“We must hurry, Ayla. Move quickly.”
Ayla nodded to Bruce. Then she turned to Mariah, who was carrying Usher. Together they walked down the long corridor.
“So, the war is really happening, Bruce?” Ayla asked in a quiet voice. Her tone was one of deep concern. “Is there no way to avoid it?”
Bruce hesitated for a moment, seemingly unsure of how to answer. But finally, he nodded. “Actually, the war has been going on since the Nimbria Pack attacked us that night. All we can do now is fight them and defeat them. That’s the only way to end it.”
Ayla said nothing more. Instead, her mind was filled with different possibilities. Deep down, however, she hoped that fate would favor the Frostholm Pack. They had to win, otherwise she couldn’t imagine the misfortune that would befall them.
It was common knowledge that the Nimbria pack was notoriously ruthless. They often invaded the territories of other packs, conquering them and torturing their members without mercy.
Ayla’s heart ached. Torture and suffering did not frighten her. Life had taught her to be resilient. But she couldn’t bear the thought of something terrible happening to Usher.
Unfortunately, fate seemed to be testing Ayla. The very thing she feared most appeared moments later, just as they emerged from the long corridor.
Bruce went out first. He checked the area to make sure it was safe. Only then did he signal for Ayla and Mariah to come out as well.
They hurried out, wanting to get out of there quickly. Their destination was a safe hiding place, specially designed for Usher’s protection. But suddenly a pack of wolves appeared and surrounded them.
Ayla’s heart raced. The wolves were clearly from the Nimbria pack. They moved fast and agile, making her breath catch in her chest.
Bruce moved quickly forward, taking up a front position to protect Ayla, Usher and Mariah. His eyes glowed in the darkness as he scanned the area with anticipation.
The numbers were overwhelming. Bruce couldn’t count them exactly, but he felt that there were more than fifty wolves surrounding them at that moment.
Bruce gritted his teeth. Their evacuation route had been discovered by the Nimbria pack, and he was certain that the ambush was aimed at Usher.
“Ayla,” Bruce said without turning around. He wasn’t going to risk Usher’s safety. “Get Usher out of here, now!”
Ayla hesitated for a moment. Her instincts told her to leave. But she had no other choice. She had to save Usher. So, she nodded reluctantly. “Be careful, Bruce.”
Bruce growled, then jumped. He turned into a wolf and attacked immediately, giving Ayla, Usher and Mariah a chance to escape.
Ayla and Mariah ran as fast as they could. In Mariah’s arms, Usher seemed restless. He seemed to sense the danger and began to cry.
At the same time, a howling sound echoed in the distance. Ayla knew Bruce had begun to fight. In her heart, she prayed that Bruce could hold on and that they would get out safely.
They kept running, getting farther and farther away until a large wolf blocked their path. There was no escape now. They were trapped, brutally attacked, and then Usher was taken away.
*
The battle was fierce. This time it was not just the warriors fighting under the command of their leaders, but the alphas of the two packs facing each other directly.
Two large wolves, their thick fur shimmering in the moonlight, met on the battlefield. Kendrick and Connor stared at each other with fierce gazes. Both were driven by primal instincts, aware that this fight would determine the fate of their packs.
With a low growl as a precursor, Connor attacked first. His mouth opened, fangs ready to tear, but Kendrick, calm and alert, managed to dodge the attack. Kendrick’s eyes read Connor’s movements carefully.
Connor was furious. He became more and more eager to defeat Kendrick. But Kendrick was not a weak opponent. While Connor relied on strength and brutality in each of his attacks, Kendrick used cunning and tactics.
They circled each other at a safe distance, measuring each other’s abilities. Then they resumed their fight with escalating intensity. Each attack from their fangs and claws left marks on their bodies, but they felt no pain. Instead, they continued to strike at each other.
Around them, the warriors fought fiercely, as did the Luna and the Beta. All of them, without exception, fought with all their might.
The sounds of clashing, howling, and roaring echoed in the cold night air. The ground trembled, shaken by the power of each attack and the footsteps of death.
At a precise moment, Kendrick seized a golden opportunity. He quickly slipped to the side, avoiding Connor’s attack, and then lunged. His sharp fangs sank into Connor’s shoulder.
Connor roared in rage. Fresh blood flowed from the new wound. But he refused to back down. With his last ounce of strength, he launched a counterattack that nearly finished Kendrick.
Almost, but Kendrick managed to dodge at the last second. He jumped to the side and Connor rose quickly, gasping for breath.
Pain and anger merged into one. Connor looked around and faced the bitter reality that the Nimbria Pack was truly on the brink of defeat. Even Bethany was shaken by Jemma’s attack.
The Nimbria Pack was on the brink of defeat, and Connor could not accept it. His heart was filled with seething frustration. With whatever strength he had left, he tried to rise again, unwilling to surrender so easily. His eyes narrowed, burning with vengeance and hatred.
Connor attacked again. His focus now was to hold out, to buy time. He knew that Lady Luck would soon be on his side and on the side of the Nimbria Pack. He just had to wait for the tide of battle to turn in their favor.
A few minutes later, the movements of Kendrick, Jemma, and the entire Frostholm Pack came to an abrupt halt. They froze in fear that they could not escape. Then the sound of a baby’s cry echoed across the battlefield-Usher’s cry.
*