Chapter 340 Bringing the allies together 1

Chapter 340: Chapter 340 Bringing the allies together 1

Talia’s POV

The days passed, and the stronghold buzzed with preparation.

I could feel the tension in the air with every step I took through the hallways. Wolves moved with purpose, carrying supplies and sharpening weapons. The blacksmith’s hammer rang out day and night, and I could hear the sound of warriors training in the courtyard. The pack was getting ready, and I felt the weight of their expectations pressing down on me.

But I also felt the determination, that the pack was ready to fight.

Then Grandfather Aldric called for a meeting.

I walked into the great hall, and I saw him standing at the front. His old eyes were sharp, and his voice was steady. He had been a leader for longer than I had been alive, and I could see the fire still burning in his gaze.

"Talia," he said. "It is time to call the allied packs, because we cannot face Malachai alone. The Shadowfang pack is strong, but we need more. We need the Stoneclaw pack, and we need the others."

I looked at him, and I felt the weight of his words, because he was right. We had faced Malachai’s guards, and we had survived. But we had not faced his army, not yet. And we could not do it alone.

I saw the elders at the back of the hall exchanging glances. I knew what they were thinking. They had seen alliances before, alliances that had crumbled when the fighting began. They were afraid that these packs would not stay, that they would run when they saw Malachai’s army.

But I also saw something else in their eyes. Hope. They were afraid, but they were also willing to try.

I looked at Kaelen, and I saw the agreement in his gray eyes. "I will send word to the Stoneclaw Pack," he said, his voice firm. "And to the others, they will come. They have to."

I watched the messengers leave, and I felt the hope rising in my chest. We were not alone, because the other packs would stand with us. They had to. If they understood the danger, they would come.

"Thank you," I said to Aldric. "For calling this meeting, and for believing in us."

He looked at me, and I saw the pride in his old eyes. "You have brought us this far, Talia. You have brought your mother home, and you have shown the pack what it means to fight. Now we will bring the others."

I felt the warmth spreading through my chest, and I nodded.

Days later, I stood at the border of Blackmoor Valley, and I watched them approach.

The Stoneclaw Pack came first, with their Alpha leading the way. Alpha Stone was old and battle-hardened, with his fur streaked with gray. I recognized him from the negotiations, and from the treaty I had signed so long ago. His eyes were hard, but I saw the respect in them when he looked at me.

He dismounted and walked toward me, his warriors following behind him. "Luna Talia," he said, and his voice was gruff. "I received your message, and I came because you asked."

I stepped forward, and I greeted him with a bow of my head. "Thank you, Alpha Stone. I know this is not an easy journey, but I would not have called if it were not important."

He studied my face for a moment. "I have heard stories of what you did in the Ashen Lands. I have heard that you walked into Malachai’s fortress and walked out alive. That is not something many wolves can claim."

I shook my head. "I did not do it alone, Alpha Stone. I had my pack with me, I had my mate, I had my mother, and I had the Silvertongue magic."

His eyes widened slightly. "Your mother? The Silvertongue woman?"

Alpha Stone stepped closer, and I saw the curiosity in his old eyes. "I have heard of the Silvertongue magic. I have heard that it can command wolves, bend them to your will. Is that true?"

I shook my head. "It is not about control, Alpha Stone. It is about truth. The Silvertongue magic speaks to the truth in others. It cannot make someone do what they do not already want to do."

He studied my face for a moment. "And that is how you escaped Malachai’s fortress?"

I nodded. "That and the courage of my pack."

I nodded. "She is here. She will tell you the truth, and she will tell you what we are facing."

Other packs followed. I saw wolves from territories I had only heard of in stories, packs that had never allied with Shadowfang before. They had come because Grandfather Aldric had called, and because they knew the danger was real. I saw the fear in their eyes, but I also saw the determination.

I stepped forward, and I greeted them one by one. "Welcome. Thank you for coming. We have much to discuss."

Alpha Stone nodded. "We are here to fight, Luna. But we need to know what we are fighting. We need to know the truth."

I looked at him, and I saw the seriousness in his eyes. "You will," I said. "I promise."

The great hall was filled with wolves from different packs.

I stood at the front, and I looked at the faces of the Alphas. They were strong, proud, and determined, but I could see the fear in their eyes. They had heard the stories of Malachai, but they had not heard the truth. At least not yet.

My mother stepped forward, and I watched her take a breath. She was still weak, but she was standing strong. She had survived fifteen years in a cage, and she was not afraid of a room full of Alphas.

"Thank you for coming," she said, and her voice was steady. "I know you are afraid. I know you have heard the stories. But I am here to tell you the truth."

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

My mother let out a slow breath, then she spoke. “A great enemy is coming, and we need to fight together.”