“It’s called leading through loyalty and mutual respect, not fear and threats,” I return, bristling at the way he talks down to me. “I’ve earned their trust, and I’ve earned my place. Don’t be surprised when I show you why.”
His grin lingers, but a hint of a challenge flickers in his eyes. “I can already see you’re willing to go the extra mile to get what you want, but you haven’t been doing this as long as I have.You’ll tire. You’ll lose interest. You and the other packs on this island don’t know what it means to truly fight. To use any means necessary to secure a legacy.”
“We have an order. You function on chaos and anarchy. Your pack pushes too far for your own good, and that’s exactly why you’re exiled so far north.”
At this, Dawson just laughs. “Anarchy? Perhaps. But we aren’t afraid of the unknown, unlike you whelps. We don’t squirm at the sight of magic. Real, undeniable magic.”
“That’s why you’ve been after them,” I mutter, gaze sharp on him. “For their magic.”
“Mostly for the child’s abilities, but yes. And it seems I was right to.”
Something brutal and ugly rears inside me, and my words come out growled. “She isn’t yours to take. Neither of them is.”
“I beg to differ,” he counters, letting that amusement of his drop into something more sinister. “I’m challenging you for them both, right here, right now. If you’re half the Alpha you claim to be, then prove it, weakling. As of right now, they’re Wraith Peak’s property. You can either hand them over, or I’ll take them by force.”
My reaction is immediate as my inner wolf snarls violently from within me.No fucking way.
The others tense behind me, still holding their wolf forms aside from Lila and Astrid, but none of them protest. They know what I need to do.
“You can try,” I snap back, moments away from seeing nothing but red.
Lila’s worry is immediate through the bond, but I brush back against it in return, silently reassuring her that this isn’tsomething I can just walk away from. That so long as I breathe, nothing will happen to them.
I already lost them once, and I’ll be damned if I let it happen again.
Dawson’s grin sharpens into something lethal. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
Then, he lunges, and I meet him halfway, body already morphing and taking shape right before we collide in a tangle of claws and teeth.
All the while, my fury expands, prepared to do whatever it takes.
He will not take them. He will not win.
Chapter 27 - Lila
The moment Dawson and Caleb clash, my heart drops, and Astrid jerks in my arms, forcing me to realise that this is the last place she should be.
“Mama...” She whimpers into my neck as she clings to me.
I barely have the chance to soothe her before Luke and Dominic are there, the latter being in his human form. His expression softens the moment he looks at her.
“I’ve got her,” Dominic says. “We’ll keep her out of sight until it’s over.”
Even if Astrid has always responded well to them, she frowns and clings to me tighter. “No, I want Mama—”
My heart lurches. I hate this… all of it.
But I can’t have Astrid here while Dawson is in a frenzy, and not while he and Caleb are going for each other’s necks right now. She doesn’t need to see this.
“Astrid, honey. Look at me,” I say, pulling her back enough to look into her eyes, shielding her from the fight. “You know Luke and Dominic… they’ll protect you.”
It pains me to have to accept it myself, but I’ve seen them with Caleb. They’d never do anything to hurt Astrid. As hard as it is to be separated from her, I know this is for the better.
Her eyes are glossy with tears and panic. “I don’t want to leave you.”
“You’re not leaving,” I tell her softly, stroking her cheek. “You’re just going somewhere safe for a bit. I need you to be brave, just like you were earlier, and I’ll see you soon.”
At this, Astrid lets go of a shaky breath before slowly loosening her hold on me and allowing me to lower her to the ground.
