Chapter 67 Chapter 67
LUCIAN’S POV
I resisted the urge to turn back and go to Ailsa’s room. Leaving her was harder than it should have been. It felt wrong in a way I couldn’t explain not because she was weak, I knew she wasn’t. It was not because she was in danger, she was guarded and watched. It just felt like every time I left her, something happened.
I wanted to make sure she was still in the room, safe. The pull was sharp and stronger than any other day. After last night, our wolves had become one and even though I didn’t mark her, I could still feel her happiness through the bond. Her scent lingered on my clothes and on my skin.
I had to clench my jaw to force myself to keep walking. Get a grip. I told myself, she was resting, healing and protected. She’s fine.
Pack business waited. The morning was already stretching towards noon, I hadn’t realized how much time had gone when I was in Ailsa’s room. It felt like it was still dawn when I was in her room.
The hallway felt colder without Ailsa’s scent lingering in the air. My steps echoed as I made my way to the field. Warriors bowed as I passed but my mind shifting into strategy and threats. I had pushed all thoughts of Lorcan out of my mind because of the recent events in my pack but I had thought about it and Lorcan might have something to do with them.
I couldn’t sit back and that was why I was going out. The Winter packs Alpha had sent a message earlier and I knew I couldn’t ignore it. Lorcan did nothing without purpose and if he had started moving pieces near a pack close to mine, his plans were already in motion.
I changed into my wolf and I left with two guards, I didn’t go with Aiden. I didn’t need a crowd because this wasn’t a show of force. My wolf ran through the forest until we arrived at the Winter packs borders. The other alpha was already there when I arrived, his arms crossed and his expression hard. There were three guards by his side and others in different positions, not so hidden that they could not be seen.
He was younger than me but he was not inexperienced. He looked like he had grown since the last time I saw him.
“Lucian” he greeted, nodding.
“Tristan” I replied.
We didn’t waste time on pleasantries.
“Lorcan’s men have been testing my eastern border” Tristan said as we began walking.
“They didn’t try to cross though, they were just watching from secret corners although letting themselves be seen”
“A message” I said.
“Exactly, he wants me uneasy. He thinks I fear him” he said that with a chuckle.
“He always does” I replied grimly. Tristan stopped and turned to face me.
“This isn’t just intimidation. Two of my patrols haven’t returned” that caught my attention.
“Dead?” I asked.
“Gone” he corrected. “There was no bloodshed and no bodies. That’s not his usual style”
“No” I agreed.
“He prefers fear. Disappearances makes pack nervous” he exhaled sharply.
“He’s planning something bigger”
“Yes”
We walked in silence for a moment, the forest pressing in around us.
“He’s consolidating power” I continued. “He’s trying to pressure smaller packs, forcing them into alliances through fear”
I didn’t want to let him know how I knew about that.
“And if I refuse?” Tristan asked.
“He’ll make an example of you. He’ll use the council so they’ll be against you and then you can finally give in” his jaw tightened.
“Then I’ll need allies to resist whatever he is planning”
“You already have one” I said evenly. His face snapped back to mine.
“Are you saying that openly?”
“I don’t make empty promises but no one needs to know that we’ve teamed up together, it’ll remain between us” he nodded.
The conversation deepened from there, we spoke about routes, the positioning of warriors and most importantly Lorcan’s pack weakness. We didn’t really know what exactly it was but that could easily be found. Tristan was sharp, thoughtful and willing to listen.
“You’ve dealt with him more closely than I have. What does he want?” He asked eventually. I shook my head.
“I have never dealt closely with him, we avoid each other. He knows not to come in my path but knowing the kind of person he is, all he wants is power” I said.
“More power and control and you know something even though he gets all the power in the world, it would never be enough for him” Tristan studied me for a long moment.
“Be careful. Men like Lorcan don’t stop once they have chosen a target” I said.
“I’m not scared of Lorcan but I still need to be careful like you’ve said”
“If you need anything, don’t hesitate to let me know. Whether it’s men or armor” he nodded.
When the meeting ended, the air felt heavier than before. Plans were set and signals agreed upon. If Lorcan moved openly, he wouldn’t be facing only one pack.
“Thank you for coming here even though you didn’t have to” Tristan said and I nodded.
I changed back into my wolf form and turned back towards my pack, unease followed me like a shadow. The unease was not from thoughts of being attacked while returning but something else. I just wanted it go back home and hold Ailsa in my arms.
Halfway through the journey, the bond stirred. At first, it was just a tug, a warmth that flared and faded immediately. My wolf slowed instinctively, our senses sharpening. Then it came back this time but more intense than before.
Heat rippled through my chest, fierce and demanding as if something deep within me had woken suddenly. My breath stuttered. My wolf slammed forward, running faster than before. Our thoughts were on Ailsa, if she was safe.
My heart was pounding for reasons I couldn’t explain. The bond didn’t scream pain but screamed change. Something had shifted and I wanted to know what it was about.
By the time, the pack gates came into view, my control was already fraying at the edges. I shifted back to my human form and a guard was already with a change of clothes for me. He bowed as he handed the clothes to me.
“Where is Ailsa” I demanded. The guard straightened as he answered.
“She was resting the last time we checked, Alpha”
“When?”
“Earlier this morning”
This morning had been long past and he hadn’t checked on her since then. I walked through the corridors with purposeful strides as I made my way to her room. When I opened the door, her room was empty. Her scent was very faint and that meant she hadn’t been there in a long while.
The bond thrummed again, it was sharp and possessiveness coiled in my guts, my wolf was about to take control.
“Who was on duty to watch her today?” I growled.
A young guard stepped forward, his nervousness was visible.
“I was, Alpha” he bowed.
I grabbed him without thinking, lifting him off the ground.
“She was under your protection. You had just one task” I said, my voice vibrating with barely restrained control.
“One” I snarled. The guards pulse hammered wildly beneath my grip.
“Tell me where she went or I’ll snap your neck”
“She didn’t leave alone” he gasped.
“Lina was with her. She said they were only stepping out briefly” Rage burned in my veins hot and fast.
I would have torn through the pack to find her. I would have torn through anyone who stood in my way. Most importantly, I would have snapped the necks of the guards I placed to watch her.
I was still gripping the guard tightly, when the bond softened. It was warm, familiar and it felt close. I turned. They were walking toward us, Ailsa and Lina. They were both unharmed and safe.
Relief slammed into me so hard it nearly unseated my fury. I released the guard and crossed the distance between us in long strides.
“Where were you?” I demanded, stopping before her.
She met my gaze, unflinching.
“I stepped out”
“With no guard?”
“With Lina” she said firmly.
“That doesn’t change anything. Lina is not a warrior and she can’t protect you” I snapped. Her scent hit me then. It was different and mixed with something ancient. It was not a bad scent but just strange.
My wolf went still, alert.
“Where are you coming from?” I asked quietly.
“We went to visit the witch” she said.
The forest, the pack and the world seemed to pause at that moment. And deep in my chest, the bond stirred, it was insistent, and my wolf reacted to it, he wanted to grab her and mark her in the hallway. This was far more dangerous than I was ready to admit. I still need to know the reason she went to visit the witch without my knowledge.
“We need to talk”