Chapter 12 : The declaration

Chapter 12 : The declaration

Eva's POV

The moon cast its silver glow over the pack grounds, bathing everything in an ethereal calm. It was almost deceptive—how quiet it was. I stood beside Trent, our shoulders brushing now and then. He didn’t hold my hand, didn’t speak—but his presence grounded me. It always did.

I was still adjusting to this place. Still carrying wounds that hadn’t scabbed over yet. But beside him, even the bitter air felt gentler.

Then came the thunder of feet.

A scout burst from the tree line, his dark cloak snapping in the breeze. “Alpha Trent!” he gasped, practically stumbling as he reached us. “There’s unrest—eastern boundary. Kyle needs you.”

Trent’s stance shifted instantly. From man to Alpha in a heartbeat.

His voice was hard. “What happened?”

“Unclear. There’s shouting. Some wolves drew weapons. Kyle asked you come immediately. Said it involved… her.” The scout’s eyes flicked toward me, cautious.

Trent didn’t even look at me when he said, “Eva, go back to the Alpha’s Manor. Stay inside.”

I stiffened. “No.”

He turned slowly. “Eva—this isn’t up for discussion.”

But I held my ground. “You think I’ll hide? After everything? I’m not going back.”

“This isn’t about pride.”

“No,” I snapped. “It’s about principle.”

His jaw worked. “You don’t understand how dangerous this could be.”

“Then let me understand. I’m not your prisoner, Trent.”

His gaze locked with mine, fire and thunder behind his irises. He didn’t blink. But I didn’t drop my gaze either.

He muttered something under his breath—my name, maybe—and then nodded once. “You stay behind me. You do not engage. No matter what you hear.”

“I wasn’t planning to.”

We ran.

The wind whipped at my hair as we tore through the trees. Roots threatened to trip me, but adrenaline sharpened my senses. The moonlight filtered through the canopy, casting silvery slashes on the forest floor.

My lungs burned by the time we reached the eastern border.

The scene wasn’t a battle—but it was close. Dozens of wolves stood clustered in a half-circle, some with claws unsheathed, others murmuring restlessly. At the center of it all stood Myra.

Her golden hair, usually pristine, was wild. Her mouth twisted in a snarl.

“You let her walk these grounds like she belongs?” she shrieked, voice trembling. “She’s a curse! A stranger! She could be one of them! For all we know, she’s a spy from the Jade Moon Pack!”

“She’s not—” Kyle began, but Myra rounded on him.

“You weren’t there, Kyle! I saw someone! A she-wolf. Dark-haired. Hiding in the trees near the boundary. Sneaking like a thief.”

“There’s no one here,” Kyle muttered, exasperated.

“I know what I saw!” Myra spat, turning toward the others now. “And she was nearby. What a coincidence.”

All eyes slowly shifted toward me.

I felt them. Felt the suspicion slithering through the crowd like fog.

Trent stepped forward, aura expanding like a crashing wave. Silence dropped over the gathering.

“What is this?” he asked coldly.

Myra’s chest heaved. “She came to the border. Not more than twenty feet from where I saw the shadow move. She’s connected to it—she has to be!”

My stomach churned.

Was she lying? Was someone really out there?

“I told you—” Kyle started again.

“She’s manipulating you, Trent,” Myra snapped. “Open your eyes. She’s not even one of us. You don’t know where she came from. You don’t know what she’s capable of.”

“Enough,” Trent growled.

Myra froze. But her eyes stayed locked on mine.

“This is what it’s come to?” she asked bitterly. “You protect her now?”

He stepped in front of me. “She is under my protection,” he said. Then louder: “And more than that—”

He turned to the crowd.

“She is my mate.”

A stunned silence fell over the clearing.

Someone gasped. Another whispered, “Mate?”

My skin went cold.

“I’ve chosen her,” Trent said. “From this moment on, she is to be treated with the same respect you give me. Any harm or insult toward her will be treated as harm to me.”

The crowd erupted in murmurs.

Some stared in disbelief. Others turned away, unwilling to meet Trent’s eyes. But a few—just a few—bowed their heads.

Myra’s mouth opened, but nothing came out. She looked at me like I’d ripped her soul in half.

“You can’t be serious,” she whispered. “You choose her over me? Over blood?”

Trent’s tone chilled. “Don’t test me, Myra.”

She took a trembling step forward. “You’d throw away your own sister for a broken stray? You don’t even know who she is!”

“I know enough,” he said, coldly. “And what I see is someone braver and more honorable than most wolves I’ve known.”

Her face crumpled into something ugly. “I hated her from the moment she arrived.”

I blinked.

“I hated how you looked at her. I hated that you let her stay when we had every reason to send her away. I hated that she didn’t flinch—not even when half the pack wanted her gone.”

Her voice cracked. “And I hated that… that you chose her.”

There it was. Not just rage. Not just pride.

Jealousy.

“She doesn’t belong here,” Myra said, voice trembling. “And if you can’t see that, then you’re no Alpha of mine.”

That stung deeper than any of the other words. I watched Trent’s jaw tighten.

“You want to challenge my authority?” he asked.

Myra’s silence was answer enough.

Trent turned slightly. “Leave, Myra. Before I forget you’re my sister.”

She stared at him a moment longer… then turned her hate back on me.

“I hope she breaks you,” she said.

Then she vanished into the trees, her aura spitting sparks like fire off wet wood.

No one spoke.

The tension shattered slowly as the crowd began to back away, whispers chasing after them.

Eva. Mate. Chosen.

My name on their lips. Like a secret. Like a warning.

I stood there, frozen.

He did that… for me?

I looked at Trent. “Why?” I asked quietly.

He turned to me, his face unreadable. “Come,” he said. “Before she finds something else to scream about.”

But I wasn’t moving. My legs felt like stone.

He reached for me gently, fingers brushing mine. I took a step closer, still stunned.

“Trent,” I whispered. “You just—”

“I meant every word,” he said softly.

I swallowed hard. “Even the part about me being your—”

“Yes.”

“But I—” My voice broke. “I’m not ready for—”

“I’m not asking for anything you’re not ready to give.”

I looked at the spot where Myra had disappeared.

“She’s going to try again,” I said.

“I know.”

“She hates me.”

“She hated you the moment she saw that I… cared.”

His voice faltered. The moment passed quickly, but it was enough.

“You don’t have to protect me,” I said. “I’m used to standing alone.”

“Maybe I’m tired of watching you do that,” he murmured.

I didn’t know what to say to that.

So I followed him silently back through the trees.

But we weren’t alone.

Somewhere beyond the line of pine, someone moved. Watching.

Hidden.

Waiting.