The Silver Wolf (Diana and Talon) novel Chapter 48

Chapter Forty-Eight

Diana opened her eyes slowly, her senses waking before her thoughts did.

The first thing she noticed was warmth.

Her cheek was pressed against a broad, firm chest, rising and falling in a slow rhythm beneath her. Strong arms were wrapped around her waist, one heavy hand resting possessively at her hip.

Where is she? Diana thought groggily. This is not my room.

Then she inhaled.

Pine. Smoke. Steel. Power.

Talon.

Her mate.

Memory rushed back in a flood.

The urgency in Talon’s voice as he ordered the convoy to move immediately after the interrogation. They hadn’t stopped once. Not to rest. Not to eat properly. Not even when the sun dipped below the horizon, and darkness swallowed the road.

When they left the Crimson Fang territory, scouts had reported rogue movement near the borders. Talon’s jaw had hardened at that. He wasn’t sure if it was because of the captured rogue’s last words-about the Silver Wolf and the howl he had released before dying. A signal. A warning. Or an invitation.

Either way, Talon hadn’t been willing to risk it.

Not with her.

Not when he had already left a significant portion of his royal guard behind in Crimson Fang to stabilize the leadership after the Luna and Beta’s betrayal. Black Howler needed its king. And Talon needed his mate safe within his territory walls.

They had arrived in the dead of night. Diana vaguely remembered the sensation of being lifted-strong arms scooping her up as she drifted in and out of sleep. She hadn’t even opened her eyes. She had simply melted into him.

He had carried her all the way into the Alpha suite.

Which meant… she was in his rooms.

In his bed.

In Black Howler.

A soft rumble vibrated beneath her cheek.

She blinked.

“Are you done thinking about what happened and what you can do next?” Talon’s voice came from above

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her, deep and laced with quiet amusement.

Diana stiffened slightly. “I didn’t know you were awake. I thought you were still sleeping.”

A low chuckle answered her. Fenrir and are so attuned to you that the moment you woke up, we woke up. I just wanted to give you a few minutes for yourself.”

Her heart softened at that.

Talon Ravenwood-Alpha King. Feared. Ruthless when necessary. A man who could command entire packs with a single word. And yet he gave her space to think.

Diana lifted her head and smiled, brushing her lips gently against his cheek. “Thank you for giving me time for myself.”

The rumble beneath her deepened into a growl. Her eyes widened a fraction.

“Do you think that meager kiss will satisfy me and my wolf?” Talon’s voice darkened.

Before she could react, he moved. In one fluid motion, he shifted, rolling her beneath him. The world tilted, and suddenly Diana was lying on her back against the soft sheets, her dark hair spread across the pillow. Talon hovered over her, his deep blue eyes intense, hair falling slightly forward over his forehead. The morning light filtering through the curtains painted his sharp features in warm hues.

“That,” he said slowly, voice low and deliberate, “is not the proper way to greet your mate good morning.”

Diana swallowed, heat creeping up her neck.

“And what is?” she challenged softly, even as her pulse quickened.

A slow, dangerous smile curved his lips. “Let me show you.”

He lowered his head and captured her mouth. The kiss was firm. Possessive. Deep. Not rushed, but deliberate. As if he was reminding her of something. Of him.

His hand slid along her side, fingers tracing the curve of her waist before resting at her hip again. Not crossing boundaries. Not demanding. Just claiming.

Diana responded instinctively, her hands rising to his shoulders. The bond between them flared warm and bright, a quiet hum beneath her skin.

When he finally pulled back, their foreheads touched.

His breath brushed against her lips. “You are home.”

The teasing tone had faded, in its place was something rawer.

Diana’s expression softened. “I know.”

But he shook his head slightly. “No. Not just in Black Howler.”

His hand moved to her cheek, thumb brushing gently over her skin. “Home with me.”

Silence filled the space between them.

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For a moment, she let herself feel it.

The safety.

The strength of the walls around them.

The steady presence of Fenrir in the background-watchful, calm, satisfied now that his mate was within their territory.

Diana’s gaze shifted slightly, becoming thoughtful. “Talon… the rogues we saw near Crimson Fang. You think they’ll come here?”

His eyes hardened at once. “If they do, they won’t leave.” There was no arrogance in his tone. Just certainty. “I won’t allow anyone to hunt you. Not for your wolf. Not for prophecy. Not for power.”

Diana’s jaw tightened slightly. “I don’t want to hide.”

“I know,” he said immediately. “And you won’t. You’re not someone who hides.” A hint of pride colored his voice. “But you also won’t fight alone.”

She studied him. “You left part of your guard behind because of me.”

“Because of them,” he corrected smoothly. “Crimson Fang needed stabilization. And because I trust my pack.”

“And if the rogues were tracking us?”

“Then they walked straight into a king’s territory.”

A faint smile touched her lips.

Confident. Fierce. Infuriatingly sure of himself.

She liked that about him.

“Today,” Talon shifted slightly, easing some of his weight off her but still hovering close. “We’ll address the council. Let them know you’re here. Officially.”

Diana’s brows lifted. “Officially?”

“Yes.” His gaze burned. “No more whispers. No more speculation. You are my mate. And Black Howler will know it.”

Her stomach fluttered-not from fear, but from the magnitude of it.

Being his mate wasn’t just personal. It was political.

“You’re claiming me publicly,” she said quietly.

“I already claimed you,” he corrected, brushing his nose lightly against hers. “Now I’m informing everyone else.”

She huffed a soft laugh. “Subtle.”

“I am many things, mate. Subtle is not one of them.”

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Diana reached up, running her fingers through his hair.

“Thank you,” she said again, but this time it wasn’t about giving her space, it was about the drive.

About the protection

About choosing her over convenience.

His expression softened. “You don’t have to thank me for protecting what’s mine.”

Her eyes narrowed playfully. “Yours?”

He didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”

The possessiveness in his voice wasn’t suffocating. It was grounding.

Clam

Diana shifted slightly beneath him, her expression turning serious again. “The rogue mentioned the Silver Wolf before he died. If word spreads…”

“It will,” Talon said calmly. “Which is why we move before others do.”

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