Chapter 19: Chapter 19

JASMINE

“By now, you’ve probably figured out that this wasn’t a minor assault. We’re still tallying up the damage. It’s going to take years—maybe even forever—to recover. Our pack, our history… It’s been wiped out by dark magic.”

His voice wavered, the harsh reality shaking him to his core. I felt it too—his fear, his pain.

“And it wasn’t just a random attack. They had a leader.”

Sebastian’s words weighed heavily on me, like a suffocating fog. My heart pounded in my chest, and a cold sweat prickled at the nape of my neck. His words lingered in the air, casting a shadow that seemed to creep closer.

“Her name was Morgathis.” He closed his eyes tightly, as if the mere mention of her name was painful. “She held me captive under a paralyzing spell, promising me one thing: ‘This is just the beginning.’ She vowed to bring down all the packs in the territory of Tieranthia, one by one. She said, ‘We will not stop until we have all this land in our hands.’”

Sebastian swallowed hard, his pain radiating out to all of us. Without thinking, I reached out and took his hand, squeezing it tightly, letting him know he wasn’t alone.

Erik’s fists clenched, his body tensing as if he could already feel the impending battle. Aaron leaned in, his eyes narrowing with the kind of intense focus I’d only seen when he was close to cracking a tough problem.

“Tieranthia?” Erik’s brow furrowed as he leaned in closer.

“It sounds familiar,” Philip mumbled, scratching his chin thoughtfully.

“But that’s not the point right now,” I cut in, my chest constricting as I forced the words out. “This…this is a direct threat to all of us. To our people. To the four of us.” My voice wavered under the enormity of it all.

“The destruction of my pack was a warning,” Sebastian continued, his voice barely above a whisper. “If they attack any of us alone…”

He couldn’t finish the sentence.

A major attack with dark magic would require the best of all of us together, and I couldn’t even begin to imagine what would happen if they targeted each of us separately. The attack on the Wolfhearts was devastating because no matter how much magic they had, they didn’t have the best guard. Just as if they attacked the Bellators, no matter how many guards they had, they probably wouldn’t have enough magic.

And I couldn’t even begin to imagine what would happen if they attacked my pack…

I swallowed hard.

“We need to be ready,” Erik said, his face set in a determined expression. “And we need to help rebuild. This threat should unite us, not divide us.”

Erik’s words hit me harder than I expected. I wasn’t sure why, but I could feel something stir within me.

“We’ll reinforce the borders,” he continued, thinking out loud. “My troops will join your guards. If we secure the boundaries of our territories, we can prevent any more surprises.”

I nodded, my mind racing. “I’ll work on extracting iron and alloys. We can increase weapon production and distribute them to the guards.”

Erik gave me a small smile, acknowledging my contribution.

“Our potion reserves are low,” Sebastian chimed in. “But we still have spells, enchantments, and recovery potions to strengthen the soldiers.”

An idea sparked in my mind. “What if we removed the guards between our packs? It would free up more forces to defend the outer borders.”

“That would require a union of the guards,” Aaron said thoughtfully, his fingers steepled in front of him. His intense gaze was fixed on the table. “We’d need approval from the council—a formal request.”

My heart fluttered as I realized what we were on the brink of.

“You see it, don’t you?” I said, my excitement growing. “This is the beginning. We’re coming together, uniting the packs. We’re stronger together.”

Sebastian smiled, the first genuine smile I’d seen from him since the attack. “We’re really doing this, aren’t we?”

“What if we sent the request to unite now?” Erik asked, his voice soft but resolute.

A heavy silence followed his words. The question was hanging in the air, unspoken but looming: would everyone agree?

My gaze shifted to Aaron. He’d always been the one to question, to keep a foot anchored in caution.

“Do you still have doubts?” I asked, the ache in my chest growing with every passing second.

Aaron sighed, and for a moment, my heart clenched in fear. Then, to my surprise, a smile tugged at his lips.

“No,” he declared, his tone unwavering. “Absolutely not. There’s no other option. This is the right course, but…” His voice trailed off as he ran a hand through his hair, clearly grappling with something.

“But what?” I pushed, my heart pounding in my chest.

“We can’t make our union official now without our parents’ consent and signatures. I thought we’d have more time, that we’d be fully ready when we officially merged the packs. It would be so much simpler if the decision were just ours,” he admitted.

A cold shiver ran down my spine as the truth dawned on me.

Theodore.

“I’m in agreement,” Philip chimed in, breaking the silence and filling me with a sense of warmth.

“My father has already given his consent,” I added quickly.

Erik nodded in response. “I’ll speak with my father. He’ll understand.”

But all eyes were on Aaron. His father, Theodore, had been skeptical from the start. Convincing him wouldn’t be easy.

“I’ll have a word with him,” Aaron stated, his face set in a determined expression. “In the meantime, we can request a temporary union of guards. It’ll bolster our defenses, and we can petition for a legal conference with the council to explore the possibility of a full union.”

Philip nodded in agreement. “We’ll also send the attack report to the council. We’re running out of time.”

“We need to take action now,” I insisted, my heart racing. “Our people are at risk.”

Aaron rose to his feet, his mind clearly working overtime. “Philip, may I use your library? I need to research something.”

Philip responded with a warm smile. “Of course.”

“What are you looking for?” I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

Aaron’s gaze darkened as he turned to me. “I need to uncover the truth about Tieranthia.”

A shiver ran down my spine at the mention of the name. An instinctual warning deep within me suggested that whatever Aaron found could alter everything.

We all rose, each of us acutely aware of what needed to be done. As everyone scattered, Philip led Anthony, Kevin, and Caroline to the Magic headquarters. I spotted Erik across the room.

The burden of responsibility was immense, and despite my desire to concentrate on the task at hand, I couldn’t ignore the pull I felt toward him. Maybe it was our connection, the mating urge that the bond demanded, that made his presence so torturous.

His typically self-assured demeanor was replaced with a softer, more vulnerable look, as if he needed the same solace I yearned for. My heart pounded, and I felt an irresistible attraction drawing me toward him.

His lips curled into a faint smile, a hidden promise lingering at the corner of his mouth. And all I wanted was to feel those lips all over my body—a desire that was already pooling in the pit of my stomach.

Before I could second-guess myself, I moved toward him.

But just as I was about to reach him, Aaron’s voice echoed from behind me, demanding my attention.

~Our moment will have to be postponed,~ I thought, letting out a frustrated sigh.