Exhaustion finally won the battle with River, and she drifted off to sleep. Turned out the feeling of safety and love was the most potent sleeping pill. The morning sunlight that sifted through the curtains awoke her. She stretched luxuriously, her bones slightly aching. When she remembered why, the events of the previous night replayed in her mind with a smile. The previous night had it good and bad but it all ended well eventually. Ended with Gonzalo fucking her so well, she never wanted it to end. Reaching over to the other side of the bed to feel her daughter’s warm skin, she found it empty. Gonzalo was missing too. A frown creased her forehead before she heard Rain's giggles coming from the kitchen earlier. Right, she had almost forgotten that things weren't what they used to be. Right now, they were secured by love and a good friend like Sofia. If it had been before, she might have panicked, thinking something had gone wrong. She could remember how every morning in the re
“Gonzalo, really?" Sofia groaned softly, rubbing her temples upon seeing the messy scene in the kitchen. "Can we even salvage anything for breakfast from this?" River flung her hands into the air with dramatic theatrics. Gonzalo and Rain glanced at each other, both looking flustered.River sighed upon seeing this and then closed her eyes. She envisioned the kitchen, clean, as well as her daughter and husband. And with a wave of her hand, they were cleared of any trace of the cooking disaster they just experienced. Next, she focused on the burnt food, and with another wave of her hands, it became quite presentable but most importantly, edible. "Remind me to never let you two cook together again," River uttered to her mate and daughter.And with that, the family ate breakfast, with Sofia only taking a few bites before going back to working on the map. As they chattered and giggled over their meal, their hearts felt full and their bond as a family only grew stronger. A comforting co
Within seconds, the group consisting of River, Gonzalo, Sofia, and Rain materialized right in front of Old Man Thomas's cabin.Not wasting another second, they all walked into the cabin, Sofia leading the way just like last time. She knocked on the door, the sound of what sounded like tens or maybe over a hundred people chattering from inside reaching their ears.Soon, an old man opened the door, a smile forming across his face. "Took you guys long enough." Old man Thomas's thick grey beard shook slightly as he chuckled. Then, he stepped aside, allowing them to walk in. "Everyone, the calvary has arrived!"The people in the room all turned to River and Gonzalo, immediately cheering loudly. It was a huge improvement compared to the way they'd welcomed River last time."It's so good to see you again, Alpha." One of the men from the Moonstone pack came up to Gonzalo, patting him lightly on the back. Then, his gaze landed on little Rain, who clutched tightly to her mother's hands, lookin
The next day, at around five in the morning, before dawn, every member of the rebellion gathered around the table one last time. They'd helped gather the ingredients for River's potions the previous night, and the latter was able to make just enough for everyone after a little struggle.But as expected, a huge amount of her magic was used for the potions, forcing her to rest till the morning while everyone else got ready for battle. Gonzalo and Sofia brought out the maps once again, going over the battle tactics and objectives in the dimly lit room. "Before we begin the main attack, we'll need a diversion. Something big enough to draw out as many of the pack's soldiers as possible." Sofia remarked sharply, using a red marker to draw a fire at a part of the woods surrounding the pack. "So, I suggest we make a fire. A big one. This will effectively draw out some pack soldiers from the pack house, allowing us to incapacitate them first with the potions. Then, we'll tie them up and assig
Within a few seconds, the potion began taking effect. The two soldiers staggered, losing their balance. Soon, they fell to the ground with a loud thud. "The potions are a success!" Old Man Thomas yelled out triumphantly, before giving River a light pat on the back. "Good job, River. Looks like your plan to avoid violence is going to work out after all." River smiled back at old man Thomas but the happy moment was cut short by Sofia's alarmed voice. "We have more company." She growled, readying her hands on her sword. Gonzalo did the same, his eyes fixed on seven incoming soldiers. "It's the traitors!" One of the soldiers snarled, pointing at Gonzalo and River. Sofia scoffed, a smirk creeping on her face. "Hmph. It's barely even a fair fight." "Attack them! Kill the others but capture Gonzalo and River alive. Alpha Echo will be pleased." One of the soldiers who seemed like the leader ordered his men, disdain flashing through his eyes. And with that, the soldiers charged at
Slowly but surely, the rebellion was gaining the upper hand. The pack soldiers tried fending them off, but many of them were subdued and dragged off toward the pack house. Surprisingly, the rebellion was able to get a few of the pack soldiers to join their cause through the confession of the two rogues they captured. These pack soldiers helped them in dragging their sleeping comrades to a secluded building, where they would be kept until River and her team had been able to capture the fake Echo. Speaking of River and her team, they were now at the front of the pack house. However, it was heavily guarded by heavily armed soldiers. Gonzalo snarled as he threw his sword to Sofia who caught it with ease. Then, with a howl, he began shifting into his wolf form. River watched as her mate ran past them with lightning speed in his wolf form, his targets the soldiers ahead. "Let's back him up, guys!" Sofia roared, as she brought out her small shield. Sprinting forward, she used it to bloc
River and Gonzalo gritted their teeth, their gaze focusing on the source of the claps. They knew that face all too well. "Well, well, well." Echo–or rather–the rogue disguised as her, chuckled, her eyes unwavering from the couple. "Look who decided to willingly offer themselves to me. At least now I wouldn't have to give myself the burden of sending my men to search for you. So, thank you for that."River frowned. For someone who just watched most of her men being taken down so easily, this rogue seemed so calm. As if she was unbothered by them. "You phony!" Gonzalo snarled, bringing out his claws. "We're aware of your deceit. You're not the real Echo. Your reign on this pack ends today!" The fake Echo arched a brow, looking at Gonzalo like he were a raving dog. She chuckled, a cold smirk flashing across her face as she slowly inched closer to them. River wasn't taking any chances, tensing up to ready a spell. She was already getting drained as it was, but she didn't care. She woul
Gonzalo was mortified. He knelt there, his body covered in blood. Sofia's blood. She'd taken the fall for him. She'd sacrificed herself to save him. She'd helped him and River all this while. Sheltered them when they had nowhere else to go. And now she was dead...The fake Echo laughed hysterically, staring coldly at Gonzalo. "I had only one of those quivers. Consider yourself lucky that you didn't go out with it. Unfortunately, none of you are leaving here alive."Gonzalo gritted his teeth. He wished he could just rush up to her and rip out her vocal cords. However, no sooner had those words left the rogue Echo's mouth, than when he heard a scream. "Die!" It was River. She spread out her arms, gathering a spell. Then with a clench of both fists, she sent a huge wave of pure magic energy towards the witches.The wave contained her rage. Her pain. Her guilt. Her sorrow. But most of all, it contained the unbridled power of her magic.The wave was all-consuming, as it crashed into the s