Chapter 9: Hearts Collide

The darkness that rose from the crack in the earth had disappeared by the time the pack arrived. No one believed Liam's story except Elijah, who had seen it with his own eyes.

Three days later, the stress in the pack house felt like a storm about to break. Young wolves practiced their new skills in secret corners. Marcus watched everyone with suspicious eyes. And Elijah had barely spoken to Liam since the attack in the forest.

Liam found Elijah alone in his office, bent over old maps spread across his desk. The Alpha didn't look up when Liam entered.

"You've been avoiding me," Liam said, closing the door behind him.

"I've been busy," Elijah answered, still not looking up. "Thorne's rogues have been spotted near three different pack territories."

Liam moved closer. "That's not why you're avoiding me."

Finally, Elijah raised his head. His gray eyes looked tired, worried. "What do you want me to say, Liam?"

"The truth would be nice," Liam crossed his arms. "Ever since the forest, since our powers... connected, you've been pulling away."

Elijah's jaw tightened. "I felt something I shouldn't have felt."

"What does that mean?"

"It means when our powers mixed, I felt everything you were feeling." Elijah stood up suddenly, his chair scraping against the floor. "Every emotion. Every thought. Everything."

Heat rushed to Liam's face. "And that bothers you? That I care about you?"

"It bothers me that I can't think straight anymore!" Elijah's voice rose. "I'm supposed to be protecting this pack, preparing for a war with Thorne, and all I can think about is you!"

The words hung in the air between them. Outside the window, dark clouds gathered, matching their mood.

"I never asked for this," Liam said quietly. "The powers, the prophecy, any of it."

"Neither did I," Elijah answered, softer now. "But here we are."

"And where exactly is that?" Liam stepped closer, his heart racing. "What are we, Elijah?"

Elijah ran a hand through his black hair. "I don't know. Enemies? Allies? Something else entirely?"

"Why not ask your wolf?" Liam challenged. "Mine knows exactly what you are to me."

"It's not that simple and you know it," Elijah growled. "I'm the Alpha. I have responsibilities. I can't just follow my heart—or my wolf—when there's so much at stake."

"That's not fair," Liam answered, his temper rising. "You can't blame me for the feelings between us."

"I don't blame you," Elijah said, his voice tight with anger. "I blame myself for not being stronger."

"Stronger?" Liam's eyes flashed purple with anger. "Is that what you think caring for someone is? Weakness?"

"In my position? Yes!" Elijah slammed his fist on the desk. Maps jumped and a cup tipped over, spilling water across the papers.

Neither of them moved to clean it up.

"Your father really did a number on you, didn't he?" Liam said bitterly. "Taught you to deny everything about yourself. Your Omega blood. Your feelings."

Elijah's eyes flashed amber. "Don't bring my father into this."

"Why not? He's the reason you're so afraid," Liam stepped even closer, until they were almost touching. "The big, bad Alpha, terrified of his own heart."

"You have no idea what I'm afraid of," Elijah said, his voice dangerously low.

"Then tell me," Liam whispered. "Tell me what scares the mighty Elijah Blackwood."

For a moment, Liam thought Elijah might yell again. Instead, the Alpha's shoulders slumped slightly.

"Losing you," he said simply. "Kaida said the next test would break one of us. What if it's you?"

The honest answer caught Liam off guard. His anger faded, replaced by something softer.

"I'm stronger than I look," Liam said. "And I'm getting stronger every day."

"I know," Elijah sighed. "That's part of what scares me. Your powers are growing faster than anyone can teach you to control them."

"Then help me," Liam reached out, touching Elijah's arm. "When our powers connected in the forest, it felt right. Like two halves of something whole."

A small spark jumped between them at the touch. Elijah didn't pull away.

"It felt right to me too," he revealed. "But dangerous."

"Most important things are," Liam said with a small smile.

Outside, thunder boomed. Rain began to tap against the windows.

"We should be focusing on Thorne," Elijah said, but his eyes were fixed on Liam's face. "On the darkness we saw. On protecting the pack."

"We can do both," Liam moved his hand down Elijah's arm to his hand. Their fingers linked. Silver light glowed softly around their joined hands. "Be the Alpha and still be... whatever we are."

Elijah's free hand came up to touch Liam's face. His thumb traced the line of Liam's jaw. "And what are we?"

Liam's heart raced. "I think you know."

The air between them felt electric. Liam could feel Elijah's heartbeat speeding up, meeting his own. When Elijah leaned down, Liam rose to meet him halfway.

Their lips were just inches apart when the door burst open.

They jumped apart like guilty kids. Aria stood in the doorway, her face pale with fear.

"Sorry to interrupt," she said, though her eyes said she wasn't sorry at all. "But we have a problem."

"What kind of problem?" Elijah asked, his Alpha voice back in place.

"Sage found something in the old scrolls," Aria answered. "Something about the darkness you saw in the forest."

"What about it?" Liam asked.

"It's called the Void," Aria explained. "And according to the scrolls, it feeds on magic. Our magic."

Elijah and Liam shared a worried look.

"There's more," Aria continued. "Marcus is gathering the elders. He's demanding Liam and I leave the pack before we bring more danger to everyone."

"That's not happening," Elijah said strongly.

"There's something else you should know," Aria paused. "Thorne is at our borders. He's asking for a meeting."

"With me?" Elijah asked.

Aria shook her head. "No. With Liam."

"Absolutely not," Elijah growled.

"He says he has information about our parents," Aria said, looking at Liam. "About why we have these powers."

Liam felt the floor tilt beneath him. Their parents had died when he was just a child. All his life, he'd had questions no one could answer.

"I have to see him," Liam said.

"It's a trap," Elijah protested.

"Maybe," Liam agreed. "But what if it's not? What if he knows something that could help us understand what's happening?"

Elijah gripped Liam's shoulders. "He wants to use you. To hurt you."

"I can take care of myself," Liam maintained.

"Not against Thorne and his entire pack," Elijah said.

Their eyes locked in silent war. Finally, Liam nodded.

"Fine. We'll do it your way," he said. "I won't meet with him alone."

Relief washed over Elijah's face. "Good. We'll set up a meeting on neutral ground. With guards."

Aria cleared her throat. "There's one more thing. Thorne said to give Liam a message."

"What message?" Liam asked.

"He said, 'Ask him about the silver wolf cub who should have died fifteen years ago.'"

The words hit Liam like a physical blow. Fifteen years ago, he had nearly drowned in a river accident. No one had ever explained how he'd survived.

"How could he know about that?" Liam whispered.

Before anyone could answer, a howl rang through the pack house—the warning call. All three of them ran to the window.

Outside, in the pouring rain, a line of wolves stood at the edge of the bushes. At their middle was a massive brown wolf with golden eyes.

Thorne had come to them.

And behind him, rising from the ground like smoke, was the black from the forest.