Alaric’s men closed in, their weapons drawn, eyes cold and unyielding. I could feel the weight of their glares on my back, pressing me into the ground. My mind was racing, trying to piece together what had just happened. Alaric had set us up, played us like a fool. And now, we were caught in the middle of his trap.“Alaric,” I said, keeping my voice steady despite the chaos raging inside me, “what are you doing? This isn’t the time for games.”He tilted his head slightly, his lips curling into a smirk. “Games? Oh, Luna, this is far from a game. This is about survival. You think you can lead us to victory against our enemies with half measures and empty promises? No, Sera, it’s time to take a stand. To do what must be done.”“What are you talking about?” I demanded, my voice rising. “Betraying our allies? Attacking our own men? How is this helping us?”He shook his head, his expression one of mock pity. “You’re too naive, Sera. Too soft. You still believe in honor and loyalty, but th
The forest was thick with tension, a suffocating blanket of uncertainty pressing down on every breath I took. Alaric’s men tightened their grips around my arms, pulling me roughly back towards camp. My mind raced, replaying the last few minutes in a frantic loop. Jax’s lifeless eyes haunted me, a constant reminder of what Alaric was capable of. But before we could get far, a sharp shout cut through the night, drawing everyone’s attention. “We’ve got a hostage!” one of Alaric’s men yelled, his voice echoing through the trees. The guards flanking me paused, their eyes narrowing as they scanned the shadows. A figure was dragged into the clearing, struggling against the iron grip of two of Alaric’s enforcers. My heart stopped as I recognized the hooded figure, their cloak torn and muddied. It was Marlow, one of Silverwood’s key leaders, and someone who had always stood by my side through every trial and tribulation. “What is this?” I demanded, wrenching myself free from the guards
The figure stepped into the clearing, his face still obscured by the shadows of the trees. My senses were on high alert, every muscle in my body tensed, ready to spring into action if necessary. Beside me, Marlow shifted uneasily, his eyes never leaving the stranger.“Who are you?” I demanded, my voice steady despite the fear coursing through my veins. “What do you want?”The figure chuckled softly, a low, menacing sound that sent a chill down my spine. “Who I am doesn’t matter, Luna,” he said, taking a step closer. “What matters is what I represent.”“And what’s that?” Marlow asked, his voice hard and edged with suspicion.The man stepped forward, the dim moonlight finally illuminating his face. He was older, with a stern expression and sharp, calculating eyes. There was something eerily familiar about him, but I couldn’t quite place it.“I represent the interests of those who have grown tired of the current order,” he said, his gaze fixed on me. “We are the ones who have been wat
The figure stepped out of the shadows, and my breath caught in my throat. It was Lila, my childhood friend who had disappeared years ago. Her eyes were cold and unforgiving, a far cry from the bright, laughing girl I remembered. She was a ghost from my past, now standing in front of me with an expression that was both familiar and utterly alien.“Lila?” I whispered, disbelief and shock mingling in my voice. “Is it really you?”Lila’s lips curled into a thin, mocking smile. “Yes, Sera, it’s me. Surprised?”“Surprised doesn’t even begin to cover it,” I replied, my mind racing to comprehend the situation. “What are you doing here? Why… Why are you with them?”Her smile vanished, replaced by a stony glare. “I’m here because of you. Because of what your family did to mine. And now, I’m here to make things right.”“Make things right?” I repeated, confused. “Lila, I don’t understand. What are you talking about?”Marlow stepped forward, his hand instinctively moving to the hilt of his blade.
The moment the messenger’s words left his lips, a chill ran down my spine. Midnight. That gave us less than twelve hours to make a decision that could determine the fate of Silverwood. The enemy’s plans were advancing faster than we had anticipated, and we were running out of time.“What’s the new ultimatum?” I demanded, my voice sharper than I intended. The messenger flinched, but he quickly regained his composure.“They want you to surrender by midnight,” he said, catching his breath. “If you don’t… they’ve threatened to destroy Silverwood completely. They’ve positioned explosives around the perimeter, and they’re ready to detonate them if their demands aren’t met.”My heart pounded in my chest. “Explosives?” I echoed, my mind racing. “How did they manage to plant explosives without us noticing?”Marlow stepped forward, his expression grim. “We’ve been too focused on the internal threats. We underestimated how far they were willing to go. This changes everything.”“We need to find
The air was thick with tension as we gathered in the war room. Dust and smoke still hung in the air, the remnants of the explosion that had nearly cost us everything. Clara was resting in the infirmary, bruised but thankfully alive. Marlow stood beside me, his jaw clenched, eyes hard. We didn’t have time to rest. Not now.I spread the documents we’d recovered from the explosion on the table, my hands trembling. “This is it,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “This is what we’ve been looking for.”Everyone leaned in, eyes fixed on the papers before us. They detailed the conspiracy’s plans, strategies, and—most importantly—a weakness we hadn’t known about before.“They’re moving their main forces to the north,” I continued, pointing to a crude map marked with enemy positions. “If we strike here,” I tapped the map again, “we could catch them off guard. It’s a weak spot in their defenses. But we need to act fast.”Marlow nodded, his face grim. “It’s risky, Sera. If we’re not care
The night was eerily silent as we moved through the dense forest. Every rustle of leaves, every snap of a twig beneath our boots felt like a thunderclap in the tense stillness. My senses were on high alert, my heart pounding with each step. We were close now. Too close.“Marlow,” I whispered, keeping my voice low. “How much further?”He glanced at the map in his hand, his brow furrowed in concentration. “Not far,” he replied softly. “The supply route should be just ahead. We need to—”A sudden movement in the shadows cut him off, and I froze, instinctively reaching for my dagger. The air grew heavy with the scent of wolves—enemy wolves. They were here, waiting for us.“Ambush!” I hissed, but it was too late.The forest erupted into chaos. Shadows burst from the trees, snarls filling the air as enemy wolves charged us. I barely had time to react before one lunged at me, its fangs bared. I twisted away, slashing with my dagger, but there were too many of them. They came from all side
I couldn’t stop picturing Cole’s face, twisted with pain as he was dragged away. The image haunted me as we retreated back to the camp. My heart was heavy with guilt and fear. Cole was out there, suffering because I’d failed to protect him. But I wasn’t about to let him down again.“We need to go after him,” I said as soon as we reached the clearing, my voice hard and unyielding. “We can’t leave him with those monsters.”Marlow nodded, his expression just as grim. “Agreed, but we have to be smart about this. We can’t just charge in without a plan.”“I know.” I forced myself to think, pushing aside the fear and panic. “We need to find out where they’re holding him. And we need to do it fast, before they decide he’s more trouble than he’s worth.”“What about the mission?” Samara asked, her face pale and drawn. “We can’t just abandon it, not with so much at stake.”I glanced at her, my mind racing. She was right. We couldn’t afford to lose focus, not now. But I couldn’t leave Cole behin