Chapter 16: The Gathering Storm

The next few days passed in uneasy silence. The camp moved with routine, but the peace felt fragile. The warriors trained harder, the scouts doubled their patrols, and every night, the watchfires burned a little brighter. It was as if the pack could sense the storm that was coming — and they were right.

Lena spent most of her time outside the main camp, testing the borders and checking the traps. The forest had grown restless, and even the animals seemed to stay away. The wind carried scents that didn’t belong — faint, sharp traces of rogues moving close but never showing themselves.

She crouched near a ridge overlooking the valley. From here, she could see the distant mountains where the rogues were said to be hiding. Somewhere beyond that, Kieran was waiting. Watching.

She gripped her dagger tighter. It had been days since she’d seen him, but his words had followed her everywhere. *When he shows you who he really is.* The sentence haunted her. No matter how much she tried to bury it, doubt had already taken root.

“Lena,” came a voice behind her.

She turned quickly. It was Jace, moving quietly through the trees. His presence was steady, like always, a reminder that not everyone around her spoke in riddles and secrets.

“You shouldn’t be out here alone,” he said, lowering his voice. “Damian will lose his mind if he finds out.”

“He knows I can take care of myself,” Lena replied, standing.

“Yeah,” Jace said with a faint grin. “But that doesn’t stop him from worrying. You’ve noticed it too, haven’t you?”

She sighed. “He doesn’t trust me to be out of sight.”

“Not just that,” Jace said. “He doesn’t trust anyone around you either. You’ve become his weakness, Lena.”

That made her chest tighten. “I didn’t ask to be.”

Jace’s eyes softened. “I know. But love doesn’t ask.”

She blinked. “Love?”

He hesitated, then looked away. “Forget it. I didn’t mean—”

“Yes, you did,” she said quietly. “But that’s not what this is.”

Jace gave a sad smile. “Maybe not for you. But for him? I think it is.”

Before she could respond, a sharp crack sounded in the distance — a branch breaking under weight. Both of them went still. The air shifted, and a familiar scent drifted through the trees.

Rogues.

Lena drew her blade instantly. “We’re not alone.”

They moved fast, silent as shadows, weaving through the underbrush until they reached the edge of a clearing. There, crouched among the rocks, were at least six rogues. They were armed and waiting. From their position, it was clear — they were scouting the border, possibly planning an ambush.

Lena’s stomach twisted. “They’re closer than I thought.”

Jace nodded grimly. “We should report back.”

But before they could retreat, one of the rogues turned his head. His gaze locked directly on them.

“Run,” Lena whispered.

They bolted through the forest, branches snapping under their feet. The rogues gave chase, their growls echoing through the trees. Jace veered left, drawing two of them away, while Lena sprinted toward the river. Her lungs burned, her heart pounding. She could hear the snarls behind her, getting closer.

She reached the riverbank and spun around, blade ready. Two rogues burst through the trees, eyes glowing with hunger. They lunged, claws slashing. Lena ducked under one strike, slashing upward in a clean motion. The first rogue fell, blood staining the grass. The second caught her arm, claws tearing through skin. Pain shot through her, but she didn’t stop. She twisted, drove her dagger into his side, and pushed until he dropped.

Breathing hard, she wiped the blood from her blade. Her arm stung, but the wound wasn’t deep. She could still fight.

“Lena!” Jace appeared a moment later, bruised but alive. “You good?”

“Fine,” she said, though her voice trembled slightly.

He looked at the fallen rogues. “We need to get back to camp. Now.”

---

By the time they returned, night had fallen. The guards at the gate tensed when they saw the blood on Lena’s sleeve, but she waved them off. Damian was waiting in the main hall, standing over the map table. The moment he saw her, his expression darkened.

“What happened?” he demanded.

“Rogues near the eastern border,” Lena said. “Six of them. We killed four. The other two ran.”

His jaw tightened. “How close?”

“Too close.”

Damian slammed his hand against the table, the sound echoing through the room. “They’re testing us,” he said. “They want to see how far they can push before we react.”

“Then we react,” Lena said.

He looked at her. “You think that’s what they want?”

“I think waiting will only make them bolder,” she said. “If we show weakness, they’ll take advantage of it.”

There was a long pause. Then Damian nodded. “You’re right.”

He turned to the warriors gathered in the room. “Double the patrols. No one goes beyond the borders without my order. Tomorrow, we move east.”

The warriors saluted and left to prepare. When they were gone, only Damian, Lena, and Jace remained. The room was quiet, the firelight flickering against the walls.

Damian’s gaze shifted to her injured arm. “You’re hurt.”

“It’s nothing,” she said.

He stepped closer, his voice softer now. “Let me see.”

She hesitated, but he took her arm gently, inspecting the cut. His touch was careful, but the contact made her heartbeat quicken. He wrapped a clean bandage around it, then looked at her with a seriousness that made her chest tighten.

“You can’t keep doing this alone,” he said. “You don’t have to.”

Lena met his gaze. “I’ve been alone for a long time. It’s what I know.”

“Not anymore,” Damian said quietly. “You have me now.”

The words hung between them like a fragile thread. She wanted to believe them — to believe that the world had finally given her something real. But there was still that voice, faint but sharp, whispering from the back of her mind: *When he shows you who he really is.*

---

The next morning, the pack was already on the move. The warriors marched through the forest, their armor gleaming in the pale light. The air was thick with the scent of rain and earth. Damian led at the front, silent and focused, while Lena walked a few steps behind him with Jace and Elliot.

Hours passed before they reached the eastern ridge. From here, the valley stretched out below — wide, open, and empty. Too empty.

Lena’s instincts screamed a warning. “Something’s wrong.”

Damian nodded. “I feel it too.”

Elliot moved ahead, scanning the area. “No movement. But there’s a scent — faint, old. They were here.”

“Set up camp,” Damian ordered. “We stay alert.”

They worked quickly, setting up a small defensive perimeter. The rain began to fall, soft at first, then steady. The sound filled the silence, making every other noise sharper.

Lena couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched. She turned more than once, catching glimpses of movement that vanished when she looked. The tension in her chest grew until she could hardly breathe.

That night, she couldn’t sleep. The rain had slowed, but the forest still dripped with water. She sat by the fire, sharpening her blade, when Damian appeared beside her.

“You’re awake,” he said.

“So are you.”

“I couldn’t sleep,” he admitted. “Too quiet.”

She glanced at him. “You ever miss it? Before all this?”

He tilted his head. “Before what?”

“Before you were Alpha. Before everything became about war and duty.”

Damian’s eyes softened. “Sometimes. But I don’t think I was made for peace. It feels too still.”

Lena smiled faintly. “That’s because you’ve never had it.”

He looked at her, his gaze deep and unreadable. “And you have?”

She thought about it for a moment. “Once. A long time ago. When my family was still alive. Back when I still thought the world made sense.”

He was quiet for a long time before speaking. “I wish I could give you that again.”

“You can’t,” she said softly. “No one can.”

The fire crackled between them. The warmth brushed her face, but the chill inside her didn’t fade. She turned her head slightly, her voice barely above a whisper. “Damian… did you really kill my father?”

The question landed like a blade. He didn’t look surprised. Instead, he took a slow breath and met her eyes.

“Yes,” he said finally. “But not the way your brother told you.”

Lena’s heart stopped. “Then tell me the truth.”

He leaned forward, his voice low. “Your father wasn’t the man you remember. He made a deal with the rogues years ago. He gave them land — our land — in exchange for power. When I found out, I confronted him. He attacked me. I didn’t want to kill him, but he gave me no choice.”

Lena’s mind spun. “That can’t be true.”

“It is,” Damian said quietly. “And Kieran knows it. He was there.”

“Then why would he lie?”

“Because he can’t face the truth,” Damian said. “He’s been twisting it for years, turning his pain into hate. And now he wants to destroy everything that reminds him of what happened — including you.”

Lena sat there in silence, her chest heavy. She wanted to ask more, to demand proof, but the look in Damian’s eyes stopped her. There was no lie in them. Only sorrow.

“I’m sorry,” he said softly. “You deserved the truth sooner.”

She looked away, blinking back tears. “Thank you for telling me.”

For the first time in a long while, she believed him. Or at least, she wanted to.

He stood, his hand brushing her shoulder. “Get some rest. Tomorrow will be harder.”

When he walked away, Lena stayed by the fire, staring into the flames. The truth had finally come out — or so she thought. But the world had a way of twisting even truth into something sharp. And as the night deepened, a new sound reached her ears — distant howls echoing from the valley below.

The rogues were coming.

And this time, they were not hiding.

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