Chained by Bond

Chapter 6

The journey started in complete silence. Only sound made from the boots and some paws in a uniform and steady rhythm, marching them into uncertainty. The mist had lifted at this time, succeeded by the pale light of the morning that colored the path.

Silver took her place at the front of the march, her shoulders straight and squared; every step she took was measured. Her heart beat roared in her ears, louder than the rhythm of the rogue warriors that followed her. She could not afford to look fragile before them, and she could not afford to crumble for herself.

Her mind and thoughts were haunted by what they might find once they got to the Hollow moon pack. Her home, which was once filled with joy and laughter, could now be drenched in blood. She wondered if her father would still be alive. If there were anyone left to save.

She kept chewing the insides of her mouth until they bled, tasting the iron. No, he couldn’t be dead, not yet, he’s strong and he would pull through, he has to be alive.

Matt walked behind her, his presence unavoidably known; he moved with controlled precision, like the earth itself. She was worried that he could see through her facade and notice that her resolve was not as strong and was cracking beneath the surface.

She finally broke the overstretched silence. “Do they always march in this manner? Without making a single sound? This could pass for a funeral procession.”

Matt looked back at the warriors with admiration. His voice carried a hint of pride. “That is discipline. They were trained that way by Arthur. They do not talk or falter. They walk with purpose.”

Silver frowned at the mention of Arthur and questioned. “And what exactly is their purpose? To frighten the enemy or follow his every command without question?’

Matt turned his head sharply toward her with a look on his face. “It’s both. Do not mistake their loyalty for naivety. Arthur had earned their obedience. He does not have to give orders more than once for them to carry them out.”

She sighed, rolling her eyes. “This looks more like chains and not loyalty.”

Matt's face hardened and his jaw tightened, but he gave a calm reply. “ You barely know him, and yet you judge him so easily. You have no idea what he has carried, what he has built, how many lives he has saved. The rogue pack would not be a thing if not for Arthur.”

Silver shook her head in disbelief and said. “ I find that hard to believe, considering that my pack was burning and under attack, and his first course of action was to refuse to help us. To act like lives mean nothing to him.”

Matt narrowed his eyes at her. “ He hesitated because he knew what the cost was. War is not something to rush into; it’s not numbers on parchment, it is lives in the mud. Wolves do not survive war and remain the same. And neither do their Alphas.”

She began to say something, but stopped herself from arguing. And for a while, the only sounds in the were from birds and the silent march of the warriors.

“What about you? Would you hesitate? She later asked, but quieter this time.

Matt’s face softened, but his voice remained the same. “ Hesitation is not part of my job description. I do not get to hesitate. My role is to follow him. To watch his back and carry out his orders. That is what loyalty looks like. Even times when I do not agree with him, especially when I do not agree with him.”

Silver looked over at him, studying his face. “ If you had been the one he ordered to lock me up and leave my pack to die, would you have done it?”

Matt looked pointedly at her, took a beat, and responded. “Yes, I would carry out his order first, and then talk to him after. Arthur does not do or give orders without reason.”

Her chest burned with unspoken words; she wanted to call it out, but the way Matt talked about Arthur with respect and spoke without shame stole the words right off her tongue.

The silence returned, heavier than before. The warriors behind them marched like shadows, their breath misting in the cool morning air. Every step forward brought them closer to the Hollow Moon and rogue pack border, closer to devastation she wasn’t sure she was ready to see.

The air around the border thickened as they got closer. The warriors also sensed it because the movement stopped all of a sudden, the silence stretched, their eyes darted to the trees, and their ears twitched at ghost sounds. A raven cawed in the distance, and the sound carried, like an omen.

“This feels wrong already”, one of the younger wolves muttered, but loud enough to travel across the silence.

Silver turned her head back sharply. Her voice was cold and commanding. “ You should turn that fear into fangs. Every single breath you take now is for the hollow moon pac. Any doubt will get you killed faster than claws will.”

The young wolf”s straightened up, with shame and resolve shining in his eyes.

Matt was quiet. He gave her a side glance, a quiet approval, and something that resembled pride. He had seen a fragile young woman last night, and here she was, steel cutting through her voice.

Matt broke the quiet, his voice in a whisper.

“Prepare yourself, Silver. Whatever waits for us won’t be easy to look at. And if you fall apart, my men will see it. They’ll start to doubt; do not give them reason to.”

She swallowed, lifting her chin even as her stomach twisted. “I won’t fall apart.”

Matt gave her a sidelong look, measuring her. “Good. Then hold to that.”

Still, when her gaze flicked forward, doubt struck her again like a knife. Arthur’s words echoed in her mind. They’re warriors, not martyrs. She hated that he was right, and every step she took was a gamble, and she was the one holding the stakes.

The path narrowed into a valley flanked by jagged stone. The wind carried the faint stench of ash and blood. Wolves began to growl low in their throats.

Silver’s heart hammered. The world she had left behind was only miles away. Soon, the march would end, and the fighting would begin.

She took a deep breath to steady her trembling chest.

“Eyes open. Weapons ready. From here, we don’t falter.”

Matt called out, his voice rang out, firm as steel, even as her insides threatened to split apart.

The grounds of the hollow moon camp looked like a war ground. There was blood everywhere, the dirt paths, the grasses, and even the air was thick with the residual smell of smoke. Houses were half burned to the ground, and wolves, in their human form, were injured.

Silver’s eyes clouded with unshed tears as she saw her home in the shambles, her boots crushed broken twigs as she walked towards the heart of the pack, where her house, the Alpha's lodge, was. People stared at her like she was a stranger; some looked at her with suspicion, while some looked relieved.

“Silver!, a voice yelled, and a woman ran towards her, dragging her little child with her. Her body and hair were covered with soot. “Oh, thank the moon goddess, you are alive, and you_” she shifted her gaze to the warriors fanning out behind Silver and her smile vanished. “Please tell me these are not who I think they are, you brought rogues into our home?’

Silver quickly tried to assure her. “They are here to help, I promise you.”

“Help us? The woman’s voice rose. “You sought help from the rogue alpha? She instinctively pulled her child closer, shaking her head in disgust. “What did you promise in return, silver? What have you traded for this?”

Wolves were starting to move closer to the scene, and Matt spoke up before Silver had the chance to respond to the woman. His stance was firm but calm. “We are here under Alpha Arthur of the rogue pack’s command. Your people will not come to harm at our hands. We are here to defend you against the attacks.”

Somewhere in the crowd, a bitter laugh was heard. “How do we know it was not your people that attacked us, and this might be some part of an elaborate plan?’

Another bleeding wolf, bleeding through his cloth, snarled low. “ Why should we believe Alpha Arthur’s wolves when his claws have taken so many lives?”

Silver raised her hands in a desperate attempt to calm the wolves, her voice cracking. “Because I asked for his help, there was no other choice_”

An older wolf, a pack healer, her hands stained red from treating wounds, made her way forward. “What do you mean, no choice? She asked in a raspy voice. “Silver, the Alphaliess inside dying, his blood soaks the ground, and you dare bring rogue wolves into our heart. Where is your loyalty, girl?”

The reaction from her people was not what she had expected; their words cut deep. She tightened her jaw but did not flinch. “If loyalty means doing nothing and watching us die, then I choose survival.”

The crowd started talking all at once; some sounded angry, some agreed with her.

Matt stepped in, his voice sharp. “Enough. Your Alpha’s daughter has come to us and begged to fight for your pack's survival. You can doubt her choices all you want, but the time you waste on that will feed your enemy.”

One of the warriors from the rogue pack snorted. “If you make it through the day.”

“Shut your mouth.” Silver snapped at him, whipping her head around. Her eyes were cold. “You may wear his colours, but as long as you’re here, you respect my people, or you can go back to your master.”

The warrior stiffened, and Matt cut in before it went any further. “Hold it, Darius, we are not here to pick petty fights.”

“Then help,” a young wolf from the hollow moon pack shouted, his face streaked with tears and dirt. “If you are really here to help us, prove it. My brother is nowhere to be found,” his voice cracked. Help me bring him home.”

The weight of the grief in the pack made Silver’s chest ache, but she forced herself to be steady.

“Where is my father?” she finally asked, quietly.

The healer’s face saddened. She nodded towards the Alpha’s quarters, a house with a blackened door. “He’s barely holding on. He has waited for you.”

Silver’s steps slowed down as she went towards the house that she grew up in, the warriors behind her growing uneasy.

Matt walked quickly to catch up with her, lowering his voice. “You have to steady them. They clearly do not trust us, but we are following an order, and we will fight and protect. But silver,” his eyes directly fixed on her, serious. “ My loyalty lies to him, not you. I am only here because he commanded it. Do not mistake this.”

Silver nodded, swallowing hard. “I understand.”

His expression did not move; he gave a single nod and turned back to where the soldiers stood.

The house smelled like smoke and iron. The smell of herbs burned to cleanse infections filled the air, but it did nothing in masking the stale smell of blood. Silver made her way ever so lightly without making a sound and pushed the door, and nothing could have prepared her for the sight she was met with.

The alpha lay on a bed, his skin pale, his once strong build having diminished, leaving him in a shell of his former self. A healer was at his side, tending silently to him, his eyes filled with exhaustion, lifted the moment he saw silver.

“Oh my silvermoon..” His voice was low, barely audible.

“Father,” she whispered, rushing to his side. She went down on her knees and held his hand, hot with fever, in both her palms. “I am back, I’m right here with you.”

“Father,” she whispered, rushing to his side, falling to her knees. Her fingers clutched his hand, hot with fever. “I’m here. I came back.”

He chuckled weakly, and his body shook as he coughed. “ I knew you would. I had faith in you.”

Silver fought back tears, biting her lower lip as they trembled, refusing to break down. “ I did not come alone; I got us help. We have warriors to fight and protect us; they are from the rogue pack.”

His brows furrowed at the announcement. The Alpha turned his head slowly, as if he was trying to hear her clearly. “Arthur’s wolves?

“Yes,” she responded, already prepared for his reaction after the reaction she got from the pack people outside. “ I need you to trust me, Father.”

The Alpha squeezed her hand. “What did he want in return?” His eyes searched silver’s.

Silver’s throat tightened, contemplating whether to tell her father that he was her mate, but decided against it. “Nothing, father. He requested nothing.”

He did not look satisfied, but he let it go. “You should not have to carry the weight of the pack this early.”

“It is time I did, Father, I am ready. Let me save our pack.” Silver leaned closer, resting her forehead against his. “Just stay with me long enough to see us through this.”