The Road to Silver Crest

The wind carried the scent of blood and smoke long after the battle ended. Mistwood, once peaceful, now felt like a graveyard. The morning light struggled through the trees as Aria watched Kael wipe the last traces of the fight from his hands. His jaw tightened, his every movement sharp with silent fury.

He turned toward her, his golden eyes glinting in the dim light. “We have to leave. Now.”

Aria stood by the doorway, clutching the small satchel she had packed for Liam. Inside were herbs, a few coins, and the old silver pendant she once wore as a girl. Leaving the only home she had built in six years tore at her, but the fear in Kael’s voice left no room for hesitation.

“Where will we go?” she asked softly.

“Silver Crest,” he said. “It is the only place I can keep you both safe.”

Her eyes narrowed. “The same place where you broke me?”

A shadow crossed his expression, almost pain. “That was a mistake I intend to spend my life fixing.”

Before she could reply, a sleepy voice came from inside. “Mama?”

Liam peeked from the trapdoor, his eyes wide and innocent. Aria knelt, brushing his hair gently. “We have to go, my love. There are bad people nearby. We must leave before they return.”

He nodded, trusting her without question. Kael watched quietly, his chest tightening as he studied the boy’s face. The resemblance was too clear — the golden eyes, the sharp cheekbones. His son. His blood.

They left through a hidden path behind the cottage. The forest was damp, the scent of moss and iron thick in the air. Aria carried Liam while Kael walked beside her, his every sense alert.

“Do they know where we are going?” she asked.

“Not yet,” he said. “But they will not stop. Whoever sent them wants you alive.”

“Why me?” she whispered.

Kael hesitated, his tone grave. “Because you are not just a healer. You are the last of the Moon Priestess’s bloodline. If they control you, they can break the bond between Alphas and the Goddess. That power would destroy every pack.”

Aria stopped in her tracks. “You think I carry that kind of power?”

“I know you do,” he said quietly.

The trees began to thin. Beyond the woods lay the river road stretching west. Horses waited in a small clearing where Kael’s warriors stood watch, their armor gleaming faintly. The scent of steel and leather filled the air.

“Alpha,” one of the men said, bowing. “The path ahead is clear.”

Kael nodded. “Mount up. We ride through the night.”

Aria hesitated beside her horse. It was tall and restless, pawing at the dirt. Kael stepped forward, voice softer. “Let me help you.”

She wanted to refuse but said nothing. The weight of Liam in her arms made her accept his hand. Kael lifted her onto the saddle, his touch careful, almost reverent. For a brief moment, their eyes met — old pain flickering with something that felt dangerously close to warmth.

They rode hard through the woods. The hooves struck the earth like drums, echoing into the trees. The air grew colder, the scent of mist rising from the ground. Aria wrapped Liam close beneath her cloak and looked back once. Mistwood was fading behind them, swallowed by distance and memory.

Hours passed before the road curved along a rocky ridge. Kael rode beside her, his gaze scanning the dark horizon. Every shift of the wind made his muscles tense. Then his head snapped toward the trees.

The scent of wolves.

“They found us,” he said, his voice low and steady.

The warriors drew their weapons, forming a protective line. Aria’s pulse quickened as the faint sound of claws scraping rock echoed behind them. The Bloodfang scouts were faster than expected.

Kael turned his horse to her. “Do not look back. Keep your eyes on me.”

“Kael—”

“Trust me,” he said, eyes burning with command.

She did. Despite everything, she trusted him.

“Ride!” he shouted.

The forest erupted into chaos. Wolves burst from the trees, snarling. Aria clung to the reins, Liam holding tight against her chest as her horse raced through the darkness. The night was alive with roars, metal, and pounding hooves. The wind lashed her face, carrying the stench of blood and fur.

Behind them, Kael’s warriors met the attack head-on. The clash of claws and steel filled the air. Aria risked a glance over her shoulder and saw Kael fighting like a force of nature, his movements precise and merciless.

Then a blur of movement from the ridge. A massive wolf lunged from the shadows, teeth bared. Aria gasped, pulling her reins too late. Kael moved before she could scream. He leapt from his horse, shifting midair. His form twisted and burst into a towering wolf of gold and black.

He slammed into the attacker, both creatures tumbling into the dirt. The sound of snarls and snapping jaws echoed through the forest. Blood splattered the leaves. Aria watched, frozen, as Kael’s wolf fought with feral power. Every strike was rage and control woven together.

When the last Bloodfang wolf fled into the darkness, Kael stood in the clearing, chest heaving. He shifted back, his body marked with blood and dirt. Aria slid from her horse and ran to him.

“You are hurt,” she said, reaching for his arm.

He shook his head. “It is nothing.”

“You cannot protect us if you fall,” she whispered, her fingers brushing his skin.

His eyes softened. “You still care.”

“Do not mistake compassion for weakness,” she said, but her voice trembled.

Kael’s lips curved into the faintest smile. “I would never.”

The forest grew quiet again. Only the sigh of wind and the distant call of an owl broke the silence. Kael turned to his men. “We move before dawn. We reach Silver Crest tomorrow.”

They made camp by the river, hidden beneath the trees. The fire crackled, warm light flickering across Aria’s face as she held Liam close. The child slept, unaware of the danger still lurking beyond the trees. Aria stared into the flames, her thoughts heavy with memories she had tried to bury.

Kael sat across from her, the fire casting gold across his features. He wanted to speak, to tell her everything he had never said — that he had never stopped loving her, that every day without her had hollowed him. But the words refused to come. She would not believe them, not yet.

Their eyes met across the firelight. The silence between them was full of unspoken truths. Not forgiveness, not love, but something fragile and alive — the beginning of what could be rebuilt.

Above them, the moon rose high and silver. It watched quietly as the Alpha and his lost mate sat on opposite sides of the fire, bound again by fate and the child sleeping between them.