Dominic Silvermane's Arc

Chapter 8 of 9

The howls from the cliff had faded. Dominic's mate wore the crown now. But Scarlett's threat still gnawed at him. He had lost his beta the day she walked out. A pack facing a breach needed a trusted second. Without one, his orders would scatter when the fighting started. He gathered his best wolves at the lodge and named the problem out loud. Someone had to command his flank while he held the walls. A young wolf ran in, breathing hard. Scouts had found Scarlett's den. She hid in a stone cave, torches burning at the mouth, crates and barrels stacked inside. She was building for a strike. Dominic pulled on his winter coat, the gray one with fur at the collar and a badge at the chest. He would end this before she reached his gates. But he could not go alone. "You'll want a second for that." Dominic turned. Theo Blackwood stood in the doorway. He was his luna's older brother, and he had joined the pack only weeks ago. The other wolves shifted, unsure of him. Theo did not care. He crossed his arms and met Dominic's eyes without dropping them. A silver chain hung at his throat. "She knows your weak trails," Theo said. "She doesn't know mine. I've watched them since I got here." Dominic studied him. A stranger. His mate's blood, but untested in his own ranks. Trust was not given cheaply among wolves. "Why you?" Dominic asked. "Because my sister wears your crown," Theo said. "Her enemies are mine now. Test me at the cave. If I fail, you lose one wolf. If I hold, you have your beta." His mate stepped between them, white hair loose over her pink coat. She touched Dominic's arm. "He reads a fight better than anyone I know," she said. "He taught me. Take him." Dominic weighed it. He needed a second before the breach, not after. He held out his hand. "Then you lead the flank." They moved on the cave at dusk. Torchlight flickered on wet stone. Scarlett's few followers rushed from behind the crates. Dominic drove for the mouth. Theo did not wait for orders. He barked commands, split the wolves, and cut off the retreat. His voice held. The pack obeyed him without pause. Scarlett broke through a side gap and fled into the trees, but her den fell. Her stores were scattered, her followers routed. Dominic gripped Theo's shoulder in the firelight. "You held," he said. "You're my beta now." The wolves around them dipped their heads. The doubt was gone. But Scarlett had escaped again. She had lost her den and her helpers. Now she had nothing left to lose. Dominic watched the dark where she had run. A cornered wolf stopped planning and simply struck. The next time she came, she would come straight for his luna.