Chapter 15: Shadows of Truth

The morning after the meeting felt different. The air was tense, charged with something invisible but heavy. Every conversation was quiet, every look sharp. The pack moved with purpose, but there was fear behind their strength. They knew the rogues were gathering again. And this time, it was not only about territory — it was about power, revenge, and truth.

Lena walked through the training field, watching the warriors spar. The sound of blades meeting filled the air. Sweat, dirt, and determination mixed together. She used to find comfort in the rhythm of training. It gave her focus, something solid to hold on to. But today, her thoughts were somewhere else — with Kieran.

Her brother’s words refused to leave her mind. *He killed our father.* No matter how many times she tried to convince herself that Damian had been honest, there was still a voice whispering that something did not add up.

She turned when she heard footsteps behind her. Damian approached, his expression calm but unreadable. The others around them lowered their heads in respect, but Lena stayed still.

“I want to speak with you,” he said quietly.

“About the rogues?” she asked, though she already knew that wasn’t the only reason.

He nodded once. “Walk with me.”

They left the training ground and followed the narrow path leading to the forest. The morning sun filtered through the leaves, casting golden light over the ground. It was peaceful, almost deceptively so.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Damian said at last. “You don’t trust me.”

She didn’t deny it. “I want to. But I can’t ignore what Kieran told me.”

He glanced at her. “And you believe him?”

“I don’t know what to believe,” she said honestly. “He’s my brother, Damian. I thought he was dead. Now he’s alive, and he’s saying things that—”

“That you wish weren’t true,” he finished softly.

She looked at him sharply. “Do you blame me?”

“No,” he said. “I’d feel the same if I were you.”

They stopped at a small clearing where the river bent through the trees. The water sparkled under the sun, and for a moment, the world felt almost quiet again.

“You asked me before why I didn’t tell you about your father,” Damian said. “The truth is, I didn’t want to reopen that wound. You had already lost everything. I thought telling you would destroy whatever peace you had left.”

Lena crossed her arms. “Peace built on lies isn’t peace.”

“You’re right,” he said. “But I didn’t lie to you. I only kept what I thought you weren’t ready to hear.”

“That’s still a lie.”

He nodded slowly. “Maybe it is. But everything I did, I did to protect you.”

Lena stared at the river. “You sound just like him.”

That made him pause. “Your father?”

“Yes,” she said bitterly. “He used to say the same thing. Every choice he made, every fight he started, he said it was to protect us. But it only ever brought pain.”

“I’m not your father,” Damian said firmly. “And I don’t intend to repeat his mistakes.”

The tone in his voice made her look at him again. There was no arrogance there, no anger — only truth. And pain. A kind of pain she hadn’t noticed before.

He stepped closer, his voice softer now. “I know you don’t believe me yet. But I need you to trust me enough to stay by my side. If Kieran is leading the rogues, he won’t stop until he gets what he wants.”

“And what does he want?” she asked quietly.

Damian’s eyes darkened. “You.”

The word hit her like ice. “What do you mean?”

“He blames me for what happened to your family. He thinks if he can take you from me — turn you against me — he’ll destroy everything I’ve built. You’re not just his sister anymore, Lena. You’re his weapon.”

Lena felt the blood drain from her face. She wanted to deny it, to say Kieran would never use her like that, but she remembered the look in his eyes that night in the forest. It hadn’t been the look of a brother. It had been the look of a soldier with a mission.

“I can’t be his weapon,” she said. “I won’t.”

Damian’s expression softened. “Then stay close to me. Let me protect you.”

She met his eyes. “And who protects you?”

For a moment, something flickered in his gaze — a small, quiet vulnerability. “I stopped needing that a long time ago.”

They stood there in silence, the wind brushing past them. The bond between them pulsed faintly beneath her skin, stronger now than ever. It was confusing, infuriating, and yet impossible to ignore.

After a long pause, Lena asked, “What are we going to do?”

He looked out over the river. “Prepare. We can’t wait for them to strike again.”

By midday, the entire pack was gathered in the main hall. Maps and weapons covered the tables, and the air was thick with the scent of sweat and tension. Damian stood at the head of the room, his presence commanding as always. Lena stood beside him, watching the faces of the warriors — tired, fierce, loyal.

“The rogues are regrouping to the east,” Damian said. “They’ve set up a base near the border. They’re waiting for something — or someone.”

“An ambush?” one warrior asked.

“Maybe,” Damian said. “But we won’t wait to find out. We’ll send scouts to track their movements. We need to know what they’re planning before they know we’re watching.”

He turned to Lena. “You’ll lead them.”

A ripple of surprise ran through the room. Lena felt every pair of eyes on her, but she didn’t flinch.

“Yes, Alpha,” she said.

After the meeting, Jace caught up with her outside the hall. “You really think it’s a good idea to go out there again? After what happened last time?”

“I can handle it,” she said.

“I know you can,” he said. “That’s not what I’m worried about.”

She frowned. “Then what are you worried about?”

He hesitated, lowering his voice. “Damian. He’s not thinking clearly. Ever since Kieran showed up, he’s been different. More… protective.”

“He’s always been protective.”

“This is different,” Jace said. “It’s like he’s afraid to lose you.”

Lena said nothing. She couldn’t deny that she’d noticed the same thing. Damian’s control, his calm — it was starting to crack. Every time he looked at her, there was a storm behind his eyes.

“Be careful out there,” Jace said finally. “Not just of the rogues, but of him too.”

Lena gave a small nod. “I will.”

That night, she prepared for the mission. Her blades were sharp, her instincts sharper. But her mind was a storm of questions she couldn’t silence. Every time she tried to focus, she saw Kieran’s face. And Damian’s. Two pieces of her past and present tearing her apart.

When the moon rose high above the forest, she led her team into the woods. The air was cold and still. They moved quietly, every sense on alert. Hours passed before they reached the border — a stretch of land where the trees grew thick and the scent of rogues lingered like smoke.

“Spread out,” she whispered. “Stay sharp.”

The forest was silent except for the crunch of leaves underfoot. Then, somewhere in the distance, came a faint whistle — a sound Lena hadn’t heard in years. Her blood ran cold. It was a signal. Kieran’s signal.

Before she could react, a shadow moved behind her. A figure stepped out from the trees, calm and unarmed.

Kieran.

“Hello again,” he said softly.

Her hand went to her blade. “Why are you here?”

“To talk,” he said. “Nothing more.”

“You don’t get to talk to me,” she said. “Not after what you’ve done.”

He smiled faintly. “You mean tell you the truth?”

“That wasn’t truth,” she snapped. “It was poison.”

Kieran sighed. “You sound just like him.”

“Damian?”

He nodded. “You’ve started to believe his story. The noble Alpha protecting his pack. You think he’s different from the monsters he fights. But he’s not, Lena. He’s worse.”

“Stop,” she said. “I won’t listen.”

He stepped closer. “You don’t have to believe me now. Just remember what I said when the time comes.”

“What time?”

“When he shows you who he really is.”

Before she could speak again, he vanished into the forest — silent as mist.

Lena stood there, shaking. The other scouts returned moments later, unaware of what had happened. She told them nothing. How could she? The truth was beginning to feel like quicksand — every step she took dragged her deeper.

When she returned to camp, Damian was waiting. The moment he saw her, his jaw tightened.

“You saw him,” he said.

Lena hesitated. “Yes.”

“What did he say?”

“Nothing that matters.”

“It matters to me,” Damian said, stepping closer. “He’s trying to break you. To turn you against me.”

“I know,” she said quietly.

“Then don’t let him.”

Their eyes met, and for a moment, everything else disappeared — the war, the fear, the lies. There was only the bond between them, raw and unspoken.

Lena felt her heart ache. “Damian… if he’s right—”

“He’s not,” Damian said. “And I’ll prove it to you. Whatever it takes.”

His voice was fierce, but his touch was gentle as he brushed a strand of hair from her face. For a moment, she let herself believe in him. In them. Because the alternative — believing Kieran — was too painful to bear.

But deep down, she knew the truth was still waiting. And when it came, it would break something neither of them could repair.