Chapter 36: The Weight of a Decision

Dax stood at the edge of the packhouse balcony, his hands braced against the railing as he stared into the dark expanse of the forest. 

I watched him from the doorway, my arms crossed over my chest. I knew that look. Knew the storm raging behind his eyes.

“You’re thinking about killing him,” I said quietly.

Dax didn’t turn. “I should.”

I stepped closer, my bare feet silent against the cool wooden floor. “But you won’t.”

His grip on the railing tightened. “You don’t know that.”

I came up behind him, placing a hand on his back. His muscles were like coiled steel beneath my fingers. “I do.”

Dax exhaled through his nose. “If I kill him now, it ends. No war. No more threats. Just—done.”

I swallowed, my throat tight. “You think it would end. But it wouldn’t.”

He turned then, his gaze burning into mine. “His pack won’t fight for a dead man.”

I held his stare. “Are you sure about that?”

Dax said nothing.

I took a deep breath. “Killing Kael won’t erase what’s been done. It won’t make his pack disappear. If anything, it’ll make them desperate to take revenge.”

His jaw tightened. “Then what do I do, Alina? Keep him locked up forever? Let him walk free?” He let out a bitter laugh. “He won’t stop. He can’t stop. He was raised for this—for taking what he thinks is his.”

I reached for his hands, prying them away from the railing. “Then we find another way.”

His fingers curled around mine, his touch warm, grounding. “There is no other way.”

I squeezed his hands. “There’s always another way.”

His throat bobbed, his eyes flickering with something unreadable. Then, after a long pause, he pulled me into his arms, his chin resting on top of my head.

For a moment, we just stood there, wrapped in each other.

“I don’t want to lose you,” he murmured.

I closed my eyes, pressing my forehead against his chest. “You won’t.”

But even as I said it, I knew how fragile those words were.

Because Kael was still breathing. And as long as he was, the battle was far from over.

Dax barely slept last night. Even with my warmth curled against him, even with the steady rhythm of my breathing against his chest, his mind refused to quiet. The weight of what had to be done pressed against him like a vice.

By dawn, he was already out of bed, standing by the window, watching the first streaks of gold cut across the sky.

Kael was locked in the lower cells beneath the packhouse, restrained and under heavy guard. He was alive—but for how long?

Dax ran a hand through his hair, his thoughts circling the same brutal truth.

Killing Kael was the simplest solution. The cleanest.

But simple and clean didn't mean right.

A quiet knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts. He turned to see his father, Jack, standing in the doorway.

Dax exhaled sharply. “I was expecting you sooner.”

Jack stepped inside, his sharp gaze sweeping over him. “Figured I’d give you a few hours to come to terms with what needs to be done.”

Dax’s jaw tightened. “And what exactly is that?”

Jack’s lips pressed into a thin line. “You already know.”

Dax crossed his arms. “Killing him won’t stop his pack from attacking. If anything, it’ll make them more desperate.”

Jack nodded. “Maybe. Or maybe it’ll send a message that we don’t play games with traitors and thieves. We already know they don’t have the numbers to take us on and win.”

Dax scoffed. “You think they see him as a thief? They see me as the usurper. In their eyes, he’s the rightful heir, and I’m the one who stole his life.”

Jack’s expression hardened. “Then you remind them who actually won that fight.”

Dax shook his head. “This isn’t just about proving dominance. If we kill him, we declare war. If we let him go, we risk him coming back stronger. Either way, blood is going to spill.”

Jack took a slow step closer. “You’re Alpha-in-waiting, Dax. You have to make the hard choices. This isn’t just about you anymore. It’s about the pack. If you hesitate, it could cost all of us.”

Dax met his father’s gaze, the weight of responsibility settling heavy on his shoulders. “I don’t want to be the kind of Alpha who kills because it’s convenient.”

Jack studied him for a long moment. Then, to Dax’s surprise, a ghost of a smile flickered across his face. “Good. That means you’re not a monster.”

Dax frowned. “Then why are you pushing for this?”

Jack’s smile faded. “Because I am a monster. And I know what happens when you let threats linger.”

Dax swallowed hard, his fingers curling into fists.

He’d been raised to believe that strength came from making the ruthless choice. That mercy was just another word for weakness.

But Alina’s voice echoed in his head. There’s always another way.

Dax didn’t know what that way was yet.

But he had to find it—before it was too late.