer walls, and we knew we had a small window of time to slip through if we wanted to make it out alive.

“Now,” Mariah had whispered, her breath visible in the cold air.

We ran, fast and silent.

Our feet barely made a sound against the cracked pavement as we sprinted toward the breach in the outer barricade—a section of the wall that had partially collapsed from a fire months ago. The wolves had never bothered fixing it properly.

It was our way out. At least, it was supposed to be.

We were so close, the open forest right there, when the sound of boots on stone made my stomach drop.

A fucking patrol! They must have changed routes at the last minute.

“Fuck,” Mariah had hissed, yanking me to the side, shoving me into the cover of an overturned bus. “We have to go now.”

“No,” I whispered back, my fingers gripping her wrist. “There’s too many. We wait.”

Mariah had never been good at waiting. Before I could stop her, she’d bolted straight for the trees.

“Mariah, no!” I whisper-yelled in desperation.

The patrol saw her.

The next few seconds were chaos—shouts, boots pounding, a gunshot splitting the air. Mariah screamed. I don’t know if she was hit or if they just tackled her, but before I could help her, she was swept up in a group of men and I lost sight of her.

“Run, Lia!” she had yelled. “Run!”

And I had.

I had fucking run.

I ran so hard, so fast, I could barely breathe. My legs burned, my lungs ached, but I didn’t stop, didn’t dare look back. If I had, I knew what would have happened.

When I blinked back to the present, my throat was raw.

“You left her,” Kendra said softly.

“She told me to run.” The words barely made it past my lips. “If I had stayed, I would’ve been caught too.”

Kendra stood, pacing now, her body stiff with tension. “So, what? We just leave her there? Let those fucking wolves do God knows what to her?”

“No.” I stood too, grabbing her wrist, forcing her to look at me. “I am not leaving her. I just… I needed time. I needed help .” I swallowed hard. “That’s why I came here, looking for Silas.”

Kendra searched my face, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Then, after a long moment, she nodded. “Then we’re going back for her.”

I exhaled slowly, my hands shaking. “Yeah.”

Kendra was still pacing, her boots scraping against the wooden floor, tension radiating from every muscle in her body. I could feel her frustration, the way it coiled tight inside her like a spring about to snap.

“Tell me there’s a plan,” she muttered, running a hand through her dark hair. “Tell me you’re not just staying here, waiting for a miracle to happen.”

I exhaled slowly, rubbing a hand over my face. “I’m not.”

She stopped, her gaze snapping to mine. “Then start talking, Lia.”

I gulped, feeling the weight of the truth pressing down on me. “I didn’t just come here for help getting Mariah back.”

Kendra’s brows furrowed. “Then why the hell are you here?”

I hesitated for only a moment before answering, because this wasn’t just about us anymore. It was bigger. So much bigger.

“Because if we don’t stop what’s coming, it won’t just be Mariah we lose,” I said, my voice firm and measured. “It’ll be every human woman.”

Kendra blinked. “What?”

I took a steadying breath. “The wolves… they’re making a drug.”

Her eyes narrowed. “What kind of drug?”

“A breeding drug.”

Silence.

Kendra’s face hardened. “Explain.”

I nodded, pushing forward before I lost my nerve. “It’s designed to fix their fertility problem.” My voice came out hollow, mechanical, as I forced myself to repeat the facts I had barely processed myself. “The drug changes that.” I let the words sink in, watching her face. “It forces human women to carry fertile female shifter babies.”

Kendra’s hands fisted at her sides. “Forces?”

I nodded. “It alters the womb, makes it so that every human pregnancy results in a shifter female who can breed. They think this will solve their problem, that once they have enough fertile female shifters, they won’t need us anymore.”

Her nostrils flared, her breath coming faster. “I’m sensing a ‘but’ coming…”

I looked her dead in the eye. “The drug kills us, Kendra.”

Her body went rigid and the color drained from her face. “What?” Her voice was a whisper of incredulity.

“That’s the part they’re hiding,” I said, my voice shaking with barely contained rage. “A shifter scientist smuggled out proof. If a human woman carries a shifter child under this drug, she either dies in childbirth or loses decades off her life. It’s not just some side effect; it’s a death sentence.”

I watched the way her face changed as her anger at me gave way to understanding. Kendra staggered back a step, shaking her head. “You’re fucking kidding.”

“I wish I was,” I whispered. “They’ve been testing it for months. The minute they figure out how to mass-produce it, they’ll start using it on every human woman they take. And when they don’t need us anymore?” My throat constricted. “We’re gone, Kendra. All of us.”

She was breathing hard now, hands on her hips, her face dark with anger. “How do you know all this?”

“Because I saw it myself.”

She froze. “You saw it?”

I nodded. “I was there when the scientist smuggled out the research. I saw the files, the charts, the reports.” My voice dropped. “I saw what happened to the test subjects.”

Kendra’s lips parted slightly, her fingers twitching at her sides like she wanted to punch something. “Jesus Christ, Lia.”

“That’s why I ran.” My voice cracked. “That’s why I came here. That’s why Mariah told me to run. I needed help. I needed—” I exhaled sharply. “I needed Silas.”

She let out a humorless laugh. “You didn’t just randomly stumble into his camp; you came looking for him.”

“Yeah.”

She shook her head, pacing again. “Now what? You think he can stop this?”

“I don’t know.” The truth tasted bitter. “But I know we can’t do it alone.”

She stared at me for a long moment, then finally nodded. “Fuck. Guess we’re doing this then.”

“Yep,” I murmured, my stomach tumbling over. “I guess we are.”

Kendra let out a long breath, rubbing her face with both hands before leveling me with a look that made me pull back. “So, let me get this straight.” She held up a finger. “You escaped the city with top-secret intel on a drug that will literally wipe out humanity.” She held up another finger. “You came here, to the middle of nowhere, to find him to ask for help.”

I nodded, wary of where this was going. “Yes.”

A slow, knowing smirk tweaked at the edges of her lips.

“And now,” she continued, dropping her hands to her hips, “you’re shacked up in his bed?”

I folded my arms and scowled. “Not like that.”

Kendra snorted. “You’re literally in his cabin. In his bed. Wearing his shirt…”

“It’s just a place to sleep,” I muttered, but even I heard how unconvincing that sounded.

She arched a brow. “Mmhmm. Sure.”

I huffed, shifting uncomfortably. “It’s… complicated.”

Kendra crossed her arms, tilting her head. “Complicated like, ‘Oops, I tripped and fell onto his dick’ complicated?”

I choked. “Kendra!”

She cackled, clearly enjoying herself. “What? I mean, the man looks like he could bench-press a car. If you’re gonna throw yourself at an Alpha, might as well be that one.”

“I did not—” I stopped myself, cheeks burning. I wanted to argue, to tell her she was wrong.

That I wasn’t his mate.

My body betrayed me, though, the memory of his hands on me—holding me down, spanking me, fucking me—flashing through my mind so fast it made my breath catch.

Kendra’s smirk vanished.

“Holy shit,” she whispered, her eyes widening. “You do feel it.”

I clenched my jaw. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” she said, shaking her head. “It absolutely matters.”

Kendra looked like she knew way more than she was letting on, but before she could open her mouth and dig into my love life any further, something in her expression softened. She hesitated for a moment, glancing toward the door, then back at me.

“I should probably tell you something,” she said.

I frowned. “Tell me what?”

She ran a hand through her hair, exhaling like she was trying to find the right words. Then she gave me a wry smile. “You’re not the only one who found herself mated to an overbearing Alpha.”

My brows furrowed. “What?”

She stepped back and turned her head slightly, pulling down the collar of her shirt. At first, I didn’t see anything unusual, but then my stomach dropped.

A bite mark.

It had long since healed, the skin slightly raised and silvery, but I knew what it was.

My lips parted, but no words came out.

Kendra grinned at my expression. “Yeah. That’s what I thought too, when it happened.”

I blinked. “What the hell—who?—?”

“His name is Rowan. Rowan Blackwood.” The way she said it was… different. Soft. “And before you ask, yes, he’s a wolf. And no, he’s not like the ones in the city.”

I couldn’t stop staring at the mark.

Kendra. My Kendra. Mated to a wolf?

“I don’t—” I shook my head, trying to process it. “How? When?”

She shrugged. “It’s a long story, but the short version? He saved my ass. More than once. And I… kind of fell for him.”

I crossed my arms. “You fell for a wolf?”

“Yeah,” she said simply. “I did.”

I shook my head. “How? When? Why?”

She sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. “Like I said, it’s a long story. Rowan found me in the breeding facility.” Her voice lowered, like the memory still lingered just beneath the surface. “I was barely holding it together, but then he showed up and…” She shrugged, like words weren’t enough. “He saved me.”

I frowned. “Why?”

Kendra hesitated, then blew out air. “Because he knew I was his mate.”

The words hit me like a punch to the ribs.

“Mate,” I echoed. My mouth had gone dry.

She nodded, her dark eyes watching me closely. “He knew before I did. I fought him on it. Fought him hard. But Lia…” She glanced away for a moment, her fingers ghosting over the bite mark on her neck. “It’s not just some nonsense claim. It’s real. Powerful.”

My mind raced. I knew what it meant when a wolf bit their mate—I had heard the stories, the warnings. That it was irreversible, that it bound them together, tied them in a way that went beyond words. But I hadn’t expected this. Not from Kendra.

I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but before I could, Kendra took a step back, exhaling like she was about to drop something bigger on me.

“Lia,” she said carefully. “There’s something else.”

I braced myself. “What now?”

She hesitated, then shifted.

Not fully—just enough to show me she was not quite the same girl I’d known and loved for years, like a sister. Her teeth lengthened slightly, the bones in her hands shifting as sharp, curved claws emerged from the tips of her fingers. It was controlled, but it was undeniable.

My breath caught in my throat.

No.

No, that wasn’t possible.

“You’re—” I took a step back, my heart slamming against my ribs. “You’re a wolf?” I really was trying not to shriek.

Kendra let out a slow breath. “Yeah.”

My mind reeled. “How?”

“The bite,” she said simply, her voice steady. “Rowan’s bite.”

I swallowed hard, my throat tight.

“He turned you.”

She nodded. “Not on purpose. It was… it was instinct. The mating bond, the heat—it just happened.”

I shook my head, still trying to process it. “And you’re okay with that?”

Kendra actually laughed, shaking her head. “Lia, I freaked out at first! You think I just accepted this overnight? I fought it, him, so hard. I resisted, denied, but it’s… different now.” She ran a hand through her dark hair. “It doesn’t feel wrong. It feels like… me.”

I stared at her.

This was Kendra. The same girl who had run through the city streets with me, who had fought tooth and nail to survive in a world that wanted us dead. Now she was standing in front of me, changed, one of the kind we’d fought against our whole lives, and she wasn’t angry about it.

She was at peace.

I blew out a slow breath, dragging a hand down my face. “Holy shit.”

Kendra smirked. “Yeah. That was my reaction too.”

I shook my head. “So, what, you just accepted it?”

“It wasn’t just about accepting what I was, Lia.” She looked at me, her expression serious. “It was about accepting whose I was.” She paused, searching my face. “You know, kind of like your wolf.”

I tensed.

Her smirk widened into a grin. “Oh, come on. Just say it.”

I avoided her gaze. “Say what?”

“That Silas is your mate.”

The words made my stomach flip.

I clenched my jaw. “I never said?—”

“Oh, please.” Kendra flopped onto the bed beside me, tossing her braid over her shoulder. “He looked at you like you’re his fucking queen. And knowing wolves, he’s probably out there right now making sure no other wolf so much as breathes in your direction.”

I scowled. “He’s just protective.”

She laughed. “Protective because you’re his mate.”

“He said I was.” I sighed.

Kendra’s grin turned downright smug. “Oh? He said it, huh? And what did you say?”

I hesitated, because the truth was I had felt it. I had known it, deep down in my bones, the second he first touched me. Then he had claimed me in every way so I really knew the truth of it. But admitting it out loud? That was something else entirely.

After a long moment, I sighed again. “I don’t know if I’m ready to say it.”

Kendra softened, nudging my shoulder with hers. “You don’t have to. Not yet.”

I glanced at her. “You’re really happy? With Rowan?”

Her expression changed, and for the first time since she had walked in, I saw it: the way her eyes glowed with a deep, settled satisfaction and her shoulders eased when she said his name. The way her fingers brushed unconsciously over the mark on her neck.

“I’ve never been so happy,” she said simply. “I’ve never felt more like myself than I do with him.” She turned toward me fully. “We wanted to find you, Lia. We were waiting for winter to pass so we could go back for you and Mariah.”

I sucked in a breath. “You were coming for us?”

She nodded. “We were coming for the both of you and now that we found you, we’ll go to find her too. We just have to figure out how.”

The knot of worry in my chest unraveled. I wasn’t alone in this anymore.

Kendra smiled at me, then stood, stretching. “I’ll introduce you to Rowan. He’s here in the camp somewhere, probably also keeping an eye on your mate.” She waggled her eyebrows at me. “You know, making sure he doesn’t do something too Alpha.”

I rolled my eyes. “I don’t even know what that means.”

She laughed. “You will.” And with that, the world suddenly didn’t feel quite so heavy.

“Come on now. Let me introduce you to my mate,” she offered. Picking up my pants off the floor, I pulled them on and slipped on a pair of socks as well as my boots, before tugging a sweater that I found over my head.

“You ready?” she asked, as I adjusted the hem of the sweater, finding it to be unexpectedly soft and warm.

“How can I get ready to meet your wolf?” I wondered.

Kendra rolled her eyes. “Rowan is not just some wolf. You’ll see soon enough.”

I let out a slow breath and followed her out of the cabin, the crisp mountain air biting at my skin as we stepped outside. The camp was quieter now, but the tension from the battle still lingered in the atmosphere.

Kendra led me along winding paths between tents and wooden structures until we reached a clearing. At the center stood a man. Even without being told, I knew it was Rowan, Kendra’s mate.

He stood tall, arms crossed over his chest, his blue eyes locked onto me with the intelligence of someone who didn’t miss a thing. His presence was commanding. He radiated the kind of dominance that didn’t need to be spoken, just felt.

His gaze shifted to Kendra, and for a split second, his entire body softened.

Kendra smiled. “Rowan, meet Lia. Lia, meet the overgrown mutt I’m stuck with for life.”

His lips twitched with the beginnings of a smirk, but his eyes never left mine.

“Lia,” he said, his voice deep and resonant. Then something in his gaze darkened. “I know that name.”

I stiffened, my heartbeat picking up.

Rowan turned toward me. “Kendra talked about you, about you and Mariah.”

At the mention of Mariah, my guts squirmed.

His eyes narrowed. “Where is she?”

I clenched my jaw, my throat suddenly dry. “She’s still in the city.”

A beat of silence.

“Explain,” he demanded.

I inhaled, steadying myself, and told him everything: how I’d learned about the drug and how Mariah and I had planned our escape and been so close. Finally I explained how she had been taken, and I had been forced to run, leaving her behind.

When I finished, Rowan was silent.

Kendra placed a hand on his arm, grounding him. “We’re getting her back,” she said firmly.

“We need to move fast,” Rowan muttered, more to himself than anyone else. “The longer she’s there, the worse it’ll be.”

Footsteps crunched against the dirt behind us. I didn’t have to turn to know it was Silas.

“We’ve all lost something to the wolves in the city,” he said, taking over the conversation. “But now, we don’t have time to focus on what’s been taken in the past. We must come together to stop this now or the humans are done.”

The words settled over us, oppressive in their dire prediction.

Rowan exhaled slowly, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “That’s a hell of a statement.”

Silas ignored the edge in his tone. “It’s the truth.” His golden eyes settled on me for a moment, silently reassuring me, before sweeping over all of us. “If we don’t stop this drug before it goes into full use, the human race won’t survive. And now that the city wolves know the location of my camp, things are about to get even more dangerous. We have to make a move as soon as possible.”

Kendra muttered under her breath, “As if things weren’t bad enough already.”

I frowned, turning toward Silas. “Do you think they’ll come back?”

Silas nodded once, grim. “They will. Maybe not tomorrow, maybe not next week, but they will return. And next time, it won’t be a scouting party or a test attack; it’ll be a full-scale assault.”

Rowan’s expression darkened. “Then we need to move everyone before that happens.”

Kendra crossed her arms. “Agreed. We don’t have the luxury of sitting around and waiting.”

I looked between them, my heart pounding. “If we’re going to do this, we need a real plan. Not just ‘run into the city and hope for the best.’”

Silas gave me a small nod of approval. “Then we start strategizing now.”

Rowan’s blue eyes flickered toward Silas. “And what about your camp? You prepared to leave it undefended while we go charging into the city?”

Silas’s jaw tightened. “No, but if we stay here, we’re dead anyway.” He blew out a hard breath, glancing back toward the tree line, where the camp’s perimeter stretched out behind them. “The council knows where we are now, or they will soon enough. Staying put would be a death sentence.”

Rowan nodded grimly. “Then we move them.”

Silas gave a sharp nod. “Exactly. We’ll start evacuating tomorrow. Jax will lead the relocation. I trust him to reinforce the new site and keep the pack organized while we’re inside the city.”

“Where will they go?” Kendra asked, her voice tight.

“There’s an old ranger station farther north,” Silas said. “Remote, hidden, and defensible. We’ve scouted it before but didn’t need it—until now. The pack can regroup there, stay out of sight until this is over.”

Rowan crossed his arms. “That’ll take planning. Supplies. They’ll need to move fast.”

“They will,” Silas said. “And Jax knows what’s at stake. He’ll keep them safe.”

Kendra let out a low whistle. “So, you are coming with us?”

His gaze snapped to her. “Did you think I wouldn’t?”

She shrugged. “You seem like the kind of Alpha who doesn’t like leaving his territory.”

Silas grimaced without humor. “I don’t, but I like sitting back while the world burns even less.”

I gulped audibly. “So, what now?”

Rowan looked at Silas, then at me and Kendra. “Now, we figure out how the hell we get back into the city without getting ourselves killed.”

Silas’s golden eyes gleamed. “And how we destroy that drug before it destroys everything else.”

The four of us stood in silence, the weight of what we were about to do settling over us.

This wasn’t just a simple mission.

It was the beginning of a war.