My steps became slow and distant as I forced body away
by from them. Away from any of them
It didn’t matter what the female had done. It was Ruda’s wake, and he deserved respect.
Chanting this like a song to calm myself, I moved forward.
My heart beat unevenly, like the wings of a wounded bird. I held my breath in my lungs, only breathing again when I stepped into the dense, dark forest. away from all of them.
The moonlight filtered through the wide branches of the trees, illuminating the path of dry leaves.
I looked up at it, praying to the star–sprinkled sky, or to any supernatural entity, to help me make Dineşti a safe and pleasant place for me and my sister.
I continued on my way alone, just as I always had been, since I lost Selena
sang softly as 1 walked, their legacy:
We are like destined warriors, like our ancestors.”
Let me be a warrior, but never a coward. As the Dâneşti were, as life had been shaping me to be,
POV Fenrir Dâneşti
My mind had already devised countless ways to kill Hanter. And none of them were light, beautiful, or simple.
The alpha was no longer just offending me by invading my territory. He had killed one of my wolves, destroying a family that belonged to my pack and was under my protection.
I drummed my fingers on the backrest of the wooden chair 1 was sitting in.
I
My pack was gathered in front of me for an assembly. I had called them to establish new rules for the protection of each member.
As you know, you must not go beyond the limits of our territory from now on, until the threat is under control,” Anton murmured, standing at my right side.
“There are guards throughout the area, patrolling day and night, but even so, it’s dangerous. The wolves attacking us are trained, they’ve studied our Territory and are always lurking. Andrei concluded, on my left
“Wouldn’t it be easier to return the female to her pack?” someone asked, a female voice shooting out from the crowd
I pressed my gaze, scanning each face in the room until I found her. She was one of Marilyn’s close friends.
“Savannah is part of the Dâneşti pack, and as a member, it is our duty to protect her, just like any other member here,” Andrei retorted.
“But it’s her fault were being attacked,” she
insisted.
“If we return her, we could go back to living in peace!” This time, it was Marilyn who spoke.
A wave of murmurs rippled around the room, members divided between duty to me and their personal opinions. A satisfied smile appeared on Marilyn’s face. This was what she had wanted from the start, and now she was gaining allies for her cause.
I stood up, silencing them.
“As you know, Savannah is linked to me. If she dies, I die, so there isn’t even the slightest possibility of handing her over to her old pack, to the wolves attacking us and killing ours.”
“But they might want her alive,” she shot back, shrugging her shoulders.
I stepped forward, curling my lips into a sharp smile. They lowered their heads, showing respect and loyalty to me.
“My decision is final. Andrel is right, she is part of the pack now, and like any other member, she must be protected. If I suspect anyone here is plotting against my orders, that person will suffer a violent death with their heart crushed by my own hands,” I hissed, letting the threat resonate. I couldn’t afford to worry about being betrayed within my own pack. Fear made people make stupid dechions. They were scared, sad, and mourning little Ruda, so if they
thought handing
g over Savannah to the wolves was the right thing, that’s what they’d do
“Understood?” I shouted the question, exhaling pheromones and asserting my dominance over each one of them. The closest to me shrank back, fearing my wolf and the chaos he would bring if betrayed. The others nodded, terror gleaming in every pair of eyes.
e pack’s territory. They
“Good! Otherwise, follow the instructions passed by Andrei and Anton. I don’t want any wolves wandering alone too far beyond the always come in groups, they d be easy targets.”
All were strictly forbidden to go into the territory of other packs. If one of my wolves were caught in another territory, they could be killed by the alpha of that area. It was their right as a leader, no matter the significance of the member to me. Just as I could do the same if a wolf from another pack invaded my territory. It was one of the most sacred laws created by our elders.
