Chapter 92 – The Alpha’s Call

Chapter 92 – The Alpha’s Call
The farmhouse shook with movement as boots and claws thundered across the floors. Within minutes, the living room was filled wall to wall with his warriors—men and women alike, their eyes locked on him, awaiting the orders only he could give.

Jared stood at the center, shoulders squared, the weight of his fury tempered into razor focus. Zeus paced in the back of his mind, teeth bared, urging blood, urging war. And for once, Jared didn’t silence him. Tonight, his beast’s voice was his own.

Sam flanked his right, silent and steady, the Beta ready to echo whatever call he made. Frank had slipped back into the room, leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest, the strain in his face betraying the worry he tried to hide.

Jared swept his gaze across his wolves, his pack, his family. They stood ready for him—loyal, unwavering, fueled by the same anger that burned in his veins.

“Alaric has crossed the line,” Jared began, his voice carrying the weight of command. “He thinks to toy with us. To take what’s ours. To use spells and shadows to crawl into our home and harm our Luna.” His chest heaved, the words nearly snarled as he gestured toward the staircase where Kori rested. “He has declared war. So be it.”

A rumble of growls rolled through the room, deep and unified.

Sam took a step forward. “We’ll need to move fast before he makes the next strike. Do we hit them on their land, or force them into neutral ground?”

Another warrior, Colton, spoke next. “Their den is fortified, Alpha. Charging in blind risks Michael’s life. But we can’t sit back and wait. They’ll keep pushing until we’re cornered.”

“And if we try to draw them out,” added Lena, one of his strongest fighters, “they’ll suspect a trap. They won’t bring Michael unless we give them reason to believe we’ll trade.”

Jared’s jaw clenched. Every suggestion circled back to the same damn problem: Carter. The boy was the one piece Alaric wanted most. And Jared would not—would not—sacrifice him.

He turned his glare to the room, silencing the low murmurs that had begun to rise. “We will not hand Carter over. Not for Michael. Not for anyone. There will be no sacrifice.”

The air thickened with the finality in his tone. Even Zeus pressed against him in agreement, protective rage sparking at the thought of surrendering the boy.

Sam lowered his voice. “Then we need another way to force Alaric’s hand… something he won’t see coming.”

Jared nodded slowly, his mind already spinning through the possibilities, the gears of war grinding into motion.

Elias spoke next, his tone more hesitant. “What if we use misdirection? Send a small party to draw their attention at the border while you slip in with Carter and the others. They’ll be focused elsewhere—”

“—which leaves one group at risk of slaughter while we gamble on the other.” Jared cut him off, pacing away from the table, running a hand through my hair. “Every one of these plans leaves someone behind. Someone vulnerable. It isn’t good enough.”

Sam’s voice was quieter this time, but no less firm. “Then we need something Alaric won’t expect. Something he won’t plan for.”

The warriors’ heated murmurs quieted in unison as movement on the staircase drew their attention.

Kori descended slowly, one hand pressed to the railing, the other unconsciously hovering near her stomach. Her steps were careful, her frame still pale from the ordeal upstairs, but her gaze—though nervous—was steady as it swept across the crowded room.

The wolves shifted uneasily at her presence. She was their Luna now, but she was still new to them, fragile in appearance compared to their hardened bodies. Yet not a single one of them missed the weight of her entrance, the hush of reverence that followed her into the room.

Jared’s body went taut the moment he saw her, instinct warring between gathering her up in his arms and scolding her for leaving her bed. But before he could move, before he could soothe the nerves flickering in her eyes, Kori’s voice broke the silence.

“I have an idea,” she said softly, though the words carried in the stillness.

Dozens of eyes turned to her, but she kept her focus locked on Jared. His piercing gaze burned into her, demanding she explain, but he stayed rooted, letting her take the floor.

“They don’t know,” Kori continued, her voice gaining strength with each syllable, “that I survived. Or that I’ve… shifted.” Her fingers twitched at her sides, but she pushed forward. “Alaric believes you’re broken, Jared. That you’ll slip up because you’re desperate to protect Carter, or desperate to save Michael. He’s waiting for you to make a mistake.”

Her throat bobbed as she swallowed hard, her next words carrying the weight of a gamble. “So we let him think that. We let him believe you’ll trade Carter. We lure him in, let him think he’s already won.”

Every wolf in the room went still, rapt.

“And when he’s distracted,” she said, her gaze narrowing with resolve, “when his guard is down—that’s when I step in. I’ll be the wall between Carter and Alaric. The one thing he won’t expect.”

The silence stretched. The wolves exchanged wary looks. Frank stiffened in his corner, jaw clenched so hard the muscle twitched. Sam blinked slowly, already weighing the merits and dangers of her words.

Jared… Jared’s chest expanded with a rough inhale, his heart hammering in a mix of fear, pride, and rage. Kori’s scent carried through the room, threaded with nerves but undercut by determination that rivaled any wolf he had ever known.

She stood there, fragile and untested, yet offering herself as the final line of defense—for Carter, for all of them.