Chapter 24 Chapter 24
Sable’s POV
I woke up to the sound of wolves screaming.
For a moment, I thought I was still dreaming as the last thing I remembered was darkness closing around me in that strange silver forest... the ancient wolf’s voice echoing in my ears.
'You will know him... when he tries to claim you'.
Then everything had gone black.
And now waking up, I see chaos has surrounded me. I noticed I was no longer at the school but at a place full of wolves which people called a pack house.
A howl ripped through the night outside the pack house, sharp and furious.
Another one answered it.
Then another.
My eyes flew open.
The ceiling above me was unfamiliar for half a second before my memory returned and that was when I remembered that at some point I had entered Leonidas’ territory. The pack house.
"War", I thought.
My heart slammed painfully against my ribs.
Because suddenly, Kael’s words from earlier made perfect sense.
'...And this time I won't be leaving without you'.
He wasn’t starting a war, the war had already arrived without him.
I sat up too quickly.
Pain shot through my chest like lightning.
"Ah–"
My breath caught as a strange warmth flared beneath my skin. For a moment, silver light flickered across my arms before fading again.
The power.
It was still there.
Unstable without control.
Wild but also dangerous at the same time.
Another howl shook the building. This one much closer.
My stomach twisted.
Something was wrong, I could feel it.
I pushed the blanket aside and swung my legs off the bed, wanting to stand up. The moment my feet touched the floor, the strange pull inside my chest returned.
Like invisible threads tugging me toward something outside.
Toward the courtyard.
Toward the fight.
Before I could think twice, I rushed toward the door.
The hallway outside was empty, but the sounds of chaos echoed through the walls–wolves shouting, claws scraping stone, the distant clash of bodies shifting and fighting.
My heart pounded harder as I followed the noise trying to find where they were.
By the time I reached the courtyard entrance, the scent hit me.
Different blood.
Sharp. Metallic.
Every instinct in my body froze. As I slowly stepped outside, the sight before me made my breath catch.
The courtyard was now a battlefield.
Wolves clashed across the open space, fur flashing in the moonlight as bodies slammed into each other with violent force. Growls and snarls filled the air.
Some were Leonidas’ wolves, others I didn’t recognize them.
Dark–furred rogues lunged toward the pack warriors, teeth bared as they attacked with savage desperation.
A body crashed against the stone wall near me as the wolf shifted back into human form, gasping as blood ran down his shoulder.
"Fall back!" someone shouted.
My pulse roared in my ears.
The war had begun.
Suddenly a massive wolf slammed another into the ground in the center of the courtyard.
The attacker shifted mid–motion, revealing a familiar figure.
Leonidas.
My chest tightened instantly.
He was covered in blood.
Not all of it was his–but enough of it was.
His golden eyes blazed as he shoved another rogue aside.
"Push them back!" he barked.
The pack wolves obeyed instantly, moving in formation.
But they were too many.
More rogues poured through the broken gates of the courtyard.
A chill ran down my spine.
This wasn’t a random attack.
Someone had sent them.
And then—
Leonidas saw me.
His expression changed instantly.
"Sable!"
The command in his voice cut through the chaos.
"What are you doing out here?", he asked.
Before I could answer, another rogue lunged toward him.
Leonidas shifted partially mid–fight, claws flashing as he tore the attacker aside.
"Get inside!" he snapped.
But my feet refused to move.
Because something inside me had suddenly changed.
The power in my chest suddenly surged violently, stronger than before.
The wolves around the courtyard began slowing.
One by one, their heads turned toward me.
Not just Leonidas’ wolves.
The rogues too.
Every pair of eyes locked onto me.
Confusion flickered across several faces.
My heart pounded.
"What...?"
The air felt heavy.
Charged, like a storm waiting to break.
A strange instinct rose inside me.
'Command them'.
The thought wasn’t mine.
It came from somewhere deeper. Older.
Without realizing it, I stepped forward.
The moment my foot touched the stone courtyard–
Every wolf froze.
The fighting stopped.
Growls faded into stunned silence.
Leonidas’ golden eyes widened slightly.
"Sable..."
I could barely heard him.
The power inside my chest surged again.
My voice came out stronger than I expected.
"Stop".
The single word echoed across the entire courtyard.
Like thunder.
The effect was immediate.
Several wolves dropped their heads instinctively.
Even the rogues hesitated but their bodies trembled as if something inside them was forcing them to obey.
My heart raced. I didn’t understand what I was doing.
But the power did.
For a moment, absolute silence ruled the courtyard.
Then slow clapping broke the stillness.
My entire body went rigid.
Because I knew that sound.
Cold dread crawled up my spine.
The wolves parted slowly near the shattered gate.
And he stepped through.
Kael.
His silver eyes gleamed in the moonlight, amusement dancing across his sharp features as he surveyed the stunned courtyard.
"Well", he said casually.
"This is impressive".
Leonidas moved instantly, stepping in front of me.
His wolf growled deep in his chest.
"You shouldn’t have come back".
Kael’s gaze flickered past him to me while my stomach twisted under the intensity of his stare.
"I told you I would", he said softly.
Behind him, more wolves entered the courtyard.
Not rogues.
Pack warriors.
Disciplined.
Dangerous.
Kael’s army.
Leonidas’ shoulders tensed.
"So this is your idea of diplomacy?
Kael smiled faintly.
"This?"
His silver gaze returned to me again.
"This is just the beginning".
A cold chill ran through me.
Because something in his expression had changed.
He wasn’t here just to threaten us anymore.
He was here for me.
My chest tightened as the ancient wolf’s words echoed in my mind.
'One will hunt you'.
Kael took another slow step forward. The wolves around the courtyard shifted uneasily.
"Tell me something, Sable", he said calmly.
"How long do you think he can protect you?"
Leonidas’ claws extended.
"Don’t".
Kael ignored him completely.
Instead, he looked directly at me.
Then he smiled again.
And this time–
The smile sent ice through my veins.
Because behind Kael, another shadow stepped through the broken gate.
Taller. Broader. Silent.
A second Alpha had arrived.
And suddenly...
I realized Kael hadn’t come alone.