Chapter 169 – The Mediator
Eli
The hall is still humming with tension when I step in.
Kieran’s words haven’t stopped echoing since he fell to his knees in front of Ronan, all earnest desperation and shredded pride. Silvercrest’s lost son, crawling into our den with blood still on his lips from the run here.
Most of the pack doesn’t seem to know what to do with him. Some mutter about a trap. Others pity him. I see someone who escaped a hell he refused to live in any longer.
Because I know what it’s like to live in a cage with no key. To learn early that survival means silence, and silence means swallowing the rot until it eats you alive.
Kieran wasn’t on the receiving end of the punishments. He could have reveled in the cruelty and continued a legacy of abuse. Instead he’s trying to end it. That’s not betrayal. That’s a miracle.
“You should help him,” I say, quietly enough that only Ronan can hear me.
He dismisses everyone, growls at Mara to keep watch, and drags me out by the wrist.
Now it’s just us in his study, fire snapping low. He’s pacing, shoulders stiff, hands clenching like he’s one second away from breaking something. I’m sure he’d like that thing to be Kieran’s neck.
I lean against the wall, arms crossed, letting him stew. He’ll explode soon enough and then we can maybe have a reasonable conversation. Maybe.
Finally, he snarls, “You’re not seriously asking me to consider this.”
“I am.” My voice is light, deliberately so.
Ronan turns, golden eyes blazing. “Eli. He’s Alaric’s son. He’s Silvercrest. He was here less than a month ago trying to buy you. Now he waltzes in here begging for us to kill his father, and you expect me to believe it isn’t a setup?”
“Yes.”
The word hangs between us, sharp as a blade.
He bares his teeth, the Alpha in him straining not to snap at me. “You’re blinded by his charm, so you think you can trust him.”
“Not true. The only thing that blinds me is you.”
I push off the wall, stepping closer, letting him feel the bond vibrating between us. “I trust him because I’ve gotten to know him. Kieran’s not his father. Anyone can see that. He was shaking like a leaf and still begged you to spare the innocents. He left without fanfare when I turned him down. He’s doing this for his pack.”
Ronan shakes his head, jaw tight. “Truth can be twisted. Wolves lie. Fathers use sons as pawns. I won’t risk you, not on the word of a boy who wishes you were sharing his bed instead of mine.”
“Don’t,” I snap, my chest tight. “Don’t you dare make a decision rooted in jealousy. Yes, I flaunted my flirtation with him to get a rise out of you, but that was always about you, not him. Even he knew that. This is more important than ruffled fur.”
Ronan stops pacing, his breathing rough. For a second I think I see a crack in his armor, but then it’s gone.
“In case you’ve forgotten, we’re hopelessly outnumbered. We can’t kill his father for him. He’d have been far better off doing it himself and saving all of us the trouble of dealing with Alaric.”
“He’s not as strong as you are, Ronan. Nobody is. This was as much as he could do, so he did it.”
Ronan studies me, his eyes softening for a moment. “I would walk through fire for you, but that doesn’t extend to Kieran. If there was a way to get to Alaric without being seen, I’d kill him for you.”
“There is a way. I’ve been thinking.”
“Whatever it is, no.”
“It’s the only way, Ronan. We can’t fight everyone and win. We can choose the time and place and stand a fair chance though. Request a meeting with Alaric. You, me, Jace, Hazel and Mara. Nobody else. No army, no back-up. I’m sure Alaric would believe that even his piss-poor warriors can deal with a group that small.”
The growl that rumbles out of him is terrifying. “Do you think I’d let you walk into Silvercrest’s den? You’d be surrounded. Mercenaries, guards, Alaric himself. If something goes wrong-”
“It won’t.”
“It will,” he bites out. “Because it always does. And then he gets his filthy hands on you.” His voice drops, raw. “And I won’t allow that.”
The words hit me square in the chest. My throat tightens. For a moment, I almost falter. But I can’t. If I fold now, we’re already lost.
“So what’s your plan?” I throw back. “We just wait here while Alaric sharpens his knives? You think hiding in Blackthorn makes us untouchable? He’s already bought every other pack. He’s already circling. We can’t keep pretending our defenses will hold forever.”
Ronan’s hands slam down on the desk, maps scattering. “Then I’ll tear him apart when he comes to us.”
“No.” I march closer, standing toe-to-toe with him now. “We take the fight to him. On our terms. And you’re crazy if you think Alaric will come anywhere near Blackthorn himself. He doesn’t join campaigns. He waits in his palace for the spoils to be brought to him.”
He laughs, harsh and humorless. “Your terms are reckless. And have you forgotten that you’re the main prize?”
“My terms are the only route to survival that don’t require you selling your soul.” My throat burns, but I don’t stop.
I know he’d do it for me. He’d use the Alpha voice and force everyone to leave me alone and not follow Silvercrest’s orders. And then he’ll spend the rest of his life hating himself. Because once he goes down that road, I know he’ll have to keep doing it.
If that’s the only way to keep him alive, so be it. I’ll bear the responsibility and distract him every way I know how. But not if there’s another option.
“Just listen. We walk into Silvercrest and face him. While he’s distracted with us, Kieran sneaks back, ready to take control when Alaric and his henchmen fall. That way the Silvercrest pack doesn’t splinter. That way we stop this war before it swallows every wolf in the valley.”
Ronan stares at me like I’ve lost my mind. “Absolutely not.”
“Why?” I challenge. “Because you’d have to take me with you?” As if I’d stay behind when he goes to war.
“Yes,” he roars. “Because I will not lead you into the jaws of that monster.”
“You won’t be leading me anywhere.” My voice cuts, sharp and clear. “I go because I choose to. And you know damn well that we’re only unbreakable when we’re together. I won’t wait here like some fucking war widow.”
He stalks around the desk, closing the last of the distance, trying to intimidate me with his size. His chest heaves, his fists flex, and his scent slams into me, wild and furious.
“You expect me to walk into hell and drag you with me? You think I can watch Alaric’s eyes on you without ripping his throat out before a word is spoken?”
“Yes,” I say quietly. “Because you’ll do it if that’s what it takes to keep me safe. I trust you to hold back long enough for us to win. You’re not your father, Ronan. Stop acting like you can’t keep yourself from lashing out.”
The silence between us is suffocating. His wolf thrashes against the bond, wild and snarling, desperate to deny me. But mine answers, sharp and unyielding for once. I won’t kneel this time.
His voice drops, becoming hoarse. “You’ll get yourself killed.”
“Not if you’re there,” I answer. “Not if we stand together. Ronan, we can’t keep playing defense. We take the fight to him and we end this.”
The bond pulses hot, almost painful, vibrating with the clash of wills. He doesn’t blink, doesn’t breathe, and neither do I.
Finally, he snarls and drags me against him. Our kiss is violent, mouths grinding together like we’re trying to break each other open. His hands grip my throat, his whole body trembling with fury and surrender. When he pulls back, his voice is a snarl in my ear.
“You’ll be the death of me, Eli.”
I grin, breathless, my lips swollen. “Or the reason you live.”
His growl deepens, but the fight is gone. His nose drifts against mine, breath mixing in the narrow space between us, defeated in the only way that matters.
“Fine. We’ll do it your way. But if Alaric so much as looks at you wrong, I’ll rip him apart with my bare hands.”
“Good,” I whisper. “Because that’s exactly what I want.”