35. Elisabed

35

Elisabed

The forest blurred as we ran, the shadows shifting wildly under the pale light of the moon. My lungs burned with each gasp of air, but I didn’t slow down. The sounds of our feet pounding the earth mixed with the distant snarls and howls of wolves ahead, growing louder with every step. August was there—alone, reckless, and in danger. We had to reach him before it was too late.

Marshall and Finn flanked me, their eyes sharp and wild. They hadn’t spoken much since we started running, their focus singular and unrelenting. I could feel the tension radiating from them, each carrying a storm of emotions barely held in check. I felt the same, but it wasn’t just August that pulled me forward.

It was Mily.

Somewhere in the chaos ahead, my sister was there. Terrified, alone, and waiting for someone to save her. The thought made my chest tighten, and I pushed my legs harder, ignoring the ache in my muscles.

“Stay close,” Marshall growled, his voice low but firm.

I nodded, even as I knew I wouldn’t.

We burst through the treeline and immediately saw the utter carnage and disarray of the Carlisle pack’s camp.

There were bodies all over the ground, some disturbingly still, some groaning in pain. The ground was soaked in blood, smeared on leaves, and trailed through dirt. The fire in the camp’s center had been knocked over, and its embers were scattered across the camp.

August was still fighting.

He was a blur of movement, his claws tearing through his opponents ruthlessly. His wolf was in full control, his golden eyes glowing with an otherworldly light as he moved with deadly grace. He didn’t fight like a man desperate to live—he fought like one who had already accepted death.

“He’s going to get himself killed,” Finn snarled.

“Stay here,” Marshall said, pushing me roughly behind a tree.

Finn and Marshall leaped into the fray, and I watched from behind the tree as the chaos absorbed them. Finn was like a whirlwind, slashing and clawing his way through his opponents, and Marshall was more methodical, each move calculated and deliberate.

I clutched the dagger Marshall had given me earlier, my knuckles white around the hilt. “Stay here,” he’d said. I saw in his eyes what went unsaid. Stay safe.

But I couldn’t just stand there. Not when—

Movement caught my eye.

Across the clearing, a figure dragged a smaller one into the woods. Even in the dim light, I recognized her. Mily.

My breath caught in my throat as I watched her struggle weakly against her captor, her head twisting back toward the chaos as if hoping for rescue. She saw me then, her wide eyes locking onto mine. She shook her head frantically, mouthing something I couldn’t hear over the sounds of the fight.

No .

But I didn’t care.

My body moved before my mind could catch up, my feet carrying me after them, deeper into the woods. My wolf wanted to shift, she howled for it, but my body couldn’t comply. I was too exhausted, physically and mentally, to make the change. But my wolf was fully awake and taking over my mind if she couldn’t take over my body.

I could barely hear anything over the blood rushing in my ears, my focus narrowing to the figure ahead of me. The man holding Mily was larger, his broad shoulders and thick arms making her look even smaller in comparison. He moved quickly, his strides confident and unhurried, as though he had no reason to fear being followed.

He was wrong.

“Let her go!” I shouted, my voice trembling with fury. I should have snuck up on him. I should have attacked him from behind like I did Raol, but fear had me in an iron grip. I needed him to get his hands off her.

The man stopped abruptly, turning slowly to face me. His face twisted into a sneer, his yellowed teeth bared in a mockery of a smile.

“If it isn’t the little omega,” he said disdainfully. “Have you come to save the day?”

“Let her go,” I said, trying to project authority I didn’t have. I raised the dagger, my hands shaking slightly.

He laughed—a harsh, grating sound that sent shivers down my spine. “What are you going to do with that, little girl? Poke me?”

Before I could respond, he moved.

I barely saw him before he was on me, but my wolf moved my body on instinct. I dodged his hand and stabbed the dagger deep into the side of his right arm. He shrieked in pain, but my victory was short-lived. I didn’t even have time to see Mily again before pain exploded in my cheek as his left fist connected with my face, and I stumbled back, my vision blurring from the force of the blow. I lost my grip on the dagger, and he took advantage of my broken stance to shove me to the ground.

“Pathetic,” he spat, grabbing me by the collar and hauling me up.

I struggled against his grip, clawing at his hand and kicking at his legs, but he was too strong. His other hand came down hard against my stomach, knocking the wind out of me and sending me to my knees.

“Stay down,” he growled, his voice low and dangerous.

But I wouldn’t. I couldn’t.

“Mily,” I croaked, reaching out toward her.

Her face was pale, her eyes shining with unshed tears as she stared at me helplessly. “Don’t,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Please, don’t.”

The man yanked me back by my hair, dragging me across the forest floor. My scalp burned, and I bit back a scream, refusing to give him the satisfaction.

“Should’ve stayed where you were, Omega,” he said coldly. “Now you’ll learn your place.”

He threw me forward, and I hit the ground hard, the impact jarring my already battered body. My vision swam as I tried to push myself up, only for a boot to press down on my back, pinning me in place.

I heard chains clinking and felt cold metal around my wrists. The man wrenched my arms behind my back and secured the shackles tightly before yanking me to my feet.

“Move,” he barked, shoving me forward.

I stumbled as he marched me deeper into the woods. My head swam from the back-to-back blows as I tried to focus my thoughts. In the deep recess of my mind, I heard my name, shouted with such desperation it broke my heart. But there wasn’t anything I could do except move forward.

It wasn’t long before I saw the faint glow of lanterns and the outline of a crude structure—a makeshift jail with barred windows.

The man threw me to the ground beside Mily, and I immediately scrambled toward her and pulled her into my arms, ignoring the pain in my body.

“Are you okay?” I whispered hoarsely. She nodded weakly, her small hands clutching at my shirt.

“Why did you come?” she whispered back.

“Because you’re my sister, Mily, and I’ll never leave you.”

The man laughed again, his gaze filled with mockery as he watched us. “How touching,” he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “But don’t get too comfortable. This is only the beginning.”

He turned and left, slamming the door shut behind him.

I held Mily close as she sobbed quietly in the silence, and my heart pounded as I tried to think of a way to get her out of here alive.