Chapter Two
1153 Words
The forest had not yet forgotten the storm.
Even with the calm that followed the full moon, something restless lingered in the air—an unease that settled deep into the bones of every wolf within Blood Crescent territory.
Liam felt it.
He moved swiftly through the trees, his steps light but urgent, his senses stretched wide. The faint scent of blood guided him, sharp and familiar, cutting through the damp earth and night air.
Kael.
Of course.
Liam exhaled quietly, running a hand through his dark hair as he pushed forward. “Not again…” he muttered under his breath.
He already knew what he would find.
Another attempt.
Another failure.
Still, some part of him—stubborn, foolish—had hoped this time would be different.
It never was.
He broke into the clearing and came to a slow stop.
Kael stood at the center, shoulders tense, his back turned, moonlight glinting faintly against skin that had only just finished healing. The ground around him was torn apart, the remains of a crescent ritual scattered beyond recognition.
Liam’s jaw tightened.
So it failed.
Again.
For a moment, he said nothing, just watched his Alpha—his best friend—standing there like a man carrying a weight no one else could see.
They had grown up together.
Fought together.
Bled together.
And yet this… this was something Liam could not fight for him.
“You’re getting sloppy,” Liam finally said, his tone deliberately light as he stepped forward. “If I can track you this easily, imagine what an enemy could do.”
Kael didn’t turn.
“Good thing you’re not my enemy,” he replied flatly.
Liam huffed a quiet breath, folding his arms. “Depends on the day.”
Silence lingered between them, heavy but familiar.
Then Liam’s gaze dropped briefly to the ground, to the ruined markings, to the faint traces of blood that hadn’t yet fully disappeared.
His chest tightened.
“You tried again,” he said, though it wasn’t a question.
Kael gave a humorless chuckle. “What gave it away?”
Liam ignored that. “And?”
Kael finally turned.
There was no need for words.
The answer was written all over him.
Failure.
Again.
Liam looked away for a second, jaw clenching as frustration flickered across his face. Not at Kael—but at the situation. At whatever cruel force thought it amusing to cripple the strongest Alpha their generation had seen.
“This doesn’t make sense,” Liam muttered. “It just doesn’t.”
Kael didn’t respond.
Didn’t need to.
Liam began pacing slowly, running a hand across the back of his neck. “You’ve done everything right. Every ritual. Every instruction. Every damn witch we could find—”
“I said I’m done with witches,” Kael cut in sharply.
Liam stopped.
“Good,” he said after a moment. “Because I was running out of ways to threaten them into silence.”
That earned the faintest flicker of amusement from Kael—but it vanished just as quickly.
The weight of reality settled back in.
Liam exhaled slowly, his expression darkening. “The pack is getting restless.”
Kael’s gaze sharpened slightly, but he remained silent.
“They won’t say it to your face,” Liam continued, voice lower now, more serious. “But they feel it. They sense something’s off.”
Of course they did.
Wolves always did.
“The Blood Crescent Pack isn’t just any pack,” Liam went on. “We’re the strongest. The largest. The most feared. Other packs don’t challenge us—they avoid us.”
His eyes hardened.
“But fear doesn’t last forever.”
Kael’s jaw tightened.
“If word gets out…” Liam paused, choosing his words carefully. “If even a whisper spreads that the Alpha of Blood Crescent cannot shift—”
“They won’t just whisper,” Kael finished coldly. “They’ll come.”
Liam nodded once.
“Not one pack. All of them.”
And that was the truth of it.
Blood Crescent wasn’t just powerful—it was a threat. A symbol. The kind of dominance that made enemies unite just to tear it down.
“They’ll band together,” Liam said. “And for the first time in decades… we’ll be vulnerable.”
The silence that followed was heavier than before.
Kael turned away again, staring out into the forest, his expression unreadable.
Liam watched him carefully.
Then sighed.
“There is another option,” he said.
Kael didn’t react.
Which meant he was listening.
Liam stepped closer. “Instead of chasing witches who might sell your secret for the right price… you could stabilize things.”
Kael’s shoulders stiffened slightly.
Liam pressed on anyway.
“Take a mate.”
The words hung in the air.
Sharp.
Dangerous.
“I’m not doing that,” Kael said immediately.
Of course.
Liam rolled his eyes. “You didn’t even let me finish.”
“I don’t need you to.”
“You do, actually,” Liam shot back. “Because this isn’t about what you want.”
Kael turned then, eyes flashing faintly with warning.
But Liam didn’t back down.
“It’s about the pack,” he said firmly. “About survival. About securing your bloodline.”
Kael’s expression darkened.
“An heir changes things,” Liam continued. “It strengthens your position. It buys time. It gives the pack something to believe in.”
“It ties me down,” Kael snapped.
“It stabilizes the future.”
“It’s not happening.”
Liam stared at him for a long moment, then let out a quiet, disbelieving laugh.
“You’re unbelievable, you know that?”
Kael said nothing.
And that silence told Liam everything he needed to know.
Same as always.
Kael Draven—Alpha of the strongest pack in their world—could face war, betrayal, even death without flinching.
But the moment it came to something as simple as taking a mate…
He shut down.
Liam shook his head slowly. “You’ve always been like this,” he muttered. “Dodging every female like they carry some kind of disease.”
A flicker of irritation crossed Kael’s face, but he didn’t deny it.
He never did.
Liam studied him carefully, his expression shifting slightly.
“You can’t avoid it forever,” he said quietly. “Not this time.”
Kael’s gaze hardened.
“Watch me.”
Liam sighed, long and tired.
“This isn’t just about you anymore, Kael.”
But Kael had already turned away again, his posture closing off, his decision made.
The conversation was over.
For now.
Liam glanced once more at the ruined clearing, at the marks of another failed attempt, and felt a familiar sense of dread settle in his chest.
Time was running out.
The pack was watching.
And sooner or later…
Something was going to break.
- Writer
