Left to Freeze, I Let His Pack Burn

Chapter 4 The Closed Door

My brief image cracked whatever trust the pack still had in Kaelen.

The public link filled at once.

*“Elara, please. We were wrong.”*

*“My mate is trapped upstairs. Tell me how to reach her.”*

*“We'll return everything. Just help us.”*

Fear had made them sorry very quickly. I kept listening for Nia.

Her message came through the emergency channel, clipped by effort. *“Stop crowding the link. Follow the route Elara gave us. Pull the red cutoffs and look for Quartermaster marks.”*

A man answered from the elders' corridor. His thoughts shook so badly that half the words broke apart.

*“Selene took the last frostbite salve. Elder Maeve was holding it. Her fingers are black now.”*

Kaelen drowned him out.

*“ELARA. OPEN THE DOOR. THAT IS AN ORDER.”*

The command slammed against my mental shields. Gold flared around the cabin, and the archive rune recorded his signature.

Keeper law refused the order. Opening the ward to the crowd outside would overload it and kill me along with them.

I drew enough power from the Eternal Flame to reach the whole pack.

*“This ward supports one life. Opening it will put out the flame. Nia has a safe route. Follow her if you want to live.”*

Confusion moved through the link before anger found its voice.

*“You'd leave us out here?”* a Beta shouted.

*“Traitor!”* another sent. *“Kaelen should have killed you when he had the chance.”*

I recognized both voices. They had carried my supplies to Selene's rooms and laughed while the guards barred the cabin.

Nia cut in. *“Save your breath. The second group is moving.”*

The mountain shook.

Ancient wood tore apart somewhere in the upper halls. A cold hiss spread through the link, followed by the defenders' shouts.

The barrier around the pack house had failed with the heating runes. Snow-wraiths were crossing the outer wall.

One defender yelled for the pantry team to hurry. Another voice stopped in the middle of a warning.

The storm had found a way inside.