14 - Between Pride and Peace

Kael POV

The stone hall of the elder mansion was cold even in spring.

Kael’s boots echoed against the floor as he stepped into the elder council chamber, Elias a silent shadow at his side. The space was ancient, carved from mountain rock before the pack house walls had ever been built. Torchlight flickered across the uneven stone, casting long shadows over runes etched into the walls—marks of old magic, of blood oaths and war councils.

This room had seen centuries of decisions. Some wise. Some terrible. All permanent.

The Elders were waiting.

Five sat at the crescent-shaped table, draped in thick robes of wolf-hide, lined in symbols of their rank and lifetimes of service. They were not Alphas, not soldiers, but something older. More rooted. Each had seen enough years to remember the last time Nightclaw and Moonfang shed blood on the border—and still bore the caution that memory bred.

Malric, as always, sat in the center. His silver hair fell loose around his shoulders, the lines of age deep but sharp. He was the only one who ever raised his voice, but the others—Ena, Harun, Maeron, and Corra—spoke through stillness just as powerfully.

Kael and Elias bowed as tradition demanded.

“You called this meeting yourself,” Malric said without preamble, voice gravel and wind. “That alone tells us what you bring is no small thing.”

Kael straightened. “It’s not.”

The silence stretched, thick and expectant. Elias remained behind his shoulder, hands clasped. He wouldn’t speak unless Kael invited it.

“I come with a request,” Kael said. “Not lightly. And not without risk.”

Malric’s eyes narrowed. “Speak it.”

Kael drew a breath. “I want permission to cross the southern border. Into Moonfang territory.”

The room stilled. Even the torches seemed to hesitate.

Corra, oldest among them, leaned forward. “You would seek out Alpha Theron?”

“I would.”

“To what end?” Maeron asked.

“To acknowledge what’s happened. Their Beta is injured—nearly died. If the rogues are becoming more organized, this attack wasn’t random. And if it wasn’t, then it’s not just their problem anymore.”

“And you would offer… sympathy?” Harun asked.

“No,” Kael replied. “Respect.”

Another pause.

Ena’s fingers tapped against the stone. “You would cross the bloodline.”

Kael nodded. “Yes.”

“The line was drawn,” Ena said. “It has been held through generations of Alpha blood. Are you so certain you should be the one to erase it?”

“I’m not erasing it,” Kael said. “But I won’t let it blind us. Not if there’s a bigger war coming.”

Malric exhaled. “You believe this rogue activity is more than scattered attacks?”

“I do,” Kael said. “And so does my Beta.”

All heads turned to Elias, who inclined his head. Still, he said nothing.

He didn’t need to. His presence was Kael’s evidence. They’d analyzed movement patterns, the unnatural silence in rogue territory, scent trails too clean. Something was wrong.

Kael went on. “We’ve seen the signs before. I’ve walked the border—seen scorched trees and patrols gone dark. This isn’t a flare. It’s a fuse.”

Corra’s gaze was sharp. “And you believe Moonfang will be your ally in what comes?”

Kael didn’t flinch. “I believe they’re our neighbors. Whether we like it or not. And enemies gain more in our division than we ever could.”

Malric folded his hands. “And what of Alpha Theron? You know his history. He won’t be pleased to see you on his lands.”

“I’m not asking him to be pleased,” Kael said. “Only to listen.”

Harun leaned forward. “And if he doesn’t?”

Kael’s jaw flexed. “Then at least I’ll know we tried. That we didn’t let pride blind us to the threat outside our gates.”

Maeron’s voice was quieter. “You risk war if this goes poorly. An insult on their soil could reignite blood that’s barely settled.”

“I know,” Kael said. “But silence is the greater danger.”

The Elders looked between one another, unreadable. The fire crackled. Wind groaned softly against the mountain walls.

Malric leaned back, studying Kael.

“You carry the title of Alpha,” he said. “And you carry the burden of our reputation. Nightclaw has been the shield and sword for centuries. Our name alone holds weight.”

“I know.”

“Then know what it means to step into enemy lands with our banner on your shoulders.”

Kael held his gaze. “I do.”

“You’ll go with no more than three,” Corra said suddenly.

Kael blinked. “Three?”

“Small shows respect. Caution. Not weakness,” she said. “Any more, and it could be seen as provocation.”

Kael nodded. “Understood.”

Harun added, “Choose carefully. These wolves will be the face of our pack.”

“I know who I’ll bring.”

Malric drummed his fingers once against the stone. “You have our blessing.”

“But not without warning,” Ena said. “If Theron takes offense, you walk into a storm with no reinforcements. If it turns violent—”

“I won’t let it,” Kael said.

“No Alpha controls everything,” Ena said. “Not even you.”

Kael inclined his head.

Malric stood slowly, the others following. “Then may your caution serve you well.”

Kael bowed again. “Thank you, Elders.”

Elias mirrored him.

As they turned to leave, Malric called after him. “Kael.”

He paused.

“The strength of an Alpha isn’t in how many blades he commands,” Malric said. “It’s in knowing when not to draw them.”

Kael gave a nod that felt heavier than it should. “I’ll remember.”

———

Outside, the wind had picked up.

They stepped into the hall, and Kael let out a slow breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.

“Well,” Elias said, “that went better than expected.”

Kael gave a wry smile. “They didn’t throw anything. I’ll take it.”

Elias nodded toward the corridor ahead. “You know who you’re taking?”

Kael didn’t answer right away.

“I need one scout. Someone who knows the land between us and Moonfang, and can sense an ambush before it’s sprung. And someone who can speak, if I can’t.”

“You mean if you lose your temper,” Elias said dryly.

Kael didn’t deny it. “This won’t be easy. But if we’re doing it, we do it right.”

They walked in silence a moment.

“You’re really doing this,” Elias said.

Kael looked out a high window, toward the southern mountains. Beyond them, Moonfang territory lay like a waiting beast. Aria’s scent still lingered in his memory, vivid as blood.

“I have to,” he said. “This isn’t just about Ryker. Or Theron. This is bigger than all of us.”

He turned to Elias. “Tell the patrol captains. I want all southern paths mapped again. Quietly. We move within two days.”

Elias nodded. “And the pack?”

Kael’s gaze hardened. “They’ll know by nightfall.”

He didn’t add what they would say—what many would think. That crossing into Moonfang was betrayal. That speaking to Theron was weakness. That showing anything less than dominance was a crack in their armor.

Let them think it.

He would rather stand accused of diplomacy than watch their walls burn while they snarled at old ghosts.

As Alpha of Nightclaw, Kael had led warriors through every kind of battle.

But this?

This would be the most dangerous ground he’d ever walk.

Not because it was enemy land—but because it was unknown.

And sometimes, the unknown was the sharpest blade of all.