Page 13

CHAPTER 13

S ilas

The morning air was frigid. It was the kind of cold that settled deep into your bones and refused to leave. As I walked around camp, the scent of blood and smoke still clung to the air, a visceral reminder of the attack and our continued vulnerability. Those soldier wolves could attack at any time, and we weren’t ready.

Then came the howl. It wasn’t one of ours, and my blood ran cold.

I was already moving before Jax’s voice rang out across the camp. “Alpha! We’ve got incoming—north ridge!”

I reached the perimeter in seconds, Rowan close at my side, both of us scanning the tree line where my wolves had gathered, tense and bristling. The wind shifted, and I smelled them.

Wolves.

A whole slew of them.

Standing just beyond the tree line, their figures barely visible between the tree trunks, was an organized unit of trained fighters. They weren’t some ragtag hunting party or a squad of enforcers here to round up humans. These wolves stood in formation, coordinated and disciplined.

At the front, one man stood alone, holding up a white flag.

What the actual fuck?

I heard the murmurs ripple through my wolves, confusion and distrust settling over the camp like a fog. No one raised a white flag unless they knew they were outmatched.

And no wolf ever surrendered to humans.

“That’s not a normal scouting party.” Rowan spoke for my ears only.

“No,” I muttered. “It’s not.”

A low growl rumbled through the wolves gathered behind me. Jax stepped forward, eyeing the lone man with suspicion. “It’s a trick,” he spoke quietly into my ear. “We should take him out before his pack has the chance to move.”

I shook my head. “If they wanted a fight, they would have attacked already, while we were unprepared.”

Jax frowned, but didn’t argue.

The lone wolf took a slow step forward, keeping the flag raised high, his movements cautious and methodical. He was tall, built like a soldier, his frame packed with lean muscle. He wore dark, reinforced clothing—practical, tactical even.

It wasn’t the standard uniform of the wolves who ruled the city. Not rogue. Not Resistance either, but a guard. A high-ranking one.

Rowan must have seen it too, because his shoulders tensed. “Military.”

I nodded, grinding my back teeth together. “Yeah, and not just any soldier.”

The way he moved, the way his pack stayed perfectly still behind him, waiting for his command—this wasn’t a random officer.

This was someone important.

The wolf stopped a few feet away, lowering the white flag just slightly.

“I need to speak to your Alpha,” he said, his voice calm and authoritative.

I crossed my arms. “You’re looking at him.”

His pale eyes locked onto mine, assessing, calculating. Then he did something no wolf from the city had ever done in my presence.

He dropped to one knee.

A ripple of shock ran through my pack.

“What the fuck is this?” Jax muttered under his breath.

The soldier bowed his head slightly. “My name is Varek Dain, High Commander of the Outer Guard.”

I froze.

The Outer Guard.

The wolves who lived on the outskirts of Denver, fighting external threats instead of internally enforcing the council’s rule over the city. Most didn’t even know they existed, but I did.

Rowan exhaled, his arms tightening across his chest. “You’re a long way from home, Commander.”

Varek lifted his head, his sharp silver eyes honing in on mine. “I surrender myself into your custody.”

The tension around us spiked. My wolves bristled, shifting on their feet, weapons securely in hand.

Jax let out a wary laugh. “Yeah, right. I’m supposed to believe you’re just giving yourself up?”

Varek didn’t so much as flinch. “I came here alone. My men will not approach without my order.”

I studied him, my instincts warring between distrust and curiosity. No wolf from the city had ever done this. No high-ranking military officer had ever knelt before me. Now here was the commander of the Outer Guard, surrendering himself to me and my pack.

“Why?” I asked plainly.

His gaze didn’t waver. “Because I need your help.”

A muscle ticked in my jaw. “You’ll have to do better than that.”

Varek exhaled slowly and his eyes darkened. “There’s something big coming, and if we don’t stop it, we all die.”

Silence fell over the camp.

A furrow appeared between Rowan’s brows. “What kind of threat?”

Varek’s expression was deadly serious. “A force stronger than the city council. A force that doesn’t care if you’re human or shifter. One that devours everything in its path.”

Something cold curdled in my gut.

I had fought wars before. I’d built this camp, this Resistance, to fight against the wolves in the city. This sounded like something different though.

“Then you better start talking,” I commanded.

Varek Dain had the kind of presence that took up space, even when he wasn’t speaking. I didn’t like him. Not yet. Whether that assessment would change remained to be seen, but I was smart enough to listen to him.

His sharp eyes flicked between Rowan and me, evaluating, judging, calculating. I could feel the tension in the air like a tangible thing. Three dominant alphas standing within arm’s reach of one another, all sizing each other up, all waiting for someone to make the first move. I could see the muscle ticking in Rowan’s cheek, and the way his fingers flexed minutely at his sides, resisting the urge to clench into fists. Varek just stood there, relaxed but alert. That made me even more wary.

Finally, he spoke.

“We lost an outpost,” he intoned, voice even, almost bored. “Far to the south, beyond the dead cities. It was a small installation, reinforced with stone, self-sustaining. Not a high priority target. No reason for anyone to attack it.” He rolled his shoulders like the very idea was absurd. “But we lost contact a few weeks ago. No patrols returned. No scouts. Not even a goddamn messenger bird.”

I crossed my arms. “So?”

Varek’s smirk was slow, deliberate. “So, we sent a team. Good men, well-trained men. The kind that don’t fail.” Before he continued, his face hardened. “They didn’t come back.”

I exchanged a glance with Rowan.

Varek continued. “We intercepted a few radio transmissions, what little of it came through the static anyway.” He sighed heavily, as if the memory irritated him. “The usual distress call at first. They were under attack, needed reinforcements. Then the screaming started.”

His voice dropped slightly, his tone shifting—not nervous, exactly, but unnerved.

“The last thing we heard before the signal cut out was a single word: Burrowers . ”

A shiver ran through the wolves around me.

Rowan’s brow furrowed. “Burrowers?”

Varek’s met Rowan’s eyes. “That’s what they called them. I’ve seen the aftermath, what was left of the outpost.” He paused, letting the silence drag out before finally saying, “There wasn’t much remaining.”

The air thickened around us.

Rowan narrowed his eyes. “What the fuck are we dealing with? What’s a burrower?”

Varek exhaled slowly. “We don’t know exactly what they are. The old texts say they used to be human, a long time ago, before the world collapsed, but something changed them. Corrupted them.” His silver gaze swept over us, demanding our attention. “They’re not just feral. They think. They hunt in packs, but they don’t kill out of instinct. They strategize.”

I watched him carefully. “And they eat what?”

Varek visibly swallowed and took a deep breath before he spoke. “Everything.”

A universal shiver seemed to go through the camp.

I thought I had seen the worst of what this tainted world had to offer. The virus had turned men into monsters, had created us, had built a system where the strong thrived and the weak were devoured.

But this? This was something different.

Lia stepped forward, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. “Define ‘everything.’”

Varek’s gaze flicked to her, and he seemed slightly amused. “They eat whatever they can sink their teeth into: bone, muscle, especially blood, of any living thing they find.” He tilted his head, watching her reaction. “But humans are their favorite.”

Kendra muttered under her breath, “Of course we are.”

Varek ignored her and redirected his attention to Rowan and me. “They burrow underground, hence the name. They wait for the right moment, and then they swarm. Hundreds of them, crawling up from the dirt, moving like shadows. You won’t see them coming until it’s already too late.”

I exhaled slowly. “So let me get this straight; you’re asking us to help fight monsters?”

Varek nodded. “I know you just had a wolf attack. I know your camp is compromised. I know you’re looking for a way to strike back.” He shrugged. “You want revenge? You want to win? You want to burn that city to the ground and take down the bastards who rule it? You help me do this and I’ll help you take them down in return.”

I studied him, weighing his words. It was too convenient, too well-timed.

And yet…

Maybe the only rational thing to do was to ally with him.

Rowan must have come to the same conclusion, because he crossed his arms and exhaled loudly. “So, let’s say we do this. Let’s say we help you. What happens after?”

Varek raised his eyebrows. “You want to overthrow the bastards in the city? I have the men, the weapons, the intel you need. You help me, and I help you.”

Lia stepped forward, squaring her shoulders, her hands tight fists at her sides. “Before this deal is official, you need to understand something,” she said, voice firm. “This isn’t just about fighting some external threat. Or even just taking down the city’s regime. We’re getting Mariah back too. And as many other women as we can.”

Varek turned toward her, a hint of curiosity in his expression. “Mariah?”

“She’s our best friend,” Lia said, lifting her chin toward Kendra. “We tried to escape the city together, but the soldiers took her.”

Her voice was steady, but I could smell the emotion wafting off her in waves. The guilt.

Kendra stepped up beside Lia, arms akimbo. “Mariah’s tough, but she’s in danger. We don’t know what they’ve done to her or where she is.”

Varek tilted his head slightly, considering. “And you think she’s still alive?”

Lia’s jaw clenched. “I know she is.”

I wasn’t sure if that was blind hope or something more, but either way, I wasn’t about to argue with her. I knew how important saving her friend was to her and I’d do everything in my power to make sure we got her out alive.

I turned to Varek, watching him closely. “You want an alliance, then saving Mariah is part of the deal.”

Varek exhaled through his nose, frowning. “You’re awfully demanding for someone who needs my help.”

I held his stare, my face expressionless. “You need my men just as much as I need yours.”

A flicker of something sharp passed through his eyes—irritation, amusement, respect?—then, after a long pause, he shrugged. “Fine.”

Lia let out a breath, but she caught herself before anyone else could notice.

“Mariah’s part of the mission,” Varek said. “When we go in, we get her out.”

I nodded. “Good.”

Varek gave me a toothy grin, all bold confidence. “Then I guess we better not waste any time.”