There was tension in the atmosphere when I called for the council meeting. It was quiet in the chambers but I could hear their murmurs as I sat at the head of the table, surrounded by the people I had trusted with my life and the future of our clan. The topic of retaking Nashville had split the room in two, and the air was thick with opposing opinions.“Nashville does not belong to the bandits,” I began, my voice firm but calm. “It is my home, our land, and we have every right to reclaim it. We cannot let them hold onto it as if it is theirs by right. We owe it to ourselves, to those who fought and died, to take it back.”There was a murmur of agreement from some, but others shook their heads, their expressions hard. One of the elders, a grizzled man who had seen many battles, spoke up.“With all due respect, Ava,” he said, “this attack you propose, it feels personal. The bandits have fortified Nashville, and an invasion would cost us more lives than we can afford. Is this really abou
The moon hung low in the night sky as the wind whispered through the trees, carrying with it the scent of pine and the distant, haunting cries of wolves. It was a scary calm, the kind that settled deep into the bones, reminding all who dared to listen that the storm was far from over.I stood by the window of my chamber, staring out into the abyss, my mind racing with thoughts I couldn’t shake. The bandits had taken Nashville, but they hadn’t taken everything. My hand drifted unconsciously to the deep gash on my side, the wound still fresh and throbbing beneath the bandages. I winced but pushed the pain aside, knowing that physical agony was the least of my concerns.There was a soft knock at the door. I turned, already knowing who it was. “Come in,” I said, my voice barely more than a whisper.The door creaked open, and Zaza stepped inside, her face a mask of worry. She moved with the grace of a panther, silent and controlled, but her eyes betrayed her concern. She had been my rock t
The path to Nashville was dark, the towering trees casting long, twisted shadows under the bright light of the moon shown on the ground. The night was silent and scary for some reason I could not understand why I seemed scared. Save for the occasional rustling of leaves and the soft padding of my boots on the forest floor I could hardly hear anything. I moved swiftly, my senses heightened, and every one of my nerves was on the edge. I knew the risks of what I was doing. I was sneaking out of Border Town without alerting anyone, without any help, leaving my people behind to face an uncertain future, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was something I had to do alone.My thoughts were full of confusion, pain, and determination. I was still in pain and couldn’t let myself think too much about what lay ahead. Alpha Jo was out there, somewhere, and I needed to find him before it was too late. My wounds ached with every step, the pain a constant reminder of the battle I’d barely sur
The outskirts of Nashville were eerily quiet as Bjorn and Karim waited for me, their figures barely visible in the dim light of the early morning. The tension in the air was palpable, and they both knew that I was walking into a trap, but there was no other option. Alpha Jo was being held captive by Arit and the bandits, and I couldn’t leave him to whatever fate they had planned. It was a dangerous mission, and I knew I was putting my life on the line. But loyalty and duty compelled me to act, no matter the cost.As I approached the city, my senses were on high alert. Every shadow seemed to move, every sound was amplified in the stillness of the night. The city was a war zone, with bodies strewn across the streets, remnants of battles fought and lost. The stench of blood and death lingered in the air, a grim reminder of the brutality that had taken place here.I slipped through the narrow alleyways, keeping to the shadows, my heart pounding in my chest. The holding cell where Alpha J
The room was filled with the scent of herbs and medicine lingering in the air. I could feel the weight of my wounds pulling me down, my body aching with every shallow breath I took. I was on the edge of consciousness, slipping in and out of a deep, restless sleep. The pain looked like it was a constant companion, throbbing through my veins, and I could barely distinguish the voices that floated around me, muted and distant like echoes from another world.Every time I came close to waking, I could feel a presence near me, like someone strong and resolute, a warmth that seemed to anchor me to the world. It was Zaza. I could sense her energy, steady and unwavering, as she stayed by my side. Even when I was too weak to open my eyes, I knew she was there, watching over me, her protective instincts sharpening with every moment.There were others too, hovering in the room around the edges of the bed I lay, I could notice their their concern. I heard Karim's voice more than once, low and urg
I woke up to a dull ache pulsing through my body, though I felt a little better than before, the pain was only there to remind me of the battles I had fought and the wounds I had were yet to fully heal. The room was quiet, the soft light of dawn filtering through the cracks in the wooden walls. I blinked, trying to clear the fog from my mind, and slowly became aware of the figures seated near my bed.Alpha Jo, Alpha Pax of Darklands, and Alpha Agger of Riverlands were all there, their powerful presence filling the room with heavy tension. Their expressions were serious, eyes watching me with a mixture of concern and expectation. It wasn’t often that such formidable leaders would gather like this, and I could sense that something important was brewing.Before I could even speak, Zaza appeared at my side, her face filled with worry and concern. "Ava, you need to rest," she urged, her tone gentle but insistent. "You're not fully recovered. There's no need to push yourself."But the sight
Alpha Jo, once a figure of authority in my life, stood across from me, his eyes searching mine with a mix of desperation and something else, something that made my heart twist uncomfortably in my chest.Karim stood close by, his posture rigid, his eyes never leaving Alpha Jo. There was a tension in his stance that I hadn’t seen before, a wariness that went beyond his usual caution. He didn’t trust Alpha Jo, and it was clear that whatever was about to be said would only deepen that mistrust.Alpha Jo took a deep breath, breaking the silence that had settled over us like a heavy fog. His voice, when he spoke, was softer than I expected, tinged with a vulnerability that caught me off guard. “Ava,” he began, his eyes pleading, “I’ve been thinking about the past. About us. We were…close once, and I’ve come to realize how much I miss that. How much I miss you.”His words hung in the air, heavy with implication. I felt my breath catch, memories of our past flashing before my eyes. There had
Zaza was missing, and so was Alpha Agger of the Riverlands. I looked around the room, searching the faces of my trusted allies, hoping to find some glimmer of reassurance. But all I saw were furrowed brows and uneasy glances, the same fear mirrored in every pair of eyes.Karim stood closest to me, his face a mask of concern, but beneath it, I could sense the simmering anger and suspicion that had been growing ever since Alpha Jo had left."Where could they be?" I finally asked, my voice strained with the effort to keep calm. "Zaza wouldn’t just disappear without telling anyone. And Alpha Agger…""Exactly," Karim interrupted, his tone sharper than usual. "Alpha Agger wouldn’t just vanish either. Not without a reason. And considering everything that’s been happening, I don’t like this. Not one bit."His words hung in the air, a dark cloud of suspicion that seemed to grow with every passing second. I could see the others shifting uncomfortably, their minds clearly racing with the same th