Chapter Sixty-Three

ASH

Around half the men they were expecting trickled in over the afternoon, and he watched with satisfaction as his mate greeted each one and helped them settle into the camp.

She was clearly eager to finally have something useful to do, and her mood was upbeat.

He made sure to speak to each one as well, after they had a bit of time to set up their area. He updated them on their current plan and status, as vague as it was.

Soon the once bare hill was filled with the sound of conversation and laughter, the smell of the stew cooking over the fire weaving through the crowd.

Keyara was deep in conversation with Jade, Samuel’s mate, who was the most recent to arrive. He crossed the camp to stand at her side, his hand coming to rest lightly on her shoulder.

She smiled up at him briefly before returning to Jade. They were talking about Jill, who had sent a letter for Keyara with the latest group.

It sounded like she was settling nicely into the role of luna, but there were a few grumbles about the new luna being a human. Some thought it was as bad as a changed wolf, it seemed.

“Will they ever be happy?” Keyara questioned angrily, rolling her eyes and huffing in frustration, and he squeezed her shoulder in reassurance.

Jade laughed softly, though the sound lacked any real humor. “When the first of us started leaving, the older pack members wanted something to blame it on,” she explained to Key and Ash, looking between them as she spoke.

“Since they don’t know the plan, they took it as a sign of disrespect to the new leadership. Luca will be able to handle it, especially since the real reason will be clear soon enough.”

Ash nodded at her explanation. Luca and he had known to expect as much and had already discussed it. He turned away, leaving them to their conversation.

He sat at the edge of the camp, leaning against one of the large rocks, and observed everyone interacting. A smile spread across his face as he imagined setting up a new pack.

His old pack was strong but large and had lost much of the camaraderie that his kind craved. Starting fresh, with a small group of close-knit pack members, appealed to him greatly.

He pushed himself to his feet, taking it upon himself to serve everyone the stew that had been prepared. Everyone smiled and thanked him, turning back to their companions, eating as the stories and laughter continued.

Keyara came to join him as he served their bowls last, and together they sat against the rock and ate.

The jovial atmosphere lasted well into the night until, one by one, people started to excuse themselves from the group for bed. Finally it was quiet.

Key was snuggled against his side, her head tucked into his shoulder and her hand resting lightly on his chest, sound asleep. He stared up at the stars, rest escaping him, wide awake from the energy of the day.

Finally, well past midnight, sleep finally overtook him.

KEYARA

She knew Ash had already risen before she even opened her eyes. Without his warm body next to her, the chill of the morning air made her shiver.

She sat up and ran a hand through her unruly hair, spotting Ash across the camp going over the maps with the warriors. She smiled to herself.

He knew the lands around the castle better than she did at this point; he always had his nose in those maps.

Jade was bent over the fire, busy preparing breakfast, and Keyara hurried to join her, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment that she was one of the last ones awake.

Jade smiled at her when she arrived, apparently unconcerned to have been working by herself.

Key began gathering and lining up bowls, and Jade spooned a generous amount of oatmeal into each one before they both began passing out the bowls around the camp.

When everyone was done eating, the two women gathered the bowls and cooking pot and made the trek to the river to wash up.

“What made you and Samuel decide to join us?” Key asked, suddenly breaking the silence.

“Well, we haven’t been mated very long,” Jade replied, swinging the pot gently with her steps as she spoke. “I came from a much smaller pack and had a bit of trouble adjusting to the formal environment of Kodia.

“Sam is a good warrior, but pretty low down in the ranks given there are so many. We both thought a new start in a smaller pack would suit us.”

“Well, thank you for joining us,” Key replied, though a bit surprised by her reasons.

She had thought everyone had joined them out of loyalty to Ash, which had been causing her a sense of guilt, asking so many to fight for her out of obligation.

It made her feel better that at least some were here simply for themselves and the opportunity for a better life.

They washed the dishes quickly at the stream and returned to the camp, discovering another pair of warriors had arrived in their absence.

The rest of those they were expecting arrived in a steady stream throughout the day.

The upbeat mood from the day before made brief appearances at each new arrival, but overall the general atmosphere remained tense, knowing soon they would have to make their move.

As they were serving dinner, Ash suddenly tensed up, peering into the distance. “Mateo will arrive back shortly,” he told her quietly, continuing to pass out plates.

Her heart thundered in her chest, eager to hear what he had discovered.

Only a few minutes later, as everyone settled to eat, Mateo walked into the camp, still pulling on his shirt from his recent shift. He strode straight to where Keyara and Ash sat eating, lowering himself beside them.

Keyara greeted him softly, rising to fetch him something to eat, knowing he was hungry after his journey.

ASH

As soon as she departed, Ash turned to Mateo. “What did you find out?” he asked sharply, cutting to the chase.

“Four search parties were sent out, one in each direction,” Mateo stated, getting right to it. “That confirms Jonas kept his plans to himself, considering they did not even know which direction to search.

“Two of the parties have already returned, based on the scent paths. But with a dozen men still out, their defenses are greatly reduced.”

Ash nodded and quickly reached for the map of the castle, spreading it in front of them. “Tell me about their patrol schedules,” he said to Mateo, gesturing to the map before them.

“They have extended them somewhat since we were last there,” he replied, pointing to the map. “This is the edge of the patrols. They extend beyond the cabin where Anne lives.”

Ash grunted in frustration, but Mateo held up a hand, quickly stopping him.

“However,” he continued, “only one patrol a day is assigned to that route.

“If we travel at night, making this loop”—he gestured at the map, indicating a wide circle through the woods—“we should be able to get Keyara to the cabin out of sight.

“Rowan stayed behind to verify, but we heard and saw enough to be confident about the schedule.”

Ash nodded, running a hand through his hair nervously. He would have to send someone else with Keyara to Levia.

He could not link any of the others so far away since he broke from the pack, and he needed to be able to formulate a plan with his warriors once she gained the information she was seeking.

Only the mate bond would reach so far before a new pack was formed and the bonds were reestablished.

The idea of separating from his mate was almost painful, his wolf whining in protest at the idea, but he knew it was the best tactical decision.

“You will take Keyara tonight,” he told Mateo. “Once you find out what she needs to know, have her link me with the necessary information.”

Mateo nodded solemnly, his gaze flickering to Keyara across the camp.

“Take care of her for me,” Ash said, emotion filling his voice, before making his way to Key to share the news.