20 - Lines in the Sand

Kael POV

Kael stood by the tall window of his office, the light from the overcast sky casting long shadows across the stone floor. From this high vantage within the Nightclaw pack house, he could see the wind stirring through the trees at the border—the same border he’d soon be crossing again.

A letter bearing the Moonfang seal lay open on his desk, its message simple but irritating: Theron and Ryker had agreed to meet. But the meeting would be held on Moonfang soil. They demanded it. Or the meeting wouldn’t happen.

Kael didn’t like this.

Not because he feared what might happen there—he had faced worse odds—but because it sent a message. A message that Moonfang still believed itself in the position to dictate terms, even after suffering a rogue attack and a wounded Beta.

He heard footsteps just before Elias entered, a familiar presence Kael always welcomed. His Beta moved with easy confidence, his expression curious and alert.

“You called?” Elias asked, eyes flicking to the letter on the desk, noticing the Moonfang seal. “Let me guess—Moonfang agreed to a meeting, but only on their terms.”

Kael nodded once. “He wants the meeting on their land. Theron insists. Claims Ryker’s condition is too fragile to travel.”

“Convenient,” Elias muttered, taking the chair opposite Kael. “And annoying.”

“It’s not ideal,” Kael admitted. “But we need this meeting to happen. Especially after what we’ve seen in the rogue activity. It’s becoming more frequent and getting closer”

Elias leaned back, folding his arms. “So we go to them. Again. What’s the play?”

Kael returned to the desk, fingers tapping once against the edge. “We listen. We let them speak first. Let them outline their suspicions and grievances. Then we offer cooperation—limited, on our terms.”

“Sounds like diplomacy,” Elias said, smirking faintly. “Almost like you're growing fond of it.”

Kael gave him a dry look. “I’m fond of results. And we’re not going to get them if we posture like fools. If there’s a threat building in the rogue ranks, we need to be allies. Not enemies.”

Elias studied him in silence for a moment, then said, “And Aria?”

Kael’s posture stiffened almost imperceptibly.

“I was wondering when you’d bring her up,” he said evenly.

“I know she’s your mate. Don’t forget I can read you like a book. You would have ignored her otherwise,” Elias said, not unkindly. “If she wasn’t your mate, she’d be just another Moonfang healer to you.”

Kael didn’t deny it.

“I can’t afford distractions.”

“She’s not a distraction, Kael,” Elias said. “Her being your mate may be the biggest complication you’ve ever walked into—and you’re pretending like you can walk back out.”

Kael’s jaw tensed. “What do you want me to say? That I dream of her every night? That I can’t smell the wild flowers without my wolf going feral inside me?”

Elias didn’t flinch. “This bond could changes things. That your decisions now aren’t just for Nightclaw... They’re for her too.”

Kael crossed his arms. “Her pack doesn’t trust me. They’ve been the enemy for decades. She won’t trust me.”

“She looked at you like she saw the moon for the first time,” Elias said quietly. “Don’t pretend you didn’t see it.”

Kael looked away. “That’s the bond. It tricks you. Twists you. We’ve seen it.”

“But it’s real,” Elias said. “And it’s hers too. You felt it when she touched you.”

Silence stretched between them, broken only by the distant call of a raven outside.

“I don’t know what to do with it,” Kael admitted at last. “With her.”

“Start by not pretending she’s not there,” Elias said. “You want to survive this war of politics and teeth? You need every piece in place. Including the healer with fire in her hair.”

Kael’s mouth twitched into something that might’ve been a smile. “I hate when you’re right.”

“Comes with the title of best friend and Beta,” Elias said, and then leaned forward. “Let’s talk strategy.”

Kael turned, grateful for the return to familiar ground.

“Theron is prideful,” Kael said. “He’ll want us to defer, to admit fault. We won’t. But we can offer cooperation on rogue tracking—joint patrols on neutral territory. Exchange of limited information.”

“And Ryker?”

“He’ll be more reasonable. Injured, but sharp. If Theron is the shield, Ryker’s the knife. He’ll test us for weakness.”

“Then we give them none,” Elias said. “We stay calm, respectful, but firm. No bending.”

Kael nodded. “Agreed. I’ll handle Theron. You watch Ryker. Bring up the border attacks and make them acknowledge the pattern—whatever’s driving the rogues, it’s not random.”

Elias tilted his head. “Do we mention the disappearances?”

Kael’s fingers paused. “Not yet. Let’s see how much they know. If they bring it up, we match them. If not… we hold the card.”

“And Aria?” Elias asked again, voice softer.

Kael exhaled, a long breath. “She stays out of it. For now. If Theron or Ryker suspect she’s my mate, it could be used against her. Or us.”

Elias nodded slowly. “And if she doesn’t stay out of it?”

Kael’s eyes darkened. “Then we protect her.”

A pause stretched again between them, heavy but not uncomfortable.

“We leave in two days,” Kael said. “Just you and me this time. No soldier escort. Fewer chances for provocation.”

Elias gave a low whistle. “Risky.”

“Necessary,” Kael replied. “They’re giving us a window. We need to walk through it before it closes.”

Elias stood, stretching his shoulders. “Then let’s sharpen the blades. Diplomacy first. Teeth second.”

Kael nodded once. “And pray we don’t need the latter.”

As Elias turned to go, he paused at the door, glancing back.

“She’ll see through the armor eventually, you know.”

Kael looked up.

“Aria. She’ll see the truth in you, whether you show it or not.”

Kael said nothing, and Elias let the silence speak for itself.

When the door closed behind him, Kael sat at the edge of the desk and picked up the Moonfang letter again.

His wolf stirred restlessly within him.

War was coming. Whether with rogues or something darker.

But first… there would be words.

And perhaps, something more dangerous than war—truth.