Chapter 47: The Weight of Leadership

The air inside the war room was thick with tension, pressing down on me like an invisible weight. Warriors lined the walls, silent and watchful, their hands hovering near their weapons. The delegation from Gideon’s pack stood across from them, their expressions carefully neutral, but I could smell the fear beneath their stoic masks.

Jack sat at the head of the table, his presence commanding despite his silence. He was studying the newcomers with sharp, assessing eyes, his fingers steepled beneath his chin. Dax stood just behind him, arms crossed, shoulders stiff with restrained violence. He hadn’t spoken a word since stepping into the room.

They had come to negotiate.

But I wasn’t sure if Dax was capable of listening.

One of the delegates—a middle-aged man with greying hair and a deep scar across his cheek—cleared his throat. His gaze flickered between Jack and Dax, lingering warily on the latter.

"We don’t want war," he began carefully.

Dax’s scoff was quiet, but it carried through the room like the whisper of a blade being drawn.

Jack didn’t react. He only tilted his head slightly. "You don’t?"

The man’s throat bobbed as he swallowed. "We didn’t know Gideon had freed Kael. Most of us didn’t agree with it."

Jack remained motionless, unreadable. "And yet, none of you stopped him."

Another man, younger, stepped forward. "Gideon ruled with fear. Anyone who spoke against him suffered for it." He exhaled, shaking his head. "Now, he’s dead. We have no Alpha. Our pack is crumbling."

Dax leaned forward then, resting his hands on the table. "Not my problem," he said coldly.

The older man flinched but held his ground. "It could be. If you let it."

Jack finally moved, sitting back in his chair with a measured sigh. "What is it you want?"

The younger man hesitated, glancing at his companion before straightening his spine. "We want to join you."

The silence that followed was deafening.

One of our warriors cursed under his breath. Another shifted uneasily.

Dax went completely still.

Jack arched a brow. "You want what?"

The younger man nodded. "We can’t survive on our own. Without an Alpha, we have no strength. No direction. The remaining warriors will turn on each other soon enough. We’d rather submit to your rule than be wiped out."

I inhaled slowly, searching their faces, trying to find any sign of deception. But they were desperate, not deceitful.

Jack tapped his fingers against the table, considering.

Dax, on the other hand, let out a quiet laugh. It was humorless, sharp. "You want our protection? After what your pack did?" His voice dropped lower, turning lethal. "After what Kael did?"

The older man’s expression tightened. "Kael is a traitor, even to us. He was no more than Gideon’s pet project. He is no longer our concern."

Dax’s hands curled into fists on the table. "He’s my concern."

Jack shot him a warning look, then turned back to the delegation. "You understand what you're asking?"

The older man nodded. "We do. We swear loyalty to you, to your pack. Whatever it takes."

Dax let out a slow breath, shaking his head. "Unbelievable."

Jack ignored him. "I’ll think on it."

The younger man’s relief was evident. He gave a short bow. "Thank you, Alpha."

Dax’s eyes flashed dangerously, but Jack’s look silenced him before he could speak.

The meeting ended soon after. Jack ordered the delegates to be escorted to separate quarters, under watch, while he made his decision.

The moment they were gone, Dax turned to his father, barely containing his rage. "You can’t be considering this."

Jack met his gaze, unshaken. "I am considering it."

Dax scoffed. "We should wipe them out, not welcome them into our ranks."

"You’d rather waste resources hunting them down?" Jack countered. "Killing the ones who had no part in Gideon’s crimes? Some of them were just surviving, Dax."

"They made their choice," Dax growled.

Jack stood slowly, his presence filling the room. "And I am making mine." His voice was calm, but the authority in it was absolute. "I understand your anger. But we don’t rule through vengeance."

Dax’s jaw tightened. "Then what do we rule through?"

Jack stepped forward, lowering his voice. "Strength. Strategy. Control." He eyed his son carefully. "You’re going to be Alpha, Dax. And if you let anger lead you, it will destroy you, and this pack."

For a long moment, Dax said nothing.

Then, without another word, he turned on his heel and stormed out.

I hesitated before following.

I found him outside, standing near the treeline, fists clenched at his sides. His whole body radiated tension, like a beast barely restrained.

"Dax," I said softly.

He didn’t turn.

I stepped closer. "You don’t agree with him."

His laugh was sharp. "Of course I don’t." He exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "They’ll betray us the first chance they get."

"Maybe." I watched him carefully. "But what if they don’t?"

His shoulders stiffened.

I reached for him, resting a hand against his arm. "You think letting them join us is weakness," I murmured. "But what if it’s power?"

His gaze finally met mine, unreadable.

I held his eyes. "Think about it. They know Gideon’s remaining forces. Their weaknesses. Their numbers. We don’t have to trust them completely, but we can use them."

Dax studied me for a long time.

Then, to my surprise, he let out a slow breath. "You sound like my father."

I smiled slightly. "Maybe he’s onto something."

Dax was quiet for a moment before he reached for my hand, gripping it tightly. "If they betray us—"

"We’ll handle it," I finished. "Together."

His fingers tightened around mine.

And for the first time since the battle, I got a glimpse of the man I love. Not Dax the warrior. Dax, my husband.