Rejected and Claimed by her Alpha Triplets-Chapter 281 - at dawn

281

~Damon’s POV

"Get a few men," I said firmly, turning to one of the guards near the door. "Take the fastest horses and ride to the mountain. I want to know who lit that signal, and why."

The guard bowed quickly. "Yes, Alpha Damon."

"Be careful," I added

"Yes, Alpha." He saluted and ran off, shouting orders as he left.

No one dares declare war against us. They wouldn’t stand a chance. But I want to be sure of what we’re dealing with.

I stood there for a while, staring out into the darkness. The smoke was fading now, but my thoughts weren’t.

War... no one in their right mind would challenge our pack. Not now, not ever. But still, things had been different lately.

Rowan wasn’t fine. Kael too.

And I... I wasn’t much better. We weren’t in the right condition to fight anyone, let alone lead an army.

I ran a hand over my face and sighed deeply before heading to my brothers’ quarters.

When I entered, the smell of cooked meat and broth filled the room. Rowan and Kael were sitting near the flames, both of them half-dressed. Rowan looked pale, but his eyes were calm, steady as always. Kael, on the other hand, was gritting his teeth as he tried to chew his food, pretending he wasn’t in pain, though I could see right through it.

As soon as I stepped in, both of them looked up sharply, their eyes full of questions.

"Where’s Lisa?" they asked at the same time, like they’d rehearsed it.

For a moment, I didn’t answer. Then I sighed deeply, running a hand through my hair. "I have no idea."

Kael’s expression changed instantly. His brows furrowed, and he placed his bowl down. "What do you mean by that?" he demanded, his voice rising slightly despite the weakness in it.

"I mean exactly what I said," I replied, walking closer to the fire. "She’s gone. Disappeared. Her house was empty, her scent faded into the forest. I sent men to track her, and we searched the whole area. Nothing."

Rowan’s spoon slipped from his hand and clattered against the wooden bowl. His face went pale. "You’re joking," he said, though his voice was low and shaky, as if he already knew I wasn’t.

"I wish I were," I said bitterly, lowering myself onto the bench near them. I rubbed my temples, feeling the weight of the day pressing down on me. "But that’s not even the worst part."

Rowan looked up sharply. "What do you mean?"

"Just moments ago," I said, my tone turning grim, "someone ignited the war signal from the mountain."

Both of them froze.

"What?" Kael said sharply. "Who would dare declare war against us?"

"That’s exactly what I want to know," I muttered.

Rowan groaned suddenly, clutching his side in pain. "Damn it," he hissed. "This is not the time."

"Exactly," I said, pacing the floor. "None of us is in any shape to lead a war. You’re barely standing, and I..." I stopped myself, running my fingers through my hair. "I can’t do this alone, not in this state."

Rowan straightened as best he could on the bed and spat out, "Whoever thinks to bring war on our heads doesn’t know what they’re doing and hey’ll learn." His voice was hard, but the pain in it made him talk faster, like the words would hide the ache.

Kael slammed his fist into his palm despite the pain. "Yes. Let them come. Let them see. Any fool who lights that fire against our pack will die. They know the cost." He fixed me with a stare.

Rowan looked up at me, his eyes dim but still sharp. "What did you do about the signal?"

"I sent men to check," I said. "They should be back soon."

Kael exhaled heavily, sitting back. "You don’t think it’s connected to Lisa, do you?"

"I don’t know," I said truthfully. "But right now, everything feels wrong. The timing. The signal. Her disappearance. All of it."

Silence settled in the room, heavy, thick, suffocating.

Then footsteps echoed from outside, quick and urgent.

"Enter," I said before the knock even came.

The guard I had sent earlier rushed in, breathing hard. His armor was dusty, his face pale.

"Alpha," he said, bowing. "We found the one who ignited the signal."

"Who was it?" I demanded.

"It was one of our own, Alpha. A guard from the team sent to search for Lady Lisa."

Rowan straightened a little, his expression darkening. "What? Why would one of ours ignite the signal?"

The guard swallowed hard. "He’s badly injured, Alpha. It looks like he was attacked. We believe he used the signal to call for help."

"Attacked?" Kael asked sharply. "By who?"

"We don’t know," the guard said, his voice trembling slightly. "He was barely conscious when we found him. He just kept mumbling something we couldn’t understand."

I frowned. "Where is he now?"

"We brought him back," the guard said. "He’s unconscious, but we’ve called the healers."

"Is the injury bad?" I asked.

The guard nodded grimly. "Very bad, Alpha. Deep claw marks. His armor was torn apart like paper."

I felt my jaw tighten. "That doesn’t sound like Lisa’s doing."

Rowan looked at me, frowning. "Why not? She injured the guard when she escaped from the prison."

"She can’t do that," I said, pacing slowly, "Lisa doesn’t fight like that. She hurts when cornered, yes, but never like that. The guards that almost caught her before, she only left minor wounds. Enough to escape, not to kill."

Kael rubbed his temples. "Then what in the goddess’ name attacked him?"

"That," I said, my tone dropping low, "is what we need to find out."

Rowan let out a deep sigh. "If he survives, we’ll question him. For now, let the healers work."

I nodded. "Already done."

After a long pause, Kael spoke quietly. "Do you think Lisa’s still alive?"

I looked at him sharply. "Don’t ask me that, Kael."

He met my eyes. "You didn’t answer."

I clenched my fists, my chest tightening. "She’s alive," I said finally. "I can feel it. I don’t know where, I don’t know how, but she’s alive."

Rowan watched me quietly, then nodded once. "Then we find her."

"Yes," I said. "We will. But not tonight. You both need rest."

Kael scowled. "Rest? With a war signal lit and Lisa missing?"

"Yes," I said firmly. "Because if we don’t rest, none of us will survive whatever comes next."

Rowan looked at me with tired eyes but nodded. "He’s right. We’ll start again at dawn."

I turned toward the door, my hand lingering on the handle. "Get some sleep," I said. "I’ll be in the courtyard. I need air."

And before they could argue, I walked out.