Chapter thirty four

The meeting hall was thick with tension, the air heavy with the weight of what they were about to decide. The fire in the center crackled softly, casting flickering shadows against the wooden walls, but no one was looking at it. All eyes were locked onto Lucian, whose expression remained unreadable as he listened to the debate raging around him. Mira was the loudest, standing rigid with her arms crossed, her dark eyes flashing with frustration as she glared at Anna.

“This is insane,” she snapped. “We just got those wolves out, and now you want to send people straight back into Orion’s hands?”

Anna met her gaze, unwavering. “If we don’t, we’ll never figure out how he’s keeping his hold on them. This war isn’t about brute strength, Mira. It’s about control. Orion is manipulating his wolves into thinking he’s the only future they have. We need to understand how, or we’ll never break his grip for good.”

Mira scoffed. “And you think walking into his camp is the way to do that? You’re marked, Anna. If anyone recognizes you, you’ll be dead before you even have a chance to learn anything.”

Kai, who had been listening in silence, exhaled slowly. “She won’t be alone.”

Lucian’s sharp blue eyes flickered toward him. “You’re volunteering?”

Kai didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”

The moment the word left his mouth, Kieran stiffened beside him. He didn’t say anything yet, but Kai could feel the tension rolling off of him. Rhett, on the other hand, let out a low whistle and leaned back in his chair, grinning. “Well, I’m not letting you two idiots have all the fun. Count me in.”

Mira cursed under her breath. “You’re all suicidal.”

Lucian remained silent for a long moment, his fingers steepled together as he processed the information. Kai knew what he was thinking. He didn’t like it. He didn’t want them to do it. But he also understood the necessity of it.

Finally, he exhaled. “We need answers.”

Mira turned to him, disbelief written all over her face. “Lucian, you can’t seriously be considering this.”

Lucian’s jaw tensed. “We have no other way in. If we wait, Orion will just grow stronger. We need to know where his forces are gathering, how he’s keeping his wolves under his control, and—most importantly—what his next move is. Infiltrating his camp is the only way to get that information.”

Mira’s hands clenched at her sides. “You’re putting them at risk.”

Lucian’s gaze darkened. “We’re all at risk.”

Silence settled over the room. The truth was undeniable. Orion was closing in, and every second they wasted only gave him more time to prepare.

Anna straightened her spine. “I know how these camps work. I can get us in. We’ll pose as lost rogues looking for a place to belong. Orion’s forces are always recruiting, especially now that he’s preparing for something bigger. If we act desperate enough, they’ll take us in.”

Kieran, who had been silent up until this point, suddenly spoke, his voice low and controlled. “Then I’m going too.”

Kai turned to him sharply. “Kieran—”

“No.” Kieran’s golden eyes burned with quiet intensity as he cut Kai off. “You are not going in there without me.”

Lucian sighed. “Four of you increases the risk.”

Kieran’s expression remained firm. “And three of them going in without proper backup increases the chance of them not coming out.”

Kai wanted to argue, wanted to tell Kieran that he didn’t have to put himself in danger, but deep down, he knew there was no stopping him. Kieran had always been the steady force at his side, the one who balanced out his impulsiveness, the one who grounded him when things started to spiral. He wouldn’t back down from this.

Lucian studied him for a long moment before finally nodding. “Fine. The four of you go in.” He turned his attention to Mira before she could protest. “We’ll have a backup team stationed two miles outside of the camp’s perimeter. If anything goes wrong, we pull them out.”

Mira’s jaw tightened, but she didn’t argue further. Instead, she shot Kai a sharp look. “You better make it out of there alive.”

Kai smirked. “I plan to.”

That night, they moved under the cover of darkness.

The forest was silent, the wind weaving through the trees as they made their way toward enemy territory. Every step they took away from their pack felt heavier, the weight of what they were about to do settling in Kai’s chest.

No turning back now.

Anna led the way, her posture tense but confident. She knew where Orion’s recruiters would be, how they operated, what they would be looking for. She had spent years under Orion’s control. If anyone knew how to blend in, it was her.

Kai, Kieran, and Rhett followed close behind, their senses on high alert. They had left behind their pack insignias, worn down their clothes to look more rugged, more desperate. They had to sell the lie that they were lone wolves, outcasts with nowhere else to go.

As they approached the first signs of Orion’s territory, Kai’s stomach tightened. The air felt different here, heavier, like something unseen was watching them. The trees thinned, and in the distance, he could make out the faint glow of firelight.

The camp.

Anna slowed, motioning for them to stop. She turned, her voice barely above a whisper. “Once we go in, we don’t break character. We’re rogues looking for a place in Orion’s army. If they suspect anything, we’re dead.”

Kai nodded, his heart hammering.

They moved forward.

The moment they stepped into the camp’s clearing, a dozen pairs of eyes turned toward them.

The wolves here were rough, hardened. Some sat around fires, sharpening weapons, while others sparred under the watchful gaze of what looked like commanders. A few sentries positioned near the edges of the camp stiffened, their hands drifting toward their weapons.

A woman stepped forward.

Tall, lean, with piercing dark eyes that held no warmth. She carried herself with authority, her every movement controlled.

Anna inhaled sharply.

Kai didn’t need to ask to know who she was.

Selene.

One of Orion’s most trusted lieutenants.

Selene stopped a few feet away from them, her sharp gaze flicking over each of them before settling on Anna. For a moment, something unreadable passed through her expression. Then she smirked.

“Well, well,” she mused. “Look what the wind dragged in.”

Anna held her ground. “We’re looking for a place.”

Selene arched a brow. “Oh?” She crossed her arms. “Funny, because I remember you already had one. And you left.”

Kai’s blood ran cold.

Selene knew Anna.

Anna didn’t flinch. “Things change.”

Selene studied her, then shifted her gaze to Kai. “And who are you supposed to be?”

Kai met her eyes without hesitation. “Someone looking for something better than living as a stray.”

Selene tilted her head. “That so?”

She circled them like a predator, her gaze sharp, calculating. “Orion doesn’t take in the weak.”

Rhett smirked. “Good thing we’re not weak.”

Selene stopped in front of him, eyes narrowing.

Then, suddenly, she moved.

Fast.

Kai barely saw the strike before Rhett was forced to block, catching Selene’s wrist before her claws could rake across his chest. He held her there for a second, their gazes locked, tension crackling between them.

Selene’s lips curved slightly.

Then she stepped back.

“You’ll have to prove that.”

Kai exhaled quietly, his muscles still coiled with tension.

Selene turned to the others. “You want a place in Orion’s army?” She smirked. “Then earn it.”

Kai didn’t need to ask what that meant.

They weren’t just infiltrating.

They were about to be tested.