Forbidden Howls

Chapter 14: Confronting the Past

The familiar trees of Blackstone territory loomed ahead as Lia approached the main gates. Her heart pounded in her chest, the weight of her decision settling heavily on her shoulders. She had left Silverclaw behind, determined to do what was right, but now that she was here, the enormity of the task ahead was sinking in.

The warriors standing guard at the gates straightened as she approached, their eyes widening in surprise as they recognized her. One of them stepped forward, his brow furrowed.

"Lia? You shouldn’t be here," he said, his voice filled with concern. "Damon’s still—"

"I need to speak with him," Lia interrupted, her voice firm. "And with my father. This has gone too far."

The warrior hesitated, clearly torn between his loyalty to the pack and his respect for her. Finally, he nodded, stepping aside to let her pass.

The Blackstone compound was eerily quiet as Lia made her way through it. Every eye was on her, and she could feel the tension in the air, thick and suffocating. Word had already spread of the battle that had been avoided—of how she had been injured, and how Damon had been the one to strike her. The warriors and villagers alike watched her closely, their expressions a mixture of worry and confusion.

As she neared the main hall, Lia’s heart began to race. Damon would be inside, along with her father, and the confrontation she had been dreading was finally about to happen.

She pushed the doors open and stepped into the hall. Damon was standing near the long table, his back turned to her, while her father sat at the head of the table, his expression unreadable.

The moment Damon heard the door, he turned, his eyes widening in shock when he saw her. For a split second, the air in the room was filled with tension so thick it was hard to breathe.

"Lia," Damon said, his voice barely above a whisper. "You shouldn’t be here."

Lia stepped forward, her hand instinctively going to her injured arm, the bandage beneath her sleeve still tight around the wound. "I have to be here, Damon. We need to talk. This can’t go on."

Damon’s expression twisted with guilt, his eyes flicking to her bandaged arm. "I never meant to hurt you. You have to believe me."

"I know," Lia said, her voice steady but cold. "But that doesn’t change what happened. You lost control, Damon. You almost started a war."

Her father stood, his eyes narrowing as he took in the scene. "Lia, what are you doing here? You should be resting."

Lia turned to face him, her chest tight with the weight of everything she needed to say. "I can’t rest while this pack is preparing for war. Father, we’ve been manipulated—by the rogues, by our own fear. Kael and I stopped the rogue Alpha. The threat is gone."

Her father frowned, his expression hardening. "Kael is not to be trusted. You’ve been spending too much time with Silverclaw. Your loyalty is being questioned, Lia."

Lia’s stomach twisted at the accusation, but she refused to back down. "My loyalty is to Blackstone, to our people. That’s why I’m here—because I won’t let us destroy ourselves in a war that doesn’t need to happen."

Damon took a step forward, his voice low and strained. "You don’t understand, Lia. Kael is using you. He’s trying to weaken us from the inside. He’s always been our enemy."

Lia shook her head, her eyes locked on Damon’s. "No, Damon. He’s not the enemy. The real enemy was the rogue Alpha, and we defeated him. But if you push for war, you’ll become the enemy. You’re letting your jealousy blind you."

Damon’s face darkened, his fists clenching at his sides. "Jealousy? You think this is about jealousy?"

Lia held her ground, her voice calm but unwavering. "Yes, Damon. It is. I’ve seen the way you look at me. I’ve heard the things you’ve said. You’re angry because I chose to work with Kael instead of following your lead. But this isn’t about us. This is about the future of our packs."

Damon’s jaw clenched, and for a moment, Lia thought he might lash out again. But then his shoulders sagged, and his eyes filled with a deep, painful regret.

"I was trying to protect you," Damon said, his voice cracking. "I thought… I thought I could keep you safe. But I was wrong."

Lia’s heart softened, but she didn’t let it show. "You weren’t protecting me, Damon. You were trying to control me. And that’s not what a leader does."

Her father, who had been watching the exchange in silence, finally spoke, his voice heavy with authority. "Lia, Damon’s actions were misguided, but his concern for the pack is genuine. We can’t ignore the threat that Silverclaw poses."

"Silverclaw isn’t the threat!" Lia snapped, turning to face her father. "Father, you have to see that. Kael doesn’t want this war any more than I do. If we keep pushing, if we attack Silverclaw, it will destroy us both."

Her father’s face hardened, and for a moment, Lia thought he might dismiss her argument entirely. But then his gaze softened, and he let out a long sigh.

"You’ve changed, Lia," he said quietly. "You’re not the same daughter I once knew."

Lia’s throat tightened, but she forced herself to meet his gaze. "Maybe I have changed. But I’m still your daughter, and I’m still loyal to Blackstone. I just don’t want to see us destroy ourselves."

The room was silent for a long moment, the tension hanging thick in the air.

Finally, her father nodded slowly. "We will consider what you’ve said. But this isn’t just about you or Damon or even Kael. The pack is on edge, and they’re ready to defend themselves if necessary."

Lia swallowed hard, knowing that this was the best she could hope for at the moment. "Then let me talk to them. Let me explain what’s really happening. I can convince them that war isn’t the answer."

Her father studied her for a long moment before nodding again. "Very well. But be careful, Lia. Not everyone will be as willing to listen as I am."

As Lia left the hall, Damon stood frozen, his thoughts a whirlwind of emotions. Guilt gnawed at him, but so did something else—an emptiness, a hollow place where his hope for Lia had once been. He had wanted to protect her, to keep her by his side, but all he had done was push her away.

He knew he had to let her go, but the thought of her with Kael—the Silverclaw Alpha, the man he had always seen as a threat—made his blood boil.

Ronan entered the room, his expression grim. “What now?” the Beta asked, his voice low.

Damon shook his head, his heart heavy. “I don’t know. I’ve lost her.”

Ronan gave him a long, steady look. “You haven’t lost her yet. But if you don’t change your course, you will.”

Damon didn’t respond. He couldn’t. All he could do was watch as the woman he had once vowed to protect walked away from him, toward a future that no longer included him.