CHAPTER 54: BROTHERS REUNITED

Aiden POV

The shadow-controlled wolf’s claws raked across my shoulder as I threw him off the road. His eyes were completely black, no sign of the friendly beta who used to help me with patrol schedules. Now he moved like a doll, empty and wrong.

"Aiden, behind you!" Brock’s warning came just in time.

I spun around and caught another controlled wolf by the wrists before his claws could reach my neck. This one had been a young alpha from the eastern region, barely older than us. Seeing him turned into Morrigan’s tool made my stomach twist with anger.

"We can’t keep fighting our own people," I said, shoving the controlled wolf away hard enough to knock him down but not hurt him permanently.

Brock grabbed my arm and pulled me forward. "Then we better stop this fast."

We ran through the forest toward the Sacred Grove, where Caleb and Lily were stuck with Morrigan. Every few steps, more shadow-controlled dogs appeared from between the trees. They moved in perfect harmony, like they shared one mind. Which I guess they did - Morrigan’s mind.

"This is impossible," I panted as we dodged another attack. "There are too many of them."

"Since when do you give up?" Brock asked, pushing a controlled wolf away from our path. "You’re supposed to be the one with all the plans."

He was right, but my usual diplomatic answers wouldn’t work here. How do you deal with someone who’s stolen everyone’s free will? How do you lead when half your pack is turned against you?

A group of shadow wolves circled us in a small clearing. I counted eight of them, their black eyes reflecting no feeling. Among them, I recognized wolves from three different packs - the impact was spreading faster than we’d thought.

"Stay back to back," Brock said, his voice calm despite the danger. "Don’t hurt them more than you have to."

For once, I was glad my brother chose action over words. Fighting had always been his strength, not mine. But as the controlled wolves attacked, I found something surprising - all those years of watching him train had taught me more than I realized.

I ducked under a swinging claw and used the attacker’s speed to send him tumbling into two others. Not elegant, but useful.

"Not bad for a diplomat," Brock said, taking down three wolves with quick, accurate strikes that left them unconscious but unharmed.

"Not bad for a hothead," I answered, surprising myself by meaning it.

We’d been fighting more lately about how to handle pack business. Brock thought I was too careful, too willing to talk when action was needed. I thought he was too quick to fight, too ready to solve problems with strength instead of planning.

But right now, fighting side by side, we worked together perfectly. He handled the direct attacks while I found clever ways to redirect the controlled wolves’ movements. My diplomatic training had taught me to read body language and predict responses - skills that translated surprisingly well to combat.

"The Grove’s just ahead," Brock said as we broke free of another group of controlled wolves.

Through the trees, I could see the old stone circle where our pack held its most important ceremonies. Silver light poured from the middle, so bright it hurt to look at directly. That had to be where Lily and Caleb were facing Morrigan.

But between us and the Grove stood at least twenty more shadow-controlled dogs. They formed perfect lines, blocking every way forward. Among them, I spotted Alpha Johnson from the River Pack, Beta Martinez from the Mountain Pack, and dozens of others I’d dealt with over the years.

"We’ll never get through all of them," I said, my heart dropping.

"Watch me," Brock said, moving forward.

"Wait!" I grabbed his arm. "We need a better plan than charging in."

"Your plans aren’t working," he snapped. "While you’re thinking, Caleb and Lily are dying in there."

The words hit me like a physical blow because they were true. My careful, diplomatic strategy had failed completely. Morrigan had outmaneuvered me at every turn, using my own desire to avoid battle against me.

But seeing the controlled wolves arranged so nicely gave me an idea.

"What if we don’t fight them at all?" I said.

Brock looked at me like I’d lost my mind. "They’re blocking our path."

"Exactly. They’re following directions, moving like a military unit. But what happens when you break the chain of command?"

I pointed to Alpha Johnson, who stood slightly ahead of the others. "He’s the top wolf among them. If Morrigan is controlling them through existing pack structures..."

Understanding dawned in Brock’s eyes. "Take out the leader, and the others get confused."

"Not take out," I amended. "Redirect."

Instead of striking the group head-on, we circled around to approach Alpha Johnson from his blind spot. As the highest-ranking controlled wolf, he was probably getting the strongest commands from Morrigan.

"Alpha Johnson," I called out, stepping into his line of sight. "I challenge your authority to block this path."

The controlled alpha turned toward me with mechanical accuracy. But for just a moment, I saw confusion flicker in his black eyes. Somewhere deep inside, the real Alpha Johnson was fighting against Morrigan’s control.

"I invoke the Right of Passage," I continued, using formal pack language I’d learned during diplomatic training. "As an alpha of Silver Peak Pack, I demand safe passage to the Sacred Grove."

The controlled wolves seemed to freeze, caught between Morrigan’s orders and ingrained respect for pack law. It was like watching a computer trying to process conflicting orders.

That moment of uncertainty was all Brock needed. He moved faster than I’d ever seen him move, not to attack but to physically lift Alpha Johnson and move him away.

"Path’s clear," he said with a grin.

The other controlled wolves stood motionless, waiting for new directions that didn’t come. We ran past them toward the Grove, where the silver light was getting brighter and more unstable.

But as we reached the edge of the Sacred Grove, what I saw inside made my blood turn to ice.

Caleb knelt in the middle of the stone circle, shadow marks covering most of his body. Lily stood nearby, her hands sparkling with silver light, but she looked weak and pale. And Morrigan... Morrigan wasn’t there.

"It’s a trap," I whispered, just as the ground beneath our feet began to crack and fall.

The entire Sacred Grove was falling into a massive sinkhole. Caleb and Lily were going to fall into the darkness below, and there was no way we could reach them in time.

"Brock!" I shouted, but when I turned to look for my brother, he was already gone.

He’d jumped into the collapsing Grove without pause, trying to reach our brother and Lily before they disappeared forever into the black pit opening beneath them.

And I was left standing on the edge, watching hopelessly as all three of the people I cared about most fell into the darkness.