chapter warning: this is an pretty intense one so bare with me, my chapters in this book can be quite long and for a reason, this is my first story I ever made by myself without help given. 

the smell of the forest invaded Phoenix's nose, making his wolf stir within him. He could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins as they continued their journey to bring Jace and Luna to the shadow clan den without being spotted by Solar or a border patrol.

Talvi stayed close to Phoenix and Jett's side, her senses on high alert as they navigated through the dense forest. The smell of the forest was intoxicating, and she found herself becoming more and more attuned to it with every step. The soft rustle of leaves underfoot and the chirping of birds above served as a soothing background to the tense silence that hung between them. They moved swiftly and silently, weaving through the trees with practiced ease.

"have you thought any names for the pup, luna?" Talvi asked curiously, breaking the tense silence. Luna shook her head, a fond smile on her face.

"I thought of Caspian or Aurora for a boy or girl, but I'm not really sure yet. What do you think?" Jace asked, glancing at Phoenix and Talvi. Phoenix considered the names for a moment before responding.

"what if you have more than one? Wolf-shifters tend to have large but healthy litters." Jett suggested with a grin. Luna giggled, "well, in that case, I was thinking of names like Soren or Orion for a boy and Nova or Iris for a girl." Phoenix nodded in agreement, feeling the weight of responsibility on his shoulders. He had to protect his pack and his new friends, no matter the cost.

"Nice names," Phoenix said, nodding in approval. "I can't wait to see them!" he chirped, he would love to see the pup when they are born, As they continued their journey, the forest seemed to come alive around them. The sunlight danced through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground. The air was thick with the scent of earth and greenery, and the sounds of insects and animals filled the air. Phoenix felt a deep connection to this place, this land that had given him life and purpose. He couldn't help but feel a sense of protectiveness over it, as if it were a part of him.

"we're almost there!" Jace whispered, excitement clear in his voice. Phoenix nodded, his senses on high alert as they continued to weave through the trees. The forest seemed to be watching them, waiting for them to make a mistake. He could feel the weight of responsibility pressing down on his shoulders, making every movement feel heavier than usual. But he pushed forward, refusing to let his pack down.

"something doesn't feel right," Phoenix murmured, his ears twitching as he picked up on an unfamiliar scent in the air. "We should be more cautious." Jett nodded in agreement, his own senses heightened as they continued their journey. The forest seemed to be closing in on them, the trees growing thicker and the underbrush more dense. The air was thick with the scent of fear and anticipation, and Phoenix could feel his heart racing as they drew closer to their destination.

"Cedar is going to be waiting for us, isn't he?" Jett whispered, his voice barely above a whisper. Phoenix nodded grimly. "He's probably watching us right now." They continued onward, careful not to make any sudden movements that might give away their position. The forest seemed to close in around them like a suffocating blanket, the air growing thick with tension and anticipation.

"Jetty!" a strange female voice spoke in a sing-sing tone, she almost sounded like Lily but she is dead. how can she talking to him? unless it was cedar in disguise, but it sounded like a female. "Jetty, you are such a naughty boy! You know you shouldn't be out here without your mama!" Phoenix and Jett froze in their tracks, exchanging worried glances. "But don't you worry, I'll keep you safe!" the voice continued, a hint of malice in her tone. "Come on, handsome, let's go find a nice, quiet place where we can talk."

Phoenix moved slowly, carefully, his senses on high alert as he tried to discern the source of the voice. It seemed to be coming from deeper within the forest, but it was hard to tell for certain. Jett, too, was on edge, he fiddle with his fingers, trying to erase the tension from his body.

"it's Cedar!" Phoenix whispered to Jett, his heart racing. The male nodded grimly in response. They had suspected that their old alpha would try to take them back, but they hadn't expected him to do so in such a deceptive manner.

"you never told me he can mimic his dead mother's voice," Phoenix murmured to Jett. "that's fucked up." Jett sighed, "I'm sorry Phoenix. I didn't know that." The two of them exchanged glances before continuing onward, deeper into the forest. They followed the strange voice, careful to keep their movements silent and stealthy. The trees grew taller and thicker around them, the underbrush thickening until it was almost impossible to see through. The air grew heavy with the scent of earth and decay, and Phoenix could feel the weight of the forest pressing down on him.

"Lily never calls me Jetty, only Cedar does so the nickname gave him away," Jett whispered to Phoenix as they continued to follow the voice. They moved cautiously, careful not to make any noise that might betray their presence. The air was thick with tension and the scent of danger, making every movement feel labored and heavy. Phoenix's muscles ached from the effort of remaining still and quiet, but he knew that they had to be careful.

"it's been so long! why can't we just talk you know?!" the voice cried, sounding frustrated now. Phoenix and Jett exchanged a quick glance before continuing onward. They were now close enough to see a small clearing up ahead, where a lone figure stood, seemingly arguing with itself. The figure turned around, revealing Cedar, their new alpha. His eyes were wild, his fur matted and dirty, and his muscles tense with rage.

"YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE THAT!" Cedar roared, his voice echoing through the forest. "YOU KNEW YOUR PLACE!" Phoenix and Jett exchanged worried glances, their hearts racing in their chests. They both knew that Cedar was referring to the time when they had left him to join another pack. The memory was still fresh in their minds, and it was clear that their new alpha hadn't forgiven them.

"your nickname gave you away," Phoenix said, his voice low and steady. "it's time to end this." Cedar turned his wild eyes on Phoenix, recognition flickering in his gaze. "You," he growled, "you were always the most troublesome of them all." Jett moved closer to Phoenix, ready to defend him if necessary. "You can't keep us here," he said, his voice shaking with anger and fear. "We belong with each other now."

"I can kill you two right now if I can and nobody will find your bodies, you know that." Cedar threatened darkly, his voice low and dangerous. "But I don't want to do that." He paces back and forth, his tail lashing behind him. "You see, I could use you both. You're both strong, clever wolves. You could be of great use to me."

"you being alpha had driven you mad! this isn't you!" Phoenix plead, taking a step forward. "you don't want this, you don't want to be like this!" Cedar growled, taking a step closer to Phoenix. "I will do whatever it takes to keep my pack safe, even if that means using them as I see fit!"

"killing us isn't going to help your case, we did this behind your back for a reason! our father is going to kill you!" Jett snapped, stepping in front of Phoenix, protecting him. "He knows what you've been doing, he knows you're not the alpha he thought you were!"

Cedar isn't going to back down. Not now, not after everything he's been through. His eyes narrow as he takes another step closer to Jett, baring his teeth in a menacing grin. "You think your father is going to believe you over me? you murdered my mother, she died cause of you." Cedar sneered, his eyes glowing with hatred. "And you, Phoenix, you were always the weak one. Always following orders, never thinking for yourself. Well, I can use that too."

Phoenix's heart sank to the forest floor as Cedar's words pierced through his chest like poisoned daggers. he knew the past behind Jett and what he has done, but to say it like that... it hurt him to the core. He took a deep breath, trying to steady his voice before he spoke. "Cedar... you're not thinking straight. You know that's not the way." He took another step forward, putting himself between Jett and Cedar. "We can work this out. We don't have to fight."

Cedar was almost foaming at the mouth as he growled at Phoenix, his muscles tense with rage. "I've given you a chance to walk away, but you won't take it. Fine." With a snarl, he springs forward, aiming to knock Phoenix to the ground. Jett leaps in, trying to intervene, but Cedar is too fast, too strong. He manages to tackle Phoenix, pinning them both to the ground.

"I told you two stay back at the den but you didn't and you almost got Talvi captured!" Cedar growled, panting as he held down Phoenix and Jett. "You two think you can just leave me for dead?" His muscles tensed as he spoke, ready to strike at either of them at any moment.

"Stop it!" a female voice shouted, pushing through the foliage and racing or trying towards them. it was Luna, she was having trouble trying to run cause of her pregnant belly. "You're not thinking straight, Cedar! They're your family! Your brothers!"

Cedar paused, he haven't heard that voice for a month and he turned his head to see Luna before his very eyes. His gaze flickered between Jett and Phoenix and then Luna, his expression conflicted. "Get out of here, Luna," he growled, his voice rough with emotion. "This doesn't concern you."

"it does! they brought me here to help you, Cedar! you know that! They just wanted to help!" Luna argued, her breath coming out in short gasps as she tried to reach them. "Don't you remember how we talked about it? About how you could never lead the pack without them?"

Cedar didn't want to make of this, he didn't want to see Luna like this. they haven't seen each other since he was punished by Solar along with Jett, oh he missed her face, her laugh, her smile. "Luna..." he muttered, his voice softer now. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean it..."

his muscles relaxed, and he let Jett and Phoenix go. He turned to face Luna, his expression pained. "I'm sorry, Luna. I don't know what came over me. I just... I just wanted to protect my pack, and I thought this was the only way." He reached out a hand to her, his expression pleading.

"Guys, I think I just shit myself." Phoenix muttered, rubbing his aching ribs.

"Shut up, you pansy," Jett snorted, climbing to his feet. "You're fine." He glanced at Cedar and Luna, then back at Phoenix. "Let's get back to the den."

"yea," Phoenix agreed, climbing to his feet as well. "Let's just get back to the den, clear some things up, and figure out what to do next." He looked over at Cedar and Luna, his expression concerned. "We can't let this tear us apart any further."

"we will." Cedar nodded, his gaze flickering between Jett and Phoenix. "But first, we need to figure out how to explain this to Solar. We can't just go back without some sort of plan." He took a deep breath, trying to steady his racing heart.

"he wants to kill you remember? he wants to kill you more than me and I'm the one who murdered your mother." Jett pointed out, his voice cold and hard. "He's gonna try and take me out too, I can't have you putting yourself in danger like that. Just let me handle this."

Cedar shakes his head. "I can't let you do that, Jett. I can't let you take all the blame for this. We're brothers, and we'll face this together." He glances at Phoenix, then back at Jett. "And as for Solar, we'll find a way to' make him face the truth and see that we're stronger together. We just need to be smart about it."

Jett shook his head. "You're not getting it, Cedar. Solar doesn't care about truth. He's going to kill you, no matter what. And if he thinks he can use me as leverage to do it, then so be it. I'm not going to let you throw your life away for me." He looked away, trying to hide the emotion in his eyes.

"we all know that a wolf-shifter does not live old enough to grow old, yet I have lived longer than most. And I'm not going to die now, not before I have set things right. We can talk to Solar, make him understand. We have to try, because running away won't solve anything." Cedar said, his voice strong and firm. "And if it comes to the worst, if Solar truly won't listen, then we'll find a way to take him down ourselves. We're not helpless, not anymore. We are wolves, and we are strong."

Cedar could see the determination in Jett's eyes, and he knew that trying to change his mind now would be futile. Instead, he reached out and clapped his brother on the shoulder. "Then let's go. Together, we'll find a way to make things right." He turned to Phoenix, who was watching them carefully. "You too, Phoenix. We need all the help we can get."

"we have till morning, we can talk to Solar then." Phoenix agreed, rubbing the back of his neck. "And I'm not going to let you go in there alone, Cedar." He looked at Jett, a determined glint in his eye. "We're a pack, remember? We stick together."

"all of us," Cedar agreed, his gaze meeting Jett's. "We'll face this together." He took a deep breath, trying to steady his racing heart, then nodded toward the den. "Let's go back. We need to get some rest before we confront Solar."

Jett and Phoenix nodded, each taking a deep breath as they prepared to face the den. They glanced at Luna, who seemed conflicted between wanting to comfort Cedar and needing to protect him from the danger that lay ahead. With a final, reassuring smile, they urged her to follow them. As they walked back toward the den, the air grew thick with tension, each of them lost in their own thoughts about the confrontation to come.

Luna smile as she can feel the growing pup kicking against her womb, the life inside her giving her strength to face whatever was to come. She reached out to hold the hands of both Jett and Phoenix, feeling their rough, calloused skin against her smooth ones. "We'll get through this together," she said, her voice steady despite the fear in her heart. "We're a pack, and we always have each other's backs."