Darius straightened himself and caught Alexander’s eyes on them, his little fake smile faltered. Darius shot him a smug look before shaking his head. Why was he acting like a child around Alexander and Serena? Still, a flicker of satisfaction curled in his chest at the sight of Alexander’s poorly concealed irritation.
Besides, there was no competition here. If there was, the winner was already clear. Darius was the winner, he had known Serena longer, and she was his.
He glanced briefly at her as they continued the walk. Was she really his? They had never talked about their bond, not since Oakspire and it wasn’t something particularly favorable. Darius had changed his mind. He would not reject her. He couldn’t even if he tried.
Ronan had already gotten so attached. Darius had to muzzle the wolf just to stay composed around her. And they hadn’t even been intimate or marked each other. Darius wondered what she thought about all this. Once these endless duties stopped dragging them along by the collar.
"Right, so that is all about the meeting hall," Alexander said, his voice a little too breezy. "The most interesting part about this hall lies upstairs."
Alexander put out his hand for Serena to take, but she held up her own and offered a small smile. "Thank you, Commander. I am very capable."
Darius stifled a laugh behind a well-timed cough. Serena did not like the sly little man. He had never given much thought to Alexander before. Their meetings were few and brief as adults, but as children, they were friends.
"Of course, my Lady. I hope I did not offend you."
Serena waved a hand dismissively. "No, you did not, Commander."
The wooden boards creaked slightly under their weight as they marched up the stairs.
"You can call me Alexander, no need for all this..."
"Ah... I don’t think that is very appropriate right now. Thank you."
Alexander kept his arms pinned behind his back and continued onward. Serena was in the middle of the two men as they walked up the stairs. She let out a small exhale. Calling him by his first name only hours after meeting him didn’t seem right to her.
"It’s no rush, my Lady."
The trio passed down a short hallway and entered into a room. The large room was decorated with old maps on its walls, the parchments were worn at the edges, with little tears. At the far end of the wall stood a massive wooden shelf, filled with scrolls upon scrolls.
At the lower half, it housed thick books bound in leather. The room smelled of lingering vanilla and mustiness from the age of the books and scrolls.
"This is the real strategy hall, where our minds are stimulated the most," Alexander said.
A massive table sat at the center, carved with the topography of the western border, tiny wolf-shaped markers placed at key locations.
"Our humblest map," Darius said, pointing to the table. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novel·fire.net
All around the table were leather seats, Serena counted five of them. This was the war room, presumably where General Silas and his confidants made decisions.
"It is impressive," she said in a breathy tone.
Serena wanted to be alone, to sit and study all these maps, what history they might hold. She took a step forward and glanced at the map. The landforms were etched into the wood itself, every ridge and hill marked with care. Even the riverbeds seemed to shimmer in the grain. The wolves in Ironshade were truly gifted. What wonderful craftsmanship this was
"This is the most stable map of the West we have," Alexander said, stepping beside her. "Our scouts are working hard to expand Ironshade."
"Expansion?" Serena echoed, brows knitting. She had barely scratched the surface of the pack’s expanse, and still, it surprised her, how much land, how many structures, how organized and self-sufficient it all was.
"Yes. We are preparing for trade, and expansion is always welcome," Darius added.
"It may be strange to you, given the size of Crimsonclaw," Alexander added.
He glanced toward Darius, a brow arched in curiosity. "Trade? With Crimsonclaw? Is it really possible?"
For the first time since Alexander had joined them, Serena saw him regard Darius like a regular person, maybe even a friend. Serena looked back at the map. She was imagining things again.
To Serena, the issue of trade seemed monumental. The scale of it in a place like Ironshade... She couldn’t help but marvel. How had they lasted this long without it? That alone was an impressive feat.
"It is still in the works..." Darius replied, crossing his arms. "But I cannot say anything yet."
So that could be her reason for being sent, or at least, in the make-believe tale Darius was spinning. Crimsonclaw sent out a high-officiating delegate to scout out prospects for trade with a sister cardinal pack.
"My Lady, I hope we have smooth discussions and negotiations," Alexander said.
Serena tapped lightly on the map, her finger pressing into the carved ridges. She nodded toward him. "If all goes well."
Her eyes kept searching, and she finally found what she was looking for, a little marking with the insignia of Silverstone drawn next to it. She knew that image all too well: a rounded stone with three water ripple lines beneath it.
"What is that for?" Serena asked, pointing at a wolf-shaped marker next to it.
The only other place she had seen that marker on the map was in Ironshade.
"Oh, Silverstone," Alexander said with a shrug. "Humble little pack. It has so much promise."
That she could agree on. She wondered how everyone was doing. Did they even miss her? How could they miss someone said to have murdered one of the pack’s beloved?
"That marker represents a wolf we are in talks with," Darius said.
Serena leaned back and pushed a bit of her hair behind her ears, then nodded. It must have been her former alpha, he spearheaded everything.
"I met him once on occasion. What a funny person he is. Lucas Brigman, was it?"
Serena’s heart dropped for a second at that name. "What?"