Chapter forty one

The battle had ended, but the scent of blood still clung to the air like an unwanted specter. The pack had held the border, but at what cost? Bodies littered the battlefield—some belonging to Orion’s forces, others to wolves who had fought beside them only hours ago.

Kai stood among the wreckage, his chest tight, his hands curled into fists at his sides. His breathing was steady, controlled, but his mind was anything but. The weight of everything settled on his shoulders, pressing down like an avalanche.

They had won.

But it didn’t feel like a victory.

Lucian moved through the battlefield, checking on the wounded, issuing quiet commands to the remaining warriors. His usual sharp, commanding presence had softened only slightly, but Kai could see the exhaustion in the way he carried himself. Even he wasn’t immune to the toll this battle had taken.

Kieran and Rhett were nearby, helping to clear the dead, their expressions grim.

Kai’s gaze drifted toward the younger wolves—those barely old enough to fight, yet had been forced to. Some of them lay on the ground, barely breathing, their bodies broken from the fight.

And Kai couldn’t stop staring.

They shouldn’t have been here.

They shouldn’t have been fighting this war.

His stomach twisted violently, a cold weight settling in his chest.

A young wolf—no older than sixteen—groaned in pain as a healer knelt beside him, applying pressure to a wound on his shoulder. His face was twisted in agony, his hands trembling from the shock of the battle.

Kai felt sick.

He had been so sure that going undercover in Orion’s camp, gathering information, had been the right decision. He had been so sure that taking that risk would help them win this war.

But had it really helped?

Had they learned anything that had truly changed the course of battle?

Or had he just given Orion more time?

He exhaled sharply, turning away before the guilt could consume him whole.

Lucian must have noticed his shift because a moment later, he was beside him. “Kai.”

Kai clenched his jaw, not looking at him. “Don’t.”

Lucian didn’t move. “This isn’t on you.”

Kai let out a hollow laugh, shaking his head. “Isn’t it?”

Lucian sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. “You did what needed to be done. We held the line because of the information you brought back.”

Kai’s chest tightened. “And we lost wolves because of it, too.”

Lucian didn’t answer right away.

And that was enough.

Kai took a slow breath, his fingers twitching at his sides. “I need air.”

Before Lucian could respond, Kai turned and walked away.

Kieran and Rhett watched him go but didn’t stop him.

Because they all knew.

Right now, nothing they said would change how he felt.

Kai didn’t realize where he was going until he found himself in front of the healer’s cabin.

Anna.

The moment he stepped inside, he felt it.

The energy in the room was wrong.

Anna lay on the cot near the far wall, her skin paler than before, her breathing shallow. The mark on her arm had spread even further, dark veins creeping along her wrist, up her shoulder, toward her collarbone.

Mira stood beside her, arms crossed, her usual sharp demeanor edged with worry.

“She’s getting worse,” Mira murmured, not bothering with pleasantries.

Kai swallowed, stepping closer. “Why?”

Mira exhaled, rubbing her temples. “Whatever Orion did to her—it’s still inside her. And now, after the battle, it’s like…” She hesitated. “It’s like it’s waking up.”

Kai felt his stomach drop.

Anna stirred slightly, her eyes fluttering open. They weren’t the red they had been before, but there was still something unnatural about them.

“Kai…” Her voice was weak.

He crouched beside her, his chest tight. “I’m here.”

She swallowed hard. “He’s… still in me.”

Kai’s breath caught.

He knew what she meant.

Orion’s influence—his power—hadn’t fully left her. And now, it was spreading.

Anna’s fingers twitched against the sheets. “You have to stop him.”

Kai gritted his teeth.

“We’re trying.”

Later that night, the message arrived.

A scout brought it to Lucian, his face pale, his hands trembling.

Lucian read the letter in silence, his jaw tightening with every word.

Then, he turned to Kai, Kieran, and Rhett.

“He’s giving us a choice.”

Kai stiffened. “What choice?”

Lucian’s blue eyes were cold. “Surrender.”

The room fell silent.

Kieran’s expression darkened. “Or?”

Lucian exhaled slowly. “Or he kills every last one of us.”

Kai’s pulse pounded in his ears.

Orion was done playing games.

This wasn’t a battle anymore.

This was an ultimatum.

And they had only one chance to answer.