Chapter 337 Telling the pack

Chapter 337: Chapter 337 Telling the pack

Talia’s POV

I walked through the hallways, and I felt the determination burning in my chest.

My mother’s words echoed in my mind. "What now?" And my answer. "Now we fight." I had spoken the words with conviction, but now I had to act on them. I had to gather the pack, I had to tell them the truth about Malachai, and I had to prepare them for what was coming.

I reached our room, and I pushed open the door. Kaelen was inside, and he looked up as I entered.

I walked to him, and I could feel the urgency in my steps. "Kaelen, I need to call a gathering for the whole pack. I need to tell them about Malachai, and about what is coming. They need to know the truth."

He studied my face for a moment, and I saw the understanding in his gray eyes. "You are ready to do this?"

I nodded. "I have to be, but we cannot face him alone. We need the pack, and we need everyone."

He stood, and he walked to me. He took my hands, and I felt the warmth of his fingers against mine. "Then we will do it together. I will send word to gather the pack."

I watched him walk to the door, and I saw him speak to a young wolf in the hallway. The wolf nodded and ran off, and I knew that the message was being spread. The pack would gather.

I felt a rush of gratitude for him. He always knew what to do, and he always knew how to help me.

Kaelen paused for a moment.

"Talia," he said, but he seemed to notice my expression, because his brows furrowed. "What is it?"

I walked to him, and I took his hands.

I looked into his gray eyes, and I felt the fear and the hope mixing in my chest. "Kaelen, I am scared. What if they do not listen? What if they are too afraid?"

He squeezed my hands, and I felt the warmth of his fingers against mine. "They will listen, Talia. They trust you, they have seen what you are capable of, and they will follow you."

I nodded, and I felt the determination rising in my chest. "Then let us go."

I bathed quickly, washing away the last remnants of the Ashen Lands from my skin. I dressed in clean clothes, simple but strong. I braided my hair back, and I looked at myself in the mirror.

I stared at my reflection, and I felt the fear creeping back in. I had faced Malachai’s guards, I had walked through the Ashen Lands, and I had broken silver with my own blood. But standing in front of the pack, and telling them the truth, felt like the hardest thing I had ever done.

I closed my eyes, and I took a breath. I thought of my mother, I thought of Kaelen, and I thought of all the wolves who were counting on me.

I opened my eyes, and I saw the determination in my own gaze.

I was not the scared girl who had left Blackmoor Valley. I was a warrior, and I was a Luna.

I turned to Kaelen, and I felt the warmth spreading through my chest. "Ready?"

He smiled, and I saw the love in his eyes. "Ready."

The great hall was filled with wolves.

They had gathered at my request, filling the space with their bodies and their voices. I could see the curiosity in their eyes, and the questions they were too polite to ask. They had welcomed my mother home, but they did not know what came next. They must have heard whispers of Malachai, of the Ashen Lands, and of the danger that still lurked beyond our borders.

I stood at the front of the hall, and I felt the weight of their gazes on me. Kaelen was beside me, with his presence steady and grounding. My mother was on my other side, with her hand gripping mine.

I felt her fingers tighten around mine, and I looked at her. She was pale, but her eyes were steady. She was afraid, but she was not running. She was standing beside me, and she was fighting.

I squeezed her hand back, and I felt her strength flowing through me.

Kaelen had sent word through the pack, and the wolves had come. They filled the hall, with their faces curious and uncertain. I saw the elders in the front, and the young wolves in the back. I saw the fear and the hope flickering in their eyes.

I took a breath, and I felt my mother’s hand on my arm. She was standing beside me, and I felt her strength flowing through me.

"The great people of Shadowfang, everyone," I said, and my voice carried across the hall. "Thank you for coming. I know you have many questions, and I know you are wondering what happens now."

I looked at my mother, and I nodded. "Mother," I said. "Tell them."

My mother stepped forward, and I watched her take a breath. She was still weak, but she was strong. She had survived fifteen years in a cage, and I know that she was not afraid of a room full of wolves. Her shoulders were straight, and her chin was lifted.

"Thank you for welcoming me into your home," she said, and her voice was steady. "Thank you for taking care of my daughter, and thank you for giving her a family."

She paused, and I saw her eyes sweeping across the crowd. She looked at each face, meeting their gazes.

"But I did not come here just to thank you," she continued. "I came here to warn you."