CHAPTER 14
1068 Words
We rushed into the head office where my father, his beta, and the council sat around a large wooden table, deep in discussion. The heavy atmosphere in the room pressed down on me the moment Andrew and I stepped inside.I forced myself to calm my racing heart as I took in the serious expressions around me. My father’s sharp eyes found mine immediately.
“What is the matter?” I asked through the mind link, my tone firm.
He exhaled, rubbing his temples before speaking aloud for everyone to hear. “You both need to sit down for this.”
That alone made my pulse quicken. A sudden meeting like this only meant one thing, trouble.
Andrew and I moved to the empty seats opposite my father. I kept my posture straight, my expression unreadable, though unease churned in my stomach.
“The representatives from the New Haven pack have returned our peace offerings. Every gift, every proposal, sent back without a word.”
Silence followed his statement. The weight of what it meant sank in fast. If they rejected the peace offering, they were making their stance clear.
They wanted war.
A frown creased my brow. “That doesn’t make sense. We negotiated a fair arrangement. They agreed to the terms. Why would they suddenly change their minds?”
No one had an answer.
Even if the New Haven pack wanted more land, they knew they were outmatched. With our alliance with the DarkEast warriors, we held the advantage. If they declared war, they would lose.
So why do it?
I clenched my fists. “They have to know we’ll win if it comes to battle. This isn’t a move made out of desperation, there’s something else at play here. Someone is pushing them toward this.”
Murmurs spread through the council, but no one had an explanation. For hours, we analyzed possible reasons, strategies to avoid war, and the risks of direct confrontation.
Deep down, I knew one thing: If it came to war, I would be ready.
I had trained for this. My warriors had trained for this.
Still, no matter how prepared we were, war was costly. It drained resources, shattered lives, and left behind scars that never fully healed.
“I’ll go,” my father finally said, breaking the silence. “I’ll speak to them directly and try to salvage the peace.”
“No.” The word was out of my mouth before I could stop it.
All heads turned toward me. My father’s expression hardened.
“Liam…”
“You can’t walk into this blindly. If they’ve already rejected diplomacy, what makes you think they’ll listen now? And if they are set on war, do you really think they’ll let you leave alive?”
His jaw tightened. “We cannot sit and do nothing. We need answers.”
I shook my head. “Then let me go instead.”
His eyes darkened with authority, and before I could argue further, one of the council members spoke up.
“Your father is still the Alpha, Liam. You don’t get to make that decision for him.”
Another elder nodded. “If the Alpha believes this is the best course of action, then it is.”
I bit the inside of my cheek, struggling to rein in my frustration. They were talking about sending my father into a potential death trap, and I was expected to just sit back and allow it?
“You know that going there means no warriors at his side. He’ll be alone, vulnerable. That’s a risk I’m not willing to take.”
My words stirred murmurs among the council, but my father remained unmoved.
Then he said the one thing that shut everyone up.
“At the end of the day, I am still the Alpha. And I will do what needs to be done.”
The finality in his voice sent a sharp pang through my chest.
He had made up his mind.
I clenched my fists under the table, forcing myself to stay silent. If he was determined to walk into danger, then fine. But I would have my own plans in place.
The meeting continued with discussions on how his visit would proceed. I barely spoke, listening with a mask of indifference while my mind worked through my own course of action.
When it finally ended and everyone began filing out, I stood to leave, but my father stopped me.
“Liam, stay a moment.”
The hall emptied until it was just the two of us.
He looked at me with the same firm resolve he always had. “I know what I’m doing. I wouldn’t leave you in the dark if I thought this was reckless. Trust me, I have measures in place. Nothing will go wrong.”
I wanted to believe him.
But my instincts screamed otherwise.
Still, I knew arguing was pointless. He had made his decision, and no words of mine would change it.
So I exhaled sharply and nodded. “Fine.”
Later that night, as I sat in my office, staring down at the maps and battle plans spread across my desk, Andrew walked in.
He eyed the layout before looking at me. “What exactly are you planning?”
I didn’t answer immediately, tracing my fingers along the marked routes and territories.
“Do you actually expect me to sit back and do nothing while my father walks into a trap?” My voice was low, steady. “Because I can’t do that, Andrew.”
He sighed, rubbing a hand down his face. “Liam, he’s the Alpha. If he believes this is the right move, we have to respect that.”
I shook my head. “Respecting his decision doesn’t mean I have to be blind to the risks.”
For a moment, he looked like he wanted to argue, but he didn’t.
Instead, he just exhaled and ran a hand through his hair.
The next morning, I stood with the others as my father prepared to leave with his council members.
I refused to look at him, even when he beckoned me closer.
“Liam.” His voice echoed through the mind link. “I will be back.”
I gave a stiff nod. “Of course, you will.”
But deep down, I wasn’t so sure.
And that’s why I had to be ready.
- Writer
