Chapter 22
Dahlia’s POV
The silence that followed was deafening. Nate was huffing, his nostrils flared, and his hands clenched into fists at his sides. I was shaking, tears of frustration hot on my cheeks.
In the corner, I heard a small whimper.
We both turned. The three of them were awake, huddled together on the bed. Ariana was crying quietly, and Aidan was looking at us with a look of pure, cold disappointment that broke my heart.
“Are we going back to the bad place?” Ariana asked. The look on her face broke my heart.
“No, baby,” I said, my voice cracking as I rushed to the bed. I glared at Nate over my shoulder. “We are not going back. Not to the old house, and not to a new one p>
Nate stood in the center of the room, looking at us, his family and for the first time, he looked like he realized he was the outsider. The power he was so proud of, the title he wanted to give me… it didn’t mean anything to them.
“Dahlia,” he said, his voice sounding hollow. “The pack needs a Luna. They need someone to show them that we can survive this p>
“Then find someone else,” I said, tucking Ariana’s head under my chin. “Because I’m done playing your games, Nate. I’m done being the ’Alpha’s Mate.’ I’m just their mother. And that is the only job I’m ever taking again p>
Nate looked at me for a long time. The gold in his eyes flickered, then went out. He looked defeated. He looked like a King who had realized his throne was made of ash.
“Fine,” he whispered. “We’ll go to the shed. We’ll get the truck. But the Elders are still out there, Dahlia. You can’t protect them alone p>
“I managed for six years,” I said, my voice cold as stone. “I think I’ll manage just fine p>
I started packing our things, my movements jerky and sharp. The peace was gone. The quiet was over. We were together, but the gap between Nate and me felt wider than the chasm in the mountain.
The walk to the truck was a nightmare of silence. Nate led the way, I followed with the kids, my eyes scanning every bush, every tree. Every time Nate’s hand brushed against a branch, he did it with a violence that told me his temper was still simmering just under the surface.
He didn’t understand. He couldn’t. To him, the “Luna” title was a gift, a way to make up for the years we lost. To me, it was a brand. It was an invitation for every enemy he’d ever made to come and take a shot at us.
We reached the hidden shed. The old truck was there, covered in dust and pine needles. Nate threw the branches off it with a grunt of effort, his muscles bulging.
“Get in,” he said, not looking at me.
I put the kids in the back cab. Axel was still quiet, his eyes fixed on the silver lines in his hands. He hadn’t said a word since the argument.
Nate got into the driver’s seat and cranked the engine. It sputtered, coughed a cloud of blue smoke, and finally roared to life. He slammed it into gear and tore down the dirt track, the tires kicking up gravel.
“Where are we going?” Aidan asked, leaning forward.
“To the coast,” I said, looking out the window. “Like we talked about p>
“We’re going to the safe house first,” Nate corrected, his voice hard. “We need supplies. We need a radio. We can’t just drive blindly into human territory with three children who might shift or glow at any second p>
“Nate p>
“It’s not a negotiation, Dahlia,” he snapped, his eyes fixed on the road. “I’m the Alpha. My priority is their survival. You want to play house later? Fine. But right now, we do this my way p>
I sank back into the seat, my jaw tight. He was using his “Alpha” voice again. The one that demanded obedience.
I looked at the kids in the rearview mirror. They weren’t looking at the scenery. They were looking at us, their parents, as we tore each other apart without saying a word.
I realized then that the mountain hadn’t been the only thing that broke last night.
I wanted to feel relief. I wanted to feel like we were escaping. But with every mile Nate drove us toward this “new” pack house, the heavier my heart became.
“You’re doing that thing again,” Nate said, his voice cutting through the silence like a blade. He didn’t look at me; his knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel.
“What thing?” I asked, not moving my gaze from the passing trees.
“The thing where you go somewhere else in your head. Where you decide I’m the enemy before I’ve even finished the sentence p>
I let out a sharp, bitter laugh. “I don’t have to decide you’re the enemy, Nate. You’re doing a fine job of that yourself. You’re not even asking me anymore. You’re just telling. ’Get in the truck.’ ’We’re going to the safe house.’ ’I’m the Alpha p>
“Because someone has to lead!” he snapped, slamming his palm against the wheel.
The truck swerved slightly before he corrected it. “Look at the world, Dahlia! The mountain just tried to swallow us. The Elders are out for blood. Gina… whatever that was… is still out there. You think we can just walk into a suburban neighborhood, sign the kids up for soccer, and pretend the silver in Axel’s skin isn’t there p>
“It’s not about soccer, Nate! It’s about the choice!” I turned in the seat, my seatbelt locking against my chest. “You spent six years as alpha. You forgot what it’s like to be a person. You think because you built a fancy new house with reinforced walls, that makes everything okay? You’re just building a better cage p>
In the back seat, the kids were deathly still. Aidan had his arms wrapped around Ariana, his eyes darting between the back of Nate’s head and me. Axel was the only one who didn’t seem to be listening. He was staring at his palms again, his lips moving in a silent rhythm that made my skin crawl.
“It’s not a cage. It’s a sanctuary,” Nate said, his voice dropping into that low, dangerous growl that used to make my knees weak.
Now, it just made me want to scream. “The north ridge house has its own power supply, its own medical suite, everything you need. You wouldn’t have to worry about a thing p>
“Except for the fact that I’d be the property of the Silver-Crest,” I spat. “The ’Luna.’ The breeder of the heirs. That’s all I am to your pack, Nate. A symbol. A trophy you finally tracked down and brought home p>
Nate jerked the truck to the side of the dirt road, the tires throwing up a massive cloud of dust. He killed the engine and turned to me, his golden eyes blazing with a ferocity that actually made me flinch.
“Don’t you ever say that,” he whispered, his voice vibrating with a primal hurt.
“I loved you when you were nothing. I loved you when you had no name and no pack. I didn’t search for you because I needed a trophy. I searched for you because I was half-dead without you p>
For a second, the old Nate was there. The boy who had held me in the rain. The man who had looked at me like I was the only thing in the world that mattered. My heart wavered, a soft spot opening up in my chest that I couldn’t afford to have.
“Then let us go,” I whispered back, my voice breaking. “If you love us, Nate, let us go where we can be safe. Truly safe p>
Nate’s face hardened again, the mask of the Alpha sliding back into place. “I am keeping us be safe. At the north ridge. End of story p>
He restarted the engine before I could respond.
We drove for another hour, climbing higher into the pine-choked hills where the air grew thin and cold. Finally, we turned onto a private, paved road that didn’t appear on any map I’d ever seen.
It led to a massive gate of wrought iron and silver, guarded by two men in tactical gear who shifted into a crouch the moment the truck appeared.
When they saw Nate, they immediately stood at attention, their heads bowing in a synchronized show of submission that made my stomach churn.
“Welcome home, Alpha,” one of them called out.
The gates swung open, revealing the “sanctuary p>
It was a masterpiece of glass and steel, built directly into the side of a granite cliff. It looked like a billionaire’s retreat, all clean lines and floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over the entire valley. It was beautiful, modern, and utterly terrifying. It was a fortress designed to keep the world out, or keep us in.
Nate pulled up to the front circle. A dozen wolves were already there, waiting. They weren’t the old, dusty guards from the main house. These were younger, leaner, and they all wore the same look of desperate hope on their faces.
“They think you’re the savior,” I said, my voice flat. “They think the ’Luna’ is here to bless the new era p>
Nate ignored me. He got out of the truck and opened the back door. “Aidan, Ariana, Axel. Out. Your new rooms are upstairs p>
The kids scrambled out, looking overwhelmed. A woman in her thirties, dressed in a sharp gray suit, stepped forward with a warm, practiced smile.
“I’m Sara,” she said, though I remembered her from the hospital wing. “I’ll show the children to the nursery suite. It has a view of the lake p>
“They don’t need a nursery suite. They need a nap,” I said, stepping out of the truck and standing between her and my kids.
Sara’s smile didn’t flicker, but her eyes went to Nate, seeking permission. It was a small gesture, but it told me everything I needed to know about the power dynamic in this house.
“Let them go with her, Dahlia,” Nate said, walking around the truck. “They need to eat. We need to talk. Properly p>
I looked at my children. Aidan looked at the house like it was a puzzle he couldn’t solve. Ariana was fascinated by the glass. But Axel… Axel looked at the massive granite cliff behind the house and frowned.
“The mountain is still here, Mommy,” he whispered, his small hand tugging on my jacket. “It’s just under the floor instead of over the roof p>
My blood ran cold. I looked at Nate, but he was already busy conferring with one of his captains. He wasn’t listening. He was too busy being a King again.
I let Sara lead the kids inside, but I stayed behind for a moment, standing on the pristine gravel. I looked up at the glass walls of the house. From the outside, the windows were tinted, reflecting the dark pines and the gray sky. I couldn’t see anything inside.
I felt like I was standing at the edge of a trap.
Nate came back to me, his hand resting on the small of my back, a gesture that was supposed to be comforting but felt like a claim.
“Come inside, Dahlia. Let me show you the life we can have p>
“I’ve seen enough,” I said, pulling away from his touch. “But I’ll go inside. Because my kids are in there. But don’t think for a second that I’ve change