A Deadly Bargain
In the dimly lit war room, Draven paced like a storm contained by too-small walls. The rogue messenger’s blood-scrawled note lay on the table, its threat as vivid as the crimson ink staining the parchment: Isla for the Moon Amulet. You know where to find me.
“He thinks I’d trade the Moon Amulet?” Draven snarled, his amber eyes blazing. “That relic protects the pack—it’s what keeps Crimson Fang united and safe. Without it, we’re vulnerable to every enemy.”
Alaric stood at the edge of the table, his golden eyes scanning the note with a mix of calculation and unease. “It’s not the amulet he wants, Draven. It’s control. If you agree to the trade, he’ll believe he has the upper hand. That’s our opening.”
Susan leaned against the wall, her sharp gaze fixed on Draven. “And what happens when he figures out we’re playing him?” she challenged. “He’s unpredictable. If he suspects a trap, he’ll kill Isla—and the twins—before we’re even close.”
Draven slammed his fist onto the table, the force splintering the wood. The wolves gathered in the room flinched, but no one spoke. His rage was a barely-contained inferno, every moment of inaction stoking its flames. “I won’t risk her life. Not for anything. Not for this.”
The silence that followed was heavy with tension. Alaric broke it, his voice calm but resolute. “Draven, we’re out of options. If we make him believe the amulet is within his grasp, it buys us time. Time to strike, time to get her out. But we have to play his game.”
Draven’s growl rumbled low in his throat as his claws flexed, the moonlight filtering through the window catching their deadly gleam. “Play his game,” he echoed bitterly, his jaw tightening. “And what happens when he changes the rules?”
Susan stepped forward, her tone sharp as steel. “Then we change them faster. Malrik doesn’t know who he’s dealing with. You’ve outmaneuvered wolves more dangerous than him before.”
Draven shook his head, his fists tightening. “This is different. Isla’s life—my children’s lives—are on the line.”
Alaric placed a steadying hand on his shoulder. “Which is why we don’t fail,” he said firmly. “We make him believe we’ll hand over the amulet. We get close enough to end this. Isla comes home, Draven. No matter the cost.”
Draven stared at the note for a long moment, the words blurring as his mind raced with possibilities and pitfalls. Finally, he looked up, his amber eyes burning with grim resolve. “If this is the way, we don’t falter. We don’t make a single mistake. And we don’t leave without her.”
