Chapter 13 Chapter 13
Leonidas POV
The thought hit me like a punch to the chest. For a moment, the entire world seemed to go still.
'My mate'.
The word echoed through my mind, heavy and undeniable.
I looked down at Sable in my arms. Her face was pale, her breathing uneven, strands of dark hair falling across her cheek. She looked fragile.. breakable. But I had just witnessed her bring an entire courtyard of wolves and hunters to their knees.
Fragile was the last thing she truly was. Still, the instinct burned inside me.
'Protect'. 'Mine'.
My wolf stirred violently beneath my skin, reacting to the distant howl that still echoed through the forest.
Another one followed.
Closer. Much closer.
Zander exhaled slowly beside me. "Yeah...I definitely don’t like that sound", he said.
The wolves surrounding the courtyard shifted uneasily. A few of them lifting their heads toward the dark forest, their ears twitching.
They could feel it too. The slowly approaching power.
I turned to the stranger.
"You said he’s one of the strongest Alphas alive".
The man nodded.
"Yes".
"Then start talking".
He studied me for a moment, as if measuring my patience.
"If he’s the one I think it is....his name is Kael".
The name meant nothing to me.
But the tension in the stranger’s voice did.
"What kind of Alpha is he?" Zander asked.
That was exactly the answer I needed right now not the name.
The stranger’s lips pressed into a thin line.
"The kind that conquers packs instead of leading them".
My jaw tightened.
"A warlord".
"Exactly".
Another distant howl tore through the forest.
This one was loud enough that several wolves in the courtyard flinched.
Zander muttered under his breath.
"Fantastic. Just what we needed", he said.
My attention returned to Sable. Her body shifted slightly again, her brow furrowed like she was trapped inside a nightmare.
"Sable", I said quietly.
No response. But the power inside her was still there.
I could feel it.
It pulsed faintly in the air like an invisible heartbeat.
Every wolf in the courtyard could feel it too. The stranger also watched her with quiet fascination.
"She’s still broadcasting".
I shot him a sharp look.
"Broadcasting what?"
"Her existence".
My chest tightened.
"You’re saying every Alpha can feel her?"
"Not every Alpha", he corrected calmly. "Only the powerful ones".
“That’s supposed to make me feel better?”
Zander snorted.
"Because it doesn’t".
The stranger ignored him.
"Alphas like Kael have stronger connections to the pack bond. When something this rare appears...."
He gestured toward Sable.
"They notice".
Another howl echoed through the night. This one was terrifyingly close. My wolf snarled inside my mind.
Danger was screaming everywhere.
The wolves surrounding the courtyard suddenly stood taller, their bodies tense.
They were preparing for something that was coming which we didn't know.
Zander glanced toward the forest.
"I’m guessing he’s not arriving alone", he said.
"No", the stranger said quietly. "He never does".
A deep rumble suddenly vibrated through the ground beneath our feet.
My eyes narrowed.
I could hear footsteps. Heavy ones. Not just one wolf. Several.
Branches snapped somewhere in the forest.
The wolves in the courtyard immediately formed a tighter circle around us. Protecting Sable. Even the rogues joined the formation.
Zander looked around.
"Well....that’s new".
It was.
Rogues didn’t cooperate with pack wolves.
Yet here they were. Standing together. All because of her.
Sable shifted weakly in my arms again.
A faint sound escaped her lips.
A whisper.
"....stop...".
My gaze dropped to her face.
"What is it?"
Her eyes remained closed, but her expression twisted in distress.
Her fingers tightened weakly against my shirt.
"They’re....loud..."
The stranger stepped closer.
"The voices".
I frowned.
"She can still hear them?", I asked the stranger.
"Yes".
"Even unconscious?"
"Especially unconscious".
That didn’t sound good.
Sable’s breathing quickened again. Another wave of power pulsed from her body. The wolves instantly lowered themselves again.
Obeying.
Even without a command.
Zander stared.
"Okay..…..that’s actually terrifying".
I didn’t disagree because the power inside her was growing stronger. Even while she slept.
Suddenly—
A powerful Alpha aura slammed into the courtyard like a physical force.
The impact was immediate.
Several wolves stumbled.
Zander stiffened.
"Well..."
He looked toward the forest.
"I’m guessing that’s him".
The stranger’s expression darkened.
"Yes".
Every instinct in my body sharpened. My wolf pushed against the surface of my mind, ready for a fight.
The trees at the edge of the forest began to move from something pushing through them. Branches snapped loudly. Leaves scattered across the ground.
Then–
A massive black wolf stepped out of the darkness.
He was enormous. Larger than any wolf I had ever seen.
His fur was dark as midnight, his eyes glowing with an unnatural silver light.
Power radiated from him.
Raw. Dominant. Dangerous.
Several more wolves stepped out behind him.
They were a pack.
But their attention wasn’t
on me. Or Zander.
Neither was it on the other wolves, instead their eyes locked onto the unconscious girl in my arms.
The black wolf’s gaze narrowed slightly. Recognition flickered in his glowing eyes as he looked at the girl on my arms.
He shifted slowly. Bones cracked. Fur receded.
And within seconds, a tall man stood where the wolf had been. His dark hair fell loosely around his shoulders, his silver eyes sharp and calculating.
Kael.
The powerful Alpha the stranger had mentioned.
He studied Sable for several long seconds.
Then he smiled.
"Well... well".
His voice was smooth. At the same time dangerously calm.
"So the rumors were true".
My grip around Sable tightened.
"You’re not taking another step".
Kael’s gaze shifted to me.
For a moment, his expression showed mild amusement.
"You must be the Alpha of this territory".
"Yes".
"And you’re holding something very valuable".
My wolf snarled violently inside my chest.
"She’s not a thing".
Kael chuckled.
"No".
His silver eyes slid back to Sable.
"She’s much more interesting than that".
The stranger stepped forward slightly.
"You shouldn’t be here, Kael".
Kael glanced at him lazily.
"Ah".
Recognition flickered across his face.
"I wondered when you would show up".
The stranger’s voice hardened.
"Leave".
Kael laughed softly.
"You know that’s not happening".
The wolves behind him shifted restlessly. Their glowing eyes never left Sable.
Kael took a slow step forward. My wolf surged forward instantly wanting to protect it's mate.
I shifted partially, claws extending as I stepped in front of Sable.
"You take one more step....."
My voice dropped into a dangerous growl.
"And we fight".
Kael stopped.
For a moment, silence filled the courtyard.
Then he smiled again.
"You misunderstand me, Alpha".
"Oh?"
"I’m not here to fight you".
My eyes narrowed.
"Then why are you here?"
Kael’s gaze returned to
Sable.
"Because I’ve been searching for her".
My stomach twisted.
"She’s not going anywhere".
Kael tilted his head slightly.
"That’s unfortunate".
Suddenly–
Sable’s body moved.
My attention snapped back to her instantly.
Her fingers tightened weakly against my arm. Her breathing became uneven again.
And slowly.....
Her eyes began to open.
The moment they did–
A massive wave of power exploded from her body.
The force knocked several wolves off their feet. And Kael’s smile disappeared instantly, because Sable’s glowing silver eyes locked directly onto him.
And her voice echoed across the courtyard like a command.
"Leave".