Chapter Sixty Five

Chapter Sixty Five
Darius's pov

My mind raced at the new realization that Luna Willow was alive. Could my mother… no. I pushed the thought aside.

My eyes lingered on Iris, sleeping peacefully against me. I would do anything to protect her… and every Dark Wolf out there. I wished she could learn to trust, really trust me, without holding back.

I sent Jeff another Dark Wolf to alert everyone of our kind along or at the bamboo grove, but the fact that he still hasn’t reached out worries me.

I just hope all is well over there.

I met him when I was wandering the wilds. He could mindlink and connect across thousands of miles. We rely on each other's ability for survival, and we were so inseparable… until he met his human mate and moved to town, and I had to blend in here. But even after that change, he always reached out whenever any of our kind were in danger.

I didn’t even realize when I fell asleep, not until one of my warriors sent a mind link.
“We’re ready.”

My eyes snapped open, and Iris was still sleeping peacefully in my arms. I wished I could forget about the world and stay like this forever.

“Kitten, wake up. We need to go join the others outside,” I murmured, brushing a strand of hair from her face before pulling myself off the bed.

She jerked awake at the tension in my voice, her eyes widening as reality settled back in. A pang of guilt hit me. I hated dragging her out of the peaceful sleep she’d been wrapped in. She muttered a few groggy morning words as she swung her legs off the bed and moved toward the bathroom.

“Do you think everything will go as planned?” she asked as she stepped out of the bathroom, facing the mirror. “I’ve actually never been in a wolf gathering like this. Going to war… group fighting… aside from training here or with late Aunt Lisa.”

She turned to me, worry flickering in her eyes. 

“I think I’m overwhelmed. And please don’t tell me to stay.”

I took a shaky breath. If I said the journey ahead didn’t scare me, I’d be lying. I could only hope Jeff had delivered the message and that the mission wouldn’t turn into the disaster it so easily could. I remembered bringing my sage oil last night to mask her scent against the witch. I moved to her wardrobe where my clothes hung and pulled the bottle from my pocket.

“There’s always a first time, kitten,” I reassured, crossing the room. “This is sage oil. It’ll help prevent the  witch from scenting you.” I held it up for her to see, then began rubbing it gently onto her, feeling the warmth of her skin beneath my hands. “You have two powerful wolves dedicated to making sure you’re safe. If things go south, we fight, and you run. Promise”

She turned back to the mirror, inhaled deeply, and whispered quiet words of encouragement to herself.

“Why are you letting her go? Try harder to convince her! I don’t want our mate getting hurt,” Storm snarled.

“You know what? Why don’t you stop her yourself?” I snapped, shifting into my wolf form.

Storm nudged her hip with his muzzle, pressing close before lifting his front paws gently against her shoulders, tail wagging with a mix of frustration and affection.

“Oh, Storm!” she sighed, laughing softly. “You’re trying to stop me? You sweet boy.” He felt her fingers run through his fur, warm and gentle against his skin, and he melted into her arms, pressing his head against her chest.

“We have to leave, baby. Others are waiting,” she whispered, gently pushing him back. He stubbornly pressed closer, leaning into her, whining softly as she brushed her lips against his head. Storm pressed every inch of his body into hers one last time before reluctantly letting her slide him back.

“Fuck this so hard,” he breathed.

“Told you so,” 

“I can do this,” she breathed, turning to me with a nod, then shifted, and we stormed out of the room.

“I can do this,” she breathed, turning to me and giving a determined look. Her shoulders squared, then she shifted, and we stormed out of the room.

Outside, Lucian stood with Jake and the other warriors, all gathered near the eastern border. They stood alert, posture rigid. The entire pack was assembled, a low howl rippling through them. Iris moved off to meet Suzy.

“You are late,” Lucian growled under his breath.

“Sorry, Alpha. Our mate needed a few moments of self-reflection.” I sent through our link, shifting my weight on my paws, fur bristling slightly as I tried to ease the tension coiling in my chest.

“You should have convinced her not to come,” he snapped through the link, ears pinned back, tail stiff, teeth bared in frustration.

“Don’t blame me, you granted her access,” I shot back, lowering my head briefly, nostrils flaring, then brushing past him, glancing at her to make sure she was ready.

“Iris, come closer,” I called. She started toward me… then paused, glaring at Lucian and me, clearly fed up with the two grown wolves fighting over her.

“Iris,” I pressed.

Her ears flattened, tail bristling with annoyance, and she spun sharply, moving toward the warriors by the corner instead, making it clear she was not going to play along with our rivalry.

“Ugh!”

Lucian moved forward and began addressing everyone through the pack link.

“You all need to understand how important this fight is. Every battle matters, but this one is greater than any we’ve faced before. We will clear out the dark wolves once and for all. First, we move to Bloodoak, then we strike at their hideout. May the Moon Goddess bring us back safely.”

He turned to Jake. “Take care of the pack, as always.”

A loud howl tore through the assembled pack, carrying across the eastern border.

We sprinted forward, crossing the eastern border as Jake waved at us. Paws dug into the earth, muscles coiling and releasing with each bound as we raced toward the Bloodoak pack.

I glanced at Iris as she weaved through obstacles with effortless determination, ears flicking, tail stiff but controlled.

We reached the Bloodork pack just before dawn and came to a halt, shifted back to human, and took a moment to rest and wet our dry throats. I watched her interact with Lucian while I stayed on lookout, nostrils flaring, scanning the horizon. On the surface, it looked like I was guarding, but all I could think about was why Jeff hadn't reached out. It's been hours. We had our means of communication, but I hadn’t seen any sign yet.

“Hey,” Iris’s link snapped me back. “Any news yet?”

“Nothing. We have to keep moving,” I sent back, tail flicking irritably as I turned to lead the way.

We joined the Bloodork alliance and pushed toward the GlamClaw pack, paws thudding in unison. The closer we got, the faster my heart pounded, every sense alert. My eyes flicked around constantly, searching for any sign of Jeff.

What could have happened to him? This… this hasn’t happened before. A chill ran down my spine, and my chest tightened with anticipation, muscles braced and coiled, terrified for whatever lay ahead.