Chapter 34: Shadows of the Past
The morning after the challenge, the entire pack was eerily quiet. The usual hum of life—the sound of warriors training, children playing, the steady rhythm of pack life—was dulled under the weight of uncertainty.
Kael was still unconscious. The healer worked through the night to stabilize him, but he hadn’t woken up yet. Jack had doubled the guards at his door, making sure that when he did, he wouldn’t be able to make a move without them knowing.
Dax sat at the edge of our bed, his back rigid, his eyes distant. The bruises on his body had darkened overnight, a harsh contrast against his skin, but he barely seemed to notice the pain.
I stood next to him, running my fingers gently over his shoulders. “You should rest a little longer.”
His jaw tightened. “I can’t.”
I sighed, sitting beside him. “Dax, you won. Kael is restrained. The pack is safe—for now.”
He turned to me, his eyes burning with something unreadable. “That’s the problem, Alina. It’s not over. If Kael is anything like me, he won’t just give up.”
Brother.
That word still felt foreign. Up until a few days ago, Dax had believed he was the only son of Jack Carter. Now, the brother he thought was dead, had returned with a hunger for vengeance and a claim to the very life Jack and Dax had built.
A claim that wasn’t so easily denied.
A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts.
“Come in,” Dax called, his voice edged with irritation.
The door opened, and Jack strode in. The Alpha was dressed in dark clothes, his expression unreadable. He took one look at Dax and exhaled heavily. “Get dressed. We need to talk.”
Dax and I exchanged a glance, but neither of us questioned it. Within minutes, we were following Jack through the halls of the packhouse, moving toward his office.
The air was thick with tension as we entered. The room smelled of aged wood and faint traces of smoke from the fireplace. Jack leaned against his desk, arms crossed, his sharp eyes landing on Dax.
“We have a problem,” he said bluntly.
Dax arched a brow. “Just one?”
Jack’s mouth tightened. “The healer says Kael should wake up soon. When he does, we need to decide what to do with him.”
Dax scoffed. “That’s easy. We exile him.”
Jack shook his head. “It’s not that simple.”
I shifted uncomfortably. “What do you mean?”
Jack rubbed his temples. “Kael didn’t come alone.”
A cold weight settled in my chest.
Dax straightened. “You’re saying there are others?”
Jack nodded. “He had a pack before he came here. He may not have called them forward yet, but they exist. And they might not take kindly to their own being locked up in our packhouse.”
Dax’s fists clenched. “That’s not his pack. They stole him. They stole a fucking baby from his crib! From his family.”
“That doesn’t mean they won’t fight for him,” Jack said. “We don’t know how loyal they are. For all we know, they could be lying in wait, ready to retaliate.”
The room fell into heavy silence.
Dax ran a hand through his hair. “So what do you want to do?”
Jack’s gaze darkened. “Interrogate him. Find out exactly how much of a threat his pack is before we decide his fate.”
I frowned. “And if they’re already planning an attack?”
Jack’s voice was cold. “Then let them. We’ll be ready.”
Dax inhaled sharply, and I could feel the war waging inside him. Kael was his twin, his blood. A stranger, yes, but his brother nonetheless.
Jack wasn’t waiting for him to answer. He pushed off his desk and strode toward the door. “Come with me.”
The moment we stepped into the healer’s wing, the air felt heavier, charged with something I couldn’t quite place. I haven’t been in here since Talon murdered our previous healer. I could still smell her scent in the room.
Kael lay on a bed, his chest rising and falling steadily. He looked different like this—vulnerable. Without the sharp defiance in his eyes, the tension in his body, he looked… exactly like Dax.
Jack motioned for the guards to step back. “Wake him. Now.”
The healer hesitated before stepping forward, pressing a cold damp cloth against Kael’s forehead.
Seconds passed. Then, a sharp inhale.
Kael’s eyes snapped open, unfocused for a moment before they landed on us. On Dax.
Recognition.
Then, amusement.
His lips curled into a smirk. “Still alive, brother?”
Dax’s jaw tightened. “You lost.”
Kael hummed, his smirk never faltering. “I remember.” He turned his gaze to Jack. “So? What now? Are you here to kill me?”
Jack’s expression was unreadable. “That depends on your answers.”
Kael chuckled. “Ah, an interrogation, then? How very diplomatic.”
Dax stepped forward. “How many are in your pack?”
Kael tilted his head. “So that’s your first question? Not ‘how was your childhood?’ or ‘Did you ever think about us?’ No curiosity about your long-lost twin?”
Dax’s voice was like steel. “How many?”
Kael exhaled through his nose. “Enough.”
Jack’s patience was wearing thin. “If you want to live, you’ll be more specific.”
Kael’s smirk faded. His eyes locked onto Dax’s. “They’re waiting for me. And they will come.”
The certainty in his voice sent a chill through me.
Dax didn’t flinch. “Then they’ll die.”
Kael sighed dramatically. “So predictable.” He shifted slightly, wincing at the pain that movement caused. “You don’t get it, do you?” His gaze sharpened. “You were raised with power handed to you. You’ve never had to fight for a place in this world. I did. I built something. And I will take back what was stolen from me.”
Dax’s fists clenched. “You were taken.”
Kael’s eyes burned with something unreadable. “And no one came for me.”
Silence.
Had they known, they would have, I thought to myself. I was sure of it.
A flicker of something crossed Dax’s face—something that almost looked like guilt—but it was gone just as quickly.
Jack broke the silence, his voice cold. “You’ll never lead this pack.”
Kael smirked again, but there was something dangerous in it this time. “We’ll see.”
Dax turned on his heel. “We’re done here.”
Jack motioned for the guards. “Double the watch. If he so much as breathes wrong, alert me.”
As we left, Dax’s expression was unreadable. But I could feel the tension rolling off him, the weight of Kael’s words settling into his bones.
I reached for his hand, squeezing it gently. “We’ll handle this.”
He exhaled slowly. “Yeah.”
But I wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince me—or himself.