Chapitre 17

At that moment it was just the two of us.

I pressed closer to him, sending an electric shock through my body. Astor answered with a groan that echoed inside me. I stroked his hair. Then I felt myself moving and being laid gently on something soft.

A bed.

My head sank into the feather pillows. A little out of breath, I stared up at him from below. He didn't give me a breather as he lay on top of me, hip to hip. My heart was pounding, overwhelmed by the situation.

"Don't look so innocent," Astor whispered. He rested his elbows next to my head, completely enclosing me in him.

"Don't look at me like you're about to eat me," I breathed, and his eyes darkened further.

"And what if I want that?"

"I guess I'll have to run away then."

"And then I have to catch you," he whispered against my lips. I stroked his cheek with my fingers.

"Then I have to warn you. I'm fast as the wind."

A dangerous smile lit his eyes and he cocked his head.

"I've never shied away from a challenge," he replied, toying with one of my strands. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, snapping us out of our bladders. My wolf internally growled at the interruption. Astor closed her eyes and took a deep breath deeply as if to calm his wolf, then pulled away from me.

I sat up hastily, but Astor stepped all the way out the door, leaving me alone in the house. I sighed and tried to straighten my hair.

Damn connection.

I got up from the bed, which was completely ruffled. I gave everything a quick shake to make it look unused. Then I turned to the dining table. The food must have been cold. My stomach didn't care and I sat down in one of the covered places.

At that moment the door creaked open and Astor came in. The playful sparkle was barely visible, but he sat down next to me on one of the chairs.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Beta Talon will be here shortly. Then the great gathering will begin,” he replied, arranging the food on his plate. I followed him and bit into one of the sweet buns. My stomach snapped and I closed my eyes.

"Why don't we negotiate with Riverclaw?" I asked, seeing Astor's jaw clench from the side.

“All negotiations have been broken off since the river is the border. Alpha Lam has wanted the village here for a long time. Luna Laila is from here."

The dislike was reflected in his voice. It was not uncommon for soul bonds to transcend pack boundaries, and one of the few rules everyone agreed upon was acceptance into new packs.

"But why Alice? What do you want with a little girl if you don't push?"

"I have a hunch," he grumbled. I stared at him expectantly, completely forgetting about my meal. "I don't think it's diplomatic, it's personal."

"Personally? But what do you have against Ulf and his companion?"

I couldn't think of a wolf in the whole country who wouldn't like Ulf.

"I guess it's not about him. At least not directly. Things have been different in Riverclaw since the connection between Alpha Lam and Luna Laila. Their hold on pack politics is firmly aimed at Silverblood and virtually every one of their neighbors."

I frowned. My lack of knowledge silenced me. What lay behind the pack of riverclaws? How many packs were there anyway and why had I never learned such a thing?

"What do you mean by that?"

I heard from Silvercrown and Mountainshadow that they've been having trouble with savages ever since. Something is very wrong on the other side of the river..."

Astor didn't give me time to think about his words. He got up and went to the door. I followed him out into the blazing midday sun. My eyebrows touched my hairline as I looked around.

Most warriors wore only pants. There was no sign of shirts. They all went in the same direction, to the big wooden house in the middle of the square. That must have been the village hall. Everyone made way for Astor and me.

Hundreds of smells from all sorts of warriors mingled in the house and the sweat that hung in the air didn't make it any better. I stuck to Astor, who seemed to know the way.

"Wait here," he ordered, and I paused at the entrance to the large room. The voices of countless warriors erupted from the walls. The crowd parted before Astor, who marched to the small stage.

Luckily I was in the back, so no one paid any attention to me. Nevertheless, I searched the locks of hair for Ulf's gray or Luke's brown. My size didn't make it easier for me.

"What's a pup doing among seasoned warriors," someone said behind me, and I darted around. My wolf immediately bowed at the power the wolf radiated. "You can look at me."

I raised my head. So that was Beta Talon. A middle-aged man, just enough to have been marked with wisdom by life, yet young enough to be a deadly fighter.

"Beta Talon," I stuttered. His blond strands reached his shoulders. The green eyes were unyielding.

"Do we know each other from somewhere? I have a feeling we've met before. Why do you smell like Astor?" he asked, tilting his head as if he had to study me more closely. His charisma betrayed one thing: lying was out of the question. My heart bathed in adrenaline at the piercing gaze. A lump formed in my throat and prevented speaking.

What if he found out-

“After all, he should also learn something. He knows the family in question," Astor's voice said behind me, and a shiver of relief ran down my spine. Beta Talon's eyes lifted from me and shifted with a friendlier expression to the general standing behind me.

"Astor, my son!"

He opened his arms and stepped past me. My mouth stayed open as I tuned out everything around me.

Did he just say son?

I turned around and watched them make their way to the stage. The warriors bowed at the sight of Beta Talon. However, Astor was half a head taller than him and looked stronger. They had the same blonde.

"Hey, Dan," a voice whispered, pulling me back to the surface. Luke and Ulf stood at the edge of the room and waved me over to them. I dodged between the warriors to join them.

"How are you?" I asked Ulf, who was staring anxiously at the stage.

"I'll feel a lot better when we know what the plan is," he replied. I nodded. The voices around us fell silent as Astor took the floor. Beta Talon stood behind him, watching the warriors along critical eye.

"We have a mission," he said, nodding to Lannis, who handed out the picture and trace of Alice in the form of the blue ribbon. "Alice Dohn is four years old and was the only one kidnapped in Riverclaw's attack. We know Don't know her location but suspect she is in the Alpha Lam pack house."

A murmur went through the crowd. Everyone in the room knew what that meant.

War.

Astor continued with the battle plan, but I felt an uneasy feeling. It didn't take me long to find the source: Beta Talon.

He stared at me like I was a puzzle he was about to solve. I immediately lowered my gaze so as not to provoke.

Still, he didn't stop. It was as if he had latched on to me and wouldn't let go until he had the answer. He knew there was something odd about me.

"Are you alright?" Luke whispered. I nodded a little too quickly, but the heart beating in my chest proved otherwise.

"Just excited," I replied, which wasn't a lie.

It just wasn't the reason the other hearts in the room were beating faster.

***

Suddenly Beta Talon stepped forward and his heavy gaze broke away from me. I breathed a sigh of relief. I looked around. The bow and the picture of Alice had gone around, but I had missed all of the plan...

"Thank you General Astor. Now that the plan is in place, I have a few more words to deliver," he said evenly, as if he'd done this hundreds of times. He let us stand in complete silence for a moment before continuing. "Riverclaw has crossed a line , a frontier both literally and figuratively. They invaded our pack after repeated provocations. They kidnapped one of ours, a helpless girl, one of our puppies!"

I felt Ulf tense next to me. His wolf fought for control again as the mood heated up and slowly adjusted to summer temperatures. But Beta Talon wasn't finished yet.

"We are a pack and we protect each other!"

Loud approval boomed across the room. He paced the stage and surveyed the crowd.

"Riverclaw had enough chances, but they are a threat to our peaceful coexistence! Your alpha is a barbarian who is not to be negotiated with! Anyone who goes so far as to abduct helpless puppies from other packs must be destroyed so that safety and no fear can prevail again!"

My eyes widened.

destroyed?

I looked around. Conviction sparkled in the warriors' eyes. Many of them must have had puppies of their own that they were thinking about. I looked at Astor. Even though he was in the shadows, I could see that the corners of his mouth were turned down.

He couldn't approve of that, could he?

“Alice will be five years old next week. Your father is here with us. Let's bring her home! Let's reunite them with their families and punish Riverclaw for the crimes they've committed against us. This was the last! Now go and get ready!"

Loud cheers erupted from the walls and the heated atmosphere sent a shiver down my spine. Beta Talon's eyes snapped to me, making it difficult to breathe. His calculating eyes saw through me.

He knew something.

The warriors began pouring out of the room. Beta Talon seized the moment and got off the stage. He made a straight line towards me. I staggered against the wall behind me, unable to flee any further.

"You two can go," he said to Ulf and Luke. They hesitated for a moment, as if they didn't want to leave me alone with him, but a look from Beta Talon was enough. They bowed deeply and were the last to leave the room. The The door slammed shut as my heart pounded in erratic leaps against my chest.

The only thing that gave me a spark of security was Astor's presence building up behind Beta Talon.

"Is there a problem?" he asked, putting a hand on his father's shoulder. The size difference reassured me a bit, but that didn't stop him.

"What's your name?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Dan van Eschwald," I said as fast as I could. Suddenly his eyelids shot up as if he'd solved the riddle.

"Naturally! Now I know how I know your smell," he said. A smile bared his teeth but didn't reach his eyes. "My sister was a beast when we were kids."

Astor's behavior changed abruptly. A growl escaped the corners of his mouth. Beta Talon grimaced for a moment as his fingers dug deeper into his shoulder.

"What's wrong with you? I won't hurt him. I'm just telling a story," he said, and Astor finally released his death grip. It was reassuring to know he could stop him should the need arise. "Where was I, oh my sister. When we were kids, was "She was a master at hiding and disguising. She could trick us all, well, all but me."

He took a step towards me, but that seemed to be enough for Astor. He pushed Beta Talon back with full force and stood in front of me.

"That's enough," he growled, and I could hear his heart pounding angrily.

"I've never seen you so angry. Tell me, Astor, why are you covering for a cheater who hides his trail? I know the potion. Don't tell me he fooled you," he replied, glancing between us. "No, it's different. You guys are too familiar... Why are you protecting him?"

"I'll tell you one last time," Astor growled. "Stay away from my warriors. They are under my command and are not accountable to you."

For a moment, Astor seemed to be on a higher rank, and judging by the look on our opponent's face, Beta Talon didn't like it at all.

"If Udyr finds out you're covering for a traitor, you can resign from your post," he replied, green eyes glowing ominously.

his wolf.

To my surprise, Astor answered with a roar of laughter, as if the threat of Alpha Udyr was a joke. The shaking of my knees disagreed.

"Go ahead. Run back to the capital. Then at least my men and I will have the peace and quiet we need for a mission like this. Because if you don't stop mixing politics with emotions and poisoning the minds of my warriors, I myself will see to it that this course comes to an end, understand?"

Suddenly Beta Talon went very still. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. My breath caught as I tried to process the provocation. When he opened them again, they showed no anger or dislike. They were cold as emeralds.

"Do you want to challenge me?" he asked in an icy voice.

"If I wanted that, I'd have been Beta for years," Astor replied, completely unperturbed by Talon's threat. My wolf had long since crouched in the far corner, hiding from the confrontation.

"You know, even if you beat me, it won't do any good. You'll never even become Delta. So, General, you may trust this linnet, but let this be said: puppies have the sharpest teeth. If he betrays us, you will bear full responsibility."

Astor positioned himself in front of me so that Beta Talon's beastly eyes couldn't reach me.

"I can take the risk," he said, knowing that deep down I was one of them. I gently placed a hand on his shoulder blade to calm him.

"Then at least keep an eye on him. If he jeopardizes the mission-"

Suddenly, his words trailed off at the same time Astor's back stiffened. Then I heard loud voices from outside.

"It seems Riverclaw is coming our way," Astor said.

"What are you going to do?" Beta Talon asked. There was no trace of anger in his words, as if they had never argued.

"We'll listen to what they have to say," Astor growled, turning to me. "Eschwald, you're coming with me. Then I can keep an eye on you."

I nodded hastily and followed him out through the parish hall door. The sun was high above our heads and sweat was pouring down my temples.

"What's happening? What happened?" Ulf asked, hastily running towards us. All the warriors around us were moving in the same direction.

"We'll see about that," Astor replied as the roar of the river picked up speed. Warriors were scattered all along the bank, who immediately gave way to him. When he braked, I almost ran into his back. Beta Talon covered his flank .

I peeked my head out from behind Astor to get a glimpse of the other side. A few warriors in only blue trousers stood there. One of them stood out as he looked straight at Astor.

"Today is your lucky day!" he roared over the current, which distorted his words. "Alpha Lam and Luna Laila invite you to their pack house! Ten wolves may cross the river without getting hurt! Make your decision now!"

Astor turned to the silver blood warriors. The wind whipped through his hair. Beta Talon shook his head slightly.

"They won't hesitate to kill us once we're on the other side," he said. A fight was going on behind Astor's hazel eyes. "You know you can't negotiate with them."

Astor ignored him. He grabbed Kollins and leaned toward him, his words barely more than a whisper.

"Make sure your men are ready in the forest on both sides. If I give you the order, you will start, understand?"

Kollins hastily bowed and disappeared into the crowd. Where should you start? With an attack?

"Are you crazy?" Beta Talon hissed. "You don't want to take their offer when we might as well destroy them with the original plan. Diplomacy is lost here."

“I know exactly what I'm doing. This will prevent a bloodbath. Astor replied coldly. "My three companions from the north camp will come with me, and five of my best warriors. Six if you don't want to."

Beta Talon clenched his fists.

"I see you learned a lot from your father. A little too much for my liking," he replied, nodding as a sign that he would come along.

"You stick with me, alright?" Astor asked, much calmer than before. His eyes buried in mine. "If there's a fight, you'll hide."

I nodded vigorously. My voice seemed gritty with excitement. Astor gave me one last look before turning to the riverclaw warriors.

"We accept the invitation!"