All Chapters of They Both Wanted Me: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

The sun rose over the mountains like a blessing.Golden light crept through the broken windows of the cabin, painting the ruined walls in shades of warmth that felt almost foreign after the darkness of battle. Somewhere outside, birds were singing—oblivious to the blood that had soaked the earth just hours ago. Oblivious to the dead. Oblivious to the miracle that three hearts were still beating inside this battered wooden shelter.Lena opened her eyes slowly.Her body screamed in protest. Every muscle ached, every bone felt bruised, every breath pulled at wounds she hadn't fully registered. But she was alive. Against all odds, against the army that had come for them, against Magnus's ancient power—she was *alive*.And she wasn't alone.---Kael lay on her left, his massive frame curled protectively around her even in unconsciousness. His face was streaked with dried blood—some his, some belonging to enemies who'd learned never to cross an alpha wolf protecting his mate. His chest rose

Three days had passed since Lilith's appearance at the border.Three days of tense silence, of waiting for an attack that never came. Lilith had vanished as suddenly as she'd appeared, leaving behind only a chill in the air and the lingering threat of her words. *This is going to be fun.*Lena hadn't slept much since then."She's playing with us," Caspian said that morning. They sat in the cabin, the three of them huddled around a small fire. "Drawing out the anticipation. Making us wait.""It's working." Kael's golden eyes were shadowed with exhaustion. "My pack is on edge. Everyone's waiting for the other shoe to drop."Lena stared into the flames. "Then we don't wait. We prepare. We learn everything we can about her."Caspian was quiet for a moment. Then: "There's somewhere we can go. Someone who might know more about Seraphine's heir.""Where?""The vampire stronghold. My world." Caspian's red eyes met hers. "It's time you met my kind, Lena. Time they met you."---The journey too

The wolves circled like predators.Lena stood frozen at the center of the clearing, her pendant blazing against her chest, her heart pounding so hard she could hear it in her ears. Kael remained on his knees a few yards away, held down by wolves she'd once thought of as family. His golden eyes burned with helpless fury."Marcus," Lena said, forcing calm into her voice. "Whatever you think you're doing, this won't end well for you."The vampire smiled—that cold, triumphant smile that made her want to rip his throat out. "Oh, I think it will. You see, I'm not alone in this. I never was."From the shadows beyond the clearing, a figure emerged.Lilith.She was even more beautiful up close—flawless pale skin, dark hair that seemed to drink the light, eyes the color of blood that had never been allowed to dry. She moved like smoke, like shadow, like *death*. And when she smiled, Lena understood true terror."Cousin." Lilith's voice was honey and poison. "We meet again.""You." Lena's hands

The argument erupted at dawn.Lena had tried to hold it together—she really had. But after three days of planning, of preparing, of watching Kael and Caspian circle each other like wary predators, something inside her snapped."You're doing it again," she said, her voice sharp. "Both of you."Kael looked up from the map he'd been studying. "Doing what?""Circling. Glaring. Acting like you're still enemies instead of—" She gestured vaguely. "Whatever you are now."Caspian's jaw tightened. "We're not acting like anything.""No? Then why have you barely spoken to each other in three days? Why does every conversation feel like a negotiation?" Lena's eyes blazed. "We're about to go to war. Together. And you two can't even look at each other without—""Without what?" Kael's voice rose. "Without remembering that he's a vampire? That his kind has been killing mine for centuries?""And wolves haven't killed vampires?" Caspian's red eyes flashed. "Let's not pretend your hands are clean, alpha."

The message burned in Lena's mind.*See you soon.*She'd read it a hundred times since the attack, and each time her blood ran colder. Lilith was alive. Lilith was planning. Lilith was *coming*."We need to move." Kael paced the command tent, his golden eyes blazing with restless energy. "Waiting here, letting her control the pace—it's suicide.""I agree." Caspian stood at the tent's entrance, watching the darkness beyond. "But moving blindly is worse. We need information. We need to know where she is, what she's planning, who's with her.""And how do we get that?" Lena asked.Silence.Then a young wolf burst through the tent flap. "Alpha! There's someone at the border. Claims he has information about Lilith. He's asking to speak with—" The wolf glanced at Lena. "With the hybrid."Lena's heart lurched. "Me?""He says he knows things. About Lilith's plans. About her weaknesses." The wolf hesitated. "He also says he worked for Viktor. Before Viktor fell."Kael was on his feet instantly.