Chapter 52
Olivia's POV
The sound of howls shattered the calm of the Pack House, followed by the sharp, piercing call of the perimeter alarm. My heart dropped as I rushed to the window, hearing chaos at the forest’s edge.
“Luna!” A warrior burst through the door, his face pale with urgency. “We’re under attack. Northern border.”
The words hit like a punch.
The Pack House was already alive with activity. Warriors scrambled to grab weapons while others armed themselves with vials of wolfsbane. I locked eyes with Mia, who was organizing the healers.
“Stay inside and be ready,” I ordered, my voice steady despite the storm brewing inside me.
Mia hesitated but nodded, and I turned to follow the warrior into the forest. The growls and snarls grew louder as we neared the perimeter, where Thorne Ridge warriors were clashing with Rogues.
Blood and fur blurred together, and the air was thick with the metallic tang of violence.
I grabbed Kerrick by the arm. “How many?”
“At least two dozen, maybe more,” he growled, his eyes scanning the tree line. “They’re organized; someone’s leading them.”
My gut twisted. There was no mistaking the intention. This wasn’t a random Rogue attack, they weren’t organized. This was deliberate.
My mind raced to Aiden. Could he really have gone this far?
A snarl to my right broke my focus. A Rogue lunged, teeth bared, and wild eyes locked on me. I braced myself, but one of my warriors slammed the wolf to the ground in a vicious grapple.
I stumbled back, adrenaline pounding in my ears as another Rogue charged in. This time, Kerrick stepped in, his blade flashing as he drove the Rogue back.
“Luna, you can’t stay here,” he barked, his tone commanding but tinged with concern. “You’re a target.”
I shook my head, my resolve hardening. “If I’m the target then I’m staying away from the Pack House. We have pups in there!”
He gritted his teeth but nodded, understanding that arguing was futile.
The clash raged on, the Rogues moving with unheard of coordination. Thorne Ridge warriors were holding their ground, but we were outnumbered.
My wolf clawed at me, demanding release, but I couldn’t shift. Not while I still needed to speak.
Amidst the chaos, I caught a glimpse of someone at the edge of the territory. The figure moved like a shadow, too far to make out clearly, but my instincts screamed a name: Aiden.
Kerrick followed my gaze, his eyes narrowing. “You think it’s Aiden?”
“I can smell him,” I said, my voice tight.
Kerrick growled low. “He’ll get what’s coming.”
But we couldn’t hold the line much longer. The Rogues were relentless, their attacks practically feral. My mind raced, weighing our options.
“Kerrick,” I said sharply, “Call Marlus. We need backup, now.”
Kerrick didn’t hesitate. He stepped back, his voice steady as he hit Marlus’s number and barked out the situation as soon as he answered. “Rogues attacking Thorne Ridge. We need reinforcements immediately. Bring everyone you can spare.”
The weight of the battle pressed down on me, but I forced myself to stay focused. The Pack was depending on me, and I wasn’t about to let Aiden—or anyone—destroy what I’d built.
I glanced back at the tree line, but the shadow was gone. My wolf bristled, sensing the game Aiden was playing. He was here, somewhere.
And I had no doubt he was about to make his next move.
The ear-splitting howl roared through the forest was like a lifeline cutting through the chaos. Relief surged through me as I spotted Marlus’s convoy of 4x4s emerging through the trees, warriors spilling out around me in formation.
Among them was Ethan, his presence commanding as he leapt from the lead vehicle, already mid-shift. His wolf hit the ground with a growl, a storm of black and grey fur that radiated raw power.
The Rogues, sensing the tide turning, hesitated. It was all the opening our warriors needed. Thorne Ridge rallied, pressing the advantage as Marlus barked out orders to secure the perimeter.
Ethan’s wolf was a blur of motion, tearing through the Rogues with precision. My wolf surged to the surface, comforted by his dominance. I forced myself to stay focused, reaching my senses out to ensure no Rogues escaped.
The fight began to shift in our favor, the organized chaos of the Rogues unraveling under the onslaught of reinforcements.
I moved carefully through the battleground, feeling for stragglers when I caught sight of Kerrick pinning a particularly vicious Rogue near the main path. The Rogue’s eyes darted wildly, snapping his teeth, but I could see the fear creeping in.
“Hold him!” Ethan’s voice, rough and commanding, carried over the sounds of the battle. I turned to see him approaching, blood streaking his fur as he shifted back to human form, his gaze locked on the captured Rogue.
My eyes drifted down Ethan’s naked body, heat spreading up my neck, before I mentally slapped myself and turned my attention back to Kerrick.
The remaining Rogues were either fleeing or subdued. Marlus approached with two more captives in tow, his expression grim. “We’ve got them. Aiden’s gone, but they’re not talking yet.”
My chest tightened at the mention of Aiden. I had caught glimpses of him during the fight, a shadow weaving through the forest, but he’d slipped away before we could corner him.
Ethan knelt in front of the captured Rogue, his voice low and threatening. “Where is he?”
The Rogue snarled, but Ethan’s growl silenced him. “I know it was Aiden,” Ethan continued, his tone icy. “Where is he?”
The Rogue’s lips curled in a sneer, but before he could speak, Amelia’s voice broke through. “Stop, please.”
I turned to see her standing at the edge of the clearing, her face pale and stricken. Her gaze locked on one of the captives Marlus was holding, her hand trembling as she pointed.
“I know him,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Ethan’s head snapped toward her, his eyes narrowing.
Amelia hesitated, her throat working as she swallowed hard. “He… I know him.”
The words hung in the air like a thunderclap, silencing everyone around us. My stomach dropped as I processed the implications. Amelia’s kin, working with Aiden?
Ethan’s jaw tightened, his wolf bristling visibly even in human form. “Take them to the holding cells,” he ordered sharply.
Amelia looked as though she might collapse, and I instinctively stepped toward her. “We’ll figure this out,” I said quietly, though the seriousness of the situation made the words feel hollow.
She nodded and lowered her head in submission. “I can’t believe Aiden would take it this far. I’m so sorry.” I could feel the truth in her words.
“I know, Amelia. Head back and let Mia know we’re bringing the injured.”
As she fled towards the Pack House and the warriors dragged the captives away, Ethan crowded my space, a fierce look on his face.
“Are you okay?” The power from battle still threaded through his voice.
I reached up and ghosted my fingers over the bruise forming above his eye. “Yeah, I’m okay.”
“This isn’t over,” he said in my mind, his voice low and firm.
And as I stood there, surrounded by the aftermath of battle, I wondered if he meant Aiden’s attack, or our relationship.
