LOWERED HIS PRIDE

AUTHOR’S POV 

"Your cooperation. You will respect the rules, ensure your warriors do the same, and understand that any decisions affecting Haven will be made by me and my people."

Kaiden felt his pride rise in protest.

He was being asked to surrender control.

Not of Blackthorn, because Blackthorn was already gone, but of the small amount of authority he still possessed over the survivors who had followed him.

If his warriors saw him accept these conditions without objection, some might believe he had become weak. Others might begin to question whether he was still capable of leading them.

He had spent his entire life learning how to command respect.

He had never learned how to ask for it when he had nothing left to offer.

"Your people will have to understand that I remain responsible for the Blackthorn survivors," he said carefully.

"You can continue supporting your people. You can organize them, help them adjust, and ensure they follow the rules. But you will not override Haven's leadership."

"And if I disagree with a decision?"

"Then you may speak with me about it. Disagreement is not forbidden here."

Elena paused.

"Disobedience that endangers others is."

Kaiden looked at her.

There was no satisfaction in her expression. She was not enjoying the fact that she had the power to dictate his circumstances.

That realization made the situation even harder to bear.

If she had been cruel, he could have told himself that she was using his desperation to punish him. He could have hated her for it.

But Elena was being fair.

She was offering his people a chance to survive while refusing to sacrifice the safety of those who had already placed their trust in her.

He could not fault her for that.

He could only decide whether his pride mattered more than the lives depending on him.

Before he could answer, voices rose outside the building.

Kaiden turned toward the doorway.

One of his warriors had apparently learned about the proposed conditions.

"This is ridiculous!" the man shouted. "We are Blackthorn warriors, not some group of rogues begging for scraps!"

Another voice followed.

"We fought to protect our territory. We should not have to surrender our weapons to a healer!"

Kaiden closed his eyes briefly.

Of all the things he needed to deal with, this was the last.

He strode toward the doorway and stepped outside.

Several Blackthorn warriors had gathered near the supply area. A few Haven guards stood nearby, their hands resting on their weapons but making no move to intervene.

At the center of the argument stood Rick, one of Blackthorn's strongest surviving warriors.

His face was bruised, and a bandage wrapped around his forearm, but anger had given him enough energy to stand rigidly before the others.

"This settlement has barely enough walls to protect itself," Rick was saying. "Now they expect us to surrender our weapons and follow their orders. How long before they start treating us like prisoners?"

"Nobody is treating you like a prisoner," Garrick replied. "You agreed to enter Haven. Following its rules is part of that agreement."

"We agreed because we have nowhere else to go!"

"And that means you should be grateful for the shelter instead of insulting the people offering it."

Rick stepped closer.

"Watch your mouth."

Kaiden moved between them.

"Enough."

His voice carried across the yard.

The Blackthorn warriors immediately fell silent.

For a moment, the familiar sensation of command returned. These were his people. They knew his voice, understood his authority, and had followed him through battles that had cost them friends and family.

He looked at Rick.

"Explain yourself."

Rick's anger faltered, but only slightly.

"Alpha, we cannot accept this. They are demanding that we surrender our weapons, submit to their examinations, and work under their leadership. We have our own chain of command. We are not going to become servants to a settlement of refugees."

Kaiden studied the faces around him.

They were exhausted, frightened, and humiliated. They had watched their homes burn and their comrades die. Some had been forced to flee without knowing whether their families had survived.

They wanted something to hold on to.

Their weapons. Their rank.

The belief that they were still the warriors of Blackthorn, not survivors waiting for another pack to decide whether they deserved to live.

Kaiden understood that better than any of them.

But he also knew what would happen if they rejected Elena's conditions.

They would leave Haven.

They would return to the road with wounded companions, limited supplies, and no safe destination.

And the Ashen Plague would not care how proud they were.