Page 61 of Feral Fates
The responsibility settles heavier on my shoulders. In Silvercrest, my visions were weapons to be used against other packs. Here, they’ve become shields to protect my new family.
“I’m not sure it’s enough,” I confess. “There were so many wolves, Zella. And from multiple packs.”
“Numbers aren’t everything in warfare,” Zella says with quiet confidence. “The Shadowmist has survived against worse odds before.” Her smile turns encouraging. “Besides, we have something they don’t.”
“What’s that?”
“Allies. Ryker’s working hard to bring them into our circle. We won’t be alone.” She squeezes my hand. “That makes all the difference.”
Her faith warms me despite the morning chill. Over the past days, Zella has proven a steady friend—always appearing when I need guidance, offering insights into pack customs and personalities, she’s made me feel less alone in this new world.
“The Alpha called a war council,” she continues. “Midday in the Strategy Chamber. As Alpha Female, your presence is expected.”
A nervous flutter rises in my stomach. “I’ve never participated in military planning before.”
“Then it’s time you learned,” Elias says from behind us.
I turn to find him fully dressed—fitted black clothing that allows for quick movement, the gold symbol of the Shadowmist Pack gleaming at his throat.
Zella immediately bows her head, exposing her neck in a show of submission. “Elias. I was just informing the Alpha Female about the council.”
“So I heard.” His gaze moves briefly to her before returning to me. “Thank you, Zella. You’re dismissed.”
She nods, squeezing my hand once more before departing with that silent grace all shifted wolves seem to possess.
When we’re alone, Elias gestures at me to walk with him. I fall into step as we begin to stroll down toward the river that laps the mountain.
“The pack speaks of nothing but you this morning.”
Anxiety spikes through me. “Because of how I participated? Riding Ryker?”
“Because of how you contributed,” he corrects. “Your vision guided the hunt to the strongest prey.”
We walk on for a time in companionable silence before he breaks it. “Something’s troubling you,” he observes. “Beyond the obvious threat.”
I consider deflecting but decide on honesty. “The vision from the Well. I saw Ryker doing something he can never take back.”
A look flickers across his face, old pain, quickly mastered. “We all do terrible things when we have no other option.”
I hesitate, searching for words. “Doesn’t it weigh on you?”
“Every day,” he admits, surprising me with his frankness. “But not in the way you might think.” He stops at the river, bending to pick up a smooth stone. “To be alpha is a hard job. It’s to fight and draw blood, to destroy andprotect. All in an effort to create something better in its place.
“It’s a heavy burden to bear.” He tosses the rock, watching as it skims across the water. “Thaddeus has ruled through fear for generations. He’s convinced the packs that only strict hierarchy and separation can ensure our survival. But it’s a lie, one that serves only to maintain his power.”
“And you think killing him will change that overnight?”
His laugh holds no humor. “Nothing changes overnight. But it begins with removing the obstacle that prevents all progress.” He shrugs. “Ryker believes it will change the way we proceed.”
“And you? What do you believe?”
He sighs. “That without Thaddeus corrupting the packs we can finally live as we have always meant to.”
I consider his words, remembering the celebration after the hunt, the joy of inclusion and connection.
“First, we have to survive what’s coming,” I remind him.
“Yes.” His expression hardens with resolve. “Which is why you need to rest before the council. You will be crucial in the days ahead.” He turns to me, his gaze serious. “Don’t underestimate your power, Kitara. You may have the sight, but it is your influence over Ryker that will be tested. You are his greatest strength—and weakness. Not because you can’t shift,” he says, interrupting my protest. “But because you are his mate. He’s bound to you. You are his and he is yours. There is no beginning or end in a mate bond, there only is the bond.”
