Kano's War

Chapter 25

*********************Kano*******************

The battlefield pulsed with chaos—bodies lunging, claws raking, snarls blending into the wind like a storm of fury. But all of it faded into a dull roar when I caught sight of my father.

He was just as I remembered—towering, relentless, all-consuming.

But he wasn't my Alpha anymore.

Beside me, Cole—Amory's father—stood tall, battle-worn but unyielding. His presence anchored the ground itself. It was then I realized what the true power of a true mate could yield.
He had stopped the oncoming attacks with ease, using his Alpha command to topple over the Alpha King's. Now, all that was really the problem were the Alpha King, my Father, and the wolves somehow still under command of the Prince.

The Alpha King didn't seem like someone that looked powerful. He was skinny, tall, and clearly malnourished. I was expecting a giant that was bulky and muscular. More like me and my father. Both Full grown Alpha male. It made me ponder if losing his mate was what did it to him. Especially killing her himself.

When the so-called Alpha King charged Cole, he didn't flinch.

They collided like titans, power clashing in a burst of light and sound. It was a suprise that the Alpha king still had some sort of physical power with how frail he looked. I turned toward my father, heart pounding in anticipation.

"Kano," he growled, "Stand. Down."

I took a step forward.

"No," I said.

He snarled. "You're nothing without me."

"I'm not you," I snapped. "And I don't need to be."

We met mid-charge.

He struck first—brute force, no hesitation—but I parried with precision. "Why are you doing this?!" I spat.

"You think I don't know the power a mate yields?" We circled each other, "She's a weakness. The downfall to a pack you were destined to take over."

My father lunged at me, "That's no excuse."

Each move was something Cole had taught me in those quiet days after exile: Let your enemy tire themselves. Use their strength against them.

We circled, blows exchanged like echoes of all the things we'd never said.

"You're weak," he spat, trying to bait me. "I should've killed Amory the second I knew you two were true mates."

My wolf blossomed inside me at the intentional threat. I blocked a claw swipe and spun low. "Why is killing her your only option? Do you hear yourself! We are fighting for nothing! You only say that because I won't become you."

"You think your mother wouldn't have agreed?!"

Was he crazy? My mother? What did she have to do with this.

The realization stuck faster than it could. The Alpha King and my Father were somehow friends. They're both after other wolves having a true mate. Both of them killed their own mates.

Every story I had been told since I was a child was a lie.

I could have used it.

The Alpha Command.

It thrummed in my chest, waiting to be unleashed. My father's bloodline made it possible—I could command him, drop him to his knees with a single word.

But I couldn't.

Not like this.

I had to earn it.

The fight dragged on, his anger boiling into recklessness. I could see the cracks in his form—sloppy footwork, unbalanced strikes. He was burning out. And I was just getting started.

Behind us, the clash between Cole and the King came to a sudden halt.

Cole's voice rang out, calm but absolute. "Stand down."

The King froze mid-blow.

And dropped to his knees.

The Alpha Command—pure and undeniable—rippled through the air like a final decree. The King's eyes flared with disbelief as Cole stood over him, jaw clenched, not even breathing hard.

"It's over," Cole said.

I didn't have time to celebrate since I was still focused on mg dad. And because a scent hit the air—a pulse of fear, desperation, and—

Amory.

My head snapped toward the cliff. I couldn't see her, but my wolf could feel it—an instinct sharp enough to drown out everything else.

Then came the scream.

"AMORY!"

I dodged my Father's incoming swing and ran.

I didn't ask.

I didn't explain.

I ran.

My lungs burned as I tore through trees, leapt over debris, my heart crashing like a war drum.

The cliff came into view.

Bali stood at the edge, bloodied and gasping.

"Kano—she—Tristan had her—and she—"

I didn't wait.

I reached the edge and looked down.

Nothing.

Just the abyss.

No scent. No sound. No sign.

She was gone.

Thrown into the dark.

And I was going to make it my mission to save her.

In a split second thought, like a gust of wind guiding my actions, I jumped down after her.