Under The Lanterns

Chapter 10

Under the Lanterns

The final evening of the festival should have been relaxing.

Instead, Devin felt trapped.

Not physically.

Politically.

The large dining hall beside the Alpha House had been reserved for ranked wolves, visiting dignitaries, elders, and honored guests. Long wooden tables filled the room, covered with roasted meats, fresh bread, seasonal vegetables, and enough desserts to feed half the pack twice over.

At the head table sat the leaders of both packs.

Alpha Rowan Hunter occupied the center seat beside Luna Eleanor Hunter.

To Rowan's right sat Beta Garrett Hayes, Silverwood's trusted second-in-command.

Gamma Marcus Carter sat nearby, looking entirely too pleased about Silverwood maintaining a narrow lead over Blackthorn in the festival rankings.

Across from them sat Alpha Gideon Blackthorn and Luna Vivienne Blackthorn.

Vivienne possessed the kind of effortless warmth that put wolves at ease within minutes. More than once during dinner, Devin caught several Silverwood elders laughing at something she said.

Beside them sat Beta Knox Mercer, Blackthorn's scarred and intimidating Beta, whose calm demeanor contrasted sharply with his appearance.

Todd occupied a seat near Marcus.

Devin sat between Rowan and Sabrina.

Naturally.

Given Sabrina's satisfied smile, she viewed the arrangement as some sort of blessing from the Moon Goddess.

Devin viewed it as unfortunate luck.

Outside, music drifted through the open windows.

The rest of the festival was still going strong.

Inside, however, conversations revolved around trade routes, alliances, patrol schedules, and leadership.

Exactly as Devin expected.

The meal began pleasantly enough.

Stories about previous festivals turned into stories about ridiculous competitions.

Those stories somehow evolved into arguments about which pack produced stronger warriors.

Which somehow became arguments about whose Alpha had made worse decisions during their youth.

Gideon appeared to be winning.

"You jumped from a cliff?" Garrett asked.

Gideon shrugged.

"It looked shorter from the top."

Rowan groaned.

"That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard."

Vivienne buried her face in her hands.

"I married an idiot."

The table erupted with laughter.

Even Knox smirked.

For a while, the atmosphere remained easy.

Comfortable.

The kind of camaraderie that only existed between wolves who had known each other for years.

As the meal continued, the conversation naturally shifted toward the future.

Toward succession.

Toward the next generation.

Gideon's gaze settled on Devin.

"Tell me something."

Devin looked up from his drink.

"What would that be?"

The Blackthorn Alpha leaned back.

"Do you believe in fated mates?"

The question silenced half the table.

Even Garrett paused.

Across from him, Vivienne looked suspiciously amused.

"You enjoy causing trouble," Eleanor observed.

"Immensely."

Todd groaned.

"Oh good."

The older wolves ignored him.

Devin considered the question carefully.

"I believe they exist."

Gideon nodded.

"But?"

Trust an Alpha to notice the hesitation.

Devin sighed.

"But I don't think they're the only path to a successful partnership."

Marcus looked mildly scandalized.

Rowan looked thoughtful.

Gideon looked pleased.

"A practical answer."

Devin looked across the table.

"What about you?"

For the first time all evening, Gideon's expression softened.

He glanced toward Vivienne.

Then smiled.

"My mate and I weren't fated."

The table fell silent.

Again.

"You never mentioned that," Rowan said.

"You never asked."

Vivienne rolled her eyes affectionately.

"He enjoys surprising people with that fact."

"It works every time."

Knox barked out a laugh.

Gideon reached for his mate's hand.

The movement was automatic.

Comfortable.

Practiced after decades together.

"No mystical bond."

"No destiny."

"No sudden certainty."

"Just a very persistent Alpha," Vivienne added.

Laughter returned.

But Devin noticed the way Gideon looked at her.

The affection.

The certainty.

This wasn't the look of a wolf who regretted his decision.

As the conversation moved on, Knox drained his glass.

"Speaking of stubborn offspring."

Several smiles appeared.

The Beta continued.

"Where's Ryker?"

Vivienne smiled immediately.

"Not here."

That answer only made the smiles grow.

Gideon sighed.

"My son is currently enjoying the festival."

"Still no mate?" Marcus asked.

The room quieted slightly.

Gideon shrugged.

"He never found his fated mate."

"And if he does?" Marcus asked.

"Wonderful."

"And if he doesn't?"

Gideon's answer came without hesitation.

"He'll choose one."

Marcus frowned.

"That seems risky for an Alpha."

Knox folded his arms.

"Why?"

The single word carried enough challenge to silence the room.

Marcus looked uncomfortable.

"A strong Alpha requires a strong Luna."

"Agreed," Knox said.

"Fortunately strength isn't exclusive to fated mates."

Vivienne nodded.

"Sometimes love is a choice."

Gideon smiled at his mate.

"Often the better one."

The older Alpha took another drink before casually adding,

"Ryker will inherit Blackthorn the day he chooses his Luna."

The statement captured everyone's attention.

Even Rowan raised an eyebrow.

"You've finalized that?"

"I have."

Gideon's confidence never wavered.

"He's ready now."

"Then why wait?" Garrett asked.

The Blackthorn Alpha laughed.

"Because he refuses."

Several wolves blinked.

"He insists Blackthorn deserves stability before a transition."

Vivienne smiled proudly.

"My son wants a partner beside him before accepting the Alpha title."

Rowan nodded slowly.

A sign of respect.

Few heirs willingly delayed power.

Apparently Ryker was one of them.

As servants cleared plates and desserts arrived, the discussion gradually shifted from heirs to responsibilities.

From mates to borders.

From the future to immediate concerns.

Garrett set down his fork.

"Rowan mentioned concerns along the eastern boundary."

The atmosphere changed instantly.

Knox nodded.

"We've increased patrols."

"No sightings?" Rowan asked.

"No confirmed sightings."

The Blackthorn Beta looked dissatisfied.

Uncertainty clearly bothered him.

"We've found damaged boundary markers," Knox continued.

"Tracks."

"Dead livestock."

Garrett frowned.

"Rogues?"

"Maybe."

The answer came from Gideon himself.

The older Alpha folded his hands.

"Something is moving through the borderlands."

"Our shared border?" Devin asked.

Gideon nodded.

Silverwood and Blackthorn shared a heavily forested stretch of territory that had remained peaceful for years.

Which made the disturbances notable.

"Nothing aggressive yet," Knox said.

"But the incidents are becoming more frequent."

A thoughtful silence settled over the table.

Devin straightened slightly.

This felt like more than routine territory issues.

Not a crisis.

Not yet.

But enough to concern both Alphas.

"We'll increase patrols," Rowan said.

"And we'll do the same," Gideon replied.

The matter was settled.

For now.

Gradually, the tension eased.

Conversations resumed.

Music drifted through the open windows.

Laughter echoed from the festival grounds below.

As the evening wore on, Devin's attention wandered.

The grounds spread beneath the hall, illuminated by hundreds of lanterns.

Children ran between bonfires.

Wolves danced beneath the trees.

Stories were shared beneath the moonlight.

And near the edge of the festival, Devin spotted a familiar figure.

Jade.

She stood beneath a lantern talking with someone.

Ryker.

The Blackthorn wolf looked strangely uncomfortable.

Nervous, even.

A sight Devin hadn't seen once during the entire festival.

Jade laughed.

Ryker said something.

Then offered his hand.

Devin watched her hesitate.

Only briefly.

Then she smiled.

And took it.

Together they disappeared toward one of the quieter trails beyond the festival grounds.

Across the table, Gideon followed Devin's gaze.

A knowing smile appeared on the older Alpha's face.

He raised his glass.

"Interesting."

Devin frowned.

"What is?"

Gideon's smile widened.

"Nothing."

Beside him, Vivienne looked equally amused.

Which somehow made it worse.

For reasons Devin couldn't explain, he didn't believe either of them.

The conversation resumed around him.

Rowan and Garrett discussed patrol rotations.

Knox offered recommendations for additional border sweeps.

Marcus complained about trade negotiations.

Normally, Devin would have listened.

Tonight, he found himself distracted.

His thoughts kept drifting toward the trail where Jade and Ryker had disappeared.

Then the dining hall doors burst open.

The room instantly fell silent.

A young Silverwood warrior stumbled inside.

Mud covered his boots.

His breathing was ragged.

Every ranked wolf was on their feet before he spoke.

Rowan's voice cut through the silence.

"What happened?"

The warrior swallowed hard.

His pale gaze moved between Rowan, Gideon, Garrett, and Knox.

"It's the eastern border."

Every trace of warmth disappeared from the room.

Knox stepped forward.

"What about it?"

The young wolf looked shaken.

"We found another boundary marker destroyed."

A tense silence followed.

Then he added,

"And this time..."

His voice wavered.

"There was a body."

The entire hall froze.

Devin felt every instinct inside him sharpen.

"A body?" Garrett asked.

"Whose?"

The warrior's face had gone pale.

"We don't know."

For the first time since arriving in Silverwood, Alpha Gideon looked genuinely concerned.

The messenger swallowed.

"The wolf isn't from Silverwood."

His eyes shifted toward the Blackthorn delegation.

"And they're not from Blackthorn either."

The silence that followed was far more terrifying than any shout.

Somewhere beyond the hall, music continued to play.

Completely unaware that everything might have just changed.