The battlefield was still. I stood in the wreckage, the scent of blood thick in the air, copper and iron coating my tongue like ash. The bodies were quiet now — no more growls, no more howls. No more war cries.
It was over.
I scanned the shattered earth. Wolves from both packs stood divided in the silence, eyeing each other warily. I saw the questions in their eyes, the anger still simmering just beneath their bruised skins.
At the center of it all stood Felicia.
Her back was straight. Her chin high. But I could see the exhaustion in her shoulders, the way her fingers trembled at her sides. She looked like a queen carved from stone — beautiful and unmovable.
And then her hand lifted.
“This war is over,” she said, voice cutting through the air like a blade. “We have fought long enough, and we have lost enough. This ends now.”
The pack stirred. Murmurs spread like smoke — some relieved, others defiant.
I didn’t say a word. My fists were still clenched. My chest still burned with every breath.
I hadn’t come here for war. I came for truth. To expose Lucien. To protect her from him.
But I failed. Felicia turned to me, her face unreadable. Cold.
“You need to leave,” she said.
My stomach dropped.
“Felicia—” I stepped forward, voice strained.
She cut me off like ice. “You don’t have enough evidence to accuse Lucien of such monstrosity. You came here with nothing but your anger. And that’s not enough to justify war.”
I felt the accusation land like a punch.
“I know he’s lying,” I said through gritted teeth. “I know he’s behind the rogues. I know he’s the reason Orion—”
“No.” Her voice cracked sharp. “All I see is a man who is so desperate to control the past that he’s willing to destroy everything in his path.”
That one hit deeper than I expected. My throat tightened. My pride faltered.
She took a shaky breath. “I’m asking you to leave, Damien. If you don’t… I will force you to.”
I stood there, frozen. Her words cut deeper than any claw.
I didn’t speak. I couldn’t. I just turned and walked away.
It felt like leaving behind everything I’d ever fought for.
Later That Week
Back in my office, the air was still heavy with the echo of what I’d lost.
I barely registered the knock on the door. When the messenger entered, I didn’t turn to look at him.
“Alpha,” he said, “I bring a message from Silverstone…”
I almost snapped. Until I heard the words.
“Felicia is ready to introduce the boys to you.”
For a moment, everything inside me stopped.
“What did you say?” I asked, my voice barely audible.
“She’s requested a neutral meeting. For you to meet the children.”
I sat there, frozen, letting the words replay in my mind again and again.
She’s ready.
My sons.
After five years — five long years — I was finally going to meet them not as a stranger, not as a mistake in the shadows, but as their father.
Xavier stood nearby, arms folded, waiting for my reaction.
“This is good news,” he said slowly. “She’s finally opening the door.”
I nodded, trying to breathe. My chest felt too tight.
“Yeah.”
“But this is neutral ground,” he warned. “You need to play this smart. No shouting. No accusations. No scars.”
My jaw locked, but I nodded again.
“I know.”
Xavier raised an eyebrow. “Do you?”
I gave him a hard look. “I won’t mess this up.”
He studied me for a beat longer, then sighed. “Just don’t let your emotions get the better of you.”
I didn’t answer. I didn’t need to.
I stood, grabbed my jacket, and headed for the door.
“I’m going to meet my sons,” I said, and for once, my voice shook not from rage… but something that almost felt like hope.