Darius's words still hung in the air when we stepped into the chambers. I dropped the bloody knife on the table and sank onto the edge of the bed. My hands were shaking. The flutter in my belly was constant now, small kicks that felt more urgent, like the baby could sense the clock running out too.
Kane poured water and handed me the cup without speaking. Rylan leaned against the wall, axe still in his grip, eyes on the floor. Darius stayed standing, arms crossed, the bond pushing his cold rage straight into my chest.
"The pack saw us come back covered in blood," I said quietly. "They cheered, but it wasn't the same. They're scared for their pups. They're starting to wonder if I'm worth it."
Darius's jaw tightened. "They'll follow or they won't. We don't have time to hold their hands."
I drank the water slowly. The nausea from earlier had faded, but the witch's mark on my chest burned steady, a low throb that made it hard to breathe deep. "We have two days until the full moon. Two days until the witch comes for the child. We can't fight Shadowpine and her at the same time."
Kane finally spoke. "Then we end one front soon. The pack is already talking. If we don't give them something solid, the doubt will spread."
Rylan pushed off the wall. "We ride east at first light. Straight to the dead mountains. We find the witch before the moon turns red and we make her break the curse for good."
I looked at the three of them. The bond hummed between us, fierce and warm, but I felt the strain underneath it. The curse was pushing harder because of the pregnancy. Kane's hands still shook slightly when he thought no one was looking. Rylan's grin was gone. Darius's ice-blue eyes were colder than I'd ever seen them.
"I'm coming with you," I said.
Darius opened his mouth to argue, but I cut him off.
"I'm not sitting here waiting while you three ride into her lair. The child is mine too. The mark is on me so I go too."
The flutter kicked again, harder, like the kid was agreeing. Darius stared at me for a long second. Then he nodded once. "You stay in the middle the whole way as always. If it goes bad, you ride back. That's not a request."
We spent the rest of the night planning. Small team. Fast horses. No pack escort. We would leave before dawn, ride hard, and reach the dead mountains before the full moon rose.
The pack would hold Frostfang while we were gone. The beta who had questioned me would lead the defense. I didn't like it, but we had no choice.
When we finally lay down, the brothers tangled around me like always. Darius's hand never left my belly. Kane's scarred fingers brushed my hip. Rylan pressed in from behind, his breath steady against my shoulder.
Sleep came in bits. I dreamed of silver collars on tiny necks and the witch laughing while three wolves tore each other apart trying to reach me. I woke before dawn with the bond buzzing under my skin like a warning and the flutter in my belly kicking hard.
The scout was waiting outside the chamber door when we opened it. His face was pale from fatigue.
"My kings. The pack is gathering in the bailey. They want to speak to the queen before you leave."
I felt the crack widen another inch. We went down together.
The hall was packed. Wolves stood shoulder to shoulder, faces tight. The beta who had questioned me stepped forward again, voice low but carrying.
"My queen… the pups. If you ride east and leave us here, who protects them if Voss attacks while you're gone? Some of us are saying it's time to send you south and save the children."
The words landed like a stone. A few heads nodded. More looked away, ashamed but scared.
I walked straight into the center. My hand stayed on my belly. The flutter kicked again, stronger, like the kid was listening and angry.
"You want to send me back?" I asked him, voice raw. "Go ahead. Open the gates. Tell my father I'm waiting. But when he puts those silver collars on your children and drags them south, remember this moment. Because the witch won't stop at me. She'll come for yours next. And when she does, you'll wish you'd stood with the 'human-tainted girl' instead of whispering behind her back."
The hall went quiet. The beta looked at the floor. A couple of the older wolves nodded slowly. But the silence from the rest of them was louder than any cheer.
"Besides, we ransacked my father's camp the nights before, killed some of his guards and left him injured so we bought us some time. There's nothing to be afraid of for now but you should keep your guard up" I added.
Darius stepped up beside me. His voice cut through the quiet like a blade. "Anyone who wants to run to Shadowpine can leave now. The rest of you hold the walls or get the fuck out of my sight."
No one moved. But no one cheered either.
We left the hall and mounted up in the bailey. The pack watched us ride out, silent and tense. The snow fell soft and steady as we headed east toward the dead mountains.
Two days.
We had two days to reach the witch, break the curse for good, and come back before my father burned everything down.