Chapter 3 : A Night of Ash and Blood

The acrid scent of smoke filled Zoe’s lungs, mingling with the metallic tang of blood. Screams pierced the night, drowning out the pounding of her heart as she stumbled through the ruins of her family’s estate. Shadows moved in every direction - wolves with glowing eyes, tearing through what remained of her home.

Her breath came in short, ragged gasps as she ran, her legs trembling beneath her. They were dead. Her parents, her little brother - all gone. The image of Alpha Philip, towering over her father’s broken body, burned itself into her mind. The cold satisfaction in his eyes, the smug sneer as he commanded his wolves to hunt her next - it was all too vivid, too real.

“Zoe!” A voice cut through the chaos.

She turned to see Dominic barreling toward her, his wolf form tearing through an Ironclaw wolf with a savage growl. He shifted mid-stride, his human form bloodied but resolute. “We have to go. Now!”

“But my family..” Her voice broke.

“They’re gone,” Dominic said, his tone grim but urgent. “You’re not safe here. Move!”

Behind them, the house collapsed in a roaring inferno, the flames consuming everything Zoe had ever known.

A hand gripped her arm, steadying her. Sara’s wide eyes locked onto hers, tears streaking her dirt-covered face. “Zoe, we can’t stay. They’ll kill us.”

A howl tore through the night, closer this time. Zoe froze, panic clawing at her throat.

“Go!” Dominic barked, shoving her forward.

They sprinted toward the waiting car, Nikola at the wheel, the engine already roaring to life. The forest surrounding the estate loomed dark and unwelcoming, its shadows threatening to consume them.

Zoe barely made it into the back seat before Dominic slammed the door shut behind her. He slid into the passenger seat as Sara jumped in beside Zoe, her breath coming in sharp bursts.

“Drive!” Dominic ordered.

Nikola didn’t need to be told twice. The tires screeched against the gravel, and the car lurched forward.

Through the rear window, Zoe caught a glimpse of the Ironclaw wolves emerging from the treeline, their glowing eyes like pinpricks of malevolence in the dark. One of them - a massive black wolf - let out a bone-chilling howl.

“They’re not giving up,” Nikola muttered, his knuckles white on the steering wheel.

Sara twisted in her seat, clutching a silver-tipped dagger. “We’ve got maybe five minutes before they’re on us.”

Dominic turned to Nikola. “Take the old logging road through the woods. It’s narrow, but it’s our best shot.”

“That road’s a death trap!” Nikola snapped.

“Not as much as staying here,” Dominic countered. “Do it.”

The car swerved violently as Nikola veered off the main road and onto a narrow, overgrown path. The vehicle jolted with every bump and rut, tossing them around like rag dolls.

“Dominic, they’re gaining!” Sara shouted.

Dominic growled, his hands curling into fists. “If they catch up, we make our stand.”

The first wolf lunged from the shadows, slamming into the side of the car. The force sent the vehicle skidding, but Nikola wrestled it back under control.

“Hang on!” Dominic threw open his door before the car even came to a full stop. He shifted mid-leap, his massive wolf form colliding with their attacker in a blur of claws and teeth.

“Dominic!” Zoe cried, panic surging through her.

“He knows what he’s doing!” Sara shouted, grabbing Zoe’s arm. “Stay here!”

But Zoe couldn’t just sit there. She watched as Dominic fought with ferocity, taking down one wolf after another. He was relentless, his strength and skill unmatched. For a brief moment, she saw something more than just a fighter - she saw someone willing to put everything on the line for them.

More wolves appeared, their growls and snarls filling the air. Sara jumped out, brandishing her dagger and moving with the precision of a trained hunter. Nikola grabbed a shotgun from under the seat, stepping out to provide cover fire.

Zoe was frozen, her hands clutching the seat in front of her. She felt useless, powerless - until she saw a wolf creeping up behind Dominic, its teeth bared.

“Dominic, behind you!” she screamed.

He turned just in time, dodging the attack and retaliating with a brutal swipe of his claws. Blood splattered the ground as the wolf crumpled, lifeless.

Dominic shifted back, his chest heaving as he stumbled toward the car. “Let’s move!” he yelled.

Zoe barely registered the door slamming shut behind him as Nikola floored the gas pedal, the car speeding deeper into the woods.

The howls faded into the distance, but Zoe’s heart didn’t stop racing. She stared at Dominic, who was covered in blood - some of it his, some of it not - but he was alive. Alive, and standing strong despite the brutal fight they had just endured. 

"You saved us," she whispered, her voice barely audible, a tremor of relief breaking through the raw edge of her words. Her heart was still pounding in her chest, a constant reminder of the terror she had felt. The thought of losing him, of losing any of them, had nearly consumed her. But here he was, alive, a living, breathing testament to the strength and resilience they had fought so hard for.

Dominic’s gaze softened, though the exhaustion was clear in the way he held himself. His usual cocky grin was replaced by a quiet, determined expression. He wiped the blood from his face, his hand trembling slightly, but his eyes never wavered from hers.

"I told you, Zoe," he said, his voice rough but steady. "I’m not letting anything happen to you." The weight of his words hung in the air between them, a promise - a vow that he would keep no matter the cost. It was a simple declaration, but to Zoe, it meant everything.

She felt something stir inside her, a warm rush of emotion that pushed through the fear and the shock, something that hadn’t had the chance to emerge in the chaos of the battle. Safety. For the first time since the attack began, she felt a flicker of safety - fleeting but real, like a light at the end of a long, dark tunnel.

She knew the danger wasn’t over, not by a long shot. The darkness they had been fighting would not be easily defeated. But for this moment, for now, she could take comfort in the fact that they had survived.

And Dominic had been there. He hadn’t hesitated, hadn’t faltered. He had stood beside her, and he had fought for them all.

“I... I didn’t know if we’d make it,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper, though the words were more for herself than for him. The reality of what they had just faced, the danger that had loomed so close, was still settling in. They had barely escaped with their lives.