Chapter 21: Divided Loyalties

Warriors exchanged hurried, clipped words as they braced for the inevitable as the war council broke up into urgent talks. Redwater had always been a strong pack but against Ironfang and Midnight Moon? Just now, the odds had shifted dangerously against us.  

Derek's face remained unreadable as his warriors went about their duties, his eyes darting around the room. His authority was absolute, and his leadership was indisputable. No one questioned his authority, even as chaos simmered.  

The same is what I wish I could say for myself.  

With my head spinning from what I had just discovered, I stood in the middle of it all, rooted to the spot. Jared was prepared to destroy everything to bring me back. He was coming for Redwater as a whole, not just for me. The pack that had protected me. The people who had been suspicious of me but had kept me safe.  

My nails dug into my palms as I balled my fists at my sides.  

I was to blame for this.  

If only I'd run a bit further. If I had somehow managed to vanish entirely. Had I—  

"Claire."  

Derek's voice broke through the whirlpool of my mind. He was staring at me with his sharp eyes when I looked up.  

"Come with me."  

His tone was devoid of any room for debate.  

I silently followed him, squeezing past the fighters who hardly gave me a look. Now, they had more pressing concerns. Their main concern was no longer my presence.  

Derek ushered me into a nearby war room, where a huge wooden table dominated the room. There were maps all over it that described Redwater's boundaries, advantages, and disadvantages.  

He closed the door after us.  

He remained silent for a long time. Then, at last, he crossed his arms and faced me.  

"Didn't you know this was coming?" Though measured, there was a hint of edge in his voice.  

I took a deep breath. "I had no idea he would go this far. Jared was constantly domineering and possessive, but to work with Ironfang? I didn't believe—"  

Derek repeated, his jaw clenched, "You didn't think." "You ought to have."  

His remarks were hurtful even though they weren't mean.  

I looked down. "This is something I never wanted to happen."  

With a sharp exhale, Derek combed through his dark hair. "Claire, nobody ever wants war. However, once it begins, wanting is completely meaningless.  

I winced but remained silent.  

Between us, a dense and oppressive silence hung.  

At last, he spoke again but more quietly. "No one knows him as well as you do. Next, what will Jared do?  

After hesitating, I made myself think.  

Jared was calculating. Despite his temper, he never allowed it to impair his judgement. This wasn't just about using force; it was also about sending a message if he had sided with Ironfang. He desired to humiliate Redwater by crushing them. He also desired my survival.  

I said slowly, "He'll attack from multiple fronts." "He won't attack Redwater with everything at once because that would expose his boundaries. He will test for weaknesses by striking strategically. However, once he moves with full force... I took a swallow. "It will be ruthless."  

As though anticipating that response, Derek nodded.  

"So we don't wait for him to initiate contact." His eyes grew stony. "We attack first."  

I blinked. "What?"  

"We're already at a disadvantage if we wait for Jared and Magnus to bring war to our doorstep," he stated. "However, we can weaken them before they can fully mobilise if we interfere with their plans." He pressed his lips together in contemplation. "We could have a chance."  

A shiver went through my body. This was no longer a survival issue. This was a tactic used in war.  

I said cautiously, "You're talking about an ambush."  

Derek clarified, "I'm talking about levelling the playing field." "We'll have a better chance of holding Redwater if we can cut down their numbers, sabotage their movements, and intercept their supply lines before the real battle starts."  

My stomach turned over. This was taking place. This happened.  

And it revolved around me.  

"Derek," I said reluctantly, "there's no going back once you do this. Jared is determined to destroy everything.  

Simply put, "He already won’t stop," Derek said. "Whether we let him take the first swing or not is the only difference at this point."  

I paused.  

I wasn't a fighter. I had lived my life not fighting but surviving. However, this was no longer solely about me. Redwater would still suffer if I ran. I was making a target out of them if I stayed.  

In any case, I was going to cause people to bleed.  

Derek's eyes must have softened—just a little—when he noticed my hesitation.  

His words, "You have a choice, Claire," Nobody is making you fight. Don't get involved in this. However, you'll have to deal with the consequences if you do.  

I considered the people who had taken me despite their misgivings and the warriors who were getting ready outside. I considered the pack I used to call home, now siding with monsters.  

Jared was on my mind. Of how he had made me look foolish. Dominated me.  

I inhaled.  

"No," I said in a steady voice. "I refuse to remain out of this."  

Derek looked at me for a while. Then he gave a nod.  

"Good."  

The course of the war was suddenly decided.  

\### **Jared's War Preparations: Midnight Moon Pack**  

Jared observed the warriors of Midnight Moon sparring in preparation for the impending battle while he stood on the battlefield, just outside the boundaries of his pack's territory.  

The whole energy of the camp had changed with the arrival of the Ironfang warriors that morning. They were ruthless, vicious, and bloodthirsty. Their Alpha, Magnus, had brought almost a hundred of his finest warriors. With savage grace, they moved, their bodies conditioned for destruction.  

Jared observed Lila standing next to Magnus, whispering something. Magnus had said something that made her laugh softly, and she was completely relaxed.  

Jared felt a twinge of annoyance twist in his stomach.  

Although she was helpful, she wasn't on par with him. She should keep that in mind.  

Magnus smirked as he turned to Jared. "Your pack is too disciplined, but they fight well. Alpha, honour isn't the point of war. It's a matter of survival.  

Jared's mouth twisted. "They'll learn after that."  

Magnus chuckled. "All right. I expect my prize when we capture Redwater.  

Jared's eyes became gloomy. "You'll receive the promised outcome."  

Magnus smiled. "Let's start the hunt now."  

Jared's mind was already planning his next move as he turned back towards the battlefield.  

Redwater would have no idea what had happened.  

Claire, too?  

Once more, she would be his. Whatever it took.

Derek's office was oppressively tense. Unspoken words crackled in the air between us, weighing us both down with a burden neither of us was prepared to bear first.  

I spoke more firmly than I had anticipated when I said, "You can't just send people to die for me."  

Derek's broad shoulders were rigid, his face unreadable, as he stood close to the enormous window that overlooked Redwater's training grounds. He appeared even farther away as the sun sank, creating sharp angles on his face.  

Without turning, he said, "Claire, this isn't just about you." "Redwater is at issue here. about surviving."  

"But Jared is pursuing you because of me!" With a racing heart, I stepped forward. "He will have no reason to—" "If I run far enough, if I leave."  

Then Derek turned, a flash of something dangerously near anger in his eyes. "Are you certain of that?"  

I took a deep breath.  

Derek went on, "He's not after you because you ran," and moved in my direction. Because you disobeyed him, he is pursuing you. Jared and other men don't put up with disobedience.  

I balled my fists together.  

I detested the fact that Derek was correct.  

Jared wasn't only after me. He was here to demonstrate a point, to use Redwater as an example. However, that didn't alter the reality that I was going to cause suffering to others.  

Silently, "I never wanted any of this," I said.  

With a sharp exhale, Derek combed through his dark hair. "Claire, nobody ever wants war."  

There was a heavy, thick silence between us.  

The one thing I knew would push him was what I said next. "I take it you don't trust me?"  

His eyes grew gloomy. "I don't give trust so easily."  

"Because you believe I'm still loyal to my former pack?"  

Derek didn't respond, but I could tell by the expression in his eyes.  

A bitter laugh escaped me. "I spent my entire life in Midnight Moon. Everything I knew, everything I believed, was tied to them. However, they betrayed me. My partner betrayed me. After what they did, do you think I owe them anything?  

Derek calmly remarked, "You might not owe them anything," "However, that does not imply that you are prepared to engage in combat with them."  

I tensed up.  

He said, "You hesitate, Claire," in a softer tone. "You hesitate because you still secretly consider them to be your pack."  

I gasped.  

"No, I—"  

His words, "Your instinct isn’t to fight," cut through. "It's to run."  

The words hurt.  

Derek's face was still unreadable. "And that hesitation could get people killed until you prove otherwise."  

I wanted to argue. I wanted to tell him he was wrong.  

But I couldn’t.  

Because deep down, I wasn’t sure if I was ready to go to war against the pack that had raised me.  

And Derek knew it.