Ivy's POVThe whistles are what control the werewolves. Armed with this knowledge, I quickly plot my next move. If I can control any of these werewolves, what should I focus on first? How can I possibly untangle the mess of combat stretching out before me?I suppose, looking up at Alpha Jameson’s charging form, that my first priority should be to halt his approach. I stand up straight and place my fingers in my mouth. I squeeze my eyes shut and whistle, a shrill sound that cuts through the battlefield. Sure enough, a look of profound confusion crosses Alpha Jameson’s face. He ceases his charge, staring at me as though he’s not quite sure what to do. He walks in slow circles, padding back and forth atop the stone rubble. Small shards of marble tumble to the ground and land around me. My eyes widen as the realization dawns on me. It makes sense now! Any of the werewolves who are under the influence of the red potion will have to follow the command of the person blowing the whistle.
Ivy's POVWhile I’m still reeling from Alpha Jameson’s death, Elder Jet rushes towards me suddenly. A moment before he leaps at me, claws extended, Gamma Everly pulls her teeth out of Alpha Jameson’s chest and stands up quickly. She moves in front of me, blocking me from Elder Jet’s path. “If anyone wants to harm her, they’ll have to go through me first,” Gamma Everly says firmly. Her voice is calm and steady as usual, but I notice that her chest is heaving. She seems to be breathing heavily, and there’s pain etched onto her features. Gamma Everly’s beautiful reddish-brown fur is thoroughly soaked through with blood to the point where I can’t tell whose blood is hers and whose is Alpha Jameson’s.She’s struggling. I don’t know how much fight she has left in her now. It’s obvious that Gamma Everly has been badly injured at some point during combat–blood is dripping from her left foreleg at a frightening pace, and she’s clearly making an effort to keep weight off that leg. Elder J
Ivy's POVNo matter how fast I can run in my human form, my two legs are no match for Elder Jet’s four.Elder Jet catches up to me quickly, fangs snapping at my heels. I can feel the adrenaline rushing through my veins, can hear the blood rushing in my head. Panic grips me, immediate and fierce. I cry out, trying to run faster, but my lungs are burning and my hair is matted to my forehead with sweat. My ankle starts to buckle. Just before Elder Jet’s fangs close around my leg, though, I manage to twist out of the way, taking a sharp left. “You bitch!” Elder Jet howls furiously, increasingly enraged by my successful evasion. I can feel the rush of wind behind me as he lunges at me again, faster this time. Instead of dodging this time, though, I spin straight around and jump towards Elder Jet. The maneuver clearly catches him by surprise. He lets out a short yelp of shock, blinking as I lunge towards him. I land on his nose, clawing my fingers into his fur so he won’t be able to thr
Ivy's POVElder Jet looks like a caged animal under Prince Spencer’s piercing stare, looking in every direction for help. Out of the corner of his eye, he spots Alpha Leo, once again lurking at the edge of the battlefield as though unsure whether or not to join in.“Alpha Leo!” Elder Jet shouts, warping his voice to make himself sound far older and feebler than he really is. “Please, save me from Prince Spencer’s vicious wrath!” The moment the false plea for help leaves his mouth, Elder Jet steps aside, leaving the space wide open for Alpha Leo to engage Spencer in combat. Alpha Leo steps forward reluctantly, looking Spencer up and down, but Spencer hardly pays him a second thought. “Damn you, Elder Jet!” Spencer curses fiercely. “You’re nothing but a coward who expects others to risk their lives for you without ever facing a fight. You’re weak, pathetic, and completely unfit to rally this miserable group you call a rebellion. If you want to protect your honor as a werewolf and as
Ivy's POVUpon being discovered, Elder Jet stands up slowly and turns around, eyeing his warriors cautiously. I can see that he’s trying to keep himself calm, drawing in slow, deep breaths. But seething anger–as well as panic–sparks in his eyes as he looks around. “Alpha Jameson has already fallen in battle!” Elder Jet shouts, projecting his voice. “And many of our men are injured or dead. In order to preserve our forces, I’ll be withdrawing with some of our warriors to prevent further losses. Stay strong, men!” I raise an eyebrow at the sheer audacity of what Elder Jet is saying, but much to my dismay, his werewolf warriors seem to be believing him well enough. “Fight Prince Spencer now, Leo!” Elder Jet roars at Alpha Leo. “Buy us time for the retreat!” Before anyone gets the chance to react to Elder Jet’s words, he quickly twists around and flees into the crowd of warriors, vanishing into the nearby forests in a flash so quickly Spencer doesn’t get the chance to chase after him
Ivy's POVThe moment Spencer hears my voice, he pulls his paw away from Alpha Leo’s throat.Alpha Leo lets out a strangled gasp as the pressure that was being exerted on his neck suddenly eases. He starts to cough, chest shaking. Spencer looks down at Alpha Leo with an expression of profound disdain, clearly disapproving of the display of injury. The world seems to go quiet as I realize what I’ve done. I’ve just challenged the Lycan Prince’s decision to kill an enemy warrior–a leader among the enemy warriors, no less. Spencer, Gamma Everly, and the remaining royal warriors all look at me with expressions of confusion, and I suddenly feel a bit nervous about my decision. “You’d better have a good reason for this, sweetheart,” Spencer says patiently.I purse my lips awkwardly, trying to figure out the best way to explain myself. “...I don’t think he’s actually as bad as we think he is!” I blurt out. Spencer raises an eyebrow at me skeptically as the other warriors frown and murmur t
Ivy's POVAfter hearing my words, Spencer is silent for a moment, clearly lost in thought. I look at him with wide, pleading eyes, quietly begging him to take my words to heart. I’m fairly certain his original mission was to capture, not to kill–even though the battle got wildly out of hand, things seem to have settled now, so hopefully everyone can go back to that plan before any more blood needs to be shed. “Tie Alpha Leo up and take him back to the palace,” Spencer says abruptly. He releases Alpha Leo and shifts fluidly into his human form. At the sight of his piercing eyes, perfectly tousled hair, and flawless musculature beneath his tight bloody clothes, a thrill rushes through me. If the fighting is over, that mean soon enough we can return to the palace and…I’m torn from my thoughts by a sudden commotion. I look over to see Alpha Leo thrashing wildly as a royal warrior pulls him to his feet, teeth snapping madly. He looks so erratic and disheveled that for a moment I’m afr
Ivy's POVNow that Alpha Jameson is dead, Alpha Leo has been captured, and Elder Jet is nowhere to be seen, the fighting is over. I watch the royal warriors evacuate from the enemy’s pack house as the rebel warriors retreat in shame. I don’t know what sort of retribution the Lycan Royal Family will seek, but that’s not my problem now. The battle is over, and we can go back to the palace safe and sound, and that’s all that matters to me. I’m still curled up in Spencer’s arms as he carries me away from the pack house’s lawn and towards his camp. As we’re nearing the edge of the border, though, I suddenly hear a faint, childlike sobbing. I lift my head up from Spencer’s arms. “What is that?” I ask. “Probably nothing,” Spencer says dismissively. I look around and spot a young boy–maybe seven or eight–curled up in front of a small cabin. “There’s a child over there!” I exclaim, shocked. “Put me down.”“Ivy, please don’t–” Spencer begins. “Put me down!” I repeat frantically. With a