Chapter 24
Raiden’s POV
The arena falls silent as Windhowl’s pack steps forward. The sound of their boots hitting the stone floor echoes in the stillness, each step deliberate and steady.
The sunlight streams down from on high, glinting off medals pinned to their chests. But it’s not the medals that catch my attention–it’s the scars. The stories etched into their skin.
These aren’t ordinary wolves. They’re fighters, survivors. Some of them wear their battles in the absence of a limb, others in the way they move–slower, more measured, but no less dangerous.
She was smart to do this. She has shown purpose, stafgety and experience. Something that teh fires of youth can never match, not until age too has ravaged their bones.
I lean back in my seat among the Alpha judges, crossing my arms as the murmurs start. Whispers ripple through the crowd. sharp and cutting, like knives being unsheathed.
It’s always the same, every time Windhowl shows up. The same ridicule, the same mockery. But this time, it feels different. This time, the whispers are louder, more pointed. Siena was crazy to do this….without my protection.
“That’s Siena’s pack,” someone mutters, their voice carrying through the room. “She brought a bunch of broken wolves to the competition. What a joke.”
“Windhowl used to be something,” another voice says. “Now look at them. They’re a disgrace.
I don’t react. I keep my face neutral, my expression unreadable.
I’ve heard worse said about Windhowl over the years–hell, I’ve said worse myself. But I can’t deny there’s something unsettling about the way they stand there, unflinching under the weight of the crowd’s judgment.
They don’t look ashamed. They don’t look scared. They look… proud.
Is this how they feel about their Luna Queen?
The whispers grow louder, turning into scattered laughter.
And then, Lila speaks. “That’s Siena’s pack,” she announces, her voice cutting through the noise like a blade. She lifts a perfectly manicured finger, pointing at them. “Look,at the excuse of a Luna’s idea of strength! Broken soldiers and women playing warrior. How embarrassing!”
The laughter crescendos, some of the Alphas chuckling openly, others trying to hide their amusement behind poorly concealed smirks.
But not everyone is laughing.
Some of the younger wolves shift uncomfortably in their seats, their gazes darting between Lila and Windhowl’s pack. Even among the Alphas, there’s a tension in the air, a discomfort that wasn’t there a moment ago.
It’s one thing to mock a rival pack, but this… this feels like something else entirely. Something cruel.
I glance at Siena. She’s standing off to the side, her arms at her sides, her head held high. She doesn’t react to Lila’s words, doesn’t flinch under the weight of the crowd’s scorn. But I see it–the slight tremble in her hands, the way her fingers curl into fists for the briefest moment before she forces them to relax.
My wolf stirs uneasily, a low growl rumbling in my chest. He doesn’t like this. He doesn’t like Lila’s words, doesn’t like the way Siena stands there, bearing the brunt of the mockery in silence.
302%
Chapter 24
For a moment, I feel the urge to rise, to tell Lila to stop. But then, I remember.
I remember Siena’s words from only a few hours ago, the way she looked at me, the disdain in her eyes.
“She’s not what she seems.”
I remember the fury in her voice when she confronted the, the way she tried to undermine Lila in front of the pack
And neither are you.
My sympathy hardens into something colder, sharper.
Siena brought this on herself. She’s always been aggressive, manipulative. She’s always looked for any opportunity to challenge me, to make me look weak. This is just karma catching up to her.
And yet… I can’t look away.
Windhowl’s pack moves into position, forming a loose line in the center of the arena. Their movements aren’t synchronized, not like the other packs. They don’t have the same polished precision, the same picture–perfect unity.
But there’s a quiet purpose in the way they move, a subtle rhythm that speaks of trust, of understanding.
Each of them compensates for the other’s weaknesses, filling in the gaps with a seamlessness that’s almost beautiful
The demonstration begins, and the crowd falls silent again. Windhowl’s pack moves as one, their fighting techniques unlike anything I’ve ever seen. They don’t rely on brute strength or speed.
Instead, they use strategy, leveraging each other’s strengths to cover their weaknesses.
An older warrior with a prosthetic leg deflects an attack with precision, leaving an opening for a younger wolf to strike.
A female warrior with scars running down her arms moves slower than her opponent, but she uses it to her advantage. baiting him into overextending before delivering a devastating counterstrike.
It’s… brilliant.
I lean forward slightly, my arms resting on my knees as I watch them. This isn’t what I expected. This isn’t what anyone expected. Windhowl’s pack isn’t just surviving–they’re thriving. They’ve taken what others would see as weaknesses and turned them into strengths.
They’ve adapted.
I glance at Siena again. She’s watching her pack with an intensity that’s almost unnerving, her eyes sharp and focused. There’s pride in her gaze, but it’s not the arrogant, self–serving pride I’ve always associated with her.
It’s something quieter, something deeper. She looks at her pack like they’re more than just warriors. Like they’re family.
Had she always been like this? Had I just never noticed?
“Are you seriously watching this?” Lila snaps, her voice breaking through my thoughts. She leans closer to me, her nails digging into my arm. “Raiden, they’re pathetic. She’s pathetic.”
“They’re holding their own,” I say, my voice calm but firm.
She lets out a scoff, sitting back in her chair and crossing her arms. “You can’t seriously be impressed by this. Look at them! They’re weak. They’re-”
“Enough,” I say, my tone sharper now. She falls silent, her lips pressing into a thin line. I don’t look at her. I can’t. Something about this moment feels… fragile, like it’ll shatter if I let her words distract me.
Ubid/bun, 20 Apr
Chapter 24
4.密62%
The demonstration ends, and the crowd erupts into applause. It’s hesitant at first, scattered and unsure, but it grows louder, more confident.
Windhowl’s pack stands in the center of the arena, their chests heaving with exertion, but their heads held high. They don’t smile, don’t celebrate. They just stand there, resolute like they’ve been doing this their entire lives–because they have.
The judge steps forward, his voice booming through the arena. “Windhowl’s team is victorious.
The applause swells, and I find myself clapping along with the others. My gaze shifts back to Siena. She’s walking toward her pack now, her movements purposeful but unhurried. They gather around her,
One of the older warriors, the man with the prosthetic leg, claps her on the shoulder. She smiles at him, a genuine smile that lights up her face in a way I’ve never seen before.
It’s disarming. Unsettling.
Lila mutters something under her breath, too low for me to catch, but I ignore her.
My attention is fixed on Siena, on the way her pack looks at her. There’s no fear in their eyes, no hesitation. They look at her like she’s their anchor, their foundation. Like they’d follow her anywhere.
My wolf growls softly, the sound vibrating in my chest. He doesn’t understand what’s happening any more than I do, but he feels it too–this shift, this… respect.
“The Luna was once your anchor Raidnen.”
I glance at Lila. Her expression is twisted with fury, her lips pulled back in a sneer. She looks at Siena and her pack like they’re dirt beneath her feet, like their victory means nothing. And for the first time, I feel a flicker of doubt. A crack in the foundation I’ve built around myself.
Have I been protecting the wrong person?
The thought is dangerous. Treacherous. But it’s there, lurking in the back of my mind, and no matter how hard I try to push it away, it won’t leave.
As Windhowl’s pack leaves the arena, their heads held high, I can’t shake the feeling that everything I thought I knew about Siena–about her pack, about her strength–has been wrong.
And that terrifies me.
AD
Comment
Send gift
No Ads
Chapter 21
Chapter 25
