Awakening The Silver Wolf

RAVENNA POV 

I stood frozen in place as the man's eyes met mine, the weight of his gaze like a heavy, unspoken acknowledgment. 

The whispering that had gone up since we entered the village, but died down at the man's words. I could feel every eye on me, but I still didn't look away from the man. 

His words "You found her" rang in the air, both a statement and a revelation.

Dalian gave a small nod, a smile on his face. "Yes," he said. "She's home."

Home. That was where I was. I had finally met my people, my tribe. And I… I didn't know how to act. Was I expected to do something? Greet them? Would they even recognize me as their own? 

Darius interlocked our fingers, squeezing them gently. And just like that, all the tension left me. 

The man's eyes softened as he looked at me again, and then he approached, his steps heavy but deliberate. 

He stopped just in front of me, towering over me with his broad frame. His features were rough, seasoned by years of hard living, but there was a softness to his eyes, the kind that only someone who had seen too much loss could possess.

"I am Jorik," he said, his voice deep and gravelly, like a mountain stream flowing through jagged rocks. "Leader of this pack. And you, Daliah... you are the daughter of our most respected warrior. Our daughter." 

Our daughter. The words resonate deep within me, finding their place, and making a home in my chest. During the long drive here I had had time to stew over whether or not they would accept me. I didn't grow up here, I didn't know their culture and ways. So I had thought maybe they would see me as an outsider despite sharing their blood. 

Jorik's words seem to have lifted a weight off my chest. 

I gave Jorik a small smile and dipped my head. "Thank you, Jorik."

Jorik nodded with his own small smile and took a step closer to pat me on the shoulder. "We will have time to celebrate your coming home later, my dear. But first…" He looked at Darius before he looked back at Dalian. "We must discuss." 

Darius stepped away from me then and offered his hand to Jorik. "I am Darius Ashford, Alpha of Ironfang pack, and Ravenna's mate." 

The two men shook hands, and Jorik said, "It's good to see Daliah have found a capable mate. Protect her." 

Darius nodded and looked over at me. "With my life." 

I smiled at him, a warmth blooming in my chest. 

Jorik led us—me, Darius, Mia, and Dalian—to a hut at the center of the village and ushered us inside. A small crowd of five men and three women followed behind us, their eyes lingering on me before they took their seats. 

"I came as soon as possible when I heard about the attack," Dalian said once everybody was settled. "How many were lost?" 

"Just a few numbers," one of the women with dark skin answered. "We were prepared but they took us by surprise." 

"Now that we know our location," an older man said, "we should be thinking of our ne–"

"We won't be leaving, Ronan," Dalian announced. "We are staying and fighting." 

"Fighting?" Jorik asked, his eyes narrowed at Dalian. "Are you out of your mind, Dalian? We will lose." 

Dalian shook his head and pointed at Darius. "Darius here will help us. He has brought a good number of fighters with him." Darius nodded but didn't say anything, just letting Dalian take the wheel. "We could stop running for once and fight back, show them why we are Lupinarians!" 

A good number of the council shook their heads. I could feel the tension in the room, the weight of their fear and hesitation pressing down on my chest. They wanted to run, to hide, but all I could think about was how long they had been doing that—how long they had been living in constant fear of the next attack, the next retreat.

It was Ronan who spoke. "If we stay and fight we could lose more of our people. They will keep coming until we're completely wiped out." 

Dalian opened his mouth to speak but I beat him to it. "Ronan, you're right," I began, my voice steady but filled with an edge of fire. The room fell quiet as all eyes turned to me. "We could lose more if we stay. We could lose everything. But what exactly are we running from? What kind of life are we living if we're always running, always hiding in the shadows?"

I stood up and stepped forward, my gaze sweeping across the room, meeting the eyes of each council member.

"I've heard the stories. I've heard about how my mother was a legend—how she was one of the strongest this tribe has ever known. But you know what she left us with? She left us with a tribe that was constantly in hiding. A tribe that is scared to stand up and fight for our own future. A tribe that is always running, never settling, never growing." I let the words sink in.

I took another step forward, my voice growing stronger with each word. "How long will we keep running? How long will we allow these packs to pick us apart, take our lives, take our women, take our land, and make us fear for our very existence? We are Lupinarians! We are the strongest wolves, bred for greatness, born to lead! And yet we cower, like hunted prey, never allowing ourselves to rise to the potential we are capable of." 

I could see the hesitation in their eyes, but I didn't stop. I couldn't.

"Dalian's right," I continued. "We have been given an opportunity here. An opportunity to stop running, to stand tall and take what is rightfully ours. We have the strength, the numbers, and the skill to fight back. And with my mate and his fighters, we can build something that will make those who wish to destroy us fear the name Lupinarian." 

I locked eyes with Ronan, the oldest of all. "You think we'll lose more if we fight? Maybe. But I'd rather lose fighting for something worth dying for than lose while cowering in the shadows, watching our people wither away. How much longer are we going to let fear control us? How much longer are we going to allow ourselves to be broken down until we no longer even have the courage to call ourselves Lupinarians?"

I took a deep breath and looked at the others in the room, my gaze firm, unwavering.

"We can build the kind of tribe our ancestors would be proud of, one that doesn't bow to anyone. So I ask you—what kind of tribe do you want to be? The kind that survives, but never lives? Or the kind that stands tall, takes back its power, and shapes its own destiny?" 

Silence filled the room after my words. For a long moment, no one spoke. But I could see the change in their eyes—the flicker of something igniting deep inside them. It wasn't just my words that had reached them; it was the truth of them.

After a moment, Ronan cleared his throat, and when he spoke again, his voice was quieter, and thoughtful. "You're right. We have been running. And we've forgotten what it means to fight for our home, for our people." He looked at Dalian, then at me, his eyes shining with respect. "Maybe… maybe it's time we stop."

One by one, the others began nodding, a slow but sure agreement rippling through the room. The weight of fear was still there, but now it was mixed with something else: hope.

Darius stood up and moved to stand next to me. "I have a proposal," he said, his voice low but clear. "I've seen the conditions you're living in—the huts, the lack of electricity, and the way things are." He looked at me for a moment before turning his gaze back to the council. "I want to offer you a place in my territory. We will stand and fight when they arrive, leaving a lasting mark on them. After that, if you choose to accept, I will offer you all a home in my lands."