Free Web NovelChapter 98: Chapter 98: That Man Feels Wrong
Morning brought the formal reply. I met Varak in the council chamber with the kings present.
"Your offer honors us," I said. "But our children remain at Frostfang. Their place is here among family and pack not elsewhere or in your territory. We welcome continued trade on fair terms."
Varak’s smile stayed fixed though his eyes cooled. "A pity. The girl’s talent could flourish under proper masters while she puts them to good use day after day. Better still, trade benefits both our peoples."
He left the chamber with measured steps, but I caught the subtle glance he sent toward the nursery wing. The delegation would depart soon, yet something in their departure felt unfinished.
That afternoon Elara found a bird with a broken wing near the stables. She healed it with gentle hands while Thorne stood guard and Lila watched for strangers. The small creature flew away strong moments later. I praised their care and reminded them again of caution around outsiders.
As evening fell the kings and I stood on the walls watching the southern party prepare to leave. Varak mounted his horse and looked back once, gaze lingering on the keep towers. The bond between us tightened with shared resolve.
We had refused the first offer. More would come. New powers stirred in our children. The pack watched and waited to see how we guided the future.
Frostfang had survived war. Now it faced the quieter battles of peace and growth. We would meet them the same way we had met everything else.
Together.
************
The southern delegation departed at first light with their wagons lighter than when they arrived.
I watched from the gates until the last rider disappeared over the ridge. The keep felt steadier without their eyes on us, yet the questions they left behind lingered like smoke after a fire.
Council gathered that same afternoon. Elders and captains filled the long table. Garrick sat at one end, his face lined with the weight of recent repairs. I took my seat at the head with the kings standing behind me. The air carried tension before anyone spoke.
An older gamma named Thorne, no relation to our son, rose first. "My queen, Ironvein offers strong tools and protection along trade roads. We lost good blades in the last war. Accepting their fostering proposal for one child strengthens us without cost."
Murmurs rippled through the room. Several heads nodded. A woman who had fought on the walls during the final battle spoke next. "The girl heals with a touch. Sending her south risks losing that gift to outsiders. Our blood stays here."
Debate swelled. Some pushed for practical gains. Others voiced fears of diluted loyalty and stolen power.
I listened to every voice, noting who leaned toward alliance and who stood firm for independence. The children’s abilities had become the center of discussion whether we wanted it or not.
Lila’s training session later that day drew more watchers than usual. She faced an older girl in the main yard under clear skies. Their wooden blades clacked steadily.
Lila moved with growing skill, but when her opponent pressed a hard combination, something shifted. Lila thrust her hand forward on instinct. The shimmer appeared again, visible this time in daylight. The older girl’s strike slowed midair as if pushing through thick honey. She stumbled back unharmed.
Gasps rose from the crowd. Some stepped closer with wonder. Others drew back, faces tight with unease. Varak’s delegation had already left, but word of the display would travel south soon enough.
I stepped into the yard and ended the session. "Well fought. Both of you. We continue tomorrow with focus on control."
Lila lowered her blade, cheeks flushed. "I’m sorry mom, I did not mean to show it."
"There’s nothing to be sorry for my love. You protected yourself," I told her quietly. "That matters. But we practice in smaller groups from now on until you master the strength."
That evening the council reconvened with sharper edges. The public flare of Lila’s power had accelerated the divide.
I stood at the head of the table and addressed them directly.
"No child leaves Frostfang. Not for fostering. Not for training. Not for any alliance. Their gifts belong to this pack and will be nurtured here under our watch. We trade iron and cloth fairly, but we do not barter blood or futures. Anyone who objects this can speak up now or forever hold your peace."
The room fell silent for a long beat. Garrick nodded once in support. A few elders looked relieved. Others shifted uncomfortably but held their tongues. The decision stood.
"Alright then, it’s settled." I added finally. ƒrēewebnovel.com
After the meeting the kings and I retreated to the royal wing. The children had waited up despite the hour. Lila sat cross legged on the rug demonstrating her shielding to Thorne and Elara with careful focus. Thorne pointed out weak spots in her technique with surprising insight. Elara watched quietly, then reached out and eased a small bruise on Lila’s arm from training.
I joined them on the floor and pulled all three close. "Your gifts are part of you. We learn to guide them together. No hiding. No fear. Just careful strength."
Darius knelt beside us, his presence solid. Kane sat across with Elara in his lap. Rylan stretched out and let Thorne climb onto his chest. Their laughter filled the room and pushed back the heavier conversations from council. For those moments the weight of leadership eased.
Later, once the children slept, the four of us gathered by the hearth. Darius poured wine for each of us. Kane added wood to the fire. Rylan pulled me down beside him on the wide bench. freёwebnovel.com
"The pack follows your lead," Darius said. "But whispers remain. Some see the children’s power as opportunity. Others as risk."
I took a slow sip. "I am aware of that. Though that is unfortunate. Then we show them balance. Training continues openly enough to build pride, privately enough to keep control. The southern alliance stays trade only. No more offers of fostering."
Kane nodded. "Yes my queen, I’m with you on this one. We increase border watches. Subtle ones. If Varak sends spies, we find them before they reach the children."
Rylan’s arm tightened around my shoulders. "And we keep teaching them the most important lesson. Strength serves family first."
The bond between us carried agreement and quiet determination. Peace had brought new fractures, but we would mend them the same way we had survived the war. One deliberate choice at a time.
The next weeks saw steady progress.
Lila practiced her shielding in controlled sessions with trusted fighters. Thorne joined planning meetings for the fall planting and offered observations that saved labor. Elara spent time in the stables and healing huts under supervision, her touch easing injuries that once took longer to mend.
The pack watched and slowly warmed to the idea of gifted heirs who strengthened rather than threatened their home.
One evening I stood on the walls with the kings as the sun set over the fields. The children played below in the courtyard, their voices carrying up on the breeze. Lila led a game of chase. Thorne directed the rules with serious focus. Elara darted between them like quicksilver.
Darius rested his hand on my lower back. "They grow fast."
Kane leaned on the parapet. "Faster than we expected. Their gifts mature with them."
Rylan grinned. "Good. The world beyond our borders still watches. We make sure they face it ready."
I looked at the three small figures below and felt the familiar fierce love swell in my chest. The war had ended, but guiding these lives demanded different battles. We would fight them together.
The keep settled into evening routines around us. Fires glowed in hearths. Guards changed shifts. The ordinary sounds of a thriving pack filled the air.
We had survived the storm. Now we shaped the calm that followed.
****************
The great hall glowed with lanterns and the scent of roasted boar during the farewell feast for the southern delegation.
Lord Varak sat at the high table once more, his smile fixed in place while servants carried platters of food.
I kept the children close beside me. Lila watched the guests with sharp attention. Thorne picked at his plate with careful fingers. Elara stayed quiet, her small hand resting on my arm.
Conversation flowed around trade agreements and future caravans. Varak praised our fields and the strength of our walls.
His words sounded warm, yet something in his posture set my teeth on edge. Darius sat to my right, his presence solid. Kane remained watchful on my left. Rylan kept his usual grin but his hand stayed near his axe beneath the table.
Thorne reached for a piece of bread. A servant leaned in to refill his cup, his movements smooth. Elara stiffened beside me. Her fingers tightened on my sleeve. "Mama," she whispered. "That man feels wrong. Like sharp stones under water."
