Chapter 66 Greatest Mistake
Dahila’s POV
The palace no longer sounded like a home.
It sounded like war.
Shouts echoed through the halls. Heavy footsteps thundered across the stone floors as warriors rushed past the corridor outside my room. Somewhere deeper in the palace, another explosion rattled the walls hard enough to make dust drift down from the ceiling.
My heart pounded painfully against my ribs.
For a moment, I just stood there, frozen where Dagnoth had pulled me behind the wall.
The sniper.
The bullets.
The way Dagnoth had looked at me when I said they were aiming for me.
He hadn’t denied it.
A chill crawled down my spine.
Another boom shook the palace.
I flinched.
And suddenly one thought pushed through the chaos in my head with terrifying clarity.
My children.
“Where are my pups?” I breathed.
Dagnoth’s gaze sharpened instantly.
“They’re in the west wing nursery,” he said.
My stomach dropped.
That part of the palace was closer to the outer walls.
Closer to the fighting.
Fear surged through me so fast it made my hands tremble.
“I need to get to them.”
I didn’t wait for permission.
I turned and rushed toward the door, but Dagnoth caught my wrist before I could step into the hallway.
“Dahila—”
“I’m not leaving them alone,” I snapped.
His grip tightened slightly.
“I know.”
The words came out calmer than I expected.
Then he released my wrist and moved ahead of me instead.
“Stay behind me.”
We stepped into the corridor.
The palace hall that had been quiet only minutes ago was now alive with movement. Warriors rushed past us carrying weapons, some already half-shifted, their eyes glowing faintly with their wolves close to the surface.
Another distant explosion echoed through the night.
My chest tightened.
“Who would do this?” I whispered.
Dagnoth didn’t answer immediately.
But I saw the moment something dark crossed his expression.
One name.
One dangerous possibility.
“Kael,” he said finally.
The name hit me like ice water.
My feet slowed.
Kael.
The ruthless Alpha who had built his power through fear and bloodshed. Stories about him traveled through every pack territory like warnings whispered in the dark.
Kael didn’t start battles unless he wanted something.
Or someone.
“No…” I murmured.
Dagnoth glanced back at me.
“He’s been pushing against the borders for months,” he said. “Testing defenses. Sending scouts.”
Another boom echoed closer.
“He wouldn’t launch a full attack without a reason.”
My throat tightened.
And suddenly I knew exactly what that reason might be.
My voice came out barely above a whisper.
“My children.”
Dagnoth stopped walking.
Slowly, he turned toward me.
“What?”
I swallowed hard.
“He knows about them.”
Memories flashed through my mind like lightning.
The secrecy.
The hiding.
The constant fear that someone powerful would discover what my children were.
Triplets.
Three wolves born under a rare lunar alignment.
Lily.
Liam.
Libby.
Even saying their names filled my chest with warmth and terror at the same time.
If Kael had learned about them…
A shudder ran through me.
“He’s not attacking the palace,” I said quietly. “He’s hunting.”
For them.
Dagnoth’s expression hardened.
“That’s not happening.”
Before I could respond, another warrior rushed down the corridor toward us.
“Alpha!” he shouted. “The west wing is being evacuated!”
My heart stopped.
“The nursery,” I breathed.
Without another word, I ran.
Dagnoth followed instantly.
We turned down the long stone hallway leading toward the west wing. The sounds of battle grew louder here—distant howls, the clash of weapons, the occasional terrifying crack of gunfire.
When we reached the nursery doors, they burst open from the inside.
A young healer stepped out carrying a bundle.
“Alpha!” she gasped.
My eyes immediately locked onto the three small figures wrapped in blankets behind her.
My pups.
Relief slammed into me so hard my knees nearly gave out.
I rushed forward.
“Lily… Liam… Libby…”
The healer quickly placed them into my arms.
The moment their small bodies pressed against my chest, something inside me finally steadied.
They were warm.
Alive.
Safe.
Lily stirred first, her tiny fingers curling against my shirt.
Liam let out a soft whine.
Libby remained asleep, her small face peaceful despite the chaos around us.
Tears burned behind my eyes.
“I’ve got you,” I whispered, pulling them closer. “Mama’s here.”
Behind me, Dagnoth stepped closer.
His massive presence felt like a wall of protection.
His gaze softened slightly as he looked at the three small wolves bundled in my arms.
For a brief moment, the chaos of the palace seemed to fade.
“They’re triplets,” he said quietly.
I nodded.
“Lily is the oldest,” I said softly. “Then Liam. Libby is the youngest.”
Dagnoth watched them carefully.
And something changed in his expression.
Something protective.
Something fierce.
Another explosion rocked the palace.
The walls trembled again.
The moment shattered.
“Alpha!” another warrior called from the corridor. “The hunters are trying to breach the inner gate!”
Dagnoth’s attention snapped back to the battle.
But he didn’t move away.
Instead, he stepped closer to me.
Close enough that his shoulder brushed mine.
His voice dropped lower.
“Stay with me.”
It wasn’t a command.
It was a promise.
I adjusted the blankets around my children, holding them tightly against my chest.
Fear still twisted in my stomach.
If Kael truly was behind this…
Then this attack was only the beginning.
Across the corridor, another figure appeared.
The palace Luna.
She looked pale, one hand pressed against her side as if she were in pain.
But determination burned in her eyes.
“Enough,” she said weakly. “We have to stop this before more people die.”
Dagnoth’s jaw tightened.
“It’s already begun.”
The Luna shook her head.
“There must be a way to end it.”
Another distant explosion echoed through the palace walls.
I held my children tighter.
Lily stirred again, letting out a small cry.
Dagnoth looked down at them.
Then back toward the direction of the battlefield.
His expression turned cold.
If Kael had truly come for these children…
Then tonight wasn’t just an attack.
It was the start of a war.
And judging by the fury in Dagnoth’s eyes—
Kael had just made the worst mistake of his life.