In the darkness below, Amani's vision was limited without her wolf. She relied solely on the keen wolf vision of her companions to guide her way.
“Have the rest of the packs arrived? Who is standing at our side?” Selene’s voice pierced the darkness.
“We stand alone,” Darius’s response echoed solemnly.
Amani detected a tremble in Darius’ tone, a hint of fear that she had never heard from him before.
“So, the other packs haven’t arrived yet?” Amani sought clarification.
“No, my lady, what I mean is…” Darius paused to wipe the sweat from his forehead. “They have all come to join the Royal Kingdom in our attack.”
“They were never interested in a party…” Darius’s voice was heavy with dread. “…This is an extermination. The Alpha’s orders are to evacuate all she-wolves and young ones, while the rest of us stay and fight to ensure their escape. Getting you both across the border into the Rogue Lands is my main priority.”
“Wait…” The Luna interjected.
All eyes turned to her, but Selene's gaze was fixed solely on Amani. She grasped Amani's face, her touch gentle yet urgent, as if she feared it might be the last time they'd ever touch.
“Mother?” Amani’s voice wavered, confusion etched on her face.
Selene pressed a tender kiss to Amani’s forehead. “Go with them, Amani… I have a duty to our pack.”
“Luna, you can’t! It’s a bloodbath out there!” Darius’s protest reverberated in the tense air.
“Mother, he’s right! Don’t leave me! Please, don’t leave me!” Amani’s voice cracked with desperation, tears cascading down her cheeks as she pleaded with her mother.
Selene fought to contain her own tears, her heart wrenching at the prospect of abandoning her daughter to an uncertain fate. “I love you, Amani… with all my heart, but I cannot abandon your father and our pack when they need me most. Though you may not understand now, one day you will. We will find you when this is all over, I promise you.” Selene’s fingers brushed away the tears staining Amani’s cheek. “Take her.”
“But Luna!” The men’s voices echoed ina chorus of protest.
“That’s an order!” Selene’s command sliced through the clamor.
With a final, pained glance at her daughter, Selene shifted into her wolf formand vanished into the storm of war. Amani screamed for her mother, her instincts urging her to chase after her, but Frank’s firm grip restrained her.
He hoisted her onto Darius’s back, the Beta already transformed into a massive wolf. Before she could protest, they were racing into the night, Amani clinging desperately to Darius as they fled deeper into the woods toward the Rogue Lands.
The wolf slammed into Darius, sending her hurtling off his back and into the air. She crashed to the ground with a bone-jarring impact, the force stealing the breath from her lungs.
She cried out, clutching her broken hand as agony shot through her. Rolling onto her back, she gritted her teeth against the pain, her eyes scanning the darkness for any sign of their attacker.
Her heart sank in the pit of her stomach when she saw six bloodthirsty wolves closing in on them. In that chilling moment, the throbbing pain of her broken hand had faded into insignificance. Darius and the others swiftly formed a protective circle around her, their growls a fierce warning to the encroaching enemies.
The first wolf lunged at Darius with deadly intent, aiming right for his throat, and the restof the assailants followed suit. Darius fought with the ferocity of a true Beta, his movements fluid and precise, but Mark was quickly vanquished by his opponent's savage onslaught.
Amani recoiled at the gut-wrenching sound of Mark’s agony, his cries echoing in the night as his opponent tore into him with brutal savagery. With a sickening crunch, he was silenced forever. Amani's blood ran cold as the wolf's predatory gaze turned towards her, its eyes gleaming with malice as it charged at her with murderous intent.
She kicked off her heels and sprinted as fast as she could. With Darius and the others holding them off, her sole focus was reaching the border. Once there, they wouldn’t be able to touch her; it was law. But would she truly be safe among the rogues? The uncertainty nagged at her, but she pushed forward, determined to find out.
Running as fast as her bare feet could carry her, she ignored the pain of the hard rocks and sticks beneath her. She couldn’t discern which hurt more—her broken hand, the cut-up soles of her feet, or the fire burning in her lungs. Yet, fueled by pure adrenaline, she pushed through the pain and kept running.
Suddenly, a powerful force slammed into her back, plummeting her face-first into the ground. Crushed beneath the immense weight, she gasped for air, her chest heaving with strained effort. A large, brown wolf stood on top of her, its predatory growls echoing in her ear like a death knell. Driven by its malicious nature, the wolf raked its claws down her back, tearing mercilessly into her delicate flesh, eliciting screams of raw agony.
In a desperate bid for survival, her eyes darted to a large stake lying nearby. With trembling hands, she grasped it tightly, her fingers closing around its rough surface. Summoning every ounce of strength, she thrust the stake into the wolf’s eye with a primal scream, evoking a howl of agony from her assailant.
The pain was excruciating, beyond anything she had ever experienced, and she couldn't even recall if she had cried out. The wolf advanced, itsdeadly glare fixed on her throat, and she knew this was the end for her.
As the brown wolf lunged for the final strike, a towering black figure materialized from the shadows, crashing into the assailant with unparalleled force. A symphony of snarls andgrowls filled the air as the two beasts grappled in a primitive battle for supremacy.
Yet, the brown wolf hesitated, his aggressive stance faltering as he confronted the imposing figure of the black wolf. A flicker of recognition passed through its eyes before it yielded to the dominance of the larger predator. With a menacing growl, the black wolf positioned itself protectively over Amani, exuding an incontestable aura of ownership. The brown wolf slunk away, casting one final glance before disappearing into the shadows.
With the dwindling strength that she desperately clung to, Amani propped herself up on her elbows, eager to observe thispeculiar exchange. Who was this wolf that had saved her? Just as she pondered this question, the black wolf turned to face her, and that was when she saw them — those eyes, those ocean-blue eyes she had seen just hours before in the garden.
The black wolf took a step closer, causing her to flinch in fear. He paused at her reaction, then slowly leaned in and began licking the wounds on her face. Amani’s mind raced with questions, but before she could make sense of it, her arms finally gave out beneath her, and the world around her dissolved into darkness.