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108 | STAND WITH US
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Alpha Ares 109 | CIVIL WAR
I didn’t lose consciousness. And, in a way, I wished that I had.Because then I wouldn’t have seen the fight break out. Laying upon the ground, my cheek pressed to the dirt, Ares’s arms tugging weakly at my limp shoulders, I could just about see the moment when Flora ripped free of her bonds and charged towards us.Dad was only a half-second behind her, but it was enough. The (somewhat) peaceful exchange of words had been broken, and Dad had lost all authority as Alpha. Then Ares and Dad were hauling me up. My legs buckled again but, somehow, I managed to get them under me just enough to support my swaying weight. “You two need to get out of here,” Dad hissed, clapping Ares on the shoulder. “We can distract them in the fight, but they will notice you’re gone if you don’t move fast.”“I’m not leaving you,” I ground out through gritted teeth.“You don’t have a choice, sweetheart. You can’t fight like this.”I clenched my hands into fists. I felt useless. “I don’t want to go.”“Haile,
Alpha Ares 110 | FIGHT OR FLIGHT
Ares and I took cover in the edge of the woods, backing away from the battle until we were well hidden but still able to watch. Everything in me told me I should be out there, shoulder to shoulder with my Blue Moon wolves, but the poison in my system insisted I remain hidden.I ducked under a curtain of ivy, shrouding us further from view as I stared out in horror at the carnage unfolding in the clearing. Wolves snarled and snapped; chunks of flesh were ripped clean and flung through the air. It was gory and it was vicious, and there was nothing I could do. I couldn’t even mindlink, couldn’t even keep watch for my friends and family. “Do you feel as helpless as I do?” murmured Ares. His fingers stroked down my cheek, but the steadying movement was making me more on edge if anything. Still, it seemed to be soothing him, so I let him continue.“Yes.” My tone was clipped, abrupt, so I pulled an apologetic face at him. “Sorry.”“No, I get it. This is driving me mad.”“It has to be Greyhi
Alpha Ares 111 | ONLY THE START
“Haile,” Ares hissed through clenched teeth, “it’s a trap. It has to be. Don’t listen to her.”I knew he was probably right. I knew it, and yet…“You believe me?” I repeated, my heart pounding, still slow, still sluggish, but painfully hard against my chest.Ares squeezed my hand. Hard. “Be careful,” he murmured, gripping me tight. I squeezed back, praying he would understand why I had hope. It was foolish – childish, even – but she was my mum. No matter what, I loved her. “I’ve seen it with my own eyes,” Mum said, stepping closer and holding her hands up. My whole body tensed as she came nearer; every hurtful thing she’d done to my mate and I flashed through my mind’s eye as she took that one single step, from sending Flora to poison Ares to turning on me after I’d revealed that Ares was alive. Dad could swear black and blue that she’d done it all out of love, with misplaced intentions, but that didn’t change how much what she’d done had hurt.And still I loved her. I loved her even
Alpha Ares 112 | DIVE IN
“It’s not too late.” I held Mum’s gaze. “It can’t be. Call the retreat. Now!”Ares squeezed my hand one last time before letting go. He crept backwards, inching slowly – on trembling legs held up by knocking knees – towards the tree line. I felt around desperately for his feelings, for a mindlink, but we were still cut off from one another. My heart dipped.“They’re closing in,” he whispered, half-turning to face us before twisting around to look out at the clearing again. “But there’s still a chance. There’s still time.”Mum was silent. Her eyes were glazed; I realised a moment later that she was talking to my dad through a mindlink when she said, “You’re right. Hang on…” She trailed off. Ares wobbled back to my side. I could feel my strength failing, and I had no doubt that his was, too. This battle couldn’t have come at a worse time. I nudged him gently. “Whatever happens, we need to get out of here. We’re sitting ducks, so long as we can’t mindlink or shift.”Mum strode over to
Alpha Ares 113 | HALF THE WORLD AWAY
It pounced at Mum. At me.And I felt relieved. Relieved, because at least it wasn’t attacking Ares. Yet.Mum flung herself at it. I felt her growl before I heard it: it rolled, menacing, through her chest, vibrating up and across her withers and back. I clung to her desperately as she sprung forward, the jolt of the movement sending me sliding backwards.Colours swayed and blurred around me, making me dizzy. With nothing I could do but hold on tight, I squeezed my eyes shut and put all my focus into keeping my balance. My consciousness was barely hanging on by a thread. If I fell, I was certain that the knock would send me into oblivion.Thud. Thump. I felt every blow Mum and the grey wolf traded. My arms were weak, like two useless ropes bound loosely around her neck. I peeled my eyes open a crack – and saw teeth, yellow teeth, slick with saliva and blood. I cried out, and the wolf’s large eye rolled around to meet my gaze.Mum pulled back. I twisted around, panic flaring as she ope
Alpha Ares 114 | EVERY ROLL OF THE DICE
Wherever we went, I heard the terrifying beat of paws following us. They trailed into my dreams, too, as I dipped in and out of consciousness. At some point I’d been repositioned, and I was now slumped forward over someone’s wolven back. I couldn’t even open my eyes for long enough to look at the colour of the fur on the back that carried me. Somehow, the dreams were worse than the nightmarish reality I currently existed in. They were swirling, inky darkness and endless, icy cold; they were the chains around my legs and the feel of water swallowing my head whole. My lungs were pulsing with cold water, and every breath I took brought me closer to death. Then I would jolt awake – only to remember where this torturous journey was taking us. If we even survived it. To Nazte. To the man that had done that to me. Mercilessly, I was plunged back into the hazy horror of my memories, and the circle began all over again. Sometimes, the memories I was plagued by changed. I saw Ares, slumped li
Alpha Ares 115 | A SPLINTERED ARMY
I looked down at my leg, the burn in it seeming to grow as I gave it my full attention, trepidation making my chest feel tight. Infected? No – it couldn’t be. I was a werewolf, after all; a slash of claws like that should have already begun to heal, even if it had not yet healed entirely. “Infected?” I repeated, my voice sounding too quiet, and strangely tinny, to my own ears. “How can it be infected already?”My leg was stuck out straight. Red stained what was left of my trousers, and tattered slips of fabric fell limply to the wooden slats of the floor. The claw marks cut deep, and their edges were raw and dark and angry and swollen. It still burned, even hours after I’d been clawed; by now, it would usually feel like a dull throb, if anything at all. I winced and dragged myself into a better seated position, pulling my knee up slowly so that I could inspect the injury.Peeling back the makeshift bandages, I wrinkled my nose. It smelt rotten.“That bloody wolfsbane,” muttered Nana
Alpha Ares 116 | SNOWFALL
I winced as the medic tapped on my freshly bound leg. Medic Olia was a middle-aged woman with hair just starting to grey at her temples, which made her look distinguished and wise rather than old. I’d expected to be treated by the same medic that had seen me before, but Cendres had told me that Winterpaw trained up a lot more of their wolves as medics, due to the harsh nature of their territory’s climate, as he’d guided my family and I to the medical centre. I’d been glad of the change as she’d looked me over, the fire warming one side of my face, snow falling outside and piling up on the windowsill.But, even though she’d been nothing but nice to me – shockingly, considering how I’d been treated by Winterpaw Warrior wolves in the past – I’d remained stiff as a log the whole time she’d been looking at my cuts. Her visage had blurred every time she’d bent over me, her face becoming youthful and enthusiastic – her face becoming Flora’s.“The poultice should draw out the infection,” she
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