Page 74 of Wolf's Reckoning
Killian sidled up beside me, arms folded. “You sure know how to say good morning,” he said.
I grunted. “You think they’ll listen?”
“They heard you,” he said. “Doesn’t mean they’ll follow like you want. Not yet.”
“I don’t need their faith.”
“No,” he said. “But you’ll need hers.”
My eyes snapped to him. I hadn’t seen her since last night. Hadn’t sought her out either. Because this wasn’t about her. It was about the packland. It was about fighting a war, one Iknewwas coming.
But even I couldn’t pretend that everything hinged on dominance and planning. She was the Hollow’s heart. And if I wanted to lead it? Eventually…I’d have to gain her faith, too.
I watched the pack scatter like dry leaves in a storm—pack wolves pretending they were ready for war when most had never even seen a proper skirmish, let alone bled for their territory.
Malric had kept them safe, sure. But safety made wolves complacent…and the complacent died fast.
I walked the inner path of the Hollow—low pine branches brushing my shoulders, the dirt beneath my boots soft with old needles and silence. I didn’t need a guide here. I remembered these woods better than I remembered some of my own pack’s names. This place had shaped me once.
I wouldn’t let it do it again.
From the slope behind the training ring, I saw warriors starting drills. A few glanced my way. Their stances straightened. One dropped his fist mid-swing and his opponent promptly laid him flat on his ass.
Better. Still not good enough. I clocked each one—names Killian fed me earlier, assessments filed in the back of my mind. He’d been watching them for days, and they hadn’t suspected a thing.
I turned toward the old forge—disused now, just a soot-stained skeleton with tools rusting on the pegs. That’s where I found Lewis. Malric’s second. Loyal to this land. Loyal to her. Smart enough not to speak first.
“Lewis,” I greeted.
He watched me approach, jaw set, arms crossed. “You’re moving fast.”
“Rogues don’t wait,” I said.
“And neither do kings, right?” he asked dryly.
“I’m not a king.”
“You are sure as hell acting like one.”
I stepped into his space. Not threatening. Just closer than he liked. “You’ve got doubts, Lewis, I hear them. But if you ever voice them in front of this pack? I’ll break you.”
His eyes flared—offended, angry, and maybe just impressed enough to listen.
“I don’t need your loyalty,” I said. “I need your discipline. This pack doesn’t survive without it.”
“And Rowen?”
“Has no problem speaking for herself.”
He huffed. “True.”
I looked him over and saw what he was trying to hide: a man grieving his alpha. His friend. “I’m sorry for your loss,” I told him, my tone shifting slightly. “I know how hard it is to lose someone, and you knew Malric a lot longer than most here.”
Lewis sniffed as he looked away. “He was my closest friend.”
“He will most definitely be missed,” I said to him. “Your plan? Or have you not thought that far ahead?”
Lewis blew out a breath, looking away from me. “I don’t know. I thought I would be better prepared.” He glanced at me. “It wasn’t unexpected, but still…”
