Chapter 7: The war council

Alpha keahs POV

I stopped walking, the memory rushing over me like a flood. My father, the greatest Alpha this pack had ever known, had stood at the front lines, leading his soldier's into battle with unyielding strength. My mother, ever the strategist, had stayed behind to guide the pack. They were unstoppable together, a force no enemy could break—or so I thought.

But the humans proved us wrong.

I gritted my teeth, my sight fading into a sea of crimson. They had mercilessly taken my parents, their blood staining the earth. That was the day I swore vengeance. I vowed to crush humanity under my foot, to reduce them to the slaves they deserved to be.

So how could the fates be so cruel as to tie me to one of them?

I continued walking, trying to wave the memory away. Leah couldn’t be my mate.

The idea was absurd, it sounds like an insult. The spark I felt like I was bewitched, a trick of the senses. She was here to serve a purpose—to heal me—and nothing more.

But her voice echoed in my mind again, her words filled with defiance. She wasn’t like the other humans I’d encountered. She didn’t care to show a sign of weakness, didn’t flinch under the weight of my authority. Instead, she challenged me, her gaze sharp enough to pierce through my carefully constructed walls.

It was annoying.

And intriguing.

I growled under my breath as I approached the war chamber. The heavy doors loomed before me, but I paused, my hand resting on the cold iron handle. The thought of Leah consumed me, gnawing at the edges of my control. Could she truly be my mate? The idea was not funny. But if she was…

I shook my head, rejecting the idea entirely. I couldn’t allow it. My parents’ deaths were a constant reminder of what humans were capable of doing. To accept one as my mate would be a betrayal to my pack, and to everything I stood for, everything I had fought to protect.

No.

If the spark was real, I would extinguish it.

With a sharp exhale, I pushed open the doors and stepped into the chamber. The Deltas immediately straightened at my arrival, their conversations halting as they bowed their heads in respect.

The heavy iron doors of the war chamber cracked as they closed behind me, their sound reverberating like the growl of a beast lurking in the dark. The room was thick with tension, the flickering light from the chandelier above casting long, shifting shadows over the stone table at the center.

Bones and antlers intertwined in the chandelier’s design served as a stark reminder of the battles fought to secure the Silverclaw Pack’s legacy.

The Deltas were already seated and waiting, their sharp eyes locking onto me as I walked in. Marcus, my Beta, stood near my chair, his green eyes examining me with a hint of worry.

“Alpha,” he greeted, his voice steady but carrying an unspoken question.

Before I could respond, Kara Ironfang of Shadow Ridge stepped forward, her broad frame and scarred hands showing years of battle experience. “Alpha, before we begin, how is your health? Is Leah’s treatment effective?”

The question hung in the air, and the other Deltas nodded in agreement. Liora Bloodthorn, ever the healer of Crimson Hollow, added softly, “Leah is a human skilled healer, but those wounds were deep. Are you truly healing, Alpha?”

A wave of concern spread through the room. Even Frostbane of Frostwood, who rarely spoke without necessity, nodded his head and said, “Your strength is vital to the pack. We need to see you’re strong.”

I met their eyes, my tone firm as I replied, “The herbalist has doing well. The wounds are healing, and I’m regaining my strength.”

The tension eased slightly at my words, though the flicker of concern in their gazes did not entirely disappear. Marcus gave a slight nod, his lips twitching in approval.

“It’s good to hear, Alpha,” Kara said, stepping back to her seat. “We’ll rely on your strength in the battles ahead.”

“Let’s proceed,” I said firmly, signaling an end to the discussion about my health. The Deltas settled into their seats, and I turned to Kara. “What news from Shadow Ridge?”

Kara stood up, her voice sharp and commanding. “The warriors have been training day and night. The eastern cliffs are secured, and we’ve set traps along the border. But there’s been activity—human scouts, by the looks of it. Tracks were found near the ridges.”

The room was silent, every eye turning toward me.

“Humans dare to cross our borders?” I asked, my voice cold with fury.

Kara’s jaw tightened. “They’re pushing their luck, Alpha. Testing our defenses. They haven’t crossed into our territory yet, but it’s only a matter of time.”

“Why weren’t any captured?” Marcus interjected, his tone filled with impatience.

“We’ve been tracking them,” Kara replied, her frustration clear. “But they’re cautious. Slippery.”

“They won’t remain slippery for long,” I said, my tone low. “Increase patrols along the eastern ridges. No human steps into our territory and lives to tell the story. Am I clear?”

“Yes, Alpha,” Kara said, her tone firm.

Before I could move on, Liora leaned forward, her gentle features filled by concern. “Alpha, if I may, we should consider the implications of escalating. If humans are scouting, it could mean they’re getting ready for something bigger. If we strike back too soon, we might spark an outright conflict.”

Kara scoffed, her arms crossing. “And what do you suggest? Let them keep creeping closer until they’re at our throats? Humans only understand one thing: And that's power.”

“And what happens when that power draws an army to our doorstep?” Liora shot back, her voice rising. “We’ve suffered enough from human wars. Another one could leave us in ruins.”

The tension between them was thick, crackling like a storm about to break. I slammed my hand onto the table, the sound reverberating through the chamber.

“Enough!” I commanded, my voice sharp as a blade. The room fell silent, the Deltas bowing their

heads in submission. “We will not allow humans to breach our borders, but we will not act recklessly. Marcus, coordinate with Kara and Liora. I want a plan that balances both defense and caution.”

Marcus nodded. “Understood, Alpha.”

The tension eased a bit, though an edge of unease remained. I turned to Frostbane, who sat silently, his icy blue eyes surveying the situation with an unsettling calm. “Frostbane, what’s happening in Frostwood?”

He stood up gradually, his tone as calculated and cold as the frozen land he ruled. “The hunters informed us there's a scarcity of game. Something is driving the animals away from the northern territories. It could be the weather, but there’s another possibility.”

“What possibility?” Marcus asked, his brow furrowing.

Frostbane’s gaze hardened. “Tracks were found near the edge of the Frostwood, unlike anything we’ve seen before.”

The room fell into a quite silence, the weight of his words sinking in.

“Could it be another pack?” Tessa asked, her voice shaking slightly.

“It’s possible,” Frostbane admitted, his tone grim. “But if it is, they’re unlike any pack we’ve encountered before.”

“We need answers,” I said firmly. “Frostwood’s trackers must uncover the truth. Whatever this is, I want it identified and contained.”

“Yes, Alpha,” Frostbane replied.

The conversation shifted to the disturbances among neighboring packs. Kara, always the warrior, dismissed them as insignificant. “Let them come,” she said with a wolfish grin. “We’ll crush them like we always do.”

Liora, ever the voice of reason, countered, “Strength alone won’t protect us if we’re facing multiple enemies. We need alliances.”

“And risk exposing our weaknesses?” Frostbane argued. “Alliances require trust, and trust is a liability.”

The room erupted into heated arguments, voices overlapping as the Deltas clashed. My patience wore out, the chaos threatening to spiral out of control.

“Enough!” I shouted, my voice cutting through the din like a blade. The Deltas fell silent, their eyes dropping in submission.

“This meeting isn’t about trivial disputes,” I said, my voice cold and unyielding. “It’s about the survival of the pack. Marcus will oversee coordination between the communities. I expect regular updates from all of you. Dismissed.”

The Deltas rose, whispers of acknowledgment filling the room as they exited. But the weight of their worries hung around me, settling over me like a storm cloud.

The battle ahead wasn’t just against humans or unknown threats—it was against the fractures within our own

pack. And those fractures could be just as dangerous.