Chapter 29 WHEN FEAR BECOMES FANGS

Chapter 29 WHEN FEAR BECOMES FANGS
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Thunder rolled endlessly above the mountains while heavy rain battered the Blood Moon territory, turning pathways into rivers of mud. Wolves moved quickly between cabins with lowered heads, tension visible in every hurried step.

Anna stood beneath the shelter outside the healer’s cabin watching patrol groups prepare for another sweep of the borders. Every face looked tired. Every conversation carried unease beneath it.

The pack bond felt raw today, like a wound refusing to close.

“You’re doing it again.”

Anna glanced sideways as Carlyn, the older healer who’d practically adopted her since arriving, approached carrying bundles of herbs.

“Doing what?”

“Trying to carry everyone’s emotions by yourself.” Carlyn handed her a steaming cup. “Here drink.”

Anna accepted it gratefully. “Is it obvious?”

“To anyone with functioning eyes.”

Despite herself, Anna smiled faintly.

Carlyn’s expression softened as she studied her. “You’re a good Luna.”

The words caught Anna off guard. “I don’t feel like one lately.”

“That’s because you think strength means never being afraid.” Carlyn adjusted the shawl around her shoulders carefully. “Real leaders feel fear. They just don’t let it make their choices for them.”

Anna looked down at the tea quietly, that sounded painfully familiar.

Before she could respond, raised shouting suddenly erupted near the central grounds. Anna’s stomach tightened instantly. Not again.

She hurried toward the noise just as several wolves gathered around the supply hall in obvious agitation.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

Steve appeared from the crowd looking furious. “Food storage was raided overnight.”

Anna blinked. “What?”

“Half the winter stock is gone.” Her chest dropped.

That was impossible, the supply hall sat inside inner territory. Only trusted pack members had access.

Chris stormed from the building moments later carrying a broken lock in one hand. The fury radiating from him nearly suffocated the air.

“It wasn’t forced entry,” Steve said grimly. “Whoever did this had keys.” Murmurs broke out instantly.

Draven was doing exactly what he wanted, turning the pack against itself.

Tyler stepped forward from the edge of the crowd, jaw clenched tightly. “You still think there isn’t a traitor?”

Chris’s eyes snapped toward him sharply. “No one speaks without evidence.”

“We already have evidence!”

“Enough.” The single word cracked through the clearing like thunder.

Everyone froze. Anna saw the exhaustion in Chris’s control immediately. The dangerous edge creeping into his temper lately.

One older wolf lowered his head carefully. “Alpha… people are scared.”

Chris laughed once bitterly. “Trust me I noticed.”

Anna stepped toward him cautiously. “Chris…” But before she could continue, another patrol wolf ran breathlessly into camp.

“Alpha!”

The panic in his voice made every head turn instantly.

“We found markings near the southern ridge.”

Steve swore softly.

Chris moved immediately. “Show me.”

The southern ridge sat dangerously close to the family cabins. Anna followed alongside the patrol through rain-soaked woods while unease clawed steadily at her chest.

By the time they arrived, several warriors already surrounded the area grimly. Anna’s breath caught instantly.

The trees had been marked with blood. Not random smears. There were symbols, dozens of them on the forest tree. The same split crescent moon from Eli’s murder. Only larger now.

A message carved directly into Blood Moon territory.

One of the younger wolves cursed shakily. “How the hell did they get this close again?”

But nobody answered.

Chris stared at the markings with terrifying stillness. Then Anna noticed something else beneath the symbols.

Words were scratched deeply into the bark.

HE CANNOT PROTECT YOU.

The fear that exploded through the pack bond nearly knocked Anna breathless.

Several wolves immediately looked toward Chris. That was the real attack. The doubt that was nursed prettily in their hearts.

Draven was feeding doubt directly into the heart of Blood Moon.

Steve stepped closer quietly. “Chris…”

But Chris didn’t move or speak. His wolf was dangerously close to the surface now. Anna could feel it through the mate bond like violent electricity under skin.

A younger wolf spoke nervously from the back.

“What if he’s right?”

The wolf immediately paled after realizing what he’d said aloud.

Chris slowly turned toward him, for one horrible second, Anna thought something terrible might happen. The rage in his eyes was frightening, she’d never seen him look like that before.

The younger wolf lowered his head instantly. “I…I didn’t mean…”

“Go back to camp,” Chris said quietly. The wolf obeyed immediately.

Nobody else spoke afterward until they returned to the territory.

The atmosphere worsened almost instantly once rumors spread.

Anna could feel it everywhere now, wolves whispering behind closed doors.

That evening, the council hall erupted into its worst argument yet.

“We should evacuate non-warriors.”

“That’ll make us look weak.”

“We already look weak!”

“Draven’s inside our borders whenever he wants!”

“Enough!” Steve snapped finally. But the shouting continued.

Anna sat beside Chris feeling the tension rolling violently off him now. His restraint was hanging by threads.

Then Tyler spoke again. “We keep defending territory we can’t secure.”

Chris looked toward him sharply. Tyler swallowed hard but continued anyway. “Maybe we should strike first. Hit Draven before he keeps tearing us apart psychologically.”

Several wolves nodded reluctantly, others looked horrified.

Anna saw the exact moment Chris’s patience broke. He stood abruptly.

Power exploded outward hard enough to extinguish several lantern flames. The entire room went silent.

“I am still your Alpha,” Chris said coldly. “And I will not lead this pack into blind slaughter because fear is making everyone irrational.”

Nobody moved an inch.

Anna felt it, that tiny, dangerous crack widening further beneath the surface.

Draven was winning every second as division grew amongst the pack.

Chris abruptly turned and walked out of the hall. The doors slammed behind him hard enough to shake the walls.

Silence lingered afterward, slowly, wolves began dispersing uneasily.

Anna hurried after him immediately. She found Chris near the cliffs overlooking the valley, standing in pouring rain without moving.

“Chris.”

He didn’t turn around.

Rain soaked through his dark clothes lining his perfect shoulders while thunder growled overhead.

Anna approached carefully. “You can’t keep bottling this up.”

A bitter laugh escaped him. “You think that’s what I’m doing?”

“I think you’re drowning.”

That finally made him look at her, the devastation in his expression nearly broke her heart.

“I’m failing them Anna.”

“No, you’re not.”

“Anna, my pack is terrified. There’s a traitor somewhere inside our territory. Draven walks through our borders whenever he wants.” His jaw tightened painfully. “And now they’re starting to question me.”

The vulnerability in his voice hurt worse than anger ever could. Anna stepped closer despite the rain.

“They’re scared,” she said softly. “That doesn’t mean they don’t love you.”

Chris looked away toward the dark valley below. “My father used to say fear changes wolves faster than bloodshed.”

Anna frowned slightly. “Your father?”

Chris went quiet. Then quietly admitted, “He lost control near the end.”

The confession stunned her. Chris rarely spoke about his family.

“He became paranoid during a territorial war,” Chris continued hollowly. “Started suspecting everyone around him. Punishing wolves for imagined betrayals.” His throat tightened slightly. “The pack feared him long before he died.”

Anna’s chest ached. “And you think you’re becoming him.”

Chris said nothing.

She reached for his face gently despite the rain pouring around them.

“You are nothing like that man.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I do.” Her voice softened fiercely. “Because your first instinct is always protection. Even now.”

Chris stared at her
silently. Then finally, his forehead rested against hers.

“I don’t know how to do this anymore,” he whispered.

Anna closed her eyes painfully, for the first time since becoming Alpha… Chris sounded broken