Chapter 5 Den Of Predators

DAVINA'S POV

The lodge was warm and bright and filled with people , dozens of them, scattered across the open floor.

Some sat by the fire, while others stood in clusters talking.

The moment I stepped inside, all eyes turned to me, and the chatter faded into a deafening silence.

"Zane." An older man stood from a chair near the fireplace. He was tall, gray haired and had the same sharp features as Zane, with those intense amber eyes that seemed to radiate authority. "You brought her here."

"She wasn't safe in town," His hand was still resting on my back. The warmth was meant to be comforting, but it wasn't. "Grayson's wolves attacked her shop."

"So, you decided to bring a human into pack territory," the older man said, his gaze shifting to me, and assessing me. "During what seems like an impending war, no less."

"I'm standing right here," I said, my voice cutting through the tension in the room.

Everything went quiet and I could feel Zane stiffen behind me, but honestly, I was too worn out to care. I was drenched, exhausted, and had just spent the last hour being tossed around like a rag doll, ending up in a place I never asked to be. I was done being treated like a piece of furniture.

"My name is Davina," I stated firmly. "Not the human. It's Davina."

The older man’s gaze shifted toward me. He stepped closer, forcing me to tilt my head back to meet his eyes, but I held my ground.

"Silas Storm," he introduced himself. "Alpha of this pack and Zane's father. You’re in my home, Miss Harper. Whether you stay here depends on how much trouble follows you through my gates."

"I didn’t ask to be here," I shot back. "Your son made that choice for me."

"I saved your life," Zane interjected from behind me.

"And you also took away my choice," I retorted, keeping my back to him.

A sharp laugh echoed from somewhere near the stairs.

A young guy with sandy hair leaned against a pillar with his arms crossed, wearing a smirk.

“She’s got quite the mouth on her,” he said, glancing at Zane like I wasn't even there. “How long before Grayson takes her anyway and saves us all the trouble?”

A few people laughed, the sound was quick and mean, and my face went hot but I didn't look at him.

I wasn't about to give anyone in this room the satisfaction of seeing me react.

Before I could say anything, another man stepped out. He was older, with cold eyes and sharp features.

He shot Zane a look. "Do you even realize what you’ve done by bringing her here?” He asked.

“Jax.” Zane’s voice was low, almost a whisper. “Watch yourself.”

Jax ignored him. His eyes moved to me, and he stared like he was looking at a problem and working out the perfect solution.

"We hand her over to Grayson ourselves," he said. "Clean, before this becomes a war we can't afford." He shrugged like it was simple. "One human isn't worth what's coming."

The room fell into a heavy silence.

I sensed the sudden shift in the atmosphere, and in just two strides, Zane closed the distance between himself and Jax, grabbing him by the collar before anyone could react.

He shoved Jax's back until his spine hit the wall with a thud. The air was thick with tension and no one dared to move or speak.

Zane leaned in, his voice dropping to a near growl. “Say that again.”

Jax raised his hands slowly to steady himself. “I’m thinking about the pack...”

“No.” Zane’s grip tightened for a heartbeat, then he let go and stepped back. He didn’t need to yell, his presence was enough. “We both know you're not, you’re just thinking about what’s easy.”

He straightened up and turned back to the room, his expression completely composed. “She stays! Is there anyone else who dares to object?”

"Logan" He said, addressing the young guy with sandy hair. "Do you still have something to say?" He asked, but the guy had his head bowed low.

Silence hung in the air and no one dared to challenge him again.

Logan vanished from his spot, leaving an empty space. A woman by the fireplace was staring at the floor, lost in thought. One by one, the eyes in the room dropped creating a cautious silence that was different from the usual tension.

Jax left the spot he was and started moving slowly. He shot me a glance before walking away, and in his eyes, I caught a flicker of something I couldn’t quite figure out, anger, calculation maybe, and beneath it all, a hint of something personal. And then, just like that, he was gone.

Silas raised a hand, and whatever tension was left in the room seemed to disappear. He turned to me, his cold amber gaze assessing me. Then, without breaking his focus, he looked over my head at Zane, and I could tell their conversation was far from finished.

“Caspian,” Silas called, breaking the silence.

A man stepped forward from near the fireplace. He was leaner than Zane, with hazel eyes and a quiet demeanor that didn’t come off as cold. Then he looked at me, and gave a small nod, just a nod but it somehow showed more genuine decency than anything else I’d encountered since stepping through the door.

“Take her to the east cabin,” Silas instructed, then he shifted his gaze to Zane. “My office.”

Zane shot me a quick look, then turned and followed his father out the door.

I was left standing there, surrounded by a pack of wolves who had already made up their minds about me.

“This way,” Caspian said softly, appearing at my side.

I nodded and followed him out.