"You’re quiet," Tyrrell said, his voice low but steady.Layla stood at the edge of the ridge, the wind teasing through her hair, eyes fixed on the horizon. The sky was painted in shades of deep violet and orange, the last remnants of daylight sinking into the mountains beyond."I’m thinking," she murmured.Tyrrell stepped closer, his heat a quiet reassurance beside her. "Dangerous habit," he teased, though his tone held something softer. Something knowing.She huffed out a small laugh but didn't take the bait. She turned into him, her eyes searching his. "Do you ever wonder if we were meant for this? Or if we just keep getting pushed into places we don't belong?"Tyrrell studied her a moment longer, his face impassive. Then, he blew out a breath. "Honestly? I don't think it matters."Layla's frown deepened. "What do you mean?"He cocked his head slightly, looking back down at the silent settlement below. The pack moved like shadows in the growing gloom, warriors finishing their nightl
" Something's wrong," Layla murmured under her breath, her eyes surveying the horizon from the high perch. The air was thick with an uneasy quiet that had settled over the land like a mask. It was not just the usual bite of twilight; it was something deeper, more unsettling.Standing beside her, Tyrrell did not need to ask. He felt it too- something was wrong, indeed if they did not know what. His jaw gripped." I will have scouts transferred out," Tyrrell said in a hushed tone. However, we'll find it," If there is something out there."Layla whirled to him, her eyes flashing." You do not get it;Tyrrell it's not the usual trouble out there. It's unrest, growing unrest. I can feel it."He jounced, his eyes on hers as he sluggishly took a deep breath. He knew that look in her eyes the instinct that had seen them through so important, that sixth sense which had always told her. And she was not wrong. That did not inescapably mean they could act on it straight down, however." Let's not j
The moon was low in the sky, casting a pale light over the camp as the normal night sounds failed into an uncanny silence. Layla had just finished her rounds, checking in with the colourful leaders, when the call came. A single figure, stumbling and crippled, had appeared at the borders.First to move was Tyrrell, who hastened to meet the stranger. By the time Layla reached the clearing where the figure had collapsed, she could see the damage the man was slightly holding onto life, his clothes torn, his face haggard and pale. His breath came in shallow gasps, each one further simulated than the last." What happed to him?" Layla blotted while she kneeled beside him and Tyrrell dragged back the cloak that shrouded this man's body.The eyes heaved ajar, and after a bright flutter, their regard rested shortly in Tyrrell as they changed also to rest in Layla's. slightly did they fluctuate at each, and he spoke still-clear." A storm is due. darkness bound. seeking everyone. for each pack.
"You're asking us to trust you," Garret's voice rumbled through the room, his broad arms crossed tightly over his chest. "And for what? Because some dying fool came to your camp with half-baked warnings of a shadowy enemy?"Layla's jaw tightened, but she held her ground. The council was in session, and Garret wasn't the only one who had doubts. Most of the pack leaders she had gathered around her table were sceptical at best. What once had seemed such a simple task-warning the neighbouring packs-had now become like trying to hold back a storm with bare hands."They're not just whispers, Garret," Layla said, cool but firm in tone. "I know you do not want to believe it, but we cannot afford to bury our heads in the sand when there is such a real threat out there. The Shadows exist. And if we don't act now, we'll get caught off guard. "Others around the table looked at one another uncomfortably, but Garret didn't budge."How do you know?" he snapped, his tone cutting. "How can we take y
Layla's breath caught as the dagger flashed toward her throat. It was a blur of tableware, too presto, too sharp. For one heart- stopping second, she allowed it was each over. But also, a hand — strong, presto, and incredibly close slammed into the wrist of the attacker, transferring the dagger spinning harmlessly into the dirt.Layla!" Tyrrell's voice broke through the adrenaline haze; his hand gripped her arm with a fierceness that would have broken bones if it were anybody differently. He yanked her backward just as the assailant stumbled, recovering from the failed strike.Layla's heart was contending, but her head was still overdrive, comprehending what just happed. A baffled assassination attempt. Then, right at the heart of their camp, an assassination attempt had been made. The man standing before them was not any arbitrary mischief- his movements had been precise and advised. He knew exactly what he was doing.Tyrrell stepped in front of her, his body a guard." Who transferre
“You’re sure about this?” Layla’s voice was low, sharp, her eyes fixed on Tyrrell as he acclimated the placement of the trap. They were girdled by the thick murk of the forest’s edge, the pressure in the air nearly as palpable as the bite settling in.Tyrrell did not turn to look at her, but his voice came out calm and steady." We do not have another choice. However, they'll want to act sooner or latterly, If the traitors in the pack. This will draw them out.Layla took a deep breath, the weight of the decision piercing to the bone. This plan was dangerous- too dangerous, maybe- but there was simply no way around it. They had to find out who in their association was oohing their movements and sabotaging their defences, and was generally working against them from within. Every minute they spent guessing or chasing murk gave the enemy further time to strike.“We’ve covered all angles?” she asked, her aspect sweeping the camp, her senses reaching for any sign of movement.Tyrrell jounced
The rhythm was even, steady, but with each step, frustration mounted inside Layla. Fire danced before her, casting fluid shadows on the camp walls, while her thoughts were far from the warmth of the fire. She knew that Tyrrell watched her, expecting her to make the first step, yet, for now, she did not know which way to go.Layla," Tyrrell said, in a low, even tone; however, sharp with an edge she'd become familiar with. "You must think this one through. Not this time-we can't charge in and lay the first call.She stopped pacing, whirled on him with fists clenched. "You think I don't know that? You think I don't get the gravity of the situation? We've been attacked, Tyrrell! And now we're just supposed to sit here and wait for whoever this is to strike again?""No," Tyrrell said calmly, although his jaw was clenched. "I am saying we need a plan. We cannot be reckless. Whoever guy is pulling the strings from behind this deal knows how to hide. If we rush in just like that, we'll do the
“You’re sure this is the place” Layla asked, her voice tight with a blend of jitters and determination. She squinched low, her eyes surveying the darkened landscape beyond the trees, where the faintest figure of the enemy's fort impended. The night was still, save for the occasional howl of leaves. The air felt thick, as if it was holding its breath.Tyrrell jounced. His aspect cut through the murk sprucely." The information's good. The rogue wolves we've encountered are from this area. We cannot let them get any further, Layla. We need answers."Layla's jaw tensed, her heart pounding in her chest. also, we take them, she said, her voice firm. We get the answers we need, and we do it presto.Tyrrell's eyes darted to her." Stay focused. We need to move still.She smelled her teeth but said nothing. It had been a long way, and the last thing she wanted was to peril this chance at getting inside enemy home. Every step had been calculated, every moment measured. The enemy's operations wer
"You should've stopped me."Layla's voice pierced the silence of the war room, as sharp as the blade she had just driven into the wooden table. The candlelight danced, casting long shadows across the stone walls, but neither she nor Tyrrell paid it any mind.Tyrrell stood across from her, arms folded, his expression unreadable. "Stopped you from what? Saving what's left of us?"Layla huffed out an angry laugh as she ran her hand through her hair. "No, for making the damned decision in the first place-for sending Samira on that mission, for allowing myself to dream we had something of a possibility to win in this."Tyrrell's jaw clenched. "She knew the risk.""Don't." Layla pointed a shaking finger at Tyrrell. "Don't even dare act as if that does make it easy.Tyrrell let out a slow breath, the weight of the night bearing down on him. "You think I don't feel it? You think I don't hear her screaming in my head every time I close my damn eyes?"Layla's fists clenched. "Then why do you ke
"You sure about this?"Tyrrell looked up from his blade, running a cloth over its edge one last time. Elias was across from him, arms crossed, brows furrowed. The flickering torchlight in the room lent gravity to the tension between them."We don't have a choice," Tyrrell muttered, sliding the dagger into his belt.Elias let out a slow breath, shaking his head. "We always have a choice."Not this time."Layla stood at the far side of the war room, staring down at the map stretched across the wood table. The enemy's supply lines ran deep-carefully planned, well-guarded. Cutting them off wouldn't just weaken their hold on the siege. It could turn the tide completely.But it had to be done right.Layla dug her fingers into the surface of the table, her mind racing. "Infiltration won't be the hard part," she said finally. "It's getting back out."Tyrrell smirked. "Good thing I like a challenge."Elias wasn't amused. "This isn't a game."Layla raised her head, her gaze sharp. "That's enoug
" They are out there."Layla did not need Tyrrell to tell her that. She could feel it- the weight in the air, thick with expectation. The enemy forces had moved like murk in the night, girding the fort with ruthless perfection. Now they were staying, watching, tensing the mesh.She stood at the edge of the stone wall, surveying the treeline beyond the open field. The torches lining their defenses flitted, their light slightly pushing back the darkness." How numerous?" she asked, voice low.Tyrrell exhaled through his nose, his expression grim." further than we can count from over then. They have cut off every possible escape route. We are boxed in."A muscle in her jaw ticked." No reinforcements?"Tyrrell shook his head." Nothing. No dispatches getting in or out. They have got runners watching every path. The alternate anyone tries to break through, they'll be torn piecemeal."Layla's fingers coiled into fists. This was not just a siege. This was a slow, deliberate suffocation.A fig
" You should not be then." Layla's voice was a whip of sword, slicing through the night.The firelight danced across her face as she goggled at the figure standing just beyond its light. The people behind her were tense, ready to attack at her word, but she raised a hand, averting them. This was n't an ordinary enemy.The man before her took a slow step forward, his movements deliberate, as if testing the weight of her words. His dark eyes glistered with something undecipherable, something Layla did n’t trust.“ I came to talk, ” he said, voice smooth, calm. Too calm. “ That is, unless you’d rather continue this war alone. ”Besides her, Tyrrell shifted, fingers twitching on his belt to where his gun rested." You anticipate us to believe you came then just to sputter, Cassius?" His voice had a healthy quantum of doubt trickling from it.Cassius scowled and crossed his arms over his casket." What can I say? I am feeling generous tonight.Layla studied him, her instincts at war with her
" Move out, now!" Layla's voice cut through the pressure in the camp, sharp and commanding, like a cutter. Her eyes darted over her pack, surveying the faces of those who had gathered. Every one of them stood ready, but she could feel the unease in the air. There was no turning back now.Eerily silent, the camp fell as they came together, importing the storm above them that hung in the air. Everyone knew what was to be gained and lost. Every wolf, every fighter, understood the risk. But there was no fear. Not yet. Layla refused to let in the fear. Not today." Ready?" she rumoured, her voice low but indeed. She scrutinized around, again coming to rest on the figure that stood beside her- Jace deposited himself at her side, was formerly holding his armament, his eyes sharp and focused." Ready as we'll ever be," Jace said, slightly above a murmur in the still air." They are coming. Got to move out."In one nippy stir, Layla gave the order, and the pack surged forward. The earth sounded
" You ready?" Jace's voice was low, the question carrying an edge to it that had not been there ahead. It was the kind of question you ask when you know the answer is everything.Layla did not say anything right down. She dragged on the strips of her gear, and her fritters squeezed tight around the hilt of the brand hanging at her side. She felt its weight all the weight, really, of everything that had brought them to this point every decision, every fight, every defeat leading up to now. And the storm was about to hit.Just get this over with," she murmured, further to herself than to Jace. But he heard it, and the nod he gave her was slightly distinguishable. He knew what she was allowing, perhaps indeed better than she did.They were standing in the camp, the fire fluttering low, the air thick with tension. A many of the other wolves were scattered around, stropping weapons, agitating strategies in hushed tones. But Layla was not concentrated on them. Her eyes were fixed on the hor
"Where is he?"Layla's voice cut into the thick, heavy silence like a blade that had been whetted by the weight it carried within this war room. The room itself was dark-the only light an occasional flickering from the low-burning fire, dancing in shadows across old stone walls. Hard, cool eyes stared without blinking at a map laid flat before her; crumpled, yet serviceable. Plans were being rehashed, people regrouped, and answers were needed.The injuries to Tyrrell had been grievous, and still convalescing, he would not be much help in times to come anytime sooner. Finally, out of danger but still with dark circles beneath his eyes and shallow jerks of breath with movement, he did little good for Layla, who was running out of time after all-not with the threat of war looming in every direction.One of her most trusted warriors, Jace, spoke up, his voice low but firm. "Dorian's families holed up at their estate, a few miles to the west. But it's heavily guarded. No one's gotten in si
Layla felt her instincts kick in as she and her team moved through the dense forest. The air was heavier than it should be, thick with a silence that unnerved her. Even the leaves rustling sounded like they held their breath. She knew something was off, but she wasn't quite sure what. Yet."Something's off," she muttered, scanning around them.Tyrrell, walking a few paces ahead, didn’t respond right away. He was always the more level-headed of the two. “Keep moving,” he finally said, his voice steady, though his own sharp eyes darted to the treeline. “We’ve been through worse.”Layla nodded, but the knot in her stomach constricted. Every part of her was screaming that they were walking right into a trap-a trap she hadn't seen coming, not this one, not from this ally.But with the first chopper sound wave, her thoughts flashed to Dorian-a wolf, one of their staunchest allies who'd fought with them for months-run through her brain. He's the one brought the intel-insisted this route woul
“You’re sure this is the place” Layla asked, her voice tight with a blend of jitters and determination. She squinched low, her eyes surveying the darkened landscape beyond the trees, where the faintest figure of the enemy's fort impended. The night was still, save for the occasional howl of leaves. The air felt thick, as if it was holding its breath.Tyrrell jounced. His aspect cut through the murk sprucely." The information's good. The rogue wolves we've encountered are from this area. We cannot let them get any further, Layla. We need answers."Layla's jaw tensed, her heart pounding in her chest. also, we take them, she said, her voice firm. We get the answers we need, and we do it presto.Tyrrell's eyes darted to her." Stay focused. We need to move still.She smelled her teeth but said nothing. It had been a long way, and the last thing she wanted was to peril this chance at getting inside enemy home. Every step had been calculated, every moment measured. The enemy's operations wer