Chapter 60

Chapter 60
Damian’s POV

The first howl hadn’t even died when another followed, closer this time. My blood went cold. That wasn’t a warning cry. That was a call to hunt.

I didn’t wait. I shoved the council doors open, my wolf snarling beneath my skin. The hallway outside vibrated with noise, the pounding of paws, claws scraping on stone. Shadows shifted in the corners, moving too fast to belong to my wolves.

“Form up!” My voice thundered through the chamber. “Warriors to the gates. Elders stay here.”

No one moved at first. Fear clung to the room like smoke. It was Joran, of course, who broke the silence.

“You brought this on us,” he spat, eyes cutting toward Elara. “They came for her.”

I rounded on him so fast he flinched. “They came because Kael opened the door for them. Don’t mistake his treachery for her fault.”

Elara was pale but standing. I could see the tremor in her hands, the way she bit down on her lip hard enough to draw blood. She caught my gaze and I gave a single nod. Stay strong.

Marcus pushed through the door, panting. His face was streaked with blood and sweat. “They’ve breached the south wall. At least twenty. Maybe more. And they aren’t just rogues.”

“What do you mean?” I demanded.

“They’re organized. Moving in formation.” His jaw was tight. “Someone’s leading them.”

Kael. My gut twisted, but I shoved the thought down. Later. Right now, my pack needed me.

“Everyone out!” I barked. “Sarah, get the elders to the safe room. Marcus, take half the warriors to reinforce the south wall. I’ll take the rest and hold the gates.”

The chamber erupted in motion, wolves shifting, claws ripping through skin and fur bursting as they obeyed. Joran lingered, glaring at me.

“You’ll get us all killed protecting her,” he growled.

I stepped close enough that he had to tilt his head to meet my eyes. “You question me in battle again, and I’ll kill you before the rogues get the chance.”

For a moment, we stared each other down, the air between us crackling. Then he looked away, lips curled in disgust, but he followed the others.

When the room was nearly empty, I turned back. Elara was still there.

“You should be below,” I said, softer now.

Her chin lifted. “I’m not hiding.”

“Elara—”

“I can help. You know I can.”

Every part of me wanted to lock her away where no claw or fang could reach her, but the truth sat heavy in my chest. She was right. I had felt her gift. I had seen it. My wolves fought harder, longer, stronger when she was near. She was the difference between survival and a massacre.

“Stay with me,” I said finally. “If I tell you to run, you run.”

Her eyes flickered, but she nodded.

The next howl came so close the windows rattled. I shifted then, bones snapping, fur ripping through skin, my wolf clawing forward with a roar. My vision sharpened, the scents of blood and smoke burning my nose. Elara clutched my fur as I lowered my head, letting her climb onto my back. Her weight settled against me, light but grounding.

We burst into the courtyard. Chaos hit like a storm. Wolves clashed, snarling and snapping, blood spraying across stone. The air stank of iron and fury. My pack fought hard, but the rogues were too many, too coordinated.

I tore into the first one that lunged at us, teeth crunching through bone, hot blood flooding my mouth. Elara’s scream cut through the din as another wolf came at her side, but before I could move, her hand slapped against its fur.

The wolf froze. Just for a heartbeat. But it was enough. One of my warriors slammed into it, snapping its neck. Elara’s chest heaved, her eyes wide with shock.

“Do it again!” I snarled through the bond. She looked at me, scared, but then nodded.

We fought like that. I ripped and tore, keeping her shielded, while she reached out, her hands glowing faintly every time she touched one of ours. The effect was immediate. My wolves moved faster, sharper, striking with strength they hadn’t had moments before.

But it wasn’t enough.

The south wall crumbled under the pressure. Rogues poured through the gap, snarling shadows with eyes too bright, too empty. And then I saw him.

Kael.

He stood at the breach, taller, broader, his wolf half-shifted, shadows curling around his hands like smoke alive. His eyes met mine across the battlefield, burning with hatred.

Elara’s breath hitched. She felt it too. His pull. That cursed bond still tethering her to him.

“No,” I growled, planting myself between them.

Kael smiled. Then he raised his hand. The shadows obeyed. They spread across the ground, swallowing stone and bodies alike. My wolves stumbled, their howls twisting into cries of pain as the darkness clung to their paws like tar.

“Damian!” Elara screamed. Her hands gripped my fur, her power flaring wild and desperate. The golden glow spread, clashing with Kael’s shadows where they met. The ground shuddered beneath us, split between light and dark.

My wolf strained, caught between the pull of her gift and the weight of Kael’s power. Around us, the battle slowed, every eye drawn to the collision of forces.

And in that frozen moment, I knew. This wasn’t just another fight. This was war.