Forbidden Howls

Chapter 11: The Price of Blood

Everything felt distant, as if Lia were floating in a dream. The sounds of clashing swords and battle cries were muffled, fading into a low hum. Pain throbbed through her arm, but it was nothing compared to the weight pressing down on her chest.

She blinked, her vision blurred, catching sight of the sky above her. The world seemed to be spinning.

She could faintly hear someone calling her name. The voice was frantic, desperate.

Kael.

"Lia!"

Suddenly, strong arms scooped her up, pulling her against a firm chest. She gasped as the movement jarred her injured arm, her breath catching as her senses started to come back to her. Kael’s face loomed above her, his expression a mixture of fear and rage.

"Lia, stay with me," he whispered, his voice raw, his eyes scanning her face as if looking for some sign of reassurance. His grip tightened around her, protective, his gaze darting back to where Damon stood, sword still in hand, breathing heavily.

For a moment, the world seemed to stop.

The Silverclaw and Blackstone warriors had stilled, their weapons hanging in the air as they realized what had happened. The sight of Lia lying in Kael’s arms had sucked the energy out of the clearing. Silence settled over the battleground, tense and heavy.

Damon stood frozen, his face drained of color. His sword hung loosely at his side, his breath coming in shallow gasps as he stared at Lia, horror dawning on his features.

“Lia…” Damon whispered, his voice breaking. “No…”

Kael’s eyes blazed with fury as he looked up at Damon, his body tense with barely restrained violence. “You did this.”

Damon took a step forward, his hand reaching out as if to touch her, but Kael shifted, placing himself between Lia and Damon.

“I didn’t mean to,” Damon choked, his voice shaking. “I didn’t—”

“You should’ve listened,” Kael snarled, his voice low and dangerous. “You were so blinded by your jealousy that you couldn’t see what was right in front of you.”

Lia’s breath came in shallow gasps, the pain in her arm flaring as she clutched at Kael’s shirt, trying to steady herself. The weight of what had just happened—Damon’s attack, Kael’s fury—was suffocating.

“Kael,” Lia whispered, her voice trembling. “Please. Stop.”

Her words broke through the tension, and Kael’s gaze softened as he looked down at her. “Lia, you’re hurt. I need to get you out of here.”

He began to stand, cradling her in his arms, but Damon stepped forward again, his face filled with anguish.

“I’m sorry,” Damon said, his voice hollow. “I never wanted to hurt you. I was trying to protect you.”

Lia’s chest tightened at the sound of his voice. She could see the regret in his eyes, the pain, but it was too late for apologies. Too much damage had already been done.

“It’s not about you protecting me, Damon,” she said softly, her voice strained from the pain. “It was never about that.”

Kael’s warriors began to move, their eyes locked on Damon and the Blackstone soldiers. The brief pause in fighting seemed to fray at the edges, the tension between the two sides reigniting as weapons were raised once more.

“Hold your ground!” Garrick called, stepping forward to stand beside Kael. His sharp eyes flicked between Kael and the other warriors, the line between battle and peace growing thinner by the second.

But Kael wasn’t moving toward the fight. His gaze remained fixed on Damon, still holding Lia in his arms as if daring Damon to make another move.

Damon, however, looked lost. His once-burning anger had faded into confusion, guilt etched into his features. He lowered his sword, his eyes pleading. “Lia, I didn’t want this. You have to believe me.”

Lia’s heart ached, but the truth was clear now. “Damon, it’s over. I can’t fight anymore—for you or for this war.”

For a moment, Damon looked as if he might argue. But then, slowly, his shoulders slumped, the weight of his actions settling on him.

Kael’s voice broke the silence. “Take your warriors and go, Damon. This doesn’t need to end with more blood.”

Damon glanced between Lia and Kael, his expression conflicted. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Finally, with a sharp nod, he gestured to the Blackstone warriors behind him.

“Fall back,” Damon ordered, his voice flat and hollow.

The Blackstone warriors hesitated, looking between Damon and Lia’s crumpled form in Kael’s arms. They were warriors, bound to follow their Alpha’s orders, but the confusion in their eyes was clear.

“Fall back!” Damon barked, louder this time.

Reluctantly, the Blackstone warriors began to retreat, their faces grim as they turned and disappeared back into the forest. Damon stood still for a moment longer, his gaze lingering on Lia before he, too, turned and followed his pack.

The clearing fell silent once again.

Kael let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding, his gaze fixed on the spot where Damon had disappeared. The battle had been averted, but only just. The tension between the packs still lingered, fragile and dangerous.

He looked down at Lia, his heart pounding in his chest. She was pale, her breathing shallow, but her eyes remained open, determined. She was strong—stronger than anyone gave her credit for.

“We need to get you help,” Kael said quietly, his voice rough. “You’re hurt worse than you think.”

Lia winced, feeling the sharp pain in her arm radiating through her body. She nodded weakly, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’ll be fine. We have to focus on stopping this. It’s not over.”

Kael’s jaw clenched. He knew she was right. The conflict hadn’t ended; they had only managed to stop the immediate violence. But the underlying issues—the distrust, the anger between the packs—still simmered beneath the surface.

But right now, all he cared about was getting Lia to safety.

“I’m taking you back to Silverclaw,” Kael said, his voice leaving no room for argument. “We need to treat your wound, and then we’ll figure out what comes next.”

Lia didn’t have the strength to argue, though she knew returning to Silverclaw territory would only complicate things. She leaned into Kael’s chest, her head resting against him as he carefully lifted her.

Back in Blackstone territory, Damon stormed into his private quarters, slamming the door behind him with enough force to rattle the walls. His chest heaved with emotion—anger, guilt, regret all swirled inside him like a storm he couldn’t control.

He collapsed onto a chair, burying his face in his hands. The image of Lia, lying wounded in Kael’s arms, haunted him.

What had he done?

He had failed her. Everything he had done, all his attempts to protect her, had driven her further away. His jealousy had blinded him, and now… now she was hurt because of him.

Damon’s hand tightened into a fist, his knuckles white as he slammed it against the table.

His mind raced with questions. What was his next move? How could he possibly fix this? Could he even fix this?

The silence in the room was deafening.