Ethan P. O. V
I let out a growl when that damn Rouge Wolf bit my hand hard. I really shouldn’t have dropped my guard. Claire screamed when it happened, and I could see she was ready to fight back, but I quickly told her to stay behind me.
I thought that those pesky Rouge Wolves would back off if I stood up to him since they knew who I was. Turns out, I was totally wrong. When I tried to push them away, I looked like a total loser in front of this Luna I didn’t want to acknowledge.
These guys are part of the Rouge Wolf pack that hangs out deep in the mountains behind the forest. Our housepack is right on the edge of their hunting grounds. You’d think they’d back off when they realized I was the Alpha, but instead, they just got even more aggressive.
Ten years ago, I clashed with their leader over territory expansion. They were furious, and ever since, they’ve been hell-bent on reclaiming what they lost, pulling stunts like this occasionally. Right before the full moon, they have this ritual they call ‘hunting.’
I can’t stop them from doing their thing, but I can’t let it slide.
“You’re trapped, Alpha!” a low growl came from right beside me. Suddenly, the window shattered with a loud crash, and a Rogue Wolf leapt through, going straight for Claire.
Claire’s scream caught me off guard. When I turned, I saw her nearly in the jaws of that Rogue. I lifted my leg to kick it, but the Rogue Wolf just brushed me aside like I was nothing and tossed me away as if I weighed nothing at all.
My body slammed against the wall, and I quickly crumpled to the floor, nearly getting stepped on. Just then, a bunch of Warrior guys showed up, firing at the attackers. Luckily, Claire managed to find a place to hide.
But man, those three Rogues were relentless. Even with gunshot wounds, they didn’t back down, and it seemed like they had no intention of escaping.
“Argh! No! Let go of me!” Claire’s scream jolted me into action. I rushed to pull her away from the Rogue Wolves, closing in on her. But as I got closer, one of the Rogues bit me and tried to go for another bite, only to be stopped by my Warriors, who were shooting at them.
Even with my Warriors backing me up, they couldn’t get too close, clearly confused about what was happening. The Rogues seemed stronger this time, almost like they had some hidden power, making my Warriors look pretty useless.
I felt overwhelmed; every time I dodged one attack, another would come at me, and the two other Rogues that suddenly showed up were just as aggressive. They were way more brutal than the night before the last full moon.
I peeked out through the broken window, and I was totally taken aback by the sight of the attackers. There were way more than I expected-maybe three times the usual crowd. My Warriors looked like they were about to crumble under the pressure.
“No! Ethan!”
Claire’s screams jolted me back to reality. I turned to see a Rogue dragging her away while the others formed a barrier, blocking my Warriors from getting to her.
Just as I was processing Claire’s scream, a Rogue slashed at my chest, leaving a nasty gash that bled profusely, but I didn’t have time to react like I usually would.
Frustrated and desperate to stop them from taking Claire further, I transformed my hands into paws, my claws sharp and ready. I lunged at the Rogue Wolf, sinking my claws deep into his neck, tearing through flesh and fur. For the first time in a year, I took down a Rogue.
After the Rogue went down, I tried to catch up. Still, man, I nearly got bitten by another Rogue that jumped me simultaneously. Thankfully, Danny showed up just in time and yanked me back, along with a few of my other Warriors.
“Alpha, you good?” Danny asked while he was firing off shots at the Rogues.
“Go after them! Don’t let them take Claire!” I yelled, giving Danny a little shove.
My Warriors were shocked to hear that Claire had been taken. Like that, they ramped up their fight, firing shot after shot. Even those usually on the sidelines jumped in, trying to capture the Rogues, but nothing worked.
Once they had Claire, they were on a mission to retreat. They bolted into the forest to get her away from our Pack. When Danny and the others chased after them, it was a massacre, as if the Rogues had planned for it all along.
Danny came back to me, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, Alpha. I think we lost Lady Claire Halle.”
I threw a fit. I was screaming and pounding the wall until it cracked, and a chunk of concrete fell to the floor. Danny looked like he wanted to disappear as if he couldn’t bear to see me like this, or maybe he was too embarrassed to meet my furious gaze. They hadn’t caught a single Rogue or stopped them from snatching Claire away from our Pack.
“Where’s Lucy?” I suddenly thought of her.
“Lady Torrance is safe; she’s hiding.”
Thank goodness Lucy is alright. This attack caught me completely off guard. Their numbers were way higher than the last time I faced them. I thought I had wiped them out during the ‘hunt’-shouldn’t they have been fewer? So why are there so many now?
“Let’s go! I want to get back what they took from me!” I shouted, rushing to keep up with the others, but Danny grabbed my hand to stop me.
“What?!” I yelled right in his face.
Lady Halle means a lot to you, but we need to focus on your injuries first. Those claws can be pretty nasty, often poisonous, and we don’t want that to put you in danger.
I yanked my hand back from Danny. It felt like I was a kid being told I couldn’t join in on the fun. I was frustrated and hurt, but I knew I couldn’t just walk away like this. Still, the longer I let Claire stay with them, the more worried I got about what they might do to her.