Chapter 251

Chris

Leonard and I shifted back into our human forms as we reached the edge of the warrior camp, the sound of conversation, the snarling of wolves, and the clashing of metal against metal filling our ears. The air smelled like smoke and meat and sweat, a stark contrast from the cool morning breeze.

I took a deep breath as we approached, trying to calm my frazzled nerves. This was it. The moment when all four Alphas would come together for the first time.

If only we weren’t one short, and Winston had sided with us. Although, I supposed if he hadn’t declared war, we likely wouldn’t be here at all.

As we entered the camp, I saw the other three Alphas waiting for us. Fabian, Edward, and Bernard stood in a loose semicircle, their faces drawn and jaws tight. The tension in the air was palpable.

I approached them, extending my hand. “Alphas, thank you for coming.”

Fabian was the first to step forward, clasping my hand firmly. “Chris. It’s good to see you again.”

Edward and Bernard followed suit, each shaking my hand with a nod of acknowledgment. As we stood there, I couldn’t help but think back on the circumstances that had brought us together. Each of these Alphas had, at one point, needed Moonstone’s help. And now, here they were, ready to return the favor.

“I know you’ve had your differences in the past,” I said, “but I want you to know how much I appreciate you coming to our aid. It means a lot that you’re here today.”

Bernard cleared his throat. “You’ve helped each of us when we needed it,” he said. “It’s time to return the favor.”

Edward nodded in agreement. “A pity Winston is just as stubborn as always.”

Fabian clapped me on the shoulder. “Speaking of which, let’s get down to business, shall we? We’ve a battle to plan.”

With that, we made our way to the tactical tent at the center of the camp. Inside, a large table dominated the space, covered with maps and miniature figures representing our forces and Winston’s.

“Alright,” I said, leaning over the map. “Here’s what we know about Winston’s forces…”

For the next hour and a half, we discussed our battle plans, debating strategies and contingencies while the camp raged on around us. I was the youngest and perhaps most inexperienced out of all of them, and made it clear just how appreciative I was of their insight and support.

Over time, the tension began to fade, replaced by an unexpected sort of camaraderie. I could only imagine what we could accomplish in the future, united like this—especially if we swayed Winston to our side.

A fully united werewolf world… We would be unstoppable. In fact, even now, with one man missing, we were making history.

But speaking of Winston, we finally came to the crux of the matter.

“So,” Edward said, his finger tracing a line on the map that indicated the northern border of the battlefield, “once we have Winston surrounded, what then? How do we convince him to stand down?”

I passed my hand over my face, thinking deeply for a moment. Winston was tough to crack, just as icy as the environment in which he lived; but he wasn’t without his own cracks and flaws.

“We need to appeal to his humanity,” I said slowly. “Remember, beneath all that anger and bitterness, there’s still a man who has lost everything.”

There was a brief moment of silence after that. I suppressed a shudder at the thought of losing Ava, especially during childbirth. To lose the love of your life and then have to be a single parent on top of it…

No wonder he was so frigid. Had he always been that way, though, I wondered? Rumor had it that his family had always been known for their cold and gruff demeanors, so it went without thinking. But surely he got worse after his wife died.

“Hmm. His wife was named… Melody, I believe,” Bernard murmured, leaning his palms on the table. “I remember hearing about his wedding a few years back. None of the other packs were invited, of course, but there was talk.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Anything of note?”

Edward suddenly chuckled, causing us to all turn to look at him. “I remember. It was said that that day was the only time anyone ever saw Winston smile. Really smile, not that cold smirk he usually wears. People who saw them said he looked... happy.”

Happy. It was hard to imagine the icy Alpha smiling.

“I heard similar things,” Fabian added. “Apparently, his wife was extremely beautiful. Kind, too. The complete opposite of Winston, in many ways. But they seemed to balance each other out.”

I nodded, absorbing this information. “And now she’s gone, leaving him with only their daughter. It’s obviously a soft spot.”

For a moment, I thought back to the night it had all happened—when Ava had, perhaps in a misguided manner, carried the little one through the halls of that castle. She had only intended to bring the baby to Winston, try to spark some kind of joy in him.

But he had reacted so… harshly. Immediately sentencing us to death without hearing us out, then declaring was when we escaped. I knew that Winston wasn’t a completely unreasonable man, but…

“I doubt his wife would have wanted this, if she was half as kind as you claim,” I muttered.

Fabian nodded. “If we can get him to call off the battle and talk to us, it’s definitely worth bringing up,” he said. “If we can make Winston realize that his wife wouldn’t have wanted this—that she would have wanted him to create a better world for their daughter, just as we’re trying to do—then maybe he will see reason.”

The other Alphas nodded in agreement. For a moment, silence fell over the tent as we all contemplated the task ahead of us. It would be no easy feat, but there wasn’t enough time to figure out anything else.

“There’s one more thing,” I said, breaking the silence. “No matter what happens, we need to minimize casualties on both sides. These are our people we’re fighting against. I’d wager that most of them are following Winston out of loyalty or fear, not because they want war.”

Edward nodded solemnly. “Agreed. We’ll instruct our warriors to subdue, not kill.”

As we finalized our plans, I couldn’t help but think of Ava. I hoped she was safe back at the cave, far from the danger that was about to unfold in our territory.

And once this was all over…

I touched my pocket, feeling the weight of that little velvet box. It was stupid to bring it into battle with me, I knew, but I couldn’t leave it behind.

Suddenly, a haunting howl pierced the air. We all froze, staring at one another with our jaws set hard. The howl was soon joined by others, a cacophony of wolves drawing closer and closer.

A moment later, a scout burst into the tent, his chest heaving as he caught his breath. “Alphas,” he panted, “New Moon’s forces have arrived. They’re approaching from the east, just as we anticipated.”

I exchanged glances with the other Alphas, seeing my own hard determination mirrored in their eyes. This was it. The moment we had been preparing for.

It was time to fight and end this once and for all.