Preparing for war

**Dimitri**

The echo of Haizel's footsteps as she was led out of the mansion still reverberated in my ears, even after she had disappeared from sight. The silence that followed was heavy, laden with a tension that seemed to envelop every stone, every wall of the mansion. But I couldn’t afford to dwell on the pain and betrayal. A war was imminent, and my focus needed to be on that.

I returned to the main hall, where Leonardo was waiting for me. His expression was grim, reflecting the gravity of the last few hours. He knew that expelling Haizel was necessary, but the decision hadn’t been easy for any of us. She had been a part of our pack for so long, and now her absence left a void that was hard to ignore.

“Dimitri,” Leonardo began, his voice low, “the preparations are almost complete. The wolves are ready to follow your orders.”

I nodded, trying to push aside the conflicting emotions that still enveloped me. “We need to be prepared for anything. Lucian is dangerous, even while imprisoned. He still has allies who might try to act on his behalf.”

“We’re reinforcing the defenses around the mansion and patrolling the borders,” Leonardo continued, his tone practical. “But the biggest concern now is the morale of the pack. Many are shaken by what happened with Haizel, and rightly so.”

I knew he was right. The trust within the pack had been shaken, and the news of Haizel’s betrayal, even if not yet fully disclosed, had already begun to spread. We needed to unite, or Lucian would exploit any breach to destroy us from within.

“I’ll speak to them,” I decided, my voice firm. “They need to know the truth, but they also need reassurance. They need to know that despite everything, we remain strong.”

Leonardo nodded, relieved to see that I was willing to face the problem head-on. “I’ll gather everyone in the main hall. They need to hear this from you.”

As Leonardo left to carry out my order, I stood in the hall for a moment, absorbing the enormity of what lay ahead. The war was approaching, and with it, a series of decisions that would test my leadership and the loyalty of everyone who followed my orders.

As time passed, the main hall began to fill. The wolves of the pack arrived in silence, their faces filled with expectation. Everyone knew that something was about to happen, something that would change the course of our lives.

When everyone was gathered, I placed myself in the center of the hall, letting my gaze pass over each of those present. I saw concern, fear, but also determination. They trusted me to lead them, and I couldn’t allow that trust to be shaken.

“You all know that we are facing difficult times,” I began, my voice echoing through the hall. “Lucian is imprisoned, but do not underestimate the danger he still represents. He tried to weaken us from within, using someone we considered one of our own.”

There were murmurs of surprise and concern. It was clear that many still didn’t know about Haizel’s betrayal, and I needed to be direct.

“Haizel betrayed us,” I continued, watching the immediate reaction of shock and disbelief on many faces. “She was manipulated by Lucian, and because of that, she put all of you at risk. But know that she is no longer among us. Haizel has been expelled from the pack and will never be welcome here again.”

The hall plunged into silence, the gravity of my words hanging over us like a dark cloud. I knew I was asking a lot of them—to accept the betrayal of someone so close, but also to trust that I was making the right decisions to protect them.

“There’s one more thing you need to know,” I added, my voice lower but heavy with seriousness. “Haizel revealed something that I never imagined possible. She confessed that Antonia… Antonia is not my daughter.”

The silence that followed was even deeper, almost suffocating. I could see the shock and confusion on the faces around me, and for a moment, I felt the weight of my confession as a crushing burden.

“This is difficult for all of us,” I continued, my voice breaking a little with emotion. “But the truth needed to come out. Lucian used this information to manipulate Haizel, to manipulate us. He wanted to destroy us from within, and Haizel allowed him to come close to succeeding.”

I took a deep breath, trying to regain control. “But we can’t let him win. Antonia is an important part of this pack, regardless of who her biological father is. I raised her as my daughter, and that doesn’t change anything for me. She remains part of our family, and we will protect her, just as we protect each other.”

Murmurs of agreement began to spread through the hall, and I could see acceptance beginning to form. It was a hard truth, but it was a truth we needed to face in order to move forward.

“Our next step,” I began, feeling the weight of leadership in every word I spoke, “is to prepare for war. We will strike before Lucian can react. We will end this threat once and for all. But for that, I need all of you by my side, fighting with everything you’ve got.”

The response was a collective growl of approval, a demonstration that the pack was ready for whatever came, despite the challenges. Their strength, their loyalty, was what would keep us standing.

“From now on, there will be no room for doubts or hesitations,” I continued. “Each of you has a crucial role to play. We need to be prepared, both physically and mentally, for what lies ahead. And above all, we need to trust each other.”

The murmurs of agreement spread through the hall, and I could see determination returning to their eyes. The initial shock was beginning to fade, replaced by a renewed will to fight, to protect what was ours.

“Leonardo will coordinate the patrols and reinforce the defenses,” I announced. “Everyone should follow his instructions. And I… I will be on the front lines with you. We will fight together, and we will win.”

The hall erupted in shouts of approval, the sound echoing off the stone walls. Despite the pain, despite the betrayal, the pack was united again, ready to face whatever came.

As they dispersed to carry out their duties, I stayed in the center of the hall for a moment, feeling their energy, the collective strength we were forming. I knew the battles ahead would be tough, but for a brief moment, I felt confident that with this unity, we could overcome anything.

I turned to leave, but not without first casting one last look at the empty room, reminding myself that despite everything, the weight of leadership had never been so real. But with the pack by my side, I was determined to carry that weight to the end.