Chapter 120: War Zone
The moon hung high in the sky, casting a soft silver glow over the forest as Meredith walked ahead, her heart beating steadily. The night air caressed her skin, but the warmth of Magnus and Xavier beside her was more than enough to keep the cold at bay. The silence between them wasn't tense.
Then, without warning, Magnus let out a low huff before shifting into his wolf form. A massive brown wolf replaced him in seconds, his amber eyes gleaming mischievously in the moonlight. He shook his fur out, stretching his limbs before lowering himself onto his front paws.
“Get on, Little Wolf,” Magnus’s voice rang through their mind-link.
Xavier immediately clicked his tongue. “Oh, no. If anyone’s carrying her, it’s me.”
And with that, he shifted swiftly as well. His sleek silver wolf appeared beside them. Xavier moved gracefully, his silver coat blending effortlessly into the night. He let out a low growl.
“Come on, Meredith, you know I’m the faster one.”
Magnus huffed. “Speed isn’t everything, Beta Xavier. She doesn’t need a reckless ride through the damn woods.”
Xavier barked out a laugh. “She needs me, not a boring old boulder like you, Magnus!”
Magnus snarled as he flicked his tail. “Shut up before I rip that smug grin off your face.”
“Try it, little boy,” Xavier shot back, baring his fangs playfully.
Meredith rolled her eyes but couldn’t stop the small smile tugging at her lips. “Are you two seriously fighting over this?” she asked. “You’re like pups fighting over a toy.”
Magnus’s massive wolf head turned toward her. “You are not a toy, Little Wolf. You are my mate.”
Xavier roared. “Our mate.”
Meredith felt heat creep up her neck. Even now, after years, they never really changed at all. But she sighed.
“Actually, you don’t have to fight,” she said. “Because I don’t need a ride.”
Both wolves went silent, tilting their heads at her.
“What do you mean?” Xavier asked.
Meredith took a deep breath, stepping back slightly. Her hands curled into fists.
“It’s time I stop relying on you both,” she said firmly. “I can shift myself.”
A heavy silence fell.
Then, Magnus and Xavier burst into laughter. They both let out a series of amused growls and huffs, their wolves practically rolling on the ground.
Magnus was the first to recover. “Oh, Little Wolf,” he said fondly. “I love that confidence, but you haven’t shifted fully, right?”
Xavier grinned. “No offense, but I doubt you’ll be able to pull it off on command like that.”
Meredith frowned. “You don’t think I can do it?”
Magnus chuckled. “I think you’re the most stubborn person I love, but shifting isn’t just about wanting it, Little Wolf. It’s instinct. It’s—”
But Meredith was already closing her eyes, summoning her wolf. She took a deep breath and felt it, the familiar warmth inside her chest. The wolf stirred, but… nothing happened.
Her breath hitched. She furrowed her brows, digging deeper.
Still nothing. Her body remained exactly as it was. No burning heat signaling a shift.
Slowly, she opened her eyes.
Xavier and Magnus were staring at her, no longer amused.
“Little Wolf,” Magnus said cautiously, stepping closer. “What’s wrong?”
Meredith swallowed hard, shaking her head. “I… I don’t know.”
Xavier shifted back into his human form immediately, his bare chest rising and falling as he studied her.
“Try again,” he said seriously.
Meredith nodded quickly, closing her eyes once more. She called out her wolf, summoning her, but there was nothing. The bond she once felt was gone. No response. No growl. Just… nothing.
Her stomach twisted. She opened her eyes, and her chest tightened.
“I—I can’t shift,” she whispered.
Magnus shifted back into his human form as well, frowning deeply. “What do you mean you can’t?”
Meredith clenched her fists. “I don’t know!” she snapped. “I can feel her, but it’s like she’s… not there at the same time!”
Xavier and Magnus looked at each other. Something dark flickered in Magnus’s gaze.
“That’s not normal,” he said quietly.
Xavier nodded. “You could shift before, right? When you were in the human world?”
“Well, yes…” Meredith’s stomach churned. “But I never tried to shift at will,” she admitted. “I was too scared of being found, so I never attempted it.”
Xavier ran a hand down his face. “Shit.”
Magnus took a deep breath, stepping toward her. His hands landed on her shoulders. “Look at me, Little Wolf.”
Meredith lifted her gaze. Magnus’s eyes softened. “We’ll figure this out,” he assured. “Together.”
Xavier sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah. Whatever this is, we’ll fix it.”
Meredith exhaled slowly. They were right. She nodded, inhaling deeply.
“Alright,” she whispered. “Let’s go for now.”
Magnus and Xavier shifted once more. Xavier lowered himself, and Magnus didn’t argue this time.
“Ride on me, Little Wolf…”
Meredith hesitated for a moment before carefully climbing onto Xavier’s back. As soon as she settled down, Xavier took off into the night, with Magnus close beside them.
The night stretched on, the moonlight filtering through the dense canopy as Magnus and Xavier raced through the forest. Their wolf forms moved effortlessly, their paws barely making a sound against the ground.
Meredith clung to Xavier’s thick fur, her fingers gripping tightly as the wind rushed past her. Magnus ran alongside them. He was quiet, too quiet, and Meredith knew they were all still thinking about the same thing.
She had always felt her wolf, always knew she was there, resting beneath the surface, waiting for her.
But now?
It was as if a part of her had vanished. And that terrified her.
She pressed her cheek against Xavier’s back, feeling the warmth of him. He was so real. He was here.
Xavier’s voice suddenly echoed through their mind-link. “You’re not broken…”
She lifted her head slightly. She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Then why does it feel like I am?”
Xavier didn’t answer right away. Instead, he huffed through his nose, speeding up slightly before speaking again.
“Because you’re just overthinking it. Maybe your wolf doesn’t know what to do now that we’re here to protect you at all costs.”
Meredith’s breath caught. “Is that it?”
Or had she buried that part of herself that now her wolf refused to come back anymore?
Magnus suddenly growled lowly. His ears twitched as he said, “We’re being followed.”
Meredith stiffened. She turned her head slightly, her gaze scanning the forest behind them. At first, she saw nothing, just the endless stretch of trees and shadows. Then, in the far distance, she heard a faint rustle.
Xavier snarled. “I hear them too.”
Magnus didn’t slow down. “How many?”
Xavier sniffed the surrounding forest, his ears flattening against his head. “At least three… no, four. But they’re not getting closer. Just tracking us.”
Meredith’s heart pounded. Could it be more hunters? Another enemy? Or—
She tightened her grip on Xavier. “Could it be…”
Silence. Magnus and Xavier didn’t answer immediately. Then, finally, Magnus let out a deep sigh.
“Right now, our priority is getting you to safety, Little Wolf…”
Meredith opened her mouth to argue, but then she stopped herself. Because Magnus was right. She needed to reach Crestfallen Pack first. She needed to see her sons.
So, she took a deep breath and whispered through the bond, “Then let’s go faster.”
Magnus and Xavier didn’t hesitate. Their muscles coiled, their forms pushing forward as they surged through the forest at an even greater speed, leaving whatever was lurking in the shadows far behind.
Suddenly, the scent of smoke hit Meredith before she even saw the flames.
As Magnus and Xavier burst through the tree line, their paws skidded to a halt on the dirt path leading into the heart of the Crestfallen Pack.
And they saw it.
Everything was in ruins.
Flames devoured the edges of homes and buildings. Shattered glass and broken wood littered the streets. Wolves clashed with each other, their snarls and growls tearing through the night.
Mothers clutched their children, shielding them. Elders stumbled through the chaos. Everywhere, Crestfallen warriors were fighting.
Meredith gasped, sliding off Xavier’s back as she stumbled forward.
“No—no, no, no…” Her voice broke. “This can’t be happening…”
Her pulse roared in her ears. Her legs nearly gave out beneath her as she frantically scanned the crowd, searching for her sons. Her breath hitched as she cupped her hands around her mouth.
“Daemond… Ksaver… Marcus…” she whispered, as if it was enough for her to be heard.
For one agonizing moment, nothing answered.
Then a child screamed, and Meredith’s heart stopped for fatal seconds.
Her body moved before her mind could even catch up, sprinting toward the sound with every ounce of strength she had. Magnus and Xavier flanked her immediately, their massive forms pushing through the chaos.
The closer they got to the heart of the village, the worse everything became.
Meredith’s hands trembled as she caught sight of familiar faces. Sarah shielded an unconscious Hiyasmin. Beside her, Wilhelm tore through enemy wolves. Gideon stood tall against a massive wolf, his face and arms smeared with dirt and blood.
It was a war zone.
“Where are they?!” Meredith screamed as she neared them.
Sarah’s head snapped toward her. Relief flashed in her eyes, but only for a second. “Meredith, run—!”
A shadow moved, and before she could react, a dark-furred wolf lunged at her.
Meredith braced herself for the impact, but it never came.
Magnus’s massive wolf collided mid-air with the attacker, his fangs sinking into its throat before tearing it apart. Xavier was already on the next, ripping through enemy wolves.
Meredith staggered back, her heart hammering in her ribs. She had no time to waste.
She turned back to Sarah and asked breathlessly, “Where… where are they?” My sons… she could barely say it.
Sarah wiped the blood from her mouth. “They took them…”
The world stopped. Everything stopped.
Meredith’s breath caught in her throat. Her knees buckled.
No. No, no, no.
“Who?” she choked out, her entire being trembling violently.
Sarah’s eyes looked away from her. “I… I don’t know…” she cried. “I’m sorry…”
Something ripped from Meredith’s chest. Her vision blurred red. Everything inside her snapped.
She turned, snarling faintly. “Where did they go?”
Gideon, still locked in battle, barely managed to spit out the words. “They’re heading for the border—”
That was all Meredith needed.
She turned on her heel and ran. Her muscles tensed with an intensity she had never felt before. Magnus and Xavier were immediately right behind her.
And she swore on everything she had left in this world.
Whoever took her sons, she would kill them all.