CHAPTER 36

Darius's POV

Splintering the tense silence that had descended upon the room, the knock on the door echoed through the packhouse like a thunderclap. Every breath was labored; every moment seemed to drag on forever.

As his shoulders tensed, Darius’s eyes shifted to Evelyn. They had a silent conversation full of hidden truths and unsaid fears.

“It’s them,” Evelyn muttered, barely raising her voice above a whisper.

“The Council.” I repeated, with a knot of dread.

Darius approached the door with a purposeful composure, but his clenched fists showed his discomfort. My instincts screamed to follow him, but Evelyn’s hand on my wrist anchored me in place.

“Don’t.” She said firmly.

I gave her a fierce look. “They’re here because of me. I have a right to know what they want.”

Her gaze grew softer, but she held on tight. “You don’t understand the games they play, Maya. Let him handle this.”

“I’m not some damsel who needs saving!” I yelled, my voice trembling.

With a painful gaze, Evelyn sighed. “This isn’t about your strength. It’s about survival.”

When the door creaked open, the figures I had feared emerged. Like a thick fog, the chamber was filled with the overpowering presence of four Council members as they entered. Their leader, a towering man with piercing silver eyes, walked forward with a measured grace that conveyed both threat and authority.

“Alpha Darius,” he greeted smoothly, his tone deceptively polite.

“You have come uninvited,” Darius said in a stern tone.

A cold grin twisted the Councilman’s lips. “We come where we are needed. Shall we discuss the… issue at hand?”

I edged closer to the doorway, my heart pounding as their voices carried through the house.

“The girl.” The Councilman continued, in an emotionless tone. “We’ve been informed of her... unique talents. You understand what this means, don’t you?”

“She’s under my protection.” Darius retorted with a barely contained growl.

“For the time being,” the Councilman said, cocking his head. “But Alpha, think about the price. She’s already under the Phantom Pack hunt. How long before their obsession leads them here? Before they ruined your pack?”

My chest tightened. Every word felt like a dagger aimed at my heart.

“She’s not a liability.” Darius remarked sharply, “She’s one of us.”

The Councilman’s grin dimmed. “One of you? How noble. But you and I know that having her around is a risk you cannot afford. Hand her over to us, and we’ll ensure her safety—and yours.”

Darius laughed coldly, a bitter sound that echoed through the room. “Safety? from you? Spare me your lies. You’re no better than the Phantom Pack.”

The air was crackling with tension, like static before a storm.

“Careful, Alpha.” With a low snarl, the Councilman advised. “The cost of defiance is high.”

“Then I will pay it,” Darius yelled.

Evelyn stepped forward, her presence was dominant. “You are all fools,” she stated calmly. “You think you can control what’s coming? You don’t even understand it.”

The Councilman’s gaze narrowed. “And you do, Healer?”

“I understand enough,” Evelyn shot back. “Enough to realize that you’re playing with fire.”

I stared at Darius when their words merged. He remained erect and unflinching, but I could see the moment bearing down on him.

He then turned to look at me.

Doubt flickered across his gaze for a brief moment. I felt a knot in my stomach. Was he… considering their offer?

“No,” I muttered, more to myself than anyone else.

The Councilman’s voice cut through my thoughts. “Think carefully, Alpha. One girl’s life against the future of your pack. Is she worth it?”

Before I had a chance to stop myself, I moved forward.

In a shaky but forceful voice, I said, “She’s standing right here.” She has a voice in this, too.”

Everyone turned to look at me, and the Council’s icy gazes pierced my spirit.

“I didn’t ask for this,” I continued, my hands balling into fists. “But I won’t stand here and let you decide my fate like I’m some bargaining chip.”

The Councilman looked at me, his face unreadable. “Brave words,” he said at the end. “However, bravery alone won’t save you.”

Darius took into position behind me, his presence a comforting wall.

“She’s not alone.” With a firm voice, he said. “I also won’t give her up.”

The Councilman smiled again, this time with a darker grin. “Very well. But remember this, Alpha. Every choice has consequences.”

They left as abruptly as they’d arrived, their departure leaving a gaping void in the room.

The silence dragged on until I lost patience.“You were going to give me up,” I said quietly, my voice barely above a whisper.

“No,” Darius answered right away, turning to look at me. “I wasn’t—”

“You paused,” I interrupted, my chest constricted. “Darius, I witnessed it. You hesitated.

He clenched his jaw and remained silent for a moment. “I’m trying to protect everyone.” He said finally.

“What about me?” With my voice breaking, I demanded. “Am I not included?”

“You’re not the only one at risk!” With a look of frustration in his eyes, he snapped. “Do you think this is easy for me?”

The room seemed to be closing in on us, and I felt like I would be crushed by the weight of everything left unsaid.

“You made a promise.” I said, trembling, “You promised to protect me. Was it a lie?

His face softened, the wrath giving way to guilt. “It wasn’t a lie,” he whispered. “And I’ll keep that promise, no matter what it costs me.”

For a moment, I wanted to believe him. But the shadow of his hesitation lingered, a wound that wouldn’t heal.

The tension was broken by Evelyn’s soothing voice as she moved between us. “Enough. This isn’t the time for fighting.”

Her words were an icy blast of truth. And she was right. Their menace remained even when the Council was no longer there.

“What do we do now?” With a hollow voice, I asked.

Evelyn’s eyes remained fixed. We prepare.” She stated.

“For what?”

Her answer was a single word, heavy with foreboding.

“War.”

That night, sleep was a distant hope. I lay awake, staring at the ceiling, my thoughts a tangled mess. The Council’s words, with their subliminal warnings, kept coming back to me.

And Darius… His hesitation cut deeper than I wanted to admit.

There was no respite as the first rays of dawn appeared the following morning. Instead, it brought something much more terrible.

There was one wolf at the boundary of our domain, bloody and barely alive.

He was marked by the Phantom Pack.

The ---

Grim-faced, Darius stood over the wounded wolf.

“What is it?” With a trembling voice, I asked.

“A warning.” Darkly, he whispered.

I felt a knot in my stomach. The battle for my life and the pack’s survival had only just begun.