Chapter 16

Rowan

The moon, a sliver of silver in the inky black sky, cast an eerie glow on the forest floor as I stalked through the trees. I knew that sleep would completely elude me so there had been no need to try, especially since the lingering tension from the meeting with Kai and the others still clung to me like a second skin. I felt restless and anxious, and I was itching to let my wolf take over so we could have a good run to help let go of all the negative emotions within me.

But tonight, there was something in the air that had a constant shudder running up and down my spine. My instincts, that were usually just a steady hum beneath the surface, were buzzing with a low, unsettled thrum that made me itch with awareness.

Reaching the border, I was greeted by my most seasoned warriors, Ekon, Lyra, and Micheal. Ekon, who we fondly called Bear because of his huge frame and arms that looked like they could knock a man dead with one hit, dipped his head in a respectful bow as I approached. "Alpha Rowan," he rumbled, his voice deep and gravelly.

"Why are you all huddled here? I expected the patrol would have taken off for the night. Is there a problem? Has there been some kind of trouble?" I asked as I got closer and the worried glances that they shared only worsened my itchy sense.

"It's mostly been a quiet night, save for an odd scent that we picked up. Patrol is scouting already, but we thought we might remain at the border to defend the pack should anything go wrong," Lyra offered, and I frowned.

"Odd scent? What kind of scent is it and where was it first picked up?" I asked, pulling my phone out of my pocket to shoot a text to Rhys and Kai asking them to meet me at the border.

"It's an overwhelming sharp tang, almost metallic," she added, her amber eyes flicking through the trees, almost like she expected something horrifying to jump at her and attack her.

My senses perked up at her words. Metallic? The smell of blood wasn't uncommon in the woods and most warriors were pretty used to it, but something about the description and the look of fear that danced in her eyes made me wary. Lyra was one of the most fearless warriors on my team and it was a rare sight to see her so shaken by a scent. I knew that whatever it was, couldn't be ordinary because the other two, including Ekon, looked equally shaken.

We had a peace treaty with the neighboring packs and being an all-Alpha pack of course came with its perks. It meant that no one in their right mind dared to come too close. We were mostly known for our viciousness and strength, so we never had to deal with petty rogue attacks. That meant that whoever these intruders were, they either didn't know who we were, or they did but still chose to press on. I couldn't immediately decide which of these possibilities was more frightening.

"Ekon, stay here with Lyra. I'll make a quick patrol beyond the border with Micheal, just to be sure," I said, moving to take off my clothes so I could shift, but Lyra held out a hand to stop me.

"I don't think that would be wise, Rowan. Maybe we should call and wait for backup. Whatever is out there is no ordinary trespasser. I can feel that there's just something wrong," she said.

Just like Ekon had been nicknamed Bear, we would sometimes joke about how Lyra was the witch of the group. She had weird beliefs and was also very spiritual, but it was never anything harmful. She could be an annoying psychic sometimes, but it never went beyond that. Again for the second time that night, I saw real fear dance in her eyes.

"Rowan? What's wrong? I almost killed myself breaking the speed limit to get here. Could you try to be less vague next time you send a text?" Rhys' voice broke the tension that had gathered from Lyra's words, and I turned my attention to him.

I was about to respond to Rhys when a guttural growl tore through the night, shattering the fragile peace. We all whirled around, muscles coiled, senses locked on the source of the sound, but nothing came after that. The night returned to its usual quiet.

"Patrol reported an unusual metallic scent just outside our borders. I thought it was nothing at first but…" I trailed off as I looked at the trees in front of me.

"Why are we still here? We should check it out immediately," Rhys said, moving past me to head straight into the woods but I reached out a hand to stop him.

"Let's wait for backup," I urged as I began calling Kai's phone.

The text that I had left for Kai earlier had just a single tick, which meant he probably hadn't seen it yet, and it made me realize that he might be sleeping already. He picked on the fourth ring.

I was barely done with the call when another guttural growl rang through the woods, followed by the sound of screaming, and before I could say another word Rhys made a dash for it, transforming into his wolf midair as he sprinted through the woods. Without another word, I followed suit, knowing that I couldn't leave him to go alone and that it was too late to try to talk sense into him and make him wait. Behind me, I heard Ekon and Lyra burst through the trees, joining the fray.

The instructions were to wait, Rhys! I scolded him through the mind link as I pushed faster so I could meet up with his sprinting frame ahead.

It's a good thing I'm not very good with instructions then, huh? came his response and I made a mental note to kill him after all of this was over.

The scent of blood hung heavy in the air, metallic and acrid. As we made our way through the woods, a high-pitched shriek tore through the air, fueling my wolf to move even faster. Suddenly, a pack of wolves emerged from nowhere to surround us, their eyes glowing red with a predatory hunger that stirred my wolf, his primal instincts howling in warning.

The group circled around us, trapping the four of us in a circle. There were about a dozen of them, and we were clearly outnumbered, but I knew we could take them.

Who are these people? Rhys asked as he let out a loud warning growl, baring his teeth at the wolf in front of him.

Whoever they are, it doesn't seem like they are here for a friendly chat, I responded before letting out a battle cry—a howl that echoed through the clearing.

The wolves charged and soon the clearing was a whirlwind of teeth and claws. I let my wolf rise to the surface, letting his primal instincts and honed training take complete control. I danced with a savagery I rarely unleashed, fangs tearing through flesh and claws ripping through fur. Rhys beside me fought with fury, taking down two wolves with a single swipe.

We were almost done taking down the wolves that had attacked, when suddenly a high-pitched shriek tore through the air, and a fresh group of wolves charged toward us. This time it was impossible to count their numbers, but there was no time to think as I lunged at an approaching wolf, tearing into its flank.

And almost as if on cue, I heard the familiar sound of our own men as they howled in fury behind us and joined the battle.

Kai's monstrous-looking wolf soon appeared by my side.

You should have waited for me, he said before charging at the wolf that had moved to attack him.

One swipe of my claws sent another wolf flying, a sickening crack echoing as it landed against a tree. The fight was brutal, each blow fueled not only by my instincts to protect myself and the other warriors around me, but also to protect Elara. I couldn't bear to imagine what these savages would do to her if they were ever to penetrate the pack and lay hands on her.

I felt a searing pain lance through my shoulders and a howl of rage escaped my lips as I slammed the wolf that was responsible against a tree, its body crumpling lifelessly from the force.

The wolves, realizing they were outmatched, began to scatter into the woods in defeat but we chased them down with a relentless force, swiping at the ones that we could reach to drive home our victory.

After a while, I gave the signal for the warriors to retreat and we made our way back to the clearing where most of the fighting had happened. Almost immediately, I transformed back to human, wincing when my shoulder screamed in protest at the action.

Ignoring the throbbing pain, I scanned the clearing, trying to take account of the men we had lost. The clearing was littered with mangled bodies and the stench of death was overwhelming. I noted that we had lost some of our pack members, but not as many as the other party had. Nevertheless, I felt a pang go through me the way it always did when I lost a warrior.

"Where's Rhys?" Kai asked and I turned around to find that he had also transformed back. His naked form was littered with various scratches and gashes, but they didn't look too serious.

"Over here!" I heard Ekon shout in front of us and we rushed over.

"Rhys!" Kai screamed out first as we both rushed over to him.

Rhys who had now transformed, was currently sitting on the ground, with his back to a tree. He was clutching his side, and I knelt beside him. There was a massive gash that ran down his side and the sight of it caused dread to fill my veins.

"Rhys?" My voice was shaky as I spoke and he raised his eyes to mine, his gaze flickering.

"Don't worry. I'm okay. Just a little scratch, nothing I can't handle," he rasped, in an attempt to sound playful, but his words were filled with pain and I could immediately see through his facade.

"He's losing a lot of blood. We need to get him help or he won't make it," Kai instructed.