Chapter 398 The Chaos

Chapter 398: Chapter 398 The Chaos

Talia’s POV

I stood frozen on the balcony, with my hand still in Kaelen’s.

I did not move.

I could not, because my eyes were fixed on the valley below, and my mind was racing. ‘What was happening? Was it an attack? Had Malachai found us sooner than we expected?’

Then Kaelen’s body went still beside me.

I had seen it before. The way his eyes went distant, and the way his body stilled, which meant he was speaking to someone through the mind link.

Cain’s voice flowed inside my head. It was like a whisper pressed directly into my thoughts. I had never gotten used to it, the way another voice could live inside my mind. But there was no time to dwell on it.

"Cain," Kaelen said aloud, though I knew he was speaking through the link as well.

"Alpha," Cain’s voice echoed through the bond. "The allies are fighting. Stoneclaw and Thornwood. It is bad, Kaelen. They are tearing each other apart."

Kaelen’s jaw clenched. "I know. We are on our way."

The link went quiet.

I looked at Kaelen, and his face was hard.

Below us, the valley was no longer peaceful. The fires still burned, but the calm had shattered, as wolves were running between the camps. I could see fists flying, and I could hear snarling and shouting rising on the wind.

The sounds of fighting grew louder. The clash of metal rang out, then a sickening crack echoed, followed by someone screaming. The sound was raw and animal-like.

Kaelen’s grip on my hand tightened. His voice was steady, but his hand tightened around mine. He was already moving before he finished speaking. "We need to go down there."

I nodded, but I did not speak. My heart slammed against my ribs. But my thoughts were sharp. I had seen chaos before. I had lived in it for fifteen years, so I knew how to survive it.

Kaelen did not wait for me to say anything else. He pulled me by the hand, and we ran.

We ran through the stronghold, down the stone steps, and out into the valley. My boots hit the ground hard. My lungs burned, but I did not slow. The night air hit my face, cold and sharp. The sounds of fighting grew louder with every step.

The camp was chaotic, and I saw wolves running toward the fight. Some looked afraid, and others looked angry. I saw mothers pulling their pups away from the fighting, I saw warriors grabbing weapons, and I saw an old wolf standing in the doorway of his tent, his face pale with fear.

The camp was in complete chaos. But ahead of us, I saw familiar faces.

Jax and Silas were ahead of us. They were trying to break up a fight between two wolves who were locked in combat. Jax had one wolf by the arm, pulling him back. While Silas had the other by the shoulders.

"Enough!" Jax shouted. "Enough, both of you!"

The wolves did not listen. They kept snapping and snarling, trying to break free.

Jax and Silas were holding their own. But there were too many fights, and too many wolves.

Cain was standing between two groups of wolves, his arms spread wide. His face was calm, but his eyes were deadly. He did not speak, and he did not need to. The wolves on either side of him hesitated. They knew who he was, and they knew what he was capable of.

Even in chaos, Cain was an unmovable, and an unbreakable wall.

Kaelen and I reached the edge of the chaos.

I saw it clearly now. The fight was between the Stoneclaw Pack and the Thornwood Pack.

Alpha Stone was shouting at Alpha Thornwood, and his face was red with fury. Alpha Thornwood was shouting back, his fists clenched at his sides. Their warriors were behind them, snarling and snapping at each other.

A young wolf from Stoneclaw was bleeding from a gash on his forehead. The blood ran down his face and dripped onto his shirt. He was holding his head, but he was still standing.

A young wolf from Thornwood was holding his arm. It was bent at an unnatural angle, which meant it was broken. He was pale, but he was not crying. He was staring at the Stoneclaw wolves with pure hatred in his eyes.

Kaelen stepped forward, and the ground seemed to shake beneath him. When he spoke, his voice rolled across the camp like a storm. "Stop!"

The fighting paused, and wolves turned to look at him.

Kaelen looked at Alpha Stone. His voice was controlled, but I could hear the edge beneath it. "What is the issue here?"

Alpha Stone’s jaw tightened. He glanced at Alpha Thornwood, then back at Kaelen.

"It is nothing," Alpha Stone said. "Just a spilled drink. A misunderstanding."

Kaelen’s eyes narrowed. Then he turned to Alpha Thornwood. "Is that true?"

Alpha Thornwood hesitated. His hands were still clenched, and his shoulders were tight with anger. Then he shook his head.

"No," Alpha Thornwood said. "It is not true."

He took a step forward, and his voice rose.

"The Stoneclaw Pack has been disrespectful since the moment they arrived. They have been boasting about their strength. They have been pushing our wolves, and they have been provoking us at every turn."

Alpha Stone scoffed. He stepped forward to face Alpha Thornwood.

"And the Thornwood Pack has been cold and hostile," Alpha Stone said. "They have refused to share resources. They have been treating us like enemies instead of allies."

Alpha Thornwood’s eyes blazed. "We have been treating you like enemies because you have been acting like enemies."

Alpha Stone took a step toward him. "Say that again."

Kaelen stepped between them. His voice was sharp. "Enough."

Both Alphas stopped. They did not move, but their eyes were still locked on each other.