Chapter 202
Jake's POV
The wind bit through the pine trees, howling like the fury in my chest.
Ayla was resting. My mate. My Luna. My everything. And now, carrying my child.
I stood on the balcony of the war room, fists clenched at the railing. The packhouse below bustled with tension. Warriors sharpened blades, loaded weapons, patrolled in silent formation. My people, my family. And I had failed them.
Arnold's attack was not only cowardly—it was strategic. Striking when we were vulnerable, celebrating, distracted. A night meant for joy turned to blood and flames. He'd come too close. Ayla had nearly died. And now she carried our child.
He didn't just threaten me anymore. He threatened my blood.
Chris stood behind me, silent until I turned. "Everything's ready."
I nodded once. "The scouts?"
"Two came back. The others..." He hesitated. "Not a word."
Grief twisted in my gut. The ones we lost would be honored, but not forgotten. Arnold would feel every soul he cost me. Tenfold.
I turned to face the room. Sophie, Fatima, and two of our strongest commanders were gathered around the table. Ayla wanted to be here, but I had to force her to stay back. She needed rest. I needed her safe. I couldn't risk another second of fear like that.
"Arnold's fortress is heavily guarded, hidden in the Ironshade forest. They've reinforced the territory. He expects us to retaliate, but he doesn't know how soon."
Chris stepped forward and laid a map on the table. "We strike before dawn."
"With what?" Sophie asked, arms crossed, a dark glint in her eyes. "He's got rogue mercenaries now. Not just his pack."
"Then we bring the whole storm," I growled. "They want war? We give them war. But we do it smart."
I pointed at the east ridge on the map. "We send decoys to the western border. Noise, fire, chaos. Enough to draw attention. While they focus there, our best warriors slip through the east under a shield charm from Fatima."
Fatima's dark eyes sparkled. "I've already begun preparing it. We'll need Ayla's blood to bind the magic. She strengthens it."
My jaw clenched. Even from afar, Ayla would be part of this. I didn't like it, but I knew her magic was potent—a mix of fate and fire.
Sophie smirked. "What's the plan once we breach?"
I looked her straight in the eye. "We take Arnold alive."
Gasps echoed. Even Chris frowned.
"You want him to suffer," he said flatly.
"I want the truth," I replied. "I want to know who helped him. Who funds him. Who dares to stand behind a coward who strikes from shadows."
I saw Ayla then—in my mind. Her soft smile. Her strength. The blood staining her gown as I carried her from the battlefield. The tear that slid down her cheek before she blacked out.
He would pay.
We moved in the dead of night. The moon hung low, casting silver light through a quilt of dark clouds. Our wolves ran swift and silent, our breath misting in the chill air. Ayla had given her blood for the charm, despite her protests about being left behind. I kissed her forehead and promised to come back.
The western decoy lit up just before dawn. Flames bloomed against the horizon like angry suns. Screams, howls, and roars filled the air. And just as predicted, most of Arnold's defense flooded westward.
Chris, Sophie, and I led the strike force through the eastern tree line.
"Keep low," I ordered.
We crawled, crept, stalked. Magic cloaked us like a second skin. The wards trembled under Fatima's spell, allowing us to cross without triggering alarm.
Inside the fortress, the stench of betrayal reeked stronger than ever.
The guards never saw us coming. We took them down silently. A blade here. A claw there. A quick strike, a muffled grunt, and then silence.
I found Arnold in the war room—where all cowards pretend they're kings.
He stood behind a thick oak table, his graying hair slicked back, his eyes wide when he saw me.
"Jake," he breathed, lips twitching. "I wondered when you'd come."
I stepped in, slow, calm. Rage simmered in my blood.
"You threatened my Luna. Hurt my pack. Tried to burn my home."
He shrugged, smirking. "You made enemies, Alpha. You built too high, too fast. Someone had to remind you that even strong wolves bleed."
I crossed the room and slammed him against the stone wall before he could finish the sentence.
"And now someone will remind you what happens when you touch what’s mine."
Sophie entered, dragging a familiar face behind her. A younger wolf—Ronan—one who had once been a scout for my own pack. Betrayal stung deep.
"Found him sneaking through the archives," she said.
"Tell me what you know," I barked at Ronan.
He trembled under my gaze. "Arnold... he's not alone. He's working with someone. A group. They promised him resources. Soldiers. All he had to do was weaken your defenses. Create doubt."
"A name," I growled.
"They call themselves The Fracture," he stammered. "They're old. Hidden. They believe packs like yours keep the rest from rising."
The same words Ayla had heard from Prisca. For the weak to rise, the strong must fall.
Arnold laughed behind me, blood trailing from his mouth. "You think you're the top of the chain, Jake. But you're not. You're just a target with a title. And soon, others will fall."
I turned to face him fully. "Then let them come."
I hit him once, hard enough to send him to the floor, unconscious.
Chris raised a brow. "Now what?"
I straightened. "Now, we take him back. Let every pack see what happens to traitors. And we prepare. Because this wasn't the end. It was the beginning."
We returned at sunrise, the sky painted in amber and bruised purple. Ayla stood at the edge of the packhouse, wrapped in a cloak, worry etched on her face. I rushed to her, pulled her into my arms.
She pressed her hand to my chest. "You're okay."
"We're okay," I corrected, then knelt and kissed her belly. "All of us."
She smiled through tears. "Did you get him?"
"Yes. But he's just one piece."
She nodded, her jaw tight. "Then we fight the whole damn puzzle. Together."
I kissed her hard, because words would never be enough. Not for what she meant to me. Not for what we were about to face.
And together, we watched the sun rise over a future uncertain but ours to defend.
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