Chapter 156: War’s End

Calix Pov

I turned around to face the clearing.

The remaining rogue wolves were standing near the edge of the woods. They saw Simone’s body go loose and they dropped their tails between their legs. One by one, they fell down onto their front paws. They were surrendering.

"The war is over," Marcus shouted and he raised his broken fence post into the air.

A loud shout went up from our pack. Elder Thomas dropped his wooden spear and he sat down right on the grass. He looked like he wanted to cry but he just rubbed his face with his dirty hands. The other elders started hugging each other. Some of them were laughing and some of them were looking at the burning pieces of the pack house and shaking their heads. We had lost our home but we were still alive.

I walked back to the tree where Maddie was sitting. Her skin was not white anymore and her blue eyes looked very heavy from using all her power to stop the sinkhole. She tried to lift her arm but it dropped back onto her lap.

"Is it done?" Maddie asked and she looked up at me.

"It is done," I said and I reached down to lift her up.

I put my arms under her knees and her back and I pulled her against my chest. She was very light because she had used up everything inside her. I carried her away from the dead body and away from the well.

"We need to set up a camp by the river," I said and I raised my voice so the rest of the pack could hear me. "We bring the injured wolves first. The rogues who surrendered will stay in the old barns under guard. Nobody eats until the tents are up."

"Understood, Alpha," Elder Thomas said and he stood up straight and gave me a firm nod.

It was the first time he had called me Alpha since the fire started. The word felt heavy in my ears but it felt right too.

We walked down the long dirt path toward the river. The morning sun was coming up over the trees now and it made the water look yellow. The pack worked fast. They set up three large canvas tents and they started a small fire in the middle of the grass. They brought blankets and clean water from the creek.

I carried Maddie into the smallest tent at the edge of the camp. I laid her down on a pile of thick wool blankets and I sat down on the dirt next to her. Her breathing was regular now and some of the pink color was coming back into her cheeks.

"You need to rest," I said and I brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes.

"I don't want to sleep yet," Maddie said and she reached out to catch my hand.

"Your body is empty," I said.

"I am just glad you are here," she said and she squeezed my fingers.

I pulled her closer to me until her head was resting on my shoulder. We stayed like that for a long time while the sun moved across the sky. Outside the tent, we could hear the pack members talking and cooking meat. They were celebrating because the war was over but they were also talking about the wolves we had lost.

When the night came, the camp went quiet. The pack built a large bonfire in the center of the grass and everyone sat around it in a big circle. I walked out of the tent with Maddie. She could walk on her own feet now and her stride was steady.

"Sit with us, Alpha," Marcus said and he moved sideways to make room on a large log.

"Thank you, Marcus," I said and I sat down with Maddie right next to me.

The pack members passed around pieces of roasted deer meat and cups of clean water. We ate together and nobody spoke about Simone or the stones. We just looked at the stars and enjoyed the heat from the big fire. The bond between me and Maddie felt warm and thick in my chest. It felt like a solid rope that was tying us together and nothing could break it now.

Maddie leaned her head against my neck and her skin felt hot.

"We made it," Maddie whispered.

"We did," I said and I put my arm around her waist.

I turned my face and I kissed the top of her head. Then I kissed her cheek and her mouth. Her lips were soft and she tasted like the fresh water from the river. I held her tight against my chest and I did not want to let go. The relief was very big and it made my arms feel strong again. We stayed in the circle for hours while the fire burned down to red coals.

Suddenly, the horses at the edge of the camp started to make a loud noise. They were kicking the wooden fence posts and pulling on their ropes.

The wolves around the fire stood up instantly. My own fur started to push out on the back of my neck and I stood up in front of Maddie.

A man walked out from the dark bushes.

He was very tall and he was wearing a long grey coat that went down to his boots. His hair was completely silver and it shined under the light of the stars. He did not have any grease or dirt on his clothes and he did not look like he had been running through the woods. He walked right into the middle of our bonfire circle like he owned the grass.

"Who are you?" I growled and I bared my teeth at him.

The stranger did not look at me. He did not look at Marcus or Elder Thomas either. He kept his eyes fixed right on Maddie's face. He looked at her like he knew every single line on her skin and his eyes went wide.

"Little Moon," the silver-haired man said softly and he took a step toward her. "I finally found you."