Chapter 26: Twenty Six

Karina’s POV

I didn’t move immediately after leaving kole office. I was too stunned to move; I hadn't expected this offer from him.

For a few seconds, I just stood there in the hallway, staring straight ahead as if I stayed still long enough, I could wake up from whatever bizarre type of dream this was.

It was a great opportunity to attend this sort of meeting, but going with kole added an extra layer, one that complicated things.

Why would Kole choose me out of everyone, out of all the commanders, the elders, the people who had been here longer than I had? He chose.

I should be grateful and very privileged, but I never knew what to expect next from kole, so I was left with a sense of unease at how things could play out.

I took a deep breath, letting my body move again. I walked towards my room silently, but ny mind was far from silent.

It had become a sea of mixed emotions, moving from confusion to excitement to a lot more emotions than I had the guts to name yet. Emotions I wished I didn't feel.

I directed my mind to the mission instead. This wasn’t just a mission. This was a summit.

With the top leaders in the werewolf world.

The alphas, the leaders, the packs, it was about politics and power, inna dynamic I've never witnessed before.

But it also meant that danger lay neatly beneath formal conversation, and anyone present needed to keep all their senses at high alert.

That's probably part of the reason kole chose me; he trusted me enough to bring that level of awareness.

That thought should have encouraged me, but it didn't because after everything that had happened between us, after the distance, after the way he pulled back when we kissed that night.

I didn’t expect this. What game was Kole playing? I thought he wanted to put distance between us. Was this his idea of distance? Or could have changed his mind about things finally. Whatever it was, I was going to get my answers very soon. I just had to be patient and let things play out naturally.

I pushed the door to my room open and stepped inside, shutting it behind me as I collapsed on the floor.

“Get it together,” I whispered to myself under my breath.

This wasn’t personal. It couldn’t be, and I wasn’t going to make it that way; that would be a huge mistake on my part.

I wasn't going to set myself up for that hurt from him again. Every time I got my hopes up about kole, he always dashed them.

My chest tightened slightly.

Nothing was helping; no matter how I tried to frame it, there was certainly more to this. I knew this, and he probably did as well.

And that scared me. While I understand why kole is the way he is, it still doesn't make it any easier to accept.

Andhism's making decisions like these made it harder to understand exactly where the lines were, which made it easy to blur them.

That was a mistake I wasn't sure my heart could take again; still, I remembered the promise I'd given myself.

I promise to follow my heart and go faster than what it wants, but was it wise to go after what my heart wants at the risk of breaking it?

I don't think so.

I lay on the floor, thinking endlessly, and decided to pack my bags. I stood to get my kid off things.

If I were going to stand beside Kole at something like this, I couldn’t go as just a warrior.

That wasn’t the role. I was going as a strategist, so I needed to dress the part.

I moved around my room, pulling out clothing that matched the role. I forgot to check whether this was a one-day or two-day event, so I packed for two days. I picked beige-toned clothes that didn't attract too much attention to myself.

I needed to look clean and put together. If I kwargt one time from my time back at home, I know that appeara is important in places like t?hAse, as much as people would like to act like it didn't matter, it did.

By the time I finished, I stood in front of the mirror again.

This time, I didn’t look tired. I didn’t look like someone who had cried herself to sleep not long ago. I looked composed, like I deserved a spot in that room, which I did. I had worked hard to earn my spot, and I wasn't going to let my fears convince me I didn't deserve to be there.

The days leading up to our departure passed quickly; they were filled with preparation, briefings, and very tense, stiff conversations between me and kole.

I could tell the pack was on edge. Why wouldn't they be? The news of the feral wolves spreading had settled into everyone’s minds like a storm waiting to break.

And now, news about the summit has left everyone feeling in the dark, afraid that something bigger might be coming, something we're not prepared for.

On the days leading to our departure, I saw Kole only when necessary; these exchanges were brief and focused on how to act and what to expect once we got there.

It felt like we were walking on eggshells around each other, too scared to move too close to each other. It was probably good, though; it made us play things safe.

Because every time we were in the same room I still felt my wolf stir within me. Matters of the hearts are fragile and shouldn't be toyed with.

It was dancing at the end, he was on the cliff, not expecting to fall.

I was stupid enough to make that mistake once, but I won't make it again.

Not now atleast, the entire pack fate was resting on what happens in that summit.

\----

The morning we finally left arrived. I got up early, got dressed, double-checked the things I packed, and moved out.

I stepped into the courtyard, already dressed. Drake caught my eye briefly.

“Look at you, miss warrior, you clean up well,” he said, teasing

I rolled my eyes faintly. “Focus, Drake,” I said, smiling. Drake always had a way of easing my tension in moments like these.

He smirked but didn’t push further.

My attention shifted from Drake and landed on Kole. He was dressed in a suit and standing, giving instructions to the people in charge of the pack while he was away.

He glanced up briefly as our eyes met. And I noticed his gaze study me, taking note of how I was dressed.

I looked away, and bu the time I looked back at him, he had looked away as well.

After a few more min, we bid farewell to the pack and got into the car to begin our journey.

The journey itself was long but uneventful.

Kole had chosen to drive us there, so only he and I were in this car while two cars filled with guards trailed behind us.

We stayed silent throughout the drive.

I thought I noticed him steal a few glances at me through the rearview mirror, but I convinced myself that I was reading too much into things.

By the time we arrived, it was already clear this wasn’t a normal gathering; we were prepared for that, at atleast.

The territory was heavily guarded.

Not just by one pack, but multiple packs.

Alphas. I had never seen so many alphas and pack leaders in one venue.

The air was thick with tension. As we moved through kole had briefed me on what to expect here already.

So I wasn't surprised when I noticed a few people giving us dirty looks. Acccording to Kole, they looked down on packs because it was led by rebels.

I followed Kole closely as we located our place amongst the others, settling down into the books for the awaited meeting.

The discussions began soon after. Each pack reported on their encounters with the great gray wolves. None of them had been able to stand their ground against them like us, in fact most of the pack leaders here had already fallen, and we're at great risk of being overtaken by the feral wolves anytime soon.

I listened carefully, processing everything, while taking notes.

This was worse than we thought. Much worse.

When it was time for our pack to speak I stood on and began recounting our experience to the room, I explained to the them the patterns we noticed and the routines we took as a army tobe able to defect them, I spoke with confidence in a way that bay one who had doubts about my worthiness of being there mind were changed at once.

I noticed a few of the alphas gave us dirty looks when we arrived. Their expressions changed once they realized we were the pack that won our battle against the feral wolves.

I could tell by the time I was done speaking that I had earned the respect of the people here.

I finished and stood to answer questions from the other pack leaders. It was clear that my session was the most impressive, as I had the most questions.

As I stood answering questions, I suddenly felt my wolf stir angrily. I recognized the familiar pull immediately; it was something I hadn't felt in years.

My eyes searched the room and landed on his.

The man who betrayed me.

Chase.