Chapter 10: The Alpha's Mask

The journey back to the Silvermane compound was a silent, painful affair. Kaine’s injury, though not life-threatening, was serious enough to slow us down. He refused to be carried, leaning heavily on a makeshift crutch, his face a mask of stoic endurance. The two Betas flanked us, their expressions grim. The easy, unspoken camaraderie that had bloomed during the fight had vanished, replaced by the heavy weight of what awaited us. I walked beside Kaine, the bond a tangled mess of conflicting...