The Silver Wolf (Diana and Talon) novel Chapter 226

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Chapter Two Hundred Twenty Six

“Do you know where they went after they escaped?” Talon finally asked.

Several minutes of silence had passed between them. The anger that had filled the room earlier had slowly faded, leaving behind something heavier–hurt, uncertainty, and the exhaustion of everything they had endured. Diana looked at Talon intently.

She had expected the question eventually. In truth, she had been waiting for him to ask it from the moment she admitted that she had helped Ravenna and Thorne escape.

“Yes,” Diana answered quietly.

Talon’s expression immediately changed. Diana could see the Alpha King in him taking over. His shoulders straightened slightly, and something sharpened in his eyes. She knew that look. It was the same expression Talon wore whenever he learned of a possible threat to his pack. Diana hesitated.

It was not because she did not trust him. She trusted Talon with her life. She trusted him with their pups. She trusted him more than she had ever trusted anyone.

But Talon was not simply her mate. He was the Alpha King. He was responsible for the Black Howler Pack and every allied pack that looked to the royal family for protection. If Talon believed there was even the smallest possibility that Thorne remained a threat, he would act. That was simply who he was. Protect first. Eliminate the danger. Ask questions afterward.

And after everything Thorne had done–the wolves he had kidnapped, tortured, and transformed into feral rogues; the packs he had attacked; the lives that had been lost; and the repeated attempts to kill Diana–she could not truly blame Talon for feeling that way.

“Do you really want to know, Talon?” Diana asked softly.

Talon frowned.

“If you truly want to know, I’ll tell you,” she continued. “I won’t hide it from you if you ask me. But before you ask, I want you to think about whether knowing will make things easier for you… or harder.”

Talon stared at her. For a moment, his first instinct was immediate. Of course he wanted to

know.

He was the Alpha King. Thorne had attacked his territory. Wolves had died because of him. His mate and unborn pups had nearly been killed. He had every right to know where Thorne was. But then another thought followed.

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What would he do with that information? Would he truly leave them alone? Could he?

Talon leaned back slightly, his expression becoming thoughtful.

“Do we really want to know?” he silently asked Fenrir.

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For several seconds, his wolf did not answer. Then Fenrir shifted within their shared mind.

“There are things our mate may need to keep to herself,” Fenrir finally said.

Talon was surprised. Fenrir had been furious when Diana first admitted what she had done. His wolf had wanted Ravenna punished for attacking their mate, and he had wanted Thorne dead for everything he had done.

Now, however, Fenrir sounded unusually calm.

“And I do not think I can relax if we know where they are,” Fenrir admitted.

Talon grimaced. Neither could he.

“If we know,” Fenrir continued, “there will be nights when we lie beside our mate and think about Thorne being somewhere out there. We will remember him attacking her. We will remember his magic wrapped around her. We will remember him trying to kill her while our pups were inside her.”

Fenrir growled softly.

“And then we will want to hunt him.”

Talon couldn’t deny it. He knew himself too well.

Today, he might promise Diana that he would leave Thorne alone. Tomorrow, he might even

convince himself that he meant it.

But what about a week from now? What about the next time Diana felt weak because of her pregnancy? What about the next time Talon walked through his pack and saw the families grieving for wolves who had died during Thorne’s attacks?

Would he still be able to leave Thorne alone?

Or would the Alpha King inside him demand justice?

“I would want to find him,” Talon admitted to his wolf.

“Yes,” Fenrir replied simply. “And I would help you.”

Talon almost smiled despite the seriousness of the situation. At least his wolf was honest.

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“And then Diana and Artemis would be furious with us,” Talon said.

Fenrir went silent. Talon could almost see his enormous wolf reconsidering everything. Finally, Fenrir huffed.

“I do not like when Artemis is angry with us.”

That almost made Talon laugh.

“You are afraid of Artemis?”

“I am not afraid of our mate,” Fenrir immediately protested. “I simply respect her ability to

make our lives miserable.”

Talon shook his head slightly. But beneath the humor was a serious truth.

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If he hunted Ravenna and Thorne after Diana had deliberately given them another chance, he would be going directly against his mate’s decision. And that would create another wound between them. They had already allowed this situation to hurt them enough.

Talon looked at Diana again. She was still waiting patiently. There was no challenge in her expression. No demand that he agree with her. She had simply offered him the truth and allowed him to decide whether he wanted to carry it.

That realization softened something inside him. Diana trusted him enough to tell him. Perhaps he needed to trust her enough not to ask. Talon released a long breath.

“No,” he finally said.

Diana blinked.

“No?”

“You don’t have to tell me where they are.”

Diana searched his face as if trying to make sure he truly meant it.

“Talon, if you want to know-”

“I don’t.”

He reached for her hand, threading his fingers through hers.

“I thought I did,” he admitted. “The Alpha King in me wants to know. He wants to know exactly where Thorne is, what condition he is in, whether he still has magic, and whether he could ever become a threat to our people again.”

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His thumb slowly moved over the back of her hand.

“But your mate does not want to know.”

Diana’s expression softened.

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“Because if I know where they are, I don’t know if I can promise you that I will leave them alone,” Talon continued honestly. “Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But eventually, I might convince myself that hunting Thorne is necessary to protect you, our pups, and our pack.”

Diana lowered her gaze toward their joined hands.

“And Fenrir?” she asked.

Talon gave her a small smile.

“He agrees.”

Inside their bond, Artemis immediately stirred.

“At least the stubborn males are finally using their brains,” Artemis said smugly.

Diana fought back a smile. Fenrir immediately growled.

“We heard that.”

“You were supposed to,” Artemis replied.

Diana finally laughed softly, and the sound eased some of the tension that had remained between her and Talon. Talon reached forward and gently touched her cheek.

“So keep their location to yourself,” he said. “If Ravenna trusted you with it, then keep that

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