Chapter 162 Elara's POV
"Elara, be reasonable-"
"Reasonable? You want me to risk my son's life! My newborn baby! And you think that's reasonable?"
"It's for the greater good to save the pack to end the war-"
"I don't care about the greater good! I care about my son!"
I moved toward her, fury overwhelming common sense. "You want to use Adrian? You will have to go through me first."
Kaden stepped between us. "Miriam, leave. Now."
"Kaden you must see the logic-"
"I said leave! Before my mate tears you apart and I let her!"
Miriam looked around the room and saw no support from anyone even Marcus looked uncomfortable with the suggestion.
"The elders will not be pleased-"
"The elders can go to hell, my son is not bait. He is not a bargaining chip, he is my child. And no one, not you, not the elders, not anyone will put him in danger."
"You are making a mistake-"
"Get out."
Miriam left, but the damage was done and the suggestion hung in the air.
I looked around the room and saw the warriors exchanging glances.
"If anyone in this room thinks using my infant son as bait is a good idea, speak now. So I know who to never trust again."
Silence.
"Good because let me make something absolutely clear. Adrian is off limits completely. Will anyone who suggests otherwise will answer to me?"
Nods around the table.
But I could see it in their eyes. Some of them thought it was a good plan. Some of them would have agreed if Kaden and I weren't standing right there.
"We will find another way.” Kaden said firmly.
"We will scout for the fortress and we will track Xavier's movements. We will plan an assault. But we do it without putting Adrian at risk."
"What if there is no other way?" Marcus asked quietly. "What if this is our only option to end the war before we're all dead?"
"Then we all die," I said flatly. "But my son lives, that's non-negotiable."
I turned and walked out before anyone could argue behind me, I heard Kaden dismiss the meeting.
He caught up with me in the hallway. "Elara-"
"Don't. Just don't." I was shaking with rage.
"They want to use our son, our newborn baby. As bait for a monster."
"I know and I won't let it happen."
"But they are right, aren't they? It probably would work. Erebus would come; we could trap him and end the war."
"At the cost of Adrian's safety that is too high a price."
"Is it? If the alternative is watching our entire pack die? Watching everyone we love get slaughtered?"
"We will find another way."
"What if there isn't another way?"
He pulled me close. "Then we make one together like we always do."
I wanted to believe him and wanted to trust that we would find a solution that didn't involve risking our son.
But looking at the devastation outside the windows, the destroyed buildings, the bodies being carried away, the smoke still rising, I wasn't sure we had any good options left.
Only terrible ones.
And eventually, we might have to choose the least terrible option.
Even if it meant putting Adrian in danger even if it meant risking everything because that's what war was. Impossible choices, unacceptable sacrifices.
And we were running out of time to find a better answer.