Damien’s POV
The reorganization took two days.
Two days of counting bodies. Treating wounds. Rebuilding formations.
Two days of watching warriors limp back to camp. Their faces hollow. Their eyes haunted.
Two days of writing letters to families. Explaining how their sons, brothers, fathers died protecting pack territory.
Thirteen letters. Thirteen failures.
My side throbbed with every movent. The stitches pulled. A constant reminder of how close I’d co.
But I couldn’t rest. Couldn’t stop. Not while Voss was still out there. Not while my pack was still in danger.
"Alpha." Marcus appeared at the tent entrance. His injured shoulder wrapped tight. "The periter’s secure. Scouts report no movent within five miles."
"Good." I stood up. Ignored the spike of pain. "Gather the senior warriors. We need to discuss strategy."
"Sir, you should rest—"
"I’m fine."
"You’re not fine." His voice got harder. "You nearly bled out four days ago. The dics said—"
"I don’t care what the dics said." I walked past him. Into the camp. "We’re at war. I don’t get to rest."
The command tent was already full when I arrived. Lucas. Claire. The remaining senior warriors. All watching with varying degrees of concern.
"Status report." I dropped into a chair. Tried not to wince. "What do we know?"
Lucas pulled up the map. Red marks everywhere now. More than before.
"Voss has been quiet since the ambush." His finger traced the border. "No attacks. No probing. Just... waiting."
"Waiting for what?"
"For us to make a mistake." Claire leaned forward. "Or for you to recover enough to face him directly."
My jaw clenched. "He wants a challenge."
"That’s our assessnt." Lucas nodded. "The ambush was a test. He wanted to see if he could take you down with numbers. When that didn’t work, he pulled back."
"So now what? He just sits there until I’m healed?"
"Or until he gets impatient." Marcus shifted his weight. "Rogues don’t do well with waiting. They’ll get restless. Start fighting among themselves."
Maybe. Or maybe Voss had more patience than we gave him credit for.
"We need to draw him out." I studied the map. "Force him to commit before he’s ready."
"How?" Lucas asked. "We’re already stretched thin. We can’t afford another direct assault."
"We don’t assault." I pointed to a section of forest. "We bait."
Silence fell. Everyone staring at the map.
"You want to use yourself as bait," Claire said finally. "Don’t you?"
"It’s what he wants." I t her eyes. "A direct challenge. Alpha against Alpha. Winner takes the territory."
"That’s suicide." Marcus’s voice rose. "You’re injured. You’re exhausted. You can barely stand without—"
"I can fight."
"You can barely walk!" He slamd his good hand on the table. "Damien, this is insane. Even at full strength, Voss is dangerous. In your current condition—"
"In my current condition, I’m still stronger than most warriors here." I stood up. Forced myself not to sway. "And I’m the only one he’ll accept as an opponent."
"There has to be another way." Claire’s voice was soft. Pleading. "We could negotiate. Offer territory concessions. Sothing that doesn’t risk—"
"Concessions?" My voice went cold. "You want to give up pack land? To reward Voss for attacking us?"
"I want you alive!" She stood too. "Damien, please. Think about your children. About Sera. About—"
"I am thinking about them!" The words exploded out. "Every decision I make is about protecting them! About making sure they have a pack to co ho to! About—"
Pain lanced through my side. Sharp. Blinding. I grabbed the table edge. Forced myself to stay upright.
"Sir." Lucas was at my side imdiately. "You need to sit down."
"I’m fine."
"You’re not fine!" His patience finally snapped. "Stop saying you’re fine when you’re clearly not! You’re injured. You’re exhausted. You’re in no condition to fight anyone, let alone Voss!"
The tent went silent.
I looked around. At faces full of concern. Fear. The knowledge that their Alpha was being stupid and stubborn and probably about to get himself killed.
"Then what do you suggest?" I asked quietly. "Because sitting here waiting isn’t an option. Voss will attack again. Sooner or later. And next ti, more warriors will die."
No one had an answer.
Because there was no good answer. Just varying degrees of bad.
"Set up the challenge." I walked toward the exit. "Send a ssenger to Voss. Tell him I accept his terms. One-on-one combat. Tomorrow at dawn."
"Damien—"
"That’s an order."
I left before anyone could argue further.
---
The rest of the day passed in preparation.
Warriors sharpening weapons. Running drills. Preparing for the possibility that everything would go wrong tomorrow.
I spent it checking my own equipnt. My wolf form was my strength. But having a backup plan never hurt.
Silver-coated claws. Reinforced armor for vulnerable points. Ergency dical supplies.
All the things that might keep alive long enough to win.
My phone buzzed around noon.
Sera.
**Sera: The kids want to video call tonight. Is that okay?**
I stared at the ssage. At the casual normalcy of it. Like tomorrow wasn’t potentially the last day of my life.
**: Of course. What ti?**
**Sera: 7 PM. I’ll set it up.**
Seven PM. Five hours before I needed to sleep. Five hours before the last night before everything changed.
**: Tell them I love them.**
**Sera: Tell them yourself tonight.**
The conversation ended there.
I set down the phone. Went back to preparations.
---
The video call ca through exactly at seven.
I answered imdiately. Two faces filled the screen.
Adrian. Lily. Both smiling. Both so achingly alive and normal that my chest hurt.
"Daddy!" Lily bounced. "We miss you!"
"I miss you too, baby girl." I forced my voice steady. "How’s school?"
"Boring! When are you coming ho?"
"Soon." The lie ca easily. "Very soon."
Adrian was quieter. Watching with those too-observant eyes. "You look tired, Dad."
"Just busy. Lots of work at the border."
"Are you winning?"
Winning. Like war was a ga with clear winners and losers.
"We’re holding our ground," I said carefully. "That’s what matters."
"Mom says you got hurt." His voice got smaller. "Is that true?"
I glanced off-screen. Sera must be right there. Listening. Probably regretting letting them ask questions.
"Just a few scratches." I smiled. "Nothing serious."
"Scratches don’t need forty-three stitches," Adrian said flatly.
Damn. He’d heard more than I thought.
"Okay, maybe a little more than scratches." I kept my tone light. "But I’m fine now. Promise."
"You promise you’re coming ho?" Lily leaned closer to the cara. "For real?"
"For real, baby girl."
Another lie. But what else could I say?
They talked for twenty minutes. About school. About friends. About the new ga they’d been playing. Normal kid stuff that felt surreal against tomorrow’s reality.
Finally, Sera’s voice ca from off-screen. "Okay guys. Ti to let Dad go. He needs to rest."
"But—"
"Now, please."
They said their goodbyes. Reluctant. Drawn out. Like they knew sothing was wrong but couldn’t articulate it.
Then the screen shifted. Sera’s face appeared.
Just for a second. Her green eyes eting mine through the cara.
I saw it there. The fear. The anger. The sothing else I couldn’t na.
"Be safe," she said. Barely a whisper.
Then she ended the call.
I sat there in the dark tent. Staring at the blank screen. My chest tight.
Tomorrow, I’d face Voss. Tomorrow, I’d fight for my pack. Tomorrow, everything would change.
But tonight? Tonight I’d let myself pretend. Just for a mont. That I’d see my children again. That Sera’s eyes held sothing more than anger. That I had sothing to co ho to.
---
Dawn ca too fast.
I woke to Lucas shaking my shoulder. "It’s ti."
I stood. Tested my wounds. The stitches pulled but held. The pain was manageable. My body responsive.
Good enough.
The walk to the clearing took thirty minutes.
Warriors lined the path. Silent. Their faces grim. They knew what this ant. Knew that if I fell, everything fell with .
The clearing was empty when we arrived.
Just open space. Trees surrounding it on all sides. The perfect arena.
"He’ll co from the north," Lucas said. "His camp is that direction."
I nodded. Rolled my shoulders. Felt my wolf stirring. Ready.
We waited.
Five minutes. Ten. Fifteen.
Then movent in the trees.
Rogues poured out. Hundreds of them. Surrounding the clearing. Creating a wall of bodies.
And in the center, walking slowly, confidently—
Voss.
He was massive. Bigger than . Broader. Muscles rippling under scarred skin.
His eyes were yellow. Wild. The eyes of soone who’d lost their humanity long ago.
He stopped fifty feet away. Smiled. Revealing too many teeth.
"Nightshadow." His voice was rough. Like gravel grinding together. "I was starting to think you’d chickened out."
"I’m here." I kept my voice level. "Let’s get this over with."
"So eager to die?" He laughed. The sound echoing off the trees. "I heard you were injured. Multiple wounds. Barely healed. This’ll be easier than I thought."
"Talk all you want." I started circling. "Won’t change the outco."
"You’re right about that." He circled opposite. "When I kill you, your pack falls. Your territory becos mine. Your warriors join my army. And your family—"
He paused. Let the silence stretch.
"Your beautiful wife. Your children. They’ll need protection. Guidance. Soone to take care of them."
Rage burned through . Hot. Consuming.
"Touch them and I’ll—"
"You’ll what?" He grinned wider. "You’ll be dead. Can’t protect anyone from the grave."
I shifted.
Alex burst through. Massive. Silver-white. Ready to tear this bastard apart.
Voss shifted too. His wolf was huge. Gray and brown. Covered in scars. Battle-hardened.
We circled once. Twice.
Then he lunged.
I dodged. Barely. His jaws snapped inches from my throat.
Countered. My claws raking his side. Drawing blood.
He spun. Faster than sothing that size should move. His teeth caught my injured side.
Pain exploded. The stitches tearing. Blood flowing.
I threw him off. Ignored the agony. Lunged for his throat.
He twisted away. His claws catching my shoulder. More pain. More blood.
We separated. Both breathing hard. Both bleeding.
The rogues around us were screaming. Cheering. Calling for blood.
Voss charged again. Pure power. No finesse.
I t him head-on. Our bodies colliding. Teeth and claws and rage.
He was stronger. Heavier. His attacks brutal. Overwhelming.
But I was faster. More controlled. Using technique over raw power.
We fought like that for what felt like hours. Circling. Lunging. Trading blows.
My wounds were screaming. The stitches completely torn now. Blood soaking my fur.
But I couldn’t stop. Couldn’t slow down. The second I showed weakness, he’d finish .
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