350- War at the Gates
POV Viktor Averwyn:
“There has to be a way, fuck!”
I dragged my hand across the table in fury and threw the map aside as I paced the office like a caged beast.
Florian, Cezar, Ionut, and Emil said nothing, seated with exhausted expressions. They had been there with me since dawn, analyzing every possibility of invading Tharengard and retrieving Adelina.
I was no longer thinking clearly, consumed by rage and emotion. It kept me from feeling sleep, hunger, or any other need. My only obsession was saving my daughter.
“All the secret passages lead out to the west side or the forests between Dănești and Cyndrael.” The eldest crouched down, picked up the map, and placed it back on the table, his tone patient. “And as you’ve seen, that territory is dominated.”
“The only way is to try an agreement,” Ionut suggested. “Maybe the Elders—”
“Any possibility of an agreement ended when I killed Konrad.” I stopped by the window, staring outside. “I need to think of another way. Someone entering Lucian’s domain. A spy.”
“That’s a good idea! Having someone inside,” Emil encouraged. “It just needs to be someone unknown, who doesn’t usually leave here.”
“He can blend in with the others in the forest—there are many out there.” Cezar pointed to where we had seen the groups gathering. “From there, he waits for the first opportunity to volunteer for Tharengard’s side.”
Our territories were clearly defined. The only ones who could move freely between them were the alphas. Even so, each enforced their own rules. To enter my lands, one needed authorization. The only one who had done so was Aldren, to trade herbs.
All other wolves had to identify themselves and wait. But in times of war, it was common for wolves from other packs to present themselves to fight for one side or the other. If that were the case, it would be easier to choose our spy and infiltrate him.
I ran my fingers through my hair, tense. Part of it was stuck with dried blood from those I had killed, along with dirt and leaves tangled in it. I was a mess, with the rotten stench of Konrad’s blood filling my nostrils. Disgusting—but also fueling my ferocity.
There would never be peace there again. Armies were forming, and I was prepared—at least for a few months. Soon, problems would arise: explosives running low, traps being discovered, supplies dwindling.
The village pharmacy was stocked for three or four months, with Valmorin’s herbs and pills reserved for more serious injuries, as well as the anticio. After that, chaos would grow. But I needed to focus on one thing at a time.
At that moment, the priority was to get my daughter back and fight off the invasions to weaken them.
My eyes drifted to the cemetery, and my emotions surged as everything returned to my mind, tormenting me.
“The way you didn’t kill those women?” Seraphine’s fearful voice echoed in my head—her lying on the tombstone, thinking I would kill her. Instead, I took her to bed and fucked her while I stopped searching for Adelina.
I snarled, hating myself for letting my beast dominate all my instincts. I lost reason like a maddened animal—hurt, unstable. I still couldn’t grasp the full extent of it. By the time I fully came back to myself, it was already too late. And it was destroying me.
“They’re surrounding the perimeter. They’re going to attack all at once.” Ionut adjusted the cameras, zooming in on the mass movement. “From the sides and the main road. But we’re ready. We’ve got several of ours hidden and in position with silver bullets, ready to take the first shots. And the explosives are set.”
“I’ll stay here until after lunch and trigger the alert when it starts.” Emil turned to me. “Viktor, go home. Take a shower, eat something, rest.”
“With my daughter in danger?”
“If you collapse from exhaustion, it’ll be worse. And for now, she’s safe. There’s a strong chance he thinks she might actually be his destined one and will wait to be sure.”
That didn’t calm me at all. Just imagining him touching her or hurting her filled me with despair. But Emil was right.
Every alpha aimed to reproduce, to have heirs, to prevent their bloodline from dying out. It was possible he would weigh that.
“Go take care of yourself. Come back soon. We’ll stay alert and discuss the best name for a possible spy,” Florian urged, stepping closer to me, his wrinkles deepened by worry. “My wife must be devastated, worried about you.”
Suddenly, exhaustion hit me hard, my strength shaken by the fear of losing Adelina and the long fight ahead. The smell of the dead wolves and Konrad made me want to vomit—to rid myself of it.
I nodded and left.
Curious villagers approached me, but stopped when they saw my face—my condition. I avoided everyone and went to the castle.
When I entered, Daciana hugged me, crying, touching me all over, wanting to know how I was. I assured her I was fine and needed a shower.
“I’ll prepare food for you. Don’t leave without eating, or I’ll find you in the village and chase you with a plate and spoon in my hand!” she threatened, pushing me toward the stairs. “Go!”
I climbed up, increasingly tense knowing I would see Seraphine. I burned with anger toward her—for being put before Adelina. Ever since that human arrived, everything had gone wrong.
I pushed the door open, and she immediately stood from the bed, eyes wide in my direction. She looked worn, with deep dark circles, her face swollen from crying. My shirt nearly swallowed her.
I held back the growl rising from my chest as her scent filled my lungs, her presence alone enough to shake my entire system. It was automatic, feverish, involuntary. The wolf sensed her, inhaled her, wanted more.
My heart sped up, my skin heated. I remembered her taste, the feeling of being over her, inside her tight, burning body.
But I fought it.
Desire, rage, and fear clashed, each trying to take control.
I slammed the door behind me and ignored her, heading straight to the bathroom.
“Viktor…”
I kept walking and she followed me.
“Do you have any news? Adelina…”
I shut the door in her face, tearing off my clothes and stepping under the cold water. I didn’t move, the filth running down and staining the floor, something inside me on the verge of exploding. I had never felt so enraged and trapped.
I washed until that stench left me. I wished I had had more time with Konrad—to tear the truth out of him, why he wanted Seraphine dead, who else was involved. I should have torn him apart slowly, made him suffer.
Bastard. Son of a bitch.
I dried off and walked out naked, barely caring that she was there. Seraphine stood in the middle of the room, staring at me without blinking.
In the closet, I pulled on jeans and a shirt, remembering my clothes she had torn. It was the least of my problems.