Kano's War

Chapter 24

My brother quickly turned around, tension radiating off of him as I followed.

"What? Where's Dad?" I asked, my voice already strained from the argument earlier with Kano. My chest still felt tight from it.

"Handling the front line. It's Kano's pack."

I stopped, stunned. My eyes darted toward the stairs, where Kano had been just moments ago, silent and stiff.

I looked back at Aries. "How much damage?"

"They haven't made it past the actual outline of the pack grounds, but they've got larger numbers than we do." Aries didn't stop walking as he spoke.

When we reached the door, he turned on his heel and blocked my way.

"Okay, let's go," I said, heart pounding. I wasn't dressed for battle, but that didn't matter. Sweatpants and a loose shirt were enough. I wasn't planning to sit this one out.

"You're staying here," Aries said firmly, "with the other she-wolves and pups. In the basement."

"What?" My voice cracked. "No—I can help. I should help."

He looked at me like I was missing the point. Then his eyes flicked toward the stairs, where Kano was now standing—tense, golden eyes glowing faintly, caught somewhere between man and wolf.

Aries lowered his voice, as if saying it too loud would make it worse. "You're the acting Luna right now down there. Okay? Use this as practice. You know Dad's rules about she-wolves and the front line. Especially when it's a full-scale invasion."

I clenched my fists, my jaw tightening. The rules. Always the rules.

But acting Luna... that title settled like a weight on my shoulders. And this wasn't just a skirmish. This was war.

"Fine," I said, swallowing the frustration. "I'll do it."

Aries gave me a nod, then turned toward the door.

Kano hesitated. He hadn't said a word to me since the argument. We'd both said things that cut too deep, too fast—things I wasn't ready to take back, and I was sure he was either.

But then he started to move forward—and just before reaching the threshold, he stopped and turned around.

My chest tightened at the look in his eyes. No words had been exchanged between us since the fight. We hadn't even looked at each other until now.

He stepped closer, slow like he didn't want to scare me off.

"Don't do anything reckless," he said, voice low. Not harsh, but not gentle either. Just... raw. "Stay here."

I opened my mouth to respond—maybe to throw his own words back at him, maybe to apologize, maybe to say nothing at all—but I couldn't. The golden in his eyes was too bright, burning like a warning.

He took a half-step closer. His hand lifted slightly, then dropped like he wasn't sure he had the right anymore. But then he leaned in and pressed a brief kiss to my forehead. Quick. Gentle. Hesitant.

"I... stay safe," he muttered, barely audible. Then, before I could react, he turned and was gone—disappearing into the fading light alongside my brother.

The door slammed softly behind them, and I was left staring at it.

The scent of blood and fear already lingered on the breeze that slipped in through the seams. The sounds of movement outside—the howl of wolves, the barked orders, the distant clash of bodies—grew louder.

Kano's pack had come to destroy mine.

And he'd still told me to stay safe.

I stared at the door a moment longer before turning toward the basement. My legs felt like lead, my heart heavier still. I had a job to do, and the wolves down there needed me calm. Collected. Unshaken.