Chapter 7: War looming

Lucien’s POV

“Did you see the size of it?” Ryder’s voice broke the silence as we sat around the fire, the glow of the flames dancing on his face.

“I saw,” Liam replied, his tone low. “Still can’t believe we brought it down. Took all of us.”

“It’s not just the size,” another wolf interjected. “Those claws, those eyes… like nothing I’ve ever seen before.”

I stayed silent, staring at the beast tied to the stake near the fire. Its lifeless body was a crazy sight, with fur matted in blood and flesh still glistening under the firelight. I could barely wrap my mind around what we’d faced out there.

Ryder glanced at me from across the circle. “What do you think, Alpha?”

My gaze didn’t leave the beast. “I think…” I began, my voice heavier than usual. “I’ve never seen anything like this in my life. And I don’t know how something like this exists in our woods without us knowing.

My pack hunting group fell into a tense silence.

“Get some rest,” I said finally, standing. “Tomorrow, we’ll deal with the body and figure out what this thing was.”

“Yes, Alpha,” they murmured in unison.

As the others dispersed to their tents, I waited a moment longer, staring at the beast. Its lifeless eyes seemed to mock me, a reminder of the wounds it had left—not just on my body but on my pride.

*****

Inside my tent, I tried to sit still, but the throbbing in my arm wouldn’t let me. The cut was deeper than I’d thought, and blood was seeping through the makeshift bandage I’d tied earlier.

“Damn it,” I said in aner, reaching for the flask of water on the table. My hand shook slightly as I lifted it, and the pain shot through my arm like fire.

I winced, hissing through clenched teeth. “Fuck!”

Dropping the flask, I grabbed a cloth from my bag, pressing it to the wound. The blood was warm and sticky against my skin, the metallic scent sharp in my nose.

“You’re not besting me,” I growled under my breath, more to myself than to the beast outside.

Reaching for my dagger, I sliced a strip from the bottom of my shirt.

Tying the cloth between my teeth, I braced myself, holding the needle and thread with trembling fingers.

“This is going to hurt,” Thorin my wolf whispered, steeling myself.

The first pierce of the needle sent a white-hot jolt of pain through me, and I bit down hard on the cloth in my mouth.

My vision blurred for a second, and a groaning sound escaped me, muffled by the fabric.

The tent flap rustled suddenly, and Ryder’s voice called out. “Alpha? Are you—”

“Stay back!” I barked before he could step inside.

The command hit him like a blow, and I heard him halt instantly. His wolf knew better than to push me when I was like this.

“Alpha, you’re hurting yourself,” he said cautiously. “Let me—”

“I said stay back!” My voice was a snarl, dripping with frustration and anger.

Ryder didn’t argue. I could sense his hesitation, but he obeyed, retreating with slow, deliberate steps.

As the pain flared again, I pressed the needle through the torn flesh, the pain didn’t just come frome from the wound It came from the fact that I had come to be a  failure tonight. A beast like that had almost taken a lot of my men down and even almost took me down—me, an Alpha.

The humiliation burned hotter than the pain.

****

Once the wound was stitched, I leaned back against the wall of my tent, my breathing shallow and uneven.

My arm shook fiercely, and the soaked cloth I’d bitten down on lay crumpled on the ground.

My wolf, Thorin, stirred in the back of my mind.

 But instead of the usual strength and reassurance he offered, I felt a storm of emotions: disappointment, frustration, and—what was that? Shame?

“You almost let that thing beat us,” Thorin’s voice rumbled through my thoughts, heavy with disapproval.

I scowled. “Don’t start with me right now,” I muttered aloud, the sound of my own voice breaking the tense silence in the tent.

“I’m not starting anything,” Thorin shot back. “I’m just saying… we’re supposed to be stronger than this. We’re Alphas.”

“Then why didn’t you do something?” I snapped, sitting up straighter despite the pain in my arm. “Why didn’t you take over when things got bad?”

There was a pause before Thorin’s response, and when it came, it wasn’t what I expected.

“I couldn’t,” he admitted quietly. “I was… scared.”

The word hit me like a punch to the gut. I froze, disbelief and anger flooding through me.

“Scared?” I repeated, my voice rising. “You’re scared? You’re supposed to be my wolf, my partner, my strength—and you were scared?”

“Don’t you dare lecture me,” Thorin growled, his tone defensive now. “You felt it too. That thing wasn’t natural. It wasn’t just a beast; it was something… wrong.”

“So what?” I barked. “You’re supposed to be better than me, Thorin. You’re supposed to take over when I falter. And instead, you froze.”

“I didn’t freeze!” Thorin snarled. “I assessed the situation—”

“You were scared,” I interrupted, my voice sharp. “Say it again. Say it out loud.”

“I already did,” Thorin snapped. “And maybe you should admit that you were scared too, Lucien.”

“Scared?” I scoffed. “No. Angry, maybe. Frustrated, definitely. But scared? Never.”

“Liar,” Thorin said, his voice dripping with disdain. “You reeked of fear out there. Don’t try to act like you didn’t feel it.”

“I was focused!” I argued. “I was trying to keep us alive, while you sat back and let me handle everything.”

“Oh, because you did such a fantastic job,” Thorin sneered. “Look at your arm. Look at the state of you. You call this leadership?”

“Don’t lecture me about leadership!” I shouted, my fists clenching despite the pain. “At least I did something. You’re the one who ran scared. A wolf too afraid to fight? You should be ashamed of yourself.”

“Ashamed?” Thorin growled, his voice louder now, angrier. “You’re one to talk. You’re the Alpha who let a beast get the better of him. How does that feel, Lucien? How does it feel knowing that your pack saw you bleeding and struggling?”

I gritted my teeth, the truth of his words stinging more than any wound. “We’re supposed to be a team,” I muttered through clenched teeth. “But tonight, you failed me.”

“No,” Thorin countered. “We failed each other. If we’re pointing fingers, then let’s be honest about it. You’re the one who hesitated out there. You’re the one who didn’t let me take control sooner.”

“You just said you couldn’t take control!” I shot back. “Make up your damn mind, Thorin.”

“Maybe you should make up yours!” he roared. “Are you the fearless Alpha you pretend to be, or are you just a man trying too hard to prove himself?”

The words hit me harder than I cared to admit, and for a moment, I couldn’t respond. The tent was silent except for my ragged breathing and the distant crackle of the fire outside.

Then, unexpectedly, Thorin’s voice softened. “Look, Lucien… we made it out alive. That’s what matters.”

“Barely,” I muttered, though the heat had drained from my tone.

I grabbed the half-empty wine bottle from the table next to me, my fingers brushing over the smooth glass. My wolf, Thorin, stirred in the back of my mind. He felt steady now, not all over the place like before.

“Wine? Really?” he asked, his voice full of dry humor.

“Why not?” I said quietly, pouring a good amount into the metal cup I had. The smell was strong as I swirled the drink slowly. “If we can’t celebrate winning, we can at least drink to staying alive.”

“To staying alive,” Thorin replied, his voice lighter now, almost playful.

I raised the cup, even though my arm ached from the stitches. “Cheers to still breathing,” I said, my voice carrying a hint of sarcasm.

Thorin chuckled, the sound deep and warm. “You’re impossible.”

“And you’re annoying,” I shot back, taking a sip. The wine burned a little as it went down, but it felt good, comforting even.

“But I’m right,” he said, sounding smug. “You need rest. Tonight was rough enough.”

I laughed a little, shaking my head. “Rest? After what just happened? Not a chance. My head’s spinning, Thorin. That thing… it wasn’t just some animal. It was something else.”

“You’ll figure it out,” Thorin said with confidence. “But not tonight. Tonight, we lived. That’s enough.”

I looked into the cup, watching the wine catch the faint light in the tent. “You’re way calmer now,” I said.

“Better alive than dead, remember?” he said with a teasing tone.

I smirked, leaning back against the tent wall. “Yeah. Better alive than dead.”

A rustling at the tent flap pulled me back to reality. Ryder’s scent reached me before his voice did.

“Alpha?”

“What is it now?” I asked, my tone sharper than I intended.

“I just… wanted to check on you,” Ryder said, keeping his distance.

“I’m fine,” I said curtly, though I knew my voice betrayed me.

Ryder hesitated, his eyes scanning my face. “That thing out there… it wasn’t just any beast. You know that, right?”

My gaze hardened. “I know. And I’m going to figure out what it was. But right now, we rest. Tomorrow, we deal with it.”

“Yes, Alpha,” Ryder said softly. He paused, his expression shifting to something more serious. “But we have another problem.”

I set the cup down, my body tensing. “What now?”