Chapter 18
1781 Words
The First Protection
The atmosphere inside the library changed instantly. One second, the room had been quiet.
Warm.
Comfortable.
The next—
Tension swallowed everything. Sam slowly stood from her chair. Her heart already pounding.
Because she knew.
She knew something was wrong.
Metro wasn’t the type to panic.
The loyal servant remained calm even during emergencies.
If he looked worried—
The situation was serious.
Very serious.
Froz’s expression hardened immediately. “What happened?”
Metro took a breath. “A messenger arrived from the Warm Clan.”
Sam’s stomach tightened.
Immediately.
“What about my family?”
Metro glanced at her.
Then toward Froz.
The hesitation alone was enough to make her nervous.
Finally—
“The messenger is injured.”
Silence.
Heavy silence.
Froz was already moving.
“Where?”
“The main hall.”
The Alpha turned toward Sam. “Stay here.”
She blinked. “What?”
His blue eyes narrowed. “Stay here.”
Sam crossed her arms. “No.”
The Alpha sighed.
Already knowing how this would go.
“Summit—”
“No.”
“It could be dangerous.”
“It’s my family.”
The simple words ended the argument. Because Froz understood. If the situation involved Queen Rhed—
He would react the same way.
The Alpha exhaled slowly.
Then nodded. “Fine.”
Sam smiled.
Victory.
A small victory.
Unfortunately—
The Alpha immediately ruined it. “You stay beside me.”
Her smile vanished.
Immediately.
“That’s not fair.”
“It wasn’t a negotiation.”
Metro wisely remained silent.
The main hall was unusually crowded.
Warriors lined the walls.
Servants whispered anxiously.
Several healers knelt beside an injured wolf.
The moment Sam entered—
Her eyes widened. “Peter?”
The young wolf looked terrible.
Blood stained his clothes.
Cuts covered his arms.
His face was pale from exhaustion.
Yet relief immediately appeared when he saw her.
“Lady Summit…”
Sam rushed forward.
Ignoring everyone.
Ignoring protocol.
Ignoring the worried expression on Froz’s face.
Peter attempted to stand.
Failed.
Then tried again.
“Don’t move.” Sam knelt beside him. “What happened?”
The messenger swallowed.
His breathing uneven.
“Danger.”
Her heart dropped.
Immediately.
“What danger?”
Peter looked around nervously.
As if afraid someone might be listening.
Then his voice lowered. “The Warm Clan is being watched.”
Silence.
The room became still.
Froz stepped forward.
His expression unreadable.
“By who?”
Peter shook his head. “We don’t know.”
The answer frustrated everyone.
Especially the Alpha.
The messenger continued. “Strangers have appeared near our borders.”
Sam’s stomach tightened.
The same thing had happened at White Fang Territory.
The same suspicious sightings.
The same mysterious presence.
A terrible possibility formed inside her mind.
And judging by Froz’s expression—
He was thinking the same thing.
Later that evening—
The palace war room had become unusually active. Maps covered the large table. Reports arrived constantly. Warriors moved in and out.
The atmosphere felt heavy.
Unsettling.
Sam sat quietly beside Queen Rhed.
Listening.
Watching.
Thinking.
The Queen gently squeezed her hand. A silent gesture of comfort. One Sam appreciated more than words.
Across the room—
Froz studied a map.
His jaw tightened.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Something wasn’t right.
He could feel it.
The border sightings.
The messenger.
The Mark.
Everything connected somehow.
The problem was—
He couldn’t see the full picture yet.
And that annoyed him.
Greatly.
A sudden voice interrupted his thoughts.
“My Alpha.” Metro entered.
Fast.
Urgent.
Immediately.
Froz looked up. “What is it?”
The servant’s expression darkened. “A border patrol has disappeared.”
Silence.
Pure silence.
The room instantly froze.
Because missing patrols meant only one thing.
Trouble.
The Alpha slowly straightened. His wolf stirred beneath the surface.
Dangerously.
“How many?”
“Three.”
Sam felt cold.
Very cold.
The room suddenly seemed smaller. The air heavier. Everything was changing. And not for the better.
The next morning—
Training resumed.
At least that was Froz’s plan.
Unfortunately—
Sam’s mind remained elsewhere.
The Warm Clan.
Peter.
The missing patrols.
The mysterious strangers.
Everything felt wrong.
Her focus shattered repeatedly.
“Again.”
The wooden sword slipped from her hand.
Immediately.
Froz caught it before it hit the ground.
The Alpha sighed. “You’re distracted.”
Sam looked away.
The response itself was enough.
Because she wasn’t denying it.
For several moments—
Neither spoke.
Then Froz walked closer. “Talk.”
She blinked. “What?”
“Talk.”
Sam frowned. “About what?”
The Alpha raised an eyebrow. “The thing you’re pretending isn’t bothering you.”
Her lips pressed together.
Because he was right.
Annoyingly right.
Again.
The future Luna looked toward the distant mountains.
Then finally spoke. “I’m worried.”
The admission came quietly.
Honestly.
“My father makes bad decisions.”
Froz remained silent.
Listening.
“My brother is always protecting everyone.”
She smiled slightly.
“Even when nobody asks him to.”
The smile faded.
“And Fuji…”
Her voice trailed off.
Because she didn’t know what to say.
Even now.
Even after everything.
Fuji remained family.
Complicated family.
But family.
The Alpha watched her carefully.
Then—
Without warning—
His hand rested gently on her shoulder.
The gesture surprised her.
Immediately.
Because Froz wasn’t naturally affectionate.
Every small touch carried weight.
Meaning.
Importance.
His voice lowered. “You aren’t there anymore.”
Sam looked up.
Confused.
The Alpha’s gaze met hers.
Steady.
Certain.
“But you’re not alone either.”
The words hit harder than expected.
Much harder.
Because he wasn’t promising victory.
He wasn’t promising answers.
He was promising himself.
And somehow—
That mattered more.
That afternoon—
Everything went wrong. It happened so quickly. One moment the training grounds were peaceful.
The next—
Chaos exploded.
A horn sounded from the western gate.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Every warrior immediately froze.
Alarm spread instantly.
Froz’s head snapped toward the sound.
Danger.
The signal meant danger.
Metro appeared almost immediately.
Running.
Fast.
Very fast.
“My Alpha!”
Froz was already moving.
“What happened?”
The servant looked grim. “A wolf crossed the western perimeter.”
The Alpha’s expression hardened. “One wolf?”
Metro hesitated.
Then—
“No.”
The answer made the atmosphere turn deadly.
Within minutes—
White Fang warriors flooded the outer grounds. Snow swirled violently through the air. Weapons gleamed beneath the afternoon sun. The entire territory shifted into defensive formation.
Sam stood beside Queen Rhed.
Watching.
Waiting.
Fear twisting inside her chest.
Then—
The attack came.
Without warning.
A shadow burst from the forest.
Fast.
Unnaturally fast.
A rogue wolf.
Not an ordinary rogue.
A trained one.
The creature launched itself toward the nearest guard. The battle erupted instantly.
Chaos swallowed the area.
Warriors charged.
Commands echoed.
Snow exploded beneath pounding feet.
Sam’s heart raced.
Everything happened too quickly.
Too violently.
Too suddenly.
Then—
Another rogue appeared.
And another.
And another.
This wasn’t a random attack.
This was planned.
Froz realized it immediately.
His eyes narrowed.
Because something felt wrong.
The rogues weren’t attacking randomly.
They were searching.
Looking.
Hunting.
The realization hit him like ice.
Their target wasn’t White Fang.
Their target was—
“SUMMIT!” The Alpha’s roar shook the battlefield.
Sam looked up.
Too late.
A rogue wolf had broken through the fighting.
Its eyes locked directly onto her.
The beast lunged.
Fast.
Terrifyingly fast.
Everything slowed. Sam barely had time to react. The rogue’s claws flashed. The distance vanished.
And suddenly—
A massive figure appeared between them.
Froz.
The Alpha moved faster than human eyes could follow. The rogue collided directly with him. The impact shook the ground. Froz’s wolf exploded forward.
Pure power.
Pure fury.
Pure Alpha.
The battlefield itself seemed to freeze.
Because everyone present witnessed something terrifying.
Froz wasn’t merely fighting.
He was enraged.
Truly enraged.
The rogue attempted another strike.
A mistake.
A terrible mistake.
The Alpha grabbed the wolf by the throat. Lifted him off the ground. And slammed him into the snow.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The battlefield became silent.
Because everyone could see it.
The cold Alpha had lost control.
Not from anger.
From fear.
Fear for Sam.
The realization stunned everyone.
Including Sam.
The battle ended quickly after that.
The remaining rogues fled.
The warriors secured the perimeter.
The danger passed.
At least for now.
Yet the image remained burned into everyone’s minds.
Especially hers.
Froz stood several feet away.
Breathing heavily.
His clothes torn.
A cut marked his cheek.
Blood stained one sleeve.
And somehow—
Seeing him injured hurt more than her own fear.
The realization startled her.
Deeply.
Without thinking—
She walked toward him.
The Alpha immediately turned.
Checking her for injuries. “Are you hurt?”
The question came instantly.
Urgently.
His hands moved to her shoulders.
Inspecting.
Searching.
Protecting.
Sam stared.
Because he hadn’t asked about himself.
Not once.
Only her.
“I’m fine.”
The Alpha didn’t look convinced. “Summit.”
“I’m fine.”
Several seconds passed.
Then finally—
The tension left his shoulders.
Slightly.
Only slightly.
The battlefield had emptied. Most warriors already gone. Leaving them almost alone.
The silence stretched.
Then—
Sam quietly spoke. “You were scared.”
Froz froze.
Immediately.
The accusation hung in the air.
Dangerous.
Honest.
The Alpha looked away. Which was answer enough.
Sam’s heart skipped.
Because for the first time—
She truly understood.
Not the Alpha.
Not the leader.
Not the warrior.
The man.
The man who stayed awake researching her bloodline.
The man who trained her every day.
The man who always appeared whenever she needed him.
The man who had thrown himself between her and death without hesitation.
The realization made her chest ache.
Warmly.
Dangerously.
Before either could speak again—
Metro appeared.
Perfect timing.
Terrible timing.
Depending on perspective.
“My Alpha.” The servant’s face looked pale.
More pale than usual.
Immediately.
Froz’s attention shifted. “What now?”
Metro swallowed.
Then delivered the news.
The news that changed everything.
“We captured one of the rogues.”
Silence.
Then—
“He keeps repeating the same thing.”
The Alpha’s expression darkened. “What thing?”
Metro looked toward Sam.
Then back toward Froz.
And quietly said:
“They know about the Mark.”
The world seemed to stop.
Because suddenly—
This wasn’t a rumor anymore. This wasn’t a suspicion anymore. Someone out there knew exactly who Summit Angel Warm was.
And they were coming for her.
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