Forbidden Howls

Chapter 9: The Spark of War

Lia’s return to Blackstone territory felt like stepping into a storm. Every instinct screamed at her that something had shifted in her absence. The air itself felt heavier, as if the entire pack was holding its breath, waiting for the moment when everything would fall apart.

She knew it wouldn’t be long now.

After the battle with the rogue Alpha, her mind had been racing with ways to prevent the war that seemed inevitable, but as she approached the main gates of the Blackstone estate, her chest tightened with dread. She had seen Damon’s growing suspicion, her father’s disappointment—and now she had to face them both.

The estate was unusually quiet when she arrived. Lia steeled herself and made her way inside, where she found her father sitting at the grand table in the main hall, surrounded by Blackstone warriors. His face was as grim as she had expected.

“Lia,” he said, his voice low and controlled, though there was no mistaking the tension that lingered just beneath the surface. “We need to talk.”

Lia swallowed hard and stepped forward. “I know. I was going to tell you—”

“About what?” her father interrupted, his sharp eyes narrowing. “That you’ve been working with Kael Silverclaw behind my back? Or that Damon has already begun rallying support for an attack on Silverclaw?”

Her breath caught in her throat.

“What?” she whispered, the words barely escaping her lips.

Her father’s expression darkened. “Damon told me everything. You’ve been meeting with Kael, planning with him. He thinks you’re betraying the pack, Lia.”

Lia’s heart pounded in her chest, the weight of the situation crashing down on her. Damon had done it. He had gone behind her back and convinced her father that she was the enemy.

“I’m not betraying anyone,” she said, her voice firmer than she felt. “I’ve been trying to stop a war. The rogue Alpha—he’s the one who’s been manipulating both of our packs. I fought him alongside Kael. He’s dead now.”

Her father’s gaze didn’t soften. “And you think that changes anything? The damage is done, Lia. Our warriors have been preparing for battle. Damon is leading them, and they’re ready to strike. They’re ready to defend this pack.”

Panic seized her chest. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.

“Father, you have to stop this,” she pleaded, stepping closer. “The rogues are gone. There’s no reason to fight Silverclaw. We need to unite, not destroy each other.”

Her father’s eyes flickered with something that might have been regret, but his resolve didn’t waver. “I can’t stop what’s already in motion, Lia. Damon has convinced the pack that we need to defend ourselves from Silverclaw. If I try to pull him back now, it will only create more division.”

Lia’s heart sank as the weight of her father’s words settled over her. War was inevitable.

“What about you?” he asked quietly. “Where do your loyalties lie, Lia? With your family, with Blackstone, or with Kael?”

The question cut deep, and for a moment, she couldn’t speak. She had always been loyal to her pack, to her family—but how could she stand by and let them go to war when she knew the truth?

She squared her shoulders, her voice steady. “I’m loyal to Blackstone. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to let us destroy ourselves in a pointless war.”

Her father’s gaze hardened, and for a moment, she thought he might argue, might order her to stand down. But then he sighed, shaking his head.

“You’ve always been strong-willed, Lia,” he said quietly. “I just hope your choices don’t get you killed.”

Kael stood at the edge of the clearing, the smell of blood and battle still lingering in the air. The rogue Alpha was dead, but the victory felt hollow. Killing the rogue leader hadn’t stopped the real threat—the packs were still on the brink of tearing each other apart.

Garrick approached from behind, his expression grim. “We’ve received word from our scouts near the Blackstone border. They’re moving.”

Kael’s chest tightened. So, it had come to this.

“How many?” Kael asked, though he already knew the answer.

“Enough to start a war,” Garrick replied. “Damon is leading them. It looks like they’re preparing for a full assault.”

Kael’s hand tightened into a fist. He had expected this from Damon—jealous, possessive Damon—but the timing couldn’t be worse. With the rogue threat eliminated, there was no reason for this conflict, yet Damon seemed determined to push for bloodshed.

“Lia tried to stop it,” Kael said quietly, his voice rough. “I know she did.”

Garrick sighed, crossing his arms. “Even if she did, it’s too late. Blackstone is moving, and we can’t just stand by. If they strike first, we’ll lose everything.”

Kael’s jaw tightened. He had no choice. As Alpha, it was his duty to protect his pack, even if it meant going to war.

But Lia—Lia was still in the middle of it all.

“I won’t let this happen,” Kael muttered, more to himself than to Garrick. “Not like this.”

Garrick raised an eyebrow. “What are you planning?”

Kael didn’t answer immediately, his mind racing with possibilities. He had to find a way to stop Damon, to stop the attack before it began.

“I need to talk to Lia,” he finally said. “She’s the only one who can get through to her father. Maybe she can stop Damon before it’s too late.”

Garrick’s expression was skeptical. “And if she can’t?”

Kael’s gaze darkened. “Then I’ll have to stop him myself.”

Damon stood at the front of the Blackstone warriors, his armor gleaming in the early morning light. His face was set in grim determination, his eyes fixed on the horizon where Silverclaw territory began.

“Today,” he said, his voice ringing out over the assembled warriors, “we protect our pack. We strike before Silverclaw can strike us. We will not be victims.”

The warriors roared in agreement, their fists raised high.

But deep in his heart, Damon felt a flicker of doubt. His confrontation with Lia the night before had left him shaken, though he refused to show it. Her words echoed in his mind, filling him with uncertainty.

Could she be right? Was this war truly necessary?

But then the image of Lia standing beside Kael—the way she had defended him, the way her eyes had softened when she spoke his name—flashed in his mind, and his doubt hardened into anger.

No. This was necessary.

Kael was manipulating her, twisting her loyalty, and if it came down to it, Damon would protect her—even if it meant protecting her from herself.

He turned to the warriors behind him. “We march.”

Lia had never felt so helpless.

As she watched from the edge of the Blackstone camp, the warriors gathered in force, preparing to march on Silverclaw. Damon was at the front, his face a mask of determination, his mind set on a path of destruction.

She had tried to talk to him, to make him understand that this wasn’t the answer, but his jealousy—his fear of losing her—had consumed him. Now, he was ready to lead their pack into a war that would destroy them all.

She had to do something.

With her heart racing, Lia made a decision that could cost her everything. She needed to get to Kael—to warn him, to stop this before it was too late.

The sun had barely begun to rise when Lia slipped out of the Blackstone camp, her footsteps swift and silent as she made her way toward the Silverclaw border. She knew the terrain well, having ventured there with Kael in secret many times before. But this time, the stakes were higher.

If she didn’t make it in time, there would be no turning back.

As she ran through the forest, her heart pounded in her chest. Damon’s words echoed in her mind, his anger and hurt evident. He was wrong, but she understood why he felt betrayed. In his eyes, she had chosen Kael over him—and maybe, in a way, she had.

But this wasn’t about choosing Kael. This was about stopping a war. If Damon’s forces clashed with Silverclaw, it would mean devastation for both packs. The rogue Alpha’s plan would succeed even in death.

She wouldn’t let that happen.