I walked into Silver Fang like I owned the place, I mean I could if I wanted to.
The pack grounds stretched wide under torchlight, familiar in a way that made my mouth curl, because five years ago they would have bowed when I stepped onto soil like this, and tonight they were staring like they'd seen a dead man climb out of his grave. I smiled anyway.
Three men stood behind me, big enough to make even warriors shift uneasily. One of them my trusty Beta , who was locked up by Lucian for not obeying him. Now that I am back he is by my side and you didn't have to be told who he was.
He didn't smile, he didn't need to. The way he stood said enough, calm and ready, like the ground would crack before he did.
The execution platform was ahead, crowded with elders and guards and leaders, and in the center of it all was a girl on her knees, wrists bound, hair falling forward, face hidden like she had already been buried.
"Our mate," Ruin growled inside me.
The bond tugged at me like a hook, steady and sure, and it made Ruin roll under my skin, restless, angry at the sight of her like this.
I kept my composure and continued walking.
The Alpha of Silver Fang rose from his seat so fast his chair scraped and of course Morgan, the Beta, and idiot of a son tensed beside him.
Their scents spiked with fear, sharp and sour, and it made my smile widen because fear was honest, fear didn't pretend.
"D-Draven," they said together, like saying my name might summon a curse.
I stopped a few steps from the platform and spread my hands a little, like I was greeting old friends.
"Ah," I said, voice carrying through the silent crowd. "So you still remember me."
No one moved, the torches crackled, wolves held their breath.
I let my gaze drift over them, slow, taking in every face that had been part of the lie, every leader who had benefited from my absence.
"I was worried," I added, mockingly. "I thought you might have forgotten the man you helped bury alive."
A few murmurs rippled through the crowd, quickly smothered by fear.
I laughed, quiet and sharp. "Don't look so tense. I'm not here for speeches." I tilted my head. "I'm here to unleash havoc."
The Alpha's jaw worked like he was chewing on words he didn't want to say. "This is Silver Fang land," he snapped. "You have no right to—"
I lifted a brow. "No right," I repeated, tasting it. "Interesting."
Dexter shifted behind me, just one step, and the sound of his boots on dirt made the nearest guards flinch.
I leaned forward slightly. "My men are already on your grounds," I said, calm as if I was discussing weather. "By the next hour, your population will drop by seventy five percent."
The silence broke into panic, gasps, a few cries, someone in the crowd started praying under their breath.
The Alpha's face drained and the Luna gripped the arm of her chair so hard her knuckles went white.
Morgan stepped forward, trying to look brave, trying to look like the Beta he had become. "You can't do that," he said. "You're not in a place to."
I turned my head toward him slowly.
Morgan.
The name sat bitter on my tongue. Not because he mattered, but because he had chosen a side five years ago, and choices had prices.
I smiled at him. "I'm exactly in the place to," I said. "I took my place back."
I lifted my chin toward the crowd, toward the trembling elders and warriors.
"I am Alpha again,still the most powerful and dangerous." I continued, my voice steady. "Which means I can do what I want. I can claim blood. I can claim land. I can claim lives."
The Alpha took a step down from the platform, palms slightly raised. "Draven," he said, forcing calm. "We can talk. Whatever you think happened, we can settle it."
I laughed, louder this time, because the idea was almost funny.
"Settle it," I echoed. "Like it was a misunderstanding?"
The Luna's voice cut in, shaky. "Please. There are pups here."
I looked at her, expression cold. "Then you should have thought about pups before you betrayed your people."
The Alpha's throat worked. "We didn't," he started.
"Lie to yourself if you want," I said. "Don't lie to me."
I turned my gaze toward the execution platform again, toward my mate.
The pull in my chest sharpened, I wanted to make whoever did this to her, but it wasn't the right time yet.
Then a voice rose from the back , light and pleased, like she was offering a gift.
"Maybe we can make a peace trade," she said.
" Peace trade ?" I repeated.
" We can give you one of our people to prove our loyalty…..and if you need a person," the voice said, "a trade for a treaty… take her."
I shifted my eyes.
A young woman stepped forward, hands folded, face innocent, but her scent was sharp with satisfaction. She pointed toward my mate like she was pointing at a broken tool.
My gaze dropped back to the kneeling figure.
Even with her head down, even with dirt on her skin and rope on her wrists, the bond hit me hard enough to make my breath slow.
Her scent slid into my lungs, cherry blossoms and honey. Soft, warm, dangerously sweet against the night air and smoke.
It was her, my mate.
I took a step closer, eyes narrowing as I looked at the line of her shoulders, the curve of her neck, the tremble in her bound hands.
Then my gaze shifted, trying to make out what was happening.
Because beside the leaders, near Morgan, stood another girl and she had the exact same face.
I wasn't hallucinating, they had the same eyes, same mouth, same exact look, like the Moon had copied one and made two.
Which mena , they were twins.
My gaze flicked back and forth between them so fast it almost felt like my vision glitched.
But one thing was clear , there was no mate bond between her and I.
Ruin growled inside me, confused as I was.
One was my mate, the other wasn't .
Thoughts slammed into me, fast and sharp. For years I had imagined justice as a straight line, a clear target, a clean revenge, and now the Moon dropped something twisted into my hands like a cruel joke.
I forced my breathing steady and lifted my chin, letting the confusion settle behind my eyes instead of on my face.
Then I cleared my throat, slow, deliberate, and let a smile spread again, because if they wanted a monster, I could be one.
"Double," I said, voice smooth, "is better."
Heads snapped up towards me, a few elders stiffened like they hadn't heard right.
I looked at my mate then at the standing twin, and my smile widened.
"I'll take both of the twins," I said. "As payment."
The crowd erupted.
"What?"
"No."
"That's impossible."
Morgan's face went tight with shock. The Alpha stepped forward, furious and the Luna's mouth fell open.
My mate, lifted her head slightly as if she couldn't believe what she'd just heard.
I held the moment in my hand like a weapon, then I spoke again, colder.
"Agree," I said, "or bury your pack."