Chapter 130:
Late in the afternoon, I joined a patrol near the southern border, where Silas’s forces had been sighted earlier. The forest was eerily quiet, the usual sounds of birds and rustling leaves absent, replaced by the silence of wolves lying in wait. The tension was thick, every wolf on edge, ready to spring into action at the slightest movement. Then, like a ripple spreading through the trees, the scent of Silas’s wolves reached us. I caught the smell of damp fur, stale and sour, mixed with the unmistakable scent of aggression. They were close, hidden among the trees, their silence a dark promise.
“Elara,” I murmured into the communication line we’d established.
“They’re here. They’re moving in from the south.”
Her voice came back immediately, calm but urgent.
“Stay in formation, Dante. Wait for my signal. We’ll strike together.”
I glanced at the wolves around me, catching Ash’s eye. He looked young, nervous, but he gave me a firm nod, determination flashing in his gaze. He and the other younger wolves had been tested in the last skirmish, but this would be a different fight—a real battle, one that could mean the end of everything if we weren’t careful.
Silas himself emerged from the shadows, his eyes gleaming as he surveyed us with a look of twisted satisfaction. His wolves moved in behind him, spreading out in a formation that would press against our defenses. This wasn’t a scouting party; this was his full force, and he was here to destroy us.
I held my breath, my gaze darting to Elara’s position across the clearing. She was watching, waiting, her every muscle tense, her focus absolute. Her hand lifted slightly, the signal we’d been waiting for, and in one swift motion, the wolves of Talon Pack surged forward.
Chaos erupted as we clashed with Silas’s forces, the air filled with snarls, claws, and the heavy thud of bodies colliding. I fought with focused intensity, my every move calculated, each strike precise. Wolves came at me from all sides, and I countered each one, moving with a fierceness driven by more than just loyalty to the pack. I was fighting for Elara, for the future she was building, for the family I’d found here.
Beside me, I saw Ash and Reed fighting shoulder to shoulder, their movements rough but determined. They stumbled at times, their inexperience showing, but they held their ground, their loyalty keeping them steady even as the battle raged around them.
But Silas was ruthless, his attacks relentless as he cut through our ranks with a cruelty that left a trail of wounded and weary wolves in his wake. He was getting closer to Elara, his focus zeroed in on her, his gaze filled with the twisted satisfaction of a wolf who believed himself to be unstoppable.
I pushed forward, fighting my way toward Elara, determined to reach her before Silas did. My heart pounded as I watched him close in on her, his every move filled with deadly intent. Elara was holding her own, her movements graceful and controlled, but Silas was unyielding, his strikes brutal, his purpose clear.
Just as I closed the distance, Silas lunged at her with a force that sent her staggering back. She caught herself, but he was relentless, pressing forward, determined to break her. Without a second thought, I charged, positioning myself between them, my body a shield.
“You’ll have to get through me first,” I snarled, my gaze locked onto Silas, my voice steady despite the fury boiling beneath the surface.
Silas sneered, his eyes flashing with anger.
“Ah, Dante. Loyal to the end, aren’t you? It’s almost tragic.”
His words stung, a reminder of the wolf I had once been, of the mistakes I had made. But I pushed the bitterness aside, focusing instead on the loyalty, the love, that held me here.
“You don’t understand loyalty, Silas. You never will.”
He lunged at me, his claws raking through the air, and I met him head-on, our bodies colliding with a force that reverberated through the clearing. Every strike, every movement was fueled by a need to protect, to defend, to prove that I belonged here, that I was worthy of the trust Elara had placed in me.
As we fought, I felt the presence of other wolves closing in, their movements filled with the same determination. Ash and Reed flanked me, covering my sides, their youthful courage shining through their exhaustion. They fought not for glory, but for the family they had chosen, and their loyalty filled me with a renewed strength.
