Chapter 247: Chapter 247

[ALPHA KILLIAN’s Point of View]

I looked at the sky and stared at the dark, heavy clouds above the Black Forest. For days, I had been running in this area, and I had no idea what I was really looking for in this cursed place anymore. I already confirmed that the Black Claws and the shadow werewolves were trying to increase their numbers and make camps once again near the western gates of the Silver Crescent borders, but I couldn’t make myself go back to MoonStone without seeing Samantha once again.

I exhaled sharply, hating these emotions that I shouldn’t be feeling for Samantha. I kept on telling myself I had to move on. To forget her. To erase these feelings for her. But I couldn’t. I was so confused why I was still having this strange connection with her, and even my wolf couldn’t understand why. WHY?

D*mn it. Maybe I was just hungry or something. It was starting to rain, and I had to look for a cave or some shelter where I could keep myself dry.

How long would I stay in this place? I couldn’t return to MoonStone while I still had these stupid, stubborn feelings for Samantha. No. I wouldn’t be able to look at Brianne’s face when I was thinking of another woman. Maybe Olivia was right. Maybe I was still hoping that Samantha would choose after Dominic’s endless failure to protect her and her twins.

But he was her mate. That heartless man who broke her heart and forced her to leave the Silver Crescent. The man who hurt her so many times it was unforgivable. If it weren’t for the bond, I doubt Samantha would stay and ever want to be with him again. She would never want the kids to be near Dominic.

Then I remembered the way she looked at him when they talked to each other. The way her lips curved into a smile every time he approached her. I hated it, to be honest, that the mate bond blinded Samantha from the past heartbreak and pain that Dominic caused her. But what else could I do to save her from him?

Nothing. I couldn’t do anything because the point was, she was never mine.

Enough of the thoughts, I decided, and then made another round of patrol near the western side of the Black Forest. From above a high tree, I saw the spot where the Black Claws and the Shadow werewolves camped. Based on my estimate, I could tell there were tens of thousands of them camping near the borders of Silver Crescent walls, and at that moment, I got scared for Samantha and the twins’ safety.

I had to return to MoonStone and gather forces in case Dominic needed reinforcements when things escalated.

My Beta behind me appeared, and I was surprised for a bit because I had asked him to go back to the pack a few hours ago. When I turned around to look at him, there was distress on his face that made me frown. “What is it?”

“Someone left this on your office table.” My Beta handed me a note with a seal on it. I immediately recognized the symbol, and I thought my hands went cold. Someone from the Black Claw had sneaked into my office!

With a ragged breath, I broke the seal and opened the letter. It says, “The Moonlight Mirror for the life of the Luna of the Silver Crescent pack! Bring her dead body in front of the Wolf Tomb this coming full moon. We will wait.”

“What does that mean?” My Beta asked.

“I am not sure. And I don’t know anything about the Moonlight Mirror and why they think I need that thing. I have to figure this out.” I answered him, sniffing and grimacing because I was starting to smell the rain. “You have to go back to MoonStone and tell Brianne I have to go back to Silver Crescent.”

“Are you kidding me?!” His eyes widened, looking terrified and shaken at what I said, “No! You have to go back, Alpha Killian! The Council is already questioning your absence there, and Lady Brianne’s been throwing and breaking things in the hall, raging because of your overstay in Silver Crescent! I am afraid she would march into that city and drag you back with her!”

“We have no time to argue about this,” I exhaled in exasperation as I gave him a grim look on the face. “If the Silver Crescent falls into the hands of the enemies, then it means all the pack that surrounds the Black Forest will get destroyed too! We have no other option but to prevent any of this from happening. So I need you to go back and tell the council that I need them to prepare our men for another wave of attack. We have to prepare!”

He stared at me with a steely look on his face as he clenched his jaw and then nodded. “I understand, Alpha Killian. I will go back and tell the council what we saw here.”

As soon as my Beta left, I decided to go straight back to Silver Crescent and tell Samantha all the things I saw in the western gates of their pack. I wouldn’t let anything bad happen to her or the twins.

But my mind was bothered about the Moonlight Mirror and why the Black Claw people think I needed that object in exchange for Samantha’s life. What was that thing for? Did they know about the curse that was still destroying my body? Would they think I was desperate enough to kill Sam for it?

I didn’t announce my way back to Silver Crescent and went straight to the Pack Manor, where Dominic and Sam were preparing for their wedding. I didn’t know how to feel about it, but I could tell Sam was pretty thrilled about it when she sent me an invitation. I hated it, of course, and never had a plan to attend. But it was Sam. She thought I was her best friend, and as her best friend, I had to be there to support her completely.

When I got into Dominic’s office, I saw him with his arms wrapped around Sam, and I thought about retreating right away and just telling them another time. But Dominic must have sensed my presence. He pulled away from Sam, turned around to see me standing awkwardly in the doorway with a smile, and couldn’t look either of them directly in the eyes.

The second Sam heard Dominic uttering my name, she whirled in surprise with her eyes locked into mine. Her lips stretched into a wide smile like the gentle sunlight in the morning.

“Killian! I thought—I thought you were home?” she exclaimed, but she didn’t dare run to me and stayed in her husband’s arms. “What are you doing here?”

“Uhhh... I would like to discuss something with you. Something about the enemies nearing your western gates? But I guess I am in bad timing, so maybe I’ll just reschedule—”

“No, you are already here. And Samantha and I are already discussing it.” Dominic stepped away from Samantha completely and then slipped his hands in the pockets of his pants with that irritating, arrogant look on his face. “I want to know what you saw, Killian. And then my men and I will handle it.”

I saw Samantha drop her stare, and then her smile disappeared as she inhaled sharply. She knew how dominating Dominic was, and she knew I wouldn’t bow down to him because he wasn’t my boss or anything.

“I don’t think you can handle this on your own, Dominic.” My eyes darkened as soon as I saw that cold look in his eyes. “You need help from me and the other pack leaders. Their numbers are growing, and if I am not mistaken, it is estimated to be ten thousand already.”

Dominic froze, and Samantha’s face went pale. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on novel·fire·net

Good. That’s the reaction I was expecting.

“Are you certain about that, Killian?” Samantha finally spoke as she stepped forward in front of me, trying to read the look on my face to see if I was telling them the truth.

I wanted to tell her about the note that was sent to me by one of the Black Claw people, but I didn’t want Sam to stress about it anymore, so I decided to just keep it to myself and investigate further what the Moonlight Mirror was about.

“Yes, I am certain. I have been patrolling around the Black Forest for days after I left,” I said to Samantha, and watched how her eyebrows lifted as if she couldn’t believe what she heard.

“You didn’t go home? You didn’t go back to Moonstone? Are you crazy, Killian?!” Samantha hissed at me, imagining Brianne’s rage. “Do you have any idea how long you have been gone from your pack?! Your council members and your Beta must already be worried for you!”

“Everything is under control, Sam. I already talked to my Beta about it, and Brianne can wait. I just have to deal with this before these *ssholes take over this part of the region. I can’t let that happen.”

“Samantha and I can handle this.” Dominic stepped forward, frowning.

“Oh yeah? Do you think you can handle ten thousand of them, Dominic?” I snarled because I was starting to feel pissed with the bastard’s arrogance. “You f*cking need help for this!”

“He’s right, Dominic.” Samantha tried to put sense into Dominic’s head, which I was grateful for. I know Dominic only said that because of his ego. I could feel he was threatened by my presence, especially when I was around Sam. And I couldn’t blame him.

I hated his guts as much as he hated mine.

“But first, I have to go. I need to do something before I go back and gather my men for this alliance against the enemies outside your borders.” I said to them. I saw from the corner of my eye how Sam tried to stop me from going, as if she wanted to say something to me, but Dominic stopped her.

I had to go to find out what this Moonlight Mirror was about.