Chapter 17
588words
"In a good way?" he asked, a hint of vulnerability in his voice that I would never have detected before our bond.
In answer, I kissed him, pouring all my emotions into it. The connection between us flared, our shared feelings creating a feedback loop of sensation that left us both breathless.
When we finally broke apart, the moon had risen higher in the sky. "We need to get back," I said reluctantly. "The council—"
A howl cut through the night—not the frustrated cry of our defeated attackers, but a signal. A warning.
Derek's head snapped up. "That's Marcus. Something's wrong."
Through our bond, I felt his sudden spike of concern. Without another word, we shifted back to wolf form and raced through the forest toward the mansion. Our paws moved in perfect unison, our minds linked in shared purpose.
As we neared the edge of the forest, Derek suddenly stopped, his black form rigid with tension. *Wait,* his thoughts came to me clearly. *Smell that?*
I lifted my muzzle, drawing in the night air. Beyond the usual forest scents, I detected something alarming—many wolves, their scents tinged with aggression and the metallic tang of weapons. And something else—the acrid smell of wolfsbane.
*Victor's prepared an ambush,* Derek's thoughts flowed into mine. *They're between us and the mansion.*
I moved closer to him, our fur brushing. *How many?*
*Too many, even for us.* His amber eyes met mine. *We need another way in.*
Through our bond, I sensed him searching his memories, and suddenly an image formed in my mind—a hidden entrance, a small door concealed by ivy on the eastern wall of the mansion grounds.
*My father showed me when I was young,* Derek explained. *In case of emergency.*
We changed direction, circling wide around the mansion to approach from the east. As we moved, I became aware of another dimension to our bond—memories, flowing between us like water. Not all at once, but in relevant fragments. I saw Derek as a child, his father showing him secret passages. I felt his grief when his father died, so similar to my own pain.
And I knew he was experiencing my memories too—my father teaching me to control my healing abilities, the horror of finding him dead, the years of hiding and planning my revenge.
*No more secrets between us,* his thoughts came to me, gentle and accepting.
*No more secrets,* I agreed, feeling strangely liberated by the complete transparency between us.
We reached the eastern wall without incident. The ivy-covered door was exactly where Derek had remembered, hidden so well that even my enhanced vision barely detected it. We shifted back to human form to manipulate the ancient lock.
"Once we're inside," Derek whispered, "we go straight to the council chamber. Victor won't expect us to be so bold."
I nodded, feeling his determination flowing into me, strengthening my resolve. "What about the evidence?"
Derek patted the backpack he'd somehow managed to keep with him through our transformations. "Safe. But even without it, we have something more powerful now."
"What?"
His eyes met mine, intense and certain. "Our bond. The completed Mate bond between an Alpha and a silver wolf is sacred—the council can't ignore it. And through you, I can access memories of what happened in the tunnels with perfect clarity. We can show them."
