Chapter 14 A Week
Zarek’s POV
I looked at him.
“The Elders requested a council meeting tonight.”
Of course they did. Whenever old wolves sensed instability, they gathered like vultures pretending to be advisors.
“What do they want?” I asked flatly.
Brennan gave me a look. “You already know.”
“They think your focus is divided,” he continued carefully. “Especially after last night.”
My expression darkened instantly. “They can think whatever they want.”
Brennan sighed quietly. “You killed one of Dorian’s wolves publicly, and that alone is a start of war.”
“He threatened what belongs to me.” The words left too quickly.
His eyes narrowed slightly. “It’s my fucking responsibility to keep you in control, how do you think this looks on me?”
“I don’t need your bullshit speech, no one controls me.”
Brennan pushed off the table and folded his arms again. “You need to be careful, Zarek.”
“Is that a threat?”
“No,” he said calmly. “You’re angry.”
Brennan watched me quietly for a moment after speaking.
I already knew that look.
It was the same look he wore right before he deliberately said something reckless.
“You need to fix yourself, Zarek,” he muttered, folding his arms across his chest. “Because right now this pack is hanging by a thread.”
I said nothing. Mostly because if I spoke, I already knew it would come out wrong.
Brennan continued anyway.
“The race decides territory rights.” His tone sharpened slightly. “If we lose this competition, we lose trade routes, land access, influence—”
“I know what we lose,” I cut him off coldly.
But he didn’t stop.
“And now there’s an unknown wolf inside our borders, our racers are getting attacked, the Elders are questioning your judgment—”
“I said I know.”
Brennan chuckled bitterly, “How do you think Sylvie will feel if she finds out that the reason you brought her here was so she could kill you?”
Kairo snarled instantly beneath my skin.
“Don’t you dare. I told you that I have given up that idea, I am just helping her.”
“Relax, I don’t want to tell her but you brought a girl into the middle of a war zone during the most unstable period this pack has had in years.” His gaze narrowed slightly. “Tell me that was you just helping her.”
My jaw tightened hard. “Careful,” I warned quietly.
But Brennan had never been afraid of me the way others were. That was the problem.
“The moment I notice that you still want to consider killing yourself,” he continued, his voice sounding rigid. “I will kill Sylvie myself, because it’s better she’s dead than you dying and putting this pack in jeopardy.”
Something inside me snapped.
I crossed the room before he could react fully. My fist collided with his jaw hard enough to send him crashing backward into the table.
Wood cracked loudly beneath him. The table split sideways from the impact as Brennan hit the floor hard enough to shake the room.
Kairo surged violently beneath my skin, furious enough that my vision blurred red for half a second.
“Kill him.”
My breathing turned uneven.
Brennan pushed himself up slowly from the broken wood, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand.
Then the idiot laughed.
“You see?” he muttered hoarsely. “That right there is exactly what I’m talking about.”
I moved toward him again instantly.
“You don’t say her name like that again.” My voice came out lower.
Brennan straightened fully despite the bruise already forming along his jaw.
“Or what?” he shot back. “You’ll kill me?”
“You think I won’t?”
“No.” He stared directly at me. “I think you can’t.”
That only pissed Kairo off more.
Strength rolled off me violently.
Outside the strategy room, I felt movement pause. My pack members could feel it, my rage.
Brennan noticed too but didn’t back down. Typical.
“You’re losing control,” he continued coldly. “And everyone sees it.”
“I’m perfectly in control.”
“You punched your Beta through a fucking table.”
“You threatened her.”
“And you reacted emotionally.” He pointed at me sharply. “That is the problem.”
I grabbed the front of his shirt before he could finish speaking and slammed him back against the wall hard enough to crack plaster.
This time he blocked it halfway and slammed his shoulder into my chest hard enough to shove me back a step.
The next few seconds became pure violence. He landed a punch against my ribs, breathing heavier now. “You fight worse when you’re emotional.”
For someone smaller than me, Brennan held ground ridiculously well. Fast movements. Sharp hits. Smart angles.
Still got hit more than he landed.
By the time I punched him across the mouth again, both of us were breathing hard enough for the room to feel smaller.
Blood stained his lip.
My knuckles were split open.
He leaned against the table, laughing under his breath like he’d lost his mind.
“You’re insane,” he muttered.
“You started this.” I began a conversation.
After a long moment, Brennan sighed and dropped onto the broken edge of the table. The room was destroyed.
“You hit too hard,” he grumbled.
“You heal fast.”
“That’s not an apology.”
“I wasn’t apologizing.”
He scoffed softly before shaking his head. “You’re actually insane.”
“And yet you still tried fighting me.”
“I still landed some hits.”
“Those barely counted.”
“They absolutely counted.”
Despite everything, a short bitter laugh escaped me.
Brennan looked at me for a second before laughing too, though he winced immediately after.
“Damn,” he muttered, touching his jaw. “You really weren’t holding back.”
I smiled slightly.
“You know that the reason why we are still standing strong is because most packs are afraid of you and that’s the main reason the elders are calm but the moment you become useless then they strike.” He became serious again.
I dragged a hand down my face roughly. “This conversation is over.”
“No,” Brennan replied immediately. “It’s not.”
My jaw tightened again.
He pushed himself off the wall slowly, rolling his shoulder once.
“You think I enjoy saying this?” he asked quieter now. “You think I want to hurt her?”
“And if you are put in a position to choose?” I scoffed bitterly.
“I will choose this pack and so should you.” He fumed.
“I have lived my whole life for this fucking pack but yet I still can’t have what I long for.” I barked at him.
“You want to kill yourself to bring back someone who doesn’t exist.”
“Don’t you dare repeat yourself, she needs my blood to be awakened and I need to be killed by Sylvie, she’s the last bloodline of her faction.” I yelled out.
“So you still have the thought in mind?” He laughed hysterically. “What can I do to change your mind?”
“Give me something worth fighting for, you have a week?”
I didn’t wait for his response, I walked away.