Chapter 46: A Line in the Sand

Dax was quiet on the hike back.

Not the kind of quiet that came with exhaustion, but the kind that felt dangerous—like a storm holding its breath before it tore the world apart.

I kept glancing at him, watching the way his grip never loosened on his sword , the way his jaw stayed locked. His armor was still smeared with blood—some of it his, but mostly theirs. The scent of it clung to him, to me, to all of us.

The men around us were silent, too. They’d seen what Dax had done. The way he’d cut through Gideon’s warriors like they were nothing. The way he’d nearly ripped Kael apart with his bare hands.

They had followed him into battle, but now?

Now, they feared him.

The thought unsettled me. Dax had always been a ruthless leader, but this was different. This wasn’t just war. This was personal.

I stepped closer to him. "Dax."

He didn’t look at me.

I reached out, letting my fingers graze his arm. "Dax, talk to me."

His fingers flexed around his sword. For a second, I thought he wouldn’t answer.

Then, quietly, he said, "I should’ve killed him. I wanted to kill him. Why did you stop me?"

I swallowed hard. "It was the right thing to do Dax, he is still your brother."

His laugh was bitter. "Is he?"

I glanced back at the men behind us, where Kael was chained and barely conscious. "Yes."

Dax didn’t respond.

We walked in silence after that.

By the time we reached our territory, the sun had started to rise, bathing the world in soft golds and reds. It should have been beautiful. But all I could see was what had been left behind.

The bloodshed. The bodies.

The line Dax had just drawn in the sand.

Because Gideon’s pack hadn’t just lost warriors today. They had lost their Alpha. And soon, they would come for retribution. 

As soon as we reached the packhouse, warriors and healers rushed forward. Some to tend to the wounded. Others to deal with Kael.

Dax followed the two men carrying his brother, watching as Kael was dragged away. His hands curled into fists as they threw him into a reinforced cell. The door slammed shut behind him, chains rattling.

Kael didn’t even lift his head.

Dax exhaled sharply, then finally dismounted.

Pierce was waiting. "We need to talk."

Dax gave a stiff nod.

Pierce’s eyes flicked to me. "You too, Alina."

I followed them into the war room, tension thickening the air with every step.

Inside, a table was covered with maps, bloodstained and torn in places. Several warriors stood around it, waiting. Watching.

Dax braced his hands against the wood. "Speak."

Pierce cleared his throat. "We sent scouts ahead. Word is already spreading. Gideon’s pack is in chaos. They weren’t expecting this—weren’t expecting him to die."

Silence.

Then, one of the warriors shifted uneasily. "What’s the plan?"

Dax’s expression was unreadable. "We take the rest of them."

I stiffened. "Dax—"

He cut me a sharp look. "They freed Kael. They took you. They sided against us. They made him what he is in the first place." His voice was cold. Deadly. "Now, we burn their pack to the ground."

The warriors exchanged glances, but none of them spoke.

I forced a breath. "And what about Kael?"

Dax’s fingers tightened against the table. "He dies when I say he dies."

Something in his voice made my stomach twist. This wasn’t strategy anymore. This was vengeance.

Pierce hesitated. "Dax… this will start a full-scale war."

Dax’s eyes burned with something dark. "Good."

The room fell silent. No one dared argue. Because they all knew. Dax had already made up his mind. And nothing—not even me—was going to stop him.

Dax didn’t sleep. Not that I expected him to.

After the war council, he disappeared into our bedroom, and the warriors knew better than to disturb him. I wasn’t one of them.

I stood outside the door, my fingers curling into fists at my sides. 

I pushed inside.

Dax sat at the edge of our bed, sharpening a dagger. The dim glow of the light cast long shadows across his face, making him look even more dangerous than usual.

He didn’t look up.

"You should be resting," I said.

His blade scraped against the whetstone. "So should you."

I took a slow breath, stepping closer. "You can’t just wipe out Gideon’s entire pack."

His hand stilled. Just for a second.

Then, he resumed sharpening the blade.

"They freed Kael," he said flatly. "They knew what he was because they made him that way. What he’d done. And they still let him go."

His voice was void of emotion, but I wasn’t fooled.

"They didn’t all make that choice," I countered. "Some of them were just following orders."

"Then they followed the wrong Alpha."

His words sent a chill down my spine.

"You’re better than this," I whispered.

At that, he did look up. His eyes burned with something cold. "Am I?"

I swallowed hard.

"You’re angry, Dax. I get it. I am too. But this isn’t just about Kael anymore, is it?"

His jaw clenched. His grip on the dagger tightened.

"You couldn’t stop him," I said softly. "None of us knew what was going to happen."

The dagger flew across the tent. It embedded into the wooden post near my head with a solid thud.

I didn’t flinch.

Dax rose slowly, his body taut with tension. "You don’t know what you’re talking about, Alina."

I stepped forward, closing the space between us. "Then tell me."

For a moment, I thought he would.

His eyes flickered—like there was something behind them, something breaking.

"I don’t have time for this," he muttered, turning away.

I grabbed his arm.

He stilled.

"You don’t have to do this alone," I whispered.

His shoulders tensed. "It’s already done."

"Dax—"

He turned sharply, grabbing my wrist, pulling me closer. "They took you, Alina." His voice was quiet, but filled with raw fury. "Do you understand that? They took you from me. And if I don’t make them pay, what’s stopping the next bastard from trying?"

His grip wasn’t tight enough to hurt, but it wasn’t gentle either.

I met his gaze head-on. "We don’t win by becoming monsters."

His lips curled into something that wasn’t quite a smile. "You think I’m not already one?"

I exhaled sharply. "Dax—"

A voice cut through the room.

"Dax."

Jack.

Dax’s hold on me loosened, and I stepped back as he turned toward the entrance.

Jack didn’t come inside. He just stood at the threshold, his face unreadable.

"They’re here."

Dax’s expression darkened. "Who?"

Jack’s gaze flicked to me before settling back on Dax. "A delegation from Gideon’s pack. They want to negotiate."

I saw it in Dax’s face then—the war inside him.

The need for revenge. The weight of our pack’s future. For a long moment, he said nothing.

Then, at last, he spoke.

"Let them wait."