The Silver Wolf (Diana and Talon) novel Chapter 43

Chapter Forty-Three

“My king, I just received a mind link. Beta Dante has arrived… and he is with the escaped wolf.”Beta Conall’s voice was steady, but there was something beneath it-something sharp and urgent.

Damon slowly lifted his gaze from the parchment spread across his desk.

Being the Rogue King was not as glorious as legends would make it seem. There were no golden thrones, no grand halls filled with banners bearing a proud crest. Thère was only stone, shadows, and the constant weight of survival pressing against his shoulders.

One of the greatest disadvantages of ruling rogues was isolation. Very few regular packs knew that rogues had formed something more structured-something resembling a kingdom. They assumed rogues were scattered, feral, leaderless wolves who rejected pack laws out of spite or madness. They did not know there was hierarchy. That there were deltas, gamma, beta… and a king.

Damon had ruled for many years, yet they still operated in the shadows.

And shadows bred suspicion.

The regular packs all fell under the authority of the royal family, led by Alpha King Talon Ravenwood. Damon had heard much about him. Fair. Just. Ruthless when necessary.

A dangerous combination.

If Damon were ever to approach the Alpha King for peace, he would need to tread carefully. Rogues carried a reputation soaked in blood. And Damon was mature enough to admit that not all rogues followed his command. There were still wild factions who attacked without reason or warning.

Those rogues were not his.

His rogues sought something different.

Acceptance.

Or so he believed.

Then came the news: a group of rogues had attacked a pack without his authorization..

And within that very pack… the Silver Wolf had been discovered.

Damon’s fingers tightened against the parchment.

For years, whispers of the Silver Wolf had drifted through both rogue and pack territories. A wolf born of starlight and prophecy. A wolf who could shift the balance of power. Some believed she was myth. Others believed she had died long ago.

Now she was real.

And his rogues had found her.

Damon leaned back slowly in his chair, eyes narrowing in thought. He did not know whether to curse them for their disobedience… or praise them for uncovering something the entire werewolf world had failed to

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find.

“If Dante is here,” Damon said quietly, voice low and controlled, “then bring him to me.”

Conall bowed slightly. “Yes, my king.”

ска

Moments later, the heavy wooden doors opened. Gamma Dante stepped inside, his posture respectful but tense. Behind him stood a figure cloaked in a dark hood.

“Remove the hood,” Damon commanded.

The air inside the room shifted instantly.

Gamma Dante stepped forward without hesitation. His hand caught the edge of the thick black hood and pulled it back in one smooth motion.

The rogue standing before them was bruised, blood crusted along the side of his jaw, his clothes torn from battle. His shoulders were broad, but they sagged slightly-not from weakness, but from the weight of what he had witnessed.

This was no captured pup.

This was a warrior who had barely survived.

“What is your name?” Damon asked, voice level.

The rogue swallowed before answering. “John, my king.”

His tone carried respect. Fear, too-but not the kind born from cruelty. It was the fear of a wolf who understood hierarchy… and consequences.

“Now, John,” Damon stopped directly in front of him, locking eyes with him, “tell me the truth. Who gave you the order to attack Crimson Fang Pack without my permission?”

The room grew still.

John inhaled slowly. “My king… it was my brother. He spoke to a wolf from within Crimson Fang Pack. That wolf hired us to eliminate one of his pack members. He gave us the location. The target’s cabin.”

“And you simply agreed?” A muscle ticked in Damon’s jaw, his voice lowered dangerously. “Without consulting me? Without informing my Beta? Without seeking clearance from Conall?”

John stiffened under the weight of his king’s gaze. “My king… we believed it was a simple mission. In and out. Eliminate one wolf and leave before dawn. The insider assured us the territory would be accessible. He even arranged for us to cross the border without detection.”

Conall’s eyes darkened.

“An insider,” the Beta repeated slowly.

Damon’s wolf stirred, displeased.

“You were granted access into another pack’s territory,” Damon said, his tone no longer calm but sharpened. “And none of you questioned it?”

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Chapter Four Her

John lowered his gaze briefly before forcing himself to meet his king’s eyes again. “We thought it was an upportunity, my king. Quick success. Easy resources.”

Damon stepped closer. “But that is not what happened”

“No, my king.”

The tension in the room thickened.

“Tell me what happened,” Damon ordered. A subtle pulse of his alpha aura rolled through the room-not enough to crush, but enough to remind.

“When we reached the cabin,” John straightened instinctively, and he began carefully, “a female stepped

out.”

Conall’s brow furrowed slightly.

“She was waiting for you?” Damon asked.

“No, my king. We believe she sensed us.”

“Continue.”

“She came out armed with twin swords. Before we could surround the cabin, she charged.”

Dante shifted slightly behind Damon.

“A female wolf charged fifteen rogues?” Conall asked, disbelief clear in his voice.

John nodded slowly. “She didn’t hesitate. She moved like she had trained her entire life for battle.”

Damon’s eyes narrowed. “And?”

John swallowed. “She killed five of us within the first minutes.”

Silence slammed into the room.

Conall stepped forward. “Five?”

Gamma Dante’s expression hardened. “Did you bring pups to that attack? How does a single female take down five full-grown rogue warriors?”

John’s jaw tightened. “We were fifteen, Gamma. All mature. All fighters.”

“And?” Dante pressed when John hesitated.

John’s voice dropped. “She did not shift.”

The words seemed to echo.

Damon’s wolf stilled completely.

“She fought you as a human?” Damon asked, his voice dangerously calm.

“Yes, my king.”

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Chapter For Ne

A flicker of something unreadable passed through Damon’s eyes.

“She was fast. Precise. She moved like she could predict our strikes. Every blow she delivered was lethal. She did not waste motion. Did not panic.”

Conall’s disbelief slowly shifted into something else.

Recognition.

“One of us managed to inject her with wolfsbane,” John continued, his tone tinged with lingering shock.” We thought it would weaken her. End it quickly.”

Damon’s aura darkened slightly. “And?”

“She did not fall.”

Even Conall went still.

“She staggered,” John admitted. “But she kept fighting. As if the poison barely touched her.”

Damon exchanged a brief glance with his Beta.

“And then?” Damon asked quietly.

“Then her mate arrived.”

The word hung heavy in the air.

“It was an Alpha,” John said, voice tightening at the memory. “The moment he stepped into the clearing, everything changed. His aura… it was overwhelming. Some of us could barely stand.”

Dante muttered under his breath.

John continued, “We tried to retreat, but the Alpha was so strong. We lost more before we managed to escape.”

Damon’s gaze sharpened. “This Alpha-did you recognize him?”

“No, my king. But I do not think it was the Alpha of Crimson Fang Pack,” John said carefully.

Damon’s eyes sharpened. “You are certain?”

“Yes, my king. The aura was… different. Stronger. He did not smell like the Crimson Fang Alpha. He carried something heavier. Older.”

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