Ready

Chapter Seventy-seven
Hunter’s POV
Finally, the day had come.
We were ready. Faelen and I stood at the head of the army as we prepared for the surprise attack on Belladonna.
The air was thick with anticipation, but there was something more that made me feel confident in the plan we’d set in motion.
Faelen had laid it out so carefully, and her insights had changed everything. For once, I felt sure that we would strike the right blow at the right time.
I had always been a leader who trusted in my warriors, but there was something different about this attack.
It wasn’t just my warriors who we depended on to make the difference. It was Faelen. Her knowledge of Zodd, his tactics, his weaknesses… it had made this possible.
I trusted her more than anyone, and though we had never fully spoken of it, I could feel the bond between us growing stronger. Not just as leaders, but as something more.
The moon hung low in the sky, the light spilling across the darkened trees. The forest was quiet, like a calm before the storm.
The Howle Wulf pack moved like shadows, silent and swift. Caleb’s scouts flanked us, every movement deliberate. They knew what was at stake.
“We’re close,” Faelen whispered to me, her voice steady despite the intensity of the moment.
She was standing beside me on my left, her presence a calm anchor amid the frenzy of preparation.
I nodded, my eyes scanning the horizon as I spoke. “You’re sure the gates will be unguarded?”
Faelen’s lips curled into a small but confident smile. “Zodd’s arrogance has always been his downfall. He trusts his men too much. We’ll be in before they know it.”
Her words were reassuring, but I still couldn’t shake the feeling that something would go wrong.
This was no simple raid. This was an all out assault on a pack that had been the source of endless strife. Belladonna wouldn’t give up easily.
Faelen turned to Caleb and issued a quiet instruction. Within moments, Caleb and a few of his best scouts slipped into the forest, disappearing into the shadows.
They were going to open the gates for us, allowing our army to rush in undetected. I had no doubt they would succeed.
Faelen’s faith in her knowledge was absolute, and I trusted her with everything I had.
Time seemed to stretch on, the minutes dragging, but then a signal came from Caleb’s scouts… a soft whistle carried on the wind, unmistakable.
Faelen’s gaze locked with mine, and without another word, we moved. The gates slowly creaked open from wirho, as we crept into the heart of enemy territory.
My pack followed close behind, keeping to the shadows, and as soundless as possible waiting for the moment to strike.
We would catch them off guard, and I knew that was the only chance we had.
We stormed forward, moving quickly and quietly, weapons drawn.
The first wave of Belladonna warriors was still asleep when we reached their camp. It was too easy. Too damn easy.
As we advanced, I could hear the soft thud of boots against earth, the rush of the wind against my face.
Everything felt like it was moving in slow motion. The element of surprise had been on our side from the start.
We were inside their walls now, and they had no idea. Faelen and I moved like together well, working in sync as we led the forces deeper into the heart of the pack.
Caleb’s scouts were already in front, picking off the first encounters and keeping their movements undetected.
The Belladonna warriors didn’t stand a chance.
Then came the crucial moment. We breached their stronghold, entering the castle and surprising the guards.
Their defenses were crumbling fast, I could hear the confused shouts of the soldiers, now realizing the assault wasn’t some small attack but a full invasion.
Zodd’s men tried to regroup, but they were too disorganized, too scattered. We had caught them at their weakest.
Faelen’s plan was working. Every piece of intel she’d shared, every weakness she’d pointed out, was paying off.
We were was attacking from every angle, overwhelming them at every turn. It was total chaos.
Then I spotted him. Alpha Zodd.
He stood at the center of the castle, guarded by a few disorganized men, eyes burning with fury as he called out orders to his remaining warriors.
He looked different than I remembered, older, but more desperate, like a cornered animal lashing out in its last moments of survival.
I didn’t hesitate.
I charged forward, cutting through the remnants of Belladonna’s forces, my eyes fixed on the target ahead.
Faelen moved with me. I could feel her presence beside me, focused, steady. But I couldn’t let myself focus on that now. I had one thing in mind… Zodd’s death.
We reached him, and for a moment, it felt like time stopped. I saw the hate in his eyes immediately he set eyes on Faelen.
“You traitorous bitch!” he screamed, coming at her.
He exuded an anger that obviously had driven him for years. He wasn’t the monster I remembered anymore. No, he was worse.
With a roar, I lunged, placing myself between Faelen and him, and our swords clashed.
Our groans and gasps echoed in the night, the sound of the final confrontation.
Zodd fought with every ounce of his strength, roaring like a wild boar, but it wasn’t enough.
He was aging, his strength or anger no longer enough to carry him through the battle.
I could feel it in the way he moved… he was weak, a broken version of the tyrant I had once feared.
Faelen stood at the side, her eyes locked on us. She’d wanted to join the fight but I’d urged her to stand aside.
My eyes focused on Zodd who was trying to recover from a blow, suddenly, in a move so swift I barely registered it, Zodd turned, lunging toward her.
My heart slammed against my ribs as he grabbed Faelen by the hair, yanking her close. She gasped, her face contorting in pain.
“Stop!” I roared, my weapon lowering instinctively. Zodd sneered, pulling Faelen tighter, her body stiff in his iron grip.
“You want to kill me, huh?” Zodd growled, his voice dripping with malice. “Take one step closer, and I’ll end her life. This little traitor won’t live to see another day.” He gritted his teeth, his hands inching toward her throat from behind.
My blood turned to ice, and my heart thundered painfully. Faelen’s wide eyes met mine, terror flashing in them.
I forced myself to stay calm, raising my hands as though in surrender. I had to think fast.
“Easy, Zodd,” I said, my voice steady despite the panic clawing at me. “Let her go. This fight is between you and me.”
Zodd laughed, a deep, menacing sound that echoed into the night. “Between you and me? No, no. This fight is between me and this traitorous bitch!”
He shook Faelen roughly, making her wince. “After all I’ve done for you,” he spat at her, venom lacing every word. “I took you in, raised you, gave you a purpose… and this is how you repay me? Betrayal? You’ve got guts, Faelen, but it won’t save you now.”
He leaned closer to her, his voice dropping to a chilling whisper. “I’ll skin you alive for what you’ve done.”
The sight of him gripping her, threatening her, filled me with a rage unlike anything I’d ever felt. But I forced myself to hold back, to remain calm for her sake.
Our eyes met again, and in that quick moment, I gave her a small nod. She had to remember the move I’d taught her, the one that could free her when someone held her from behind.
Faelen’s chest rose and fell rapidly as she took a deep breath. Then, with a sharp cry, she drove the heel of her boot into Zodd’s foot with all her strength.
He howled in pain, loosening his grip on her hair. “You little… ” Zodd started, but before he could finish, Faelen spun around, her sword already in hand.
With an angry scream, she drove the blade into his chest, her face twisted in rage.
“That’s for every life you’ve destroyed!” she yelled, her voice breaking as she thrust the blade deeper. “For every person you’ve tortured, every ounce of suffering you caused!”
Zodd staggered back, clutching at the wound. Blood seeped through his fingers, but he laughed… a dark, hollow sound that sent a chill down my spine. “You think… you’ve won?” he rasped, his voice weak but taunting. “I’ll…”
Before he could finish, he lashed out with a final burst of strength, tripping Faelen. She fell to the ground, her sword slipping from her grasp.
Zodd raised his weapon, his eyes burning with a murderous glint.
“Faelen!” I shouted, moving before I even thought.
My blade sliced through the air, and with a powerful thrust, I buried it in Zodd’s neck. His eyes widened in shock as he gurgled his last breath, collapsing lifelessly to the ground.
I didn’t waste a second. I dropped to my knees beside Faelen, who was shaking and sobbing, her hands trembling as she reached for me.
I pulled her into my arms, holding her tightly against my chest. “Shh, it’s over,” I whispered, running a hand through her hair as she clung to me. “It’s over now. You’re safe.”
She buried her face in my chest, her tears soaking into my shirt. “I thought… I thought he was going to kill me,” she whispered, her voice trembling.
I tightened my hold on her, my own heart still pounding. “Not while I’m here,” I said firmly. “Never while I’m here.”
For a long moment, we stayed there, the battle fading into the background as the last of Zodd’s men were finished off by our troop.
All that mattered was that she was alive and that Zodd’s reign of terror had finally ended.