“And then?” Killian asked.
I bared my teeth. “Then we prepare for the real fight.”
“Brand?” Killian asked again.
I looked between them. “I sent Axel out to track them.”
Killian’s eyes widened. “Alone?”
“No, I’m not reckless with my pack’s lives,” I snapped at him. I didn’t look at Diesel as I told them. “I sent him with Adair and Tariq, the beta from Emberfell.”
“Not reckless?” Diesel grabbed my shoulder. “She isn’t a fighter, and he’s a stranger.”
“She isn’t a fighter, but she can fight. She’s good with herbs and things if they’re injured…” I met his gaze. “She wanted to go. Tariq is Jaxson’s best scout. It’s a show of faith.”
“And if it bites you in the ass?” he asked me, eyes furious.
“If that happens, you have my permission to kick my ass.”
“I won’t need your permission,Alpha.” Diesel pushed past me. “You can be sure of that.”
We watched him stalk away.
Killian tsked softly. “I’m sure you told me that your mate told you to stay out of that.”
I didn’t look at him. “Mm-hmm. It’s merely a coincidence.”
Killian snorted. “No such thing, Wolfe.” He followed the same path Diesel had gone down. “Everything happens for a reason, remember?”
I remembered. That didn’t mean I always agreed.
“Wolfe?”Rowen called through the mindlink. “The druid needs you at the Heartwood.”
Right. My pack. My focus had to be here. I trusted Axel to find me answers about where the hell Brand was.
“I’m coming.”I got back to work.
Chapter 26
Rowen
I stooda few feet inside the glade, and I could feel the power emanating from it.
Through the trees, I heard the pack regrouping. Checking in with each other, fixing what was broken, and taking a moment to mend themselves. It made me smile at their resilience; my dad would have been proud of them. My smile turned into a frown. Wolfe thought I had forgotten or pushed it aside, but I heard what Lewis implied every time I had to pause during our preparations. Or when my mate fell asleep before I did, and the quiet of the night allowed all my doubts and insecurities to rise.
I felt it the moment Wolfe entered the glade—the heaviness in the air and the soft tremor beneath the soil. The Hollow wasn’t panicking; it was bracing itself. He moved through the trees, ducking to avoid the lower boughs. His eyes immediately found me, warming when he saw me waiting. Wolfe stepped toward me, blood smeared across his forearm and dirt streaking the side of his jaw.
“You’re hurt?” I asked, reaching for him.
“No,” he countered, gently grasping my wrist, bringing my hand to his mouth, and softly kissing my palm. “Not my blood.”
I nodded, swallowing down the emotion tearing at my throat. “The druid wants you.”
“You said.” He looked around, as if expecting the druid to have materialized the moment he appeared. “Where are they?”
“At the Heartwood,” I said, voice low and steady. “They’re strengthening defenses, I think they called it.”
Wolfe’s lips twitched. “And what does my mate call it?” he asked conspiratorially.
