148

Ian’s POV

The journey back to the vampire realm was as grim as I expected. Jacob walked beside me, tense and brooding, his usual air of calm authority replaced by an edge I hadn’t seen in a long time. Mike was quiet too, though his eyes were sharp, scanning every detail as we made our way through the path that led to the castle. It was strange to have him back—comforting in one way, but also a reminder of how many things had gone wrong in his absence.

As we approached the castle, it was clear that things were already in motion. Scaffolding lined the outer walls where chunks of stone had been blown apart in the attack. Several teams of vampires were hard at work repairing the damages, moving quickly but methodically, their movements precise as they pieced together the realm’s fractured appearance. The sight of it stirred something in my chest—a deep, simmering rage at what had been done, and a gnawing unease at how easily it had all crumbled.

Jacob’s hand flexed by his side as he looked up at the castle. “They really did a number on the place,” he muttered.

Mike nodded, his eyes scanning the castle walls. “Renovations are going to take months, if not longer.”

I exhaled sharply, my jaw tight. “It’ll take more than a few stones and new walls to fix what’s broken.”

Inside, the castle was in even worse condition. The massive windows that had once let in the rare sunlight, thanks to Lyanna’s protective spells, were shattered, and the intricate tapestries that had adorned the walls lay in tatters on the floor. The council chamber, where we were headed for a meeting, was no different.

Jacob’s gaze darkened as we walked through the corridor leading to the chamber. “I don’t like this. Not one bit.”

Neither did I. But there was no time to voice that. We had a meeting to attend, and it wasn’t just about the damage to the castle. There were bigger concerns at play—missing council members, rebel vampires, witches, and the growing threat of werewolves who had tasted victory in their brief incursion into our world.

We entered the council chamber, which had already undergone some repairs, though the air still smelled of dust and fresh mortar. The remaining council members sat at the long, polished table, their faces drawn with fatigue and concern. Some were missing—those who had been caught in the chaos of the attack, still unaccounted for.

Vaughn, the oldest and perhaps most temperamental of the council, greeted us with a sharp nod. “You’re back. Good. We have much to discuss.” I was surprised to see him here. He was even older than Viktor and Aldric and he barely ever attended the council meetings.

Jacob’s jaw clenched beside me, and I could feel the tension radiating off him. He’d never liked Vaughn, and the feeling was mutual. I, too, wasn’t in the mood for Vaughn’s usual grandstanding, but we had to keep the peace—for now.

I took a seat, gesturing for Jacob and Mike to do the same. “What’s the latest update on the missing council members?”

Vaughn sighed heavily, rubbing his temples as if the weight of the world rested solely on his shoulders. “Still no word. We’ve sent out search parties, but they’ve come up with nothing. It’s as if they’ve vanished.”

“Vanished?” Jacob snapped, his voice thick with disbelief. “Council members don’t just vanish. Someone knows something.”

“Jacob’s right,” I added, trying to keep my voice calm, though my insides were boiling with frustration. “We need to get to the bottom of this. We can’t afford more chaos.”

Another council member that I barely ever saw here, Morwen, spoke up, her usually calm voice edged with worry. “The werewolves have already begun pushing against our borders again. They sense weakness, and they’re going to exploit it.”

Mike leaned forward, his brow furrowed. “Do we have any intel on their movements?”

Morwen shook her head. “Not much. They’re keeping low, but the attacks are becoming more coordinated. They’re waiting for the right moment to strike again.”

I gritted my teeth, clenching my fists under the table. “We need to hit back before they get the chance. We can’t let them think we’re vulnerable.”

Vaughn, always the cautious one, raised a hand. “We must proceed carefully, Ian. Striking too soon could incite more rebellion within our own ranks. The realm is unstable. Some of our own vampires are questioning the leadership. We need to rebuild before we act.”

I shot him a glare. “And what do you suggest? We sit here and do nothing while they tear our world apart?”

Vaughn met my gaze, unflinching. “I suggest we focus on strengthening our defenses. The council must remain united, or we risk fracturing the realm beyond repair.”

Jacob let out a low growl of frustration. “The council isn’t united now. Half of them are missing, and the ones who are here aren’t doing anything about it.”

They didn’t say anything. “And where the fuck is Aldric and Viktor?!” I demanded.

“Seeing to their wounds,” Vaughn replied breezily. I narrowed my eyes at him but remained quiet.

The tension in the room was thick. I could sense the anger radiating from everyone here. I glanced at Mike, who remained quiet but alert, his eyes fixed on the council members as if he was gauging their every move.

I couldn’t blame Jacob for his outburst. The council had always been slow to act, cautious to the point of inaction, and it had nearly cost us everything. But I knew that if we were going to survive this, we needed to play the long game.

“We’ll strengthen the defenses,” I said, my voice measured. “But we need to find the missing council members. And we need to be ready to deal with the werewolves when the time comes.”

Vaughn inclined his head slightly. “Agreed. We’ll continue the search for the missing members, and in the meantime, we’ll work on fortifying the realm.”

The meeting dragged on, with more talk of defenses, alliances, and contingency plans. It was the kind of conversation that made my blood boil—necessary, but painfully slow. By the time we were done, I felt like I’d been sitting there for hours, every second ticking away as the threats to our world got closer.

As we left the council chamber, Jacob turned to me, his eyes flashing with frustration. “We’re wasting time. They’re too cautious.”

I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. “I know. But we can’t make a move without them. The realm is already on edge. If we act recklessly, we’ll lose more than we gain.”

Mike, who had been quiet throughout most of the meeting, finally spoke up. “The council’s right about one thing—we need to rebuild. But we can’t let our guard down. The werewolves are going to strike again, and we need to be ready.”

I nodded, my mind already racing with plans. “We’ll be ready. But we can’t just wait for them to come to us. We need to find out who’s behind this.”

As we walked through the castle, the sight of the damage only fueled my determination. Whoever had orchestrated this attack—whoever had set the werewolves against us—would pay.

And I would make sure of it.

But for now, we had to rebuild, and we had to keep the realm together. Because if we didn’t, everything we’d fought for would crumble.

And I wasn’t going to let that happen. Not on my watch.